The rapid advancement of digitalization and information transformation driven by technology has significantly reshaped various aspects of industrial governance, particularly in marketing. With the availability of flexible tools and resource allocation, many companies are now focusing on strategic development to ensure long-term sustainability, especially through the integration of digitalization. Digital marketing is no longer solely sales-oriented, but also aims to build a sustainable ecosystem for businesses.

In response to the growing adoption of these marketing strategies, a lecturer from Universitas Dian Nusantara (UNDIRA), Muhamad Al Faruq Abdullah, along with his research team, conducted a study examining the effectiveness of two primary approaches in digital marketing: paid advertising and organic reach.

Within digital marketing, two main strategies are commonly recognized for driving traffic engagement: organic (unpaid) growth and paid growth. Paid growth generally involves marketing strategies through paid advertisements such as Google Ads and Meta Ads, as well as subscription systems and promotional boosts on platforms like OLX, which enable advertisements to appear on prominent or front-page placements.

By employing the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method across various case studies and academic journals related to Sustainable Digital Marketing, the research conducted by the UNDIRA lecturer found that paid growth typically emphasizes a fast and easy method to generate profit or engagement in a short period. However, it tends to be time-bound and may result in a relatively lower Return on Investment (ROI), particularly for startups that are still developing their management structures with limited funding.

In contrast, the organic reach approach is considered more effective in building authentic relationships with audiences. Through consistent content creation, community engagement, and strategies such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and user-generated content, this method can enhance customer loyalty and strengthen brand trust. Nevertheless, its growth tends to be slower and requires a high level of consistency.

Interestingly, the study highlights that the most effective approach is not to choose one over the other, but to combine both within a hybrid strategy.

“Many business actors are still trapped in choosing between speed and sustainability. In fact, the key to modern digital marketing lies in how to integrate both intelligently,” said Muhamad Al Faruq Abdullah.

Furthermore, this strategy enables businesses to initiate early promotional phases with a measured level of aggressiveness aligned with the principles of marketing ecosystem stewardship—referring to moral responsibility in digital marketing governance—before transitioning toward strengthening brand identity and credibility in a sustainable manner. This approach also helps minimize the risk of sunk cost fallacy often associated with paid growth methods.

Through this research, the UNDIRA lecturer emphasizes that the future success of digital marketing will not merely depend on the choice of strategy, but on a company’s ability to balance speed, authenticity, and sustainability in building relationships with consumers.