We’ve all been there. You Google “growth marketing checklist” and end up with a PDF that lists “post on social media” right next to “build scalable acquisition loops”, like those two tasks are somehow equal.
Spoiler: they’re not. Truth is, most growth marketing checklists are either bloated, backward, or built by people who’ve never touched a campaign dashboard in their lives. So we made our own.
Here’s what actually deserves a spot on your growth checklist, and what you can drop faster than an overpriced automation tool. Valuable. Scalable. Sanity-saving. Let’s go.
The checklists that matter
These are the frameworks we use every day at wonderwork to build and scale brands that convert and compound.
1. The growth strategy kickoff checklist
Before you write a single ad or press “send” on that welcome email, you need strategic clarity.
✅ Must-haves:
- Clear value proposition (no fluff, just punch)
- Customer personas built on behavior, not vibes
- Defined funnel stages (TOFU, MIFU, BOFU, and beyond)
- Revenue goals and growth targets (not just “more leads”)
- Alignment with product/ops (because churn ruins everything)
🚫 Ditch:
- Endless brainstorming sessions with no decisions
- Personas named things like “Marketing Mary” with zero data behind them
- Twelve priority goals (newsflash: that’s none)
2. The TOFU (top-of-funnel) checklist
This is your “get noticed” layer, where strangers become intrigued.
✅ Must-haves:
- SEO-optimized blog content around high-intent, low-competition keywords
- Paid search + paid social campaigns with clear hooks
- Scroll-stopping creative (motion > static, always)
- Social proof (testimonials, user stories, press)
- UTM parameters. Always.
🚫 Ditch:
- Organic social posts with 2 likes and no CTA
- 500-word blog posts that say nothing
- Awareness ads with a “Book Now” button (slow down, tiger)
3. The MIFU (middle-of-funnel) checklist
Now they know you. Time to make them care.
✅ Must-haves:
- Lead magnet (e.g., checklist, guide, quiz)
- Conversion-focused landing pages (with one CTA)
- Email nurture flow (3–5 emails minimum, personalised if possible)
- Comparison/benefit messaging (why you over others?)
- Objection handling (messages that counter all common objections)
- Retargeting strategy that doesn’t stalk people into oblivion (and is measured properly: page scroll depth, consideration-first web pages, cart abandonment)
🚫 Ditch:
- Gated PDFs that feel like a punishment
- Clunky landing forms with 10 required fields
- “We’re the best!” messaging with zero receipts
4. The BOFU (bottom-of-funnel) checklist
This is where curiosity turns into conversion.
✅ Must-haves:
- Time-sensitive offers or incentives
- Case studies with actual results (screenshots > fluff)
- Strong testimonial or video proof
- Personalized outreach (automated smartly)
- Checkout or sign-up UX that doesn’t kill the mood
- Strong reviews on own and third-party websites
🚫 Ditch:
- Pop-ups that appear before someone has even scrolled
- “Book a call” CTAs that lead to dead calendars
- Walls of copy where one sentence would do
5. The retention + referral checklist
Growth marketing doesn’t stop at the sale. That’s just the start.
✅ Must-haves:
- Onboarding flow that welcomes, not overwhelms
- Lifecycle email triggers (based on action, not time)
- Feedback loop to gather insights + testimonials
- Referral incentive program with real value
- Loyalty/upsell campaigns for power users
🚫 Ditch:
- Email sequences that ghost after day 1
- “Tell a friend” buttons with zero context
- Generic “We value your feedback” surveys with no follow-up
The checklists you don’t need
Let’s kill some noise:
- “Post three times a day on every social platform.”
- “Send newsletters weekly, no matter what.”
- “Set up 47 automations in your CRM.”
- “Launch a podcast because GaryVee said so.”
- “Be on Threads. And Twitter. And LinkedIn. And TikTok. And also Pinterest, maybe?”
If a tactic doesn’t align with your growth marketing strategy, your audience journey, or your actual resources, skip it.
Growth is about traction, not trend-chasing.
Growth without the guesswork
Growth marketing is messy. It’s full of tests, tools, and trade-offs. But your strategy shouldn’t be guesswork, and your checklists shouldn’t read like BuzzFeed clickbait.
The right checklist helps you:
- Stay focused on what actually moves the needle
- Spot gaps in your funnel
- Build a growth engine that actually scales
At wonderwork, we don’t do bloated plans or rigid playbooks. We do what works, and we’ll tell you when something doesn’t.
Because clarity is the real growth hack.
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