Growth Hack? Yeah, We’ve All Been There.
“Growth hack.”
You’ll hear that phrase about a thousand times in your career. Doesn’t matter if you’re a marketer, VP, growth lead, or that one brave soul doing it all with a Canva Pro account and a dream.
We’re all after the same thing: A shortcut to results.
A way to reach more people, solve real problems, and scale, without burning through all your resources (aka money, time, energy, and sanity).
Ask your stakeholders for a budget? We all know that look.
And the follow-up question you can almost mouth with them:
“Can we do it cheaper?” (Yup. It hurts.)
A Little Throwback: Remember Classified Ads?
Let’s rewind 10–15 years.
Remember those yellow-page style classifieds? Local business listings, tiny text blocks in the paper or OLX-style websites, it was the go-to hack back then.
If you’re born after 2000, ask your parents how they looked for rooms, bought second-hand stuff, or discovered local tutors. It wasn’t sexy, but it worked.
That was growth hacking. In its most raw, scrappy form.
Fast-forward to today, and that tactic? Saturated. Obsolete for most industries.
And that’s okay. Because every growth hack has an expiry date.
So, Where Did “Growth Hacking” Even Come From?
Enter Sean Ellis, in 2010.
He coined the term while building DropBox, LogMeIn, Eventbrite, you know, just some small side hustles.
His approach? Don’t do everything. Do what moves the needle. Track what works. Kill what doesn’t.
Run on data. And never stop optimizing.
It worked. But that was pre-AI, pre-ChatGPT, pre-short-attention-span-on-steroids.
Welcome to the AI-First Era
Search behavior is changing. Organic reach? Declining. Ad fatigue? Very real.
And Google? Taking a quiet hit while users drift toward AI tools for direct answers.
Now, I’m not here to bash ads. They still work for acquisition and activation.
But once that budget dries up, your traffic evaporates.
There’s no loyalty. No long-term retention. No word-of-mouth magic.
What If Your Next Growth Hack… Wasn’t it a Hack?
What if it was a channel?
A flywheel that grows over time. That keeps working after the campaign ends.
Sounds too good to be true, right?
Look, I won’t call it vibranium.
But if you use it right, it’s pretty damn close.
Podcasting.
Not the kind that needs a studio or a celebrity co-host.
Just a mic. A message. And a clear reason to exist.
The Metrics That Make Podcasting a No-Brainer
Let’s Start with Basics: AARRR funnel? (Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Revenue, Referral)
- Acquisition: Listeners discover your brand without paid ads. Source: Edison Research, Infinite Dial 2023
- Activation: 75% of listeners say podcasts influence their buying decisions. (Deloitte)
- Retention: Podcasting builds a habit. Your audience keeps coming back. 40% of listeners growth in US in last 3 years. Source: Nielsen Podcast Insights
- Revenue: Podcasts convert—via product plugs, sponsors, or affiliate links. Podcast ad revenue crossed $2 billion in 2022 and is projected to hit $4 billion by 2025. Source: IAB U.S. Podcast Advertising Revenue Study 2023
- Referral: People don’t just listen. They share. One good episode can spark hundreds of organic impressions. 6% of podcast listeners have recommended a podcast to someone else. One great episode = organic reach with zero media spend. Source: Spotify Culture Next Report 2023
Localized Stats
India:
– 3rd largest podcast market globally
– 100M+ monthly listeners
– Tier 1 & Tier 2 cities driving growth
Southeast Asia:
– 30–40% YoY growth
– Highly mobile-first audience
United States:
– 42% of Americans (13+) listen monthly
– Podcasts drive 4.4x higher brand recall vs. display ads (Nielsen)
B2B & B2C Use Cases
B2B Example:
‘Marketing Brew’ by Morning Brew → sharp insights, drives trust and media signups.
https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2024/11/21/why-beauty-brands-are-turning-to-podcasts-to-advertise
B2C Example:
Nykaa’s ‘Beauty Book’ → educates, entertains, and drives store traffic.
Podcasting works whether you’re selling software, skincare, or services.
https://iide.co/case-studies/marketing-strategy-of-nykaa
Final Thought
Not because it’s trendy. Not because it’s easy.
But because it’s underrated, and underutilized by brands who think growth only comes from ad spend.
A podcast is your silent growth engine.
It builds authority. Earns trust. And keeps working when you’re offline.
So, what if your next growth hack was a mic?
Start your podcast with Hubhopper Studio — free, fast, and built for growth.
Sources:
- 1.India is the 3rd largest podcast market globally
https://www.marknteladvisors.com/research-library/india-podcasting-market.html - 2.100M+ monthly listeners in India
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/01/27/3015350/0/en/India-Podcast-Market-to-Hit-Valuation-of-US-4-248-Million-By-2033-Astute-Analytica.html - 3.Tier 1 & Tier 2 cities driving podcast growth
https://www.marknteladvisors.com/research-library/india-podcasting-market.html
Southeast Asia: - 4. 30–40% YoY podcast growth in SEA
https://www.statista.com/outlook/amo/media/music-radio-podcasts/southeast-asia - 5.Highly mobile-first audience in SEA
https://www.statista.com/outlook/amo/media/music-radio-podcasts/southeast-asia
United States: - 6. 42% of Americans (13+) listen monthly
https://www.ftstrategies.com/en-gb/insights/what-the-podcast-boom-means-for-digital-revenue-in-a-post-pandemic-landscape - 7.Podcasts drive 4.4x higher brand recall than display ads
https://www.ftstrategies.com/en-gb/insights/what-the-podcast-boom-means-for-digital-revenue-in-a-post-pandemic-landscape
