What differentiates solid marketing strategies from hype strategies?

We read about it every day:

Scaling.

Funnels.

Growth hacking.

Buzzwords that, to be honest, make my hair stand on end.

Why?

Because there's usually not much behind them.

I recently stumbled across an interesting job posting on Upwork.

They were looking for a marketing strategist with an academic background.

Deliberately not bro marketing, but solid craftsmanship.

The following application question was asked:

What distinguishes solid marketing strategies from hype strategies?

For me, the answer is simple:

Hype strategies destroy themselves.

Not always immediately, but pretty reliably.

And why?

Because your own online marketing doesn't do you justice. This creates a vicious circle.

The typical process looks like this:

The strategy is quickly cobbled together because it “isn't generating any revenue yet.”

Then, within a very short time, thousands of euros are pumped into ads because you now want to scale up.

Because expectations are high. A lot has been promised.

But as soon as the numbers in Ads Manager don't add up, you start to panic.

Every two days, you make 180-degree turns in a continuous cycle.

But that doesn't increase demand for your own product.

The hectic pace leads to poor results.

Poor results lead to more pressure.

Pressure leads to more hecticness.

Until the money runs out.

Long-term strategies are planned, understood, internalized, and above all, iterated.

They are based on brainstorming, research, interviews, and a genuine understanding of the target audience.

The focus is on long-term success rather than the promotional calendar.

On customer lifetime values.

On thought leadership.

This means that sales don't skyrocket from 0 to 100.

But they do grow.

Stably. Predictably. Sustainably.

And that's exactly what makes the difference.