the do’s and don’ts of marketing right now

As you consider your budget and calendar this year, it’s important to flesh out your plan and avoid any missteps that plagued you last year. Check out the new trends and understand the benefits of changing direction to attract customers and business this year.

Do try video content

If you’re going all-in on Instagram posts, blogs, and podcasts, you’re doing great already. But let’s be honest: your followers want video content, and it’s high time to give it to them if you haven’t already.

If you have a smartphone (and chances are high that you do), it’s easy to start filming videos for Instagram, TikTok, or even your company website. Pick one person to act as your spokesperson on camera. Give them a topic and a few talking points. Even a talking head-style video is excellent if you’re just getting started!

You can also jazz things up with video formats like:

Q&A Interviews Demos Recipes How-tos

Don’t do one-time influencer partnerships

Influencer marketing is still going strong, but with a twist. More influencers are looking for long-term relationships with brands instead of one-time posts — and brands are digging it.

After all, a long-term partnership means influencers get predictable revenue, and brands don’t have to hunt for new influencers every month. It’s a win for everyone! (Check out how Wingstop made quick pivots in marketing strategy to leverage the influencer market through multiple campaigns.)

You can build a cadre of influencers turned brand advocates with long-term engagements. The key is to ensure you’re picking the right influencers for your brand. Look for people who promote similar values (like sustainability or inclusivity) so that the partnership feels authentic. When it’s the right fit, you’ll see more opportunities to deepen relationships with influencers’ followers than you would get with a one-time post.

Do repurpose your content

You put in a lot of work to create all of your marketing content. The good news is that you don’t have to post brand-new content on every channel every time. Think about how you can film one video and use several pieces of content out of it.

The next time you film a video, repurpose it in different formats like:

Podcast audio

Transcribed audio that turns into a blog Blog text that turns into an infographic

An infographic that turns into an Instagram Carousel post

See what we did there? All you need is one video, and you can create several pieces of share-worthy content across all of your platforms. This is a great way to save time while bringing fresh content to all of your channels regularly.

Don’t ignore your customers

Are your customers responding to your emails or leaving comments on your social media posts? That’s marketing gold, so don’t ignore your followers!

Marketing gives you the power to have real conversations with the people who support you. In fact, you can turn their stories into marketing fodder. Find social media users who are talking about your brand and use their user-generated content (with permission, of course) for your brand account.

Make your customers and clients the highlight of your content. Celebrate the amazing people who support your vision, and chances are, they’ll reward you with word-of-mouth referrals and long-term loyalty.

Do follow trends

Sometimes you just need to follow the crowd. The rise of TikTok showed us just how important it is for brands to pay attention to timely trends. There’s nothing wrong with planning your marketing campaigns a year out at a time, but they need to be flexible enough to account for trends.

For example, if you regularly post on Instagram, be a daily user on the platform, too, so you can spot brand-appropriate trends. Then act on them quickly! Sometimes, trends have a shelf life of no more than a week, so toss your hat into the ring before the moment’s gone.

Don’t stop marketing

Instead of panicking at recent economic news by cutting your marketing spend, it’s usually wiser to do the complete opposite.

Marketing is an investment in the health of your business, so if you stop marketing yourself, how will customers find you? Now is the time to continue promoting yourself — albeit in a more budget-friendly and creative way — to keep customers coming to your door.

Do dust off your customer personas

If you have customer personas, you know how much work your team put into these marketing tools. However, customer personas are going to change over time. Now is a perfect opportunity to rethink your approach, so dust off those personas and jazz them up!

Make sure your personas are still relevant to the customers you sell to, the products you offer, and the industry as a whole. If something doesn’t fit, now’s your chance to fix it.

Don’t copy other people

This is always a marketing rule, but in an era marked by fast-paced trends, it’s important to remember that copying isn’t OK. You’re under pressure to post on social media multiple times a day, but even so, everything you post needs to have your unique spin to it.

Do stand up for what you believe

Consumers want to support brands with a meaningful mission. In an era of corporate social responsibility, make sure you stand up for what you believe. Find a cause that you care deeply about and that connects with your services or products.

For example, a beauty brand might support female empowerment non-profits. A men’s beard oil company might support men’s mental health resources. You get the idea. By aligning with what you believe, you’ll give consumers a deeper reason to buy from you — other than your amazing products, of course.

Don’t solely market through digital channels

We love the ease of digital marketing, but it isn’t always the most affordable or effective way to connect with shoppers.

Real-world connections still matter, and promotional products, events, and experiences help you connect with shoppers in a one-on-one environment that digital media just can’t touch. Try to plan at least one physical marketing campaign each year and compare it against your digital channels — we’re sure you’ll see a striking difference.