How To Achieve Sustainable Growth For Your Business

How does one achieve sustainable growth? We focus on strategy, utilize the power of Growth Hacking for high tempo testing, focus on reducing churn and on the people that matter most.

I know you’ve read a bunch of great marketing articles and books.

And that you’re experimenting, learning, growing, each and every day.

Still, some might find that their work and campaigns lack focus and synergy. You’re doing something on social media, you’re doing something with video, you have paid campaigns running, etc.

But how do they really help you reach your long-term goals?

In this article, I’ll show you how all GlobalOwls’s campaigns and marketing efforts work together to reach sustainable growth and how you can design your strategy for growth.

Sustainable Growth A.K.A. Never Stop Growing

This is what we’ll discuss in this article

Pick the right metrics

So what do you want to grow? And why?

At GlobalOwls, we want to grow our:

email subscribers
community members that give advice to nonprofits.

Why?

Because we find that we can engage best with people from our email list rather than first-time visitors or followers on social media and because our entire business model revolves around our community members.

For you, this could be the number of donors for your nonprofit, amount of subscribers for your SaaS business and even the amount of social followers. It really depends on what you do and what you’re trying to achieve. As long as you can retain people on some sort of way, you can grow that metric.

Be sure you know exactly WHY the metrics you select are important to you.

How our marketing efforts work together (one of our Marketing Flywheel)

we decide which topics would help our readers best
we do our keyword research to be sure we rank for the keywords we want to rank for and enhance our piece of content
we publish our piece of content
we amplify our reach by reaching out to partners, sharing it on social media, sharing it with our email subscribers, etc.
by doing this we grow our social media following, mailing list and community members

The best part about the marketing flywheel

The best part is that each time we repeat this circle, we see better results.

Each time:

we have a better understanding of the needs of our audience
our keyword research list grows larger and it takes less time to research new keywords
we become faster at publishing content and creating the right visuals
we grow our influence, our social following, our mailing list, our REACH
our domain and brand grows stronger

A few things to keep in mind when designing your marketing flywheel

A marketing flywheel is a strategy

The flywheel I described above is designed for our content marketing strategy. You can design your own according to your talents and needs.

Because it’s a strategic choice (thus for the long-term), don’t expect to get insane results from the start.

You won’t be writing that viral piece of content, you won’t be having a lot of partners, social followers, email subscribers, domain authority, etc.

You need to build this up.

If you would design a ‘Pay per click’ marketing flywheel you would also not have the same results as when you’ve repeated the process a dozen times.

With a pay per click marketing flywheel, after each ideation you would learn which creatives work best, which price to set, which people to target, you name it.

Marketing flywheel = not Growth Hack

This is important to keep in mind.

According to Growth Hacking, you run an experiment to validate or invalidate an idea (short term).

Since Marketing flywheels take time to reach their potential.

Each and every marketing flywheel will yield poor results the first time you implement it unless you’re lucky.

What you CAN do is come up with ideas to improve those tiny bits in between (test your email subscription button, test how you can hack your way into reaching more people on Twitter, etc.)

Strategy and Growth Hacking can go hand in hand, but you need to know when to do what.

Without retention, growth won’t be sustainable

Don’t even think about putting all your efforts towards growing your social following, email subscribers, donors, clients, you name it and not putting any work in retaining them.

That’s just…

Filling up a basket with a lot of holes.

One great way to retain people so they don’t churn is to be genuine, create a brand and be niche focused.

If you’re doing a lot of things for everyone.

You’re doing nothing for no one.

Focus your efforts on the people that LOVE what you have to offer.

You might be able to reach fewer people (because it’s going to be a niche) but if they absolutely love what you have to offer, they won’t churn.

Always be learning!

This mindset will set you up for success. Learn as much as you can about your audience so you know which product to develop, which content to create, how to keep them happy so they don’t churn but also how to test new ideas and see how your audience responds.

Once you think you know it all and you don’t need to put in the effort to improve what you do.

You’ll be out of luck.

FAQ

What is sustainable growth for a business, and why is it important?
Sustainable growth refers to steady and manageable expansion without compromising long-term viability. It’s important for maintaining financial health and competitiveness.

What are the key principles of sustainable business growth?
Key principles include financial stability, customer satisfaction, responsible resource management, and ethical practices.

How can businesses balance short-term profits with long-term sustainability?
Businesses can balance these goals by investing in innovation, maintaining a strong financial foundation, and considering the environmental and social impact of their actions.

What role does innovation play in achieving sustainable growth?
Innovation drives sustainable growth by identifying new markets, improving products and services, and staying competitive in a changing business landscape.

How can businesses align sustainability with their growth strategies?
Businesses can align sustainability by adopting eco-friendly practices, promoting ethical sourcing, and engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.

What are some examples of sustainable growth strategies for small businesses?
Examples include expanding product lines, entering new markets, and developing strategic partnerships that align with the company’s values.

How can businesses measure their progress toward sustainable growth?
Metrics such as revenue growth, customer retention rates, and environmental impact assessments can help businesses measure their progress.

What are the challenges of achieving sustainable growth in a competitive market?
Challenges may include funding constraints, market saturation, and the need to continuously adapt to market changes.

How can businesses foster a culture of sustainability among employees?
Businesses can promote sustainability by educating employees, involving them in CSR initiatives, and recognizing and rewarding sustainable practices.

What are the benefits of sustainable growth beyond financial success?
Benefits include enhanced brand reputation, increased employee morale, positive customer perception, and contribution to a more sustainable future.