New Year’s Marketing Resolutions

Some people don’t enjoy new year’s resolutions but I love ‘em! I need them! The freshness of the new year is just the kick in the butt that many of us need to re-energize and refocus.

Why not take this time to access your business goals and see what you can work on to really make 2024 your year.

We Will Be Funny

Resolution #1: Whatever it is, the way you tell your story can make all the difference. Most businesses can get away with being a little cheeky and having fun with humour. It puts your audience at ease and can form good rapport. One way to do this is by hopping on a trend with your content. If your ad resembles a familiar meme or funny video, it will come across as more relatable to your audience.

A great example of this is when Vessi’s footwear teamed up with the hugely popular content creator KallmeKris. She used her same humorous characters in a video to demonstrate the waterproof quality of this up and coming Canadian brand to great affect. I’m sure it helped Vessi’s become more of household name because it came off as a fun, entertaining clip rather than a standard sponsored ad. You can see the video here.

We Are Going To Use AI

Resolution #2: AI tools feel like magic to use and will make your marketing easier in 2024.

Start by using AI-driven analytics tools to gather customer data to help in understanding customer behaviour, preferences, and trends. Then, these tools can help offer highly personalized marketing messages and experiences to individual consumers. For a good round up on some of these tools, check out this link.

Incorporate AI in content creation, using programs that make things easier and faster to produce. This could be as simple as finding that perfect graphic, or complex like sourcing optimal content for different ages or geographical segments. Canva has some great new AI add-ins that help alter images and videos. Adobe products now feature many AI helping resources that are sure to speed up and enhance photo and video editing.

We can use AI to monitor social media trends, track brand mentions, and analyze consumer sentiment, enabling marketers to better engage with their audience and manage their brand's online presence.

AI reduces the likelihood of errors that can occur with manual data analysis and decision-making, leading to more accurate and effective marketing strategies. No more embarrassing spelling mistakes. Yah!

This entire paragraph above was generated using AI. So fun.

We Are Going to Re-use Content

Resolution #3: When we are busy churning out social media posts, or writing articles we often forget that not everything has to be created from scratch. Previous content may be reused as long as it is on brand and the information is still relevant. Your audience is not going to remember that you used that image last year, or maybe even last month! I suggest creating a file for the evergreen content, pulling from it when you are feeling uninspired, busy or just tired! Work smarter, not harder.

We Will Ask Questions and Tell Stories

Resolution #4: Asking your audience questions is one of the best way to increase engagement. People want to feel heard so give them the mic! How do you feel about such and such, what is your favourite etc etc— you would be amazed by how effective it is and how often businesses forget to do this. Audiences don’t always want to be ‘talked at’, they want to be included in the dialogue. Engagement matters because it’s what social media platforms use to push your content to the top so more people see it.

Good storytelling, with a hook at the begin like, “You aren’t going to believe this” or “I’m so excited to share this” is also an advertising method you should be using this year. This works in print (keep it concise), on websites, video etc. The viral Tik Tok video of Susi sharing with her videos, “Call me crazy but I don’t like store bought pesto”, gave way to a huge amount of people using that intro, saying “wow that is crazy, but get this” proceeding to tell the most insane, wild and unhinged stories. You never know what will get people talking!

We Are Going to Push Ourselves

Resolution #5: I type this with a bit of apprehension because it’s my least favourite thing to do. It is really hard to be vulnerable and try things with our business that are risky or outside our comfort zone. But as with most things in life, breakthrough is often found after plowing through discomfort. Some examples of pushing yourself further with your business would be asking to collaborate with others, cold calling or (emailing) , planning an event, expanding what you offer, re-branding, or moving locations. It could also be as basic as sticking to a schedule with social media posts, blogging or re-merchandising.

Giving yourself that extra push could bring new and exciting things. I'd be happy to be your accountability buddy.

We are Going to Value Authenticity and Sustainability

Resolution #6: Modern Consumers are savvy. They research and can sniff out insincerity before you can deliver your pitch. Most people do not want to be advertised to. That’s why influencers are so popular. They are supposed to be regular people just sharing information. We would rather hear about something cool from a friend or another trusted source. You can build trust trusted by standing by the product and services you offer and being genuine in helping consumers solve a problem. Make that part of the core of your business and it will come across in sales. Share why what you do is important. Talk about your struggles and your wins.

As Cher states in the iconic movie Clueless, while she is giving a friend a make over, “ We should do something for mankind or the planet. I want to do something good for humanity.” The cool kids know— it pays to care about what’s going on in the world. Your customers want to feel that their consumption has a silver lining. That fast food liner is compostable? Amazing. Your clothing is made from recycled materials? Fantastic. Keeping sustainability in practice in your business makes everyone feel good.

We are Going to Entertain

Put a few of the above marketing resolutions into practice and you will have some entertaining and engaging marketing. There are so many businesses competing for attention that I would recommend trying at least one resolution and see how it goes. I am happy to help you discover which one will benefit you most and create an easy plan to see results.