It's August 2025 and it's not news that marketing budgets are getting squeezed - The uncertain economy, proliferation of AI, and decreasing online engagement have been the perfect storm. The result is a shift in the marketing landscape unlike anything I've seen in the past 15 years.
Marketing is increasingly fragmented and unpredictable. Many industry experts advocate a sophisticated multi-channel strategy which is just another way of saying "keep throwing things at the wall to see what sticks". While I believe multi-channel marketing is important, it's more important to focus on what works. The best type exercise is the one you'll actually do.
Instead of chasing every change and trend, you can make the most of your marketing budget by playing to your strengths. Nobody knows your customers better than you. So, focus on the channels and tactics you know best. Get back to the basics and go deep instead of wide. Here's some examples:
- Evaluate Analytics: You can't manage what you don't measure. Review analytics and metric tracking to get a baseline for performance.
- Email Marketing: There's a 90% chance customers will see your message instead of the 2% chance they'll see your social media post.
- Convert Followers: Give social media followers a reason to take the next step. Craft paid campaigns and offers specifically for existing followers.
- Focus Paid Advertising: Provide one offer for one audience. Set up multiple small campaigns instead of one large campaign.
- Community Visibility: Speak at an industry event, be a guest contributor to a publication, sponsor or lead social-good initiatives.
- Website Maintenance: Keep things fresh and ensure it's technically sound. Ensure content answers questions instead of holding things back.
The only constant is change, and being consistent leads to change. It's important to be aware of what's going on around you but don't let it distract you. The most important thing is knowing what's important. Take care of your customers and they'll take care of you.
