Barri Coen | 6 days ago | 6 min read

Growth Marketing Tactics and Channels: The Complete Breakdown

Growth Marketing Tactics and Channels: The Complete Breakdown

Most teams don’t struggle because they’re “bad at marketing.”They struggle because they aren’t using the right tactics, at the right time, in the right order.

Growth isn’t achieved by doing everything. It’s achieved by doing the right few things that compound.

This guide breaks down every major growth marketing channel and tactic — when to use it, how it works, mistakes to avoid, and how it fits into your wider growth engine.

Use it as your channel strategy playbook.

What Are Growth Marketing Tactics?

Growth tactics are the practical, high-leverage actions you take to improve acquisition, activation, retention and revenue.

They must be:

  • measurable
  • repeatable
  • impactful
  • aligned to your funnel

If they don’t move a meaningful metric — they’re noise.

What Are Growth Marketing Channels?

Channels are the “pipes” that bring users into the business or move them deeper into the funnel.

Every channel should fulfil at least one of the following:

  • Acquire (bring people in
  • Activate (drive the first meaningful action)
  • Retain (keep them engaged)
  • Monetise (convert or upsell)

When channels and tactics align, you get a growth system — not a collection of activities.

The Complete Breakdown of Growth Channels & Tactics

Below are the core components of a healthy growth engine, broken down into:

  • Acquisition
  • Activation
  • Retention
  • Revenue
  • Referral

This mirrors the AARRR model and ensures a full-funnel view.

1. Acquisition Channels & Tactics

These bring new users into the funnel. Not all acquisition channels are equal — each requires a different maturity level, speed, cost, and skillset.

Paid Search (Google Ads)

Best for: High-intent traffic, fast validation, predictable scaling

Tactics:

  • Keyword targeting based on buying intent
  • Competitor bidding
  • Landing page + ad alignment
  • Negative keyword sculpting
  • Smart bidding calibration (once enough conversions exist)

Use when: You have clear ICPs and tight messaging.Avoid when: You don’t yet understand your value proposition.

Paid Social (Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, X)

Best for: Demand creation, audience building, creative testing

Tactics:

  • Creative testing at speed
  • Awareness and retargeting loops
  • Landing page variations
  • UGC-style creatives
  • Persona-specific messaging

Use when: You want to expand audiences or test creative angles.

Avoid when: You rely on it too early before your funnel is ready.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

Best for: Long-term compounding acquisition

Tactics:

  • On-page optimisation
  • High-intent content clusters
  • Pillar pages + topic authority
  • Internal linking structure
  • Backlink acquisition (digital PR, guest posting, “linkable assets”)

Partnerships

Best for: Fast access to audiences that already trust someone else

Tactics:

  • Co-marketing
  • Joint webinars
  • Mutual referrals
  • Distributor/ affiliate models

Use when: Your ICP is reachable through existing communities.

Avoid when: You rely on one partner too heavily.

2. Activation Tactics

Activation is the first meaningful action a new user takes.

Examples:

  • Signing up
  • Completing onboarding
  • Booking a demo

Activation improvements often have the biggest impact on growth.

UX Improvements

Reduce friction on key actions

Simplify signup flows

Improve mobile experience

Clarify CTAs

Remove distractions

3. Retention Tactics

Retention is the engine of sustainable growth. Without it, acquisition becomes expensive and churn kills momentum.

Lifecycle Email & CRM

  • Engagement flows
  • Replenishment flows (ecom)
  • Usage nudges (SaaS)
  • Milestone messaging

Customer Success Enablement

QBRs

Training sessions

Onboarding support

Community Building

Spaces for customers to interact

4. Revenue Tactics

These directly increase the money generated per customer.

Upsell & Cross-Sell

Relevant product bundles

Feature upgrades

“Complete the set” journeys

Pricing Strategy

Value-based pricing

Tiered packaging

Time-limited incentives

5. Referral Tactics

Referral is the most under-utilised lever in most businesses.

Referral and Loyalty Programs

Incentives for sharing

VIP tiers

Rewards and points

Social Proof Loops

Reviews

UGC

“Share your story” campaigns

How These Channels Work Together

A single channel won’t scale your business.A connected system will.

Example growth engine:

PPC brings high-intent users

Personalised landing pages increase activation

CRO improves conversion

Lifecycle emails retain and monetise customers

UGC encourages referrals

SEO compounds long-term demand

Every tactic feeds another.

How to Choose the Right Channels

Use these principles:

  • 1. Go where the buyer already is Not where you feel you “should” be.
  • 2. Start with the highest intent channels Google Search → Landing Page → ConversionThen layer in social, outbound, content.
  • 3. Prioritise based on maturity Startups shouldn’t behave like enterprises.
  • 4. Don’t scale a channel before your funnel is ready You’ll burn money.

Want help choosing the right channels for your business? 👉 Next