The ball has dropped, and the confetti has been swept away—2026 is here! With it comes a sense of excitement at the endless possibilities as we start anew. While you may be making a list of personal resolutions you’d like to achieve, it’s important that you don’t forget about your marketing efforts! Here are some ways that you can forge a new path for your marketing efforts in 2026, all while utilizing what you’ve learned from 2025.
Read the analytics.
If it’s not broken, don’t fix it! As you go into the new year, consider what has historically been working well for your company’s marketing efforts. Analytics from past campaigns will tell you what’s been working. Think website traffic from a specific vanity URL on a direct mail piece or email opens and click throughs with a specific offer or subject line.
Invest in what works.
This is a simple concept, yet it’s often overlooked—stop what isn’t working and invest in what is. Ensure that you’re spending your marketing budget wisely this year by using your analytics to back up your decisions. Every single campaign won’t be a home run, but this can help set you up for success more readily in the future. Spend your budget wisely.
Host a brainstorming session.
It’s time to get creative! It’s easy as a marketer to get caught up in the fast-paced, day-to-day grind. We often forget to take the time to plan out our marketing campaigns creatively and thoughtfully. Host a meeting with your team where no idea is a bad idea. Order pizza, and make it a fun environment where everybody feels like they can pitch an idea. You’d be surprised at how many creative ideas are built off of what one person uttered yet hesitated to say. Make 2026 the year that your business embraces creativity.
Stay connected.
It’s a beautiful thing that we can go our whole lives and still never learn everything that there is to learn. Marketing trends change and evolve, just like other industries and businesses. That’s why it’s important in 2026 to stay connected digitally. Find other marketers who you find innovative. Follow brands that continue to stay ahead of the curve. Ask a colleague or peer to coffee just to ask them questions and bounce ideas off of each other.
Embrace old and new worlds.
Understanding your audience is key to your marketing strategy’s success. While one generation may be heavily on Facebook, another may prefer to receive physical mail. A mixture of both digital and print materials has been shown to be effective marketing—an omnichannel approach! It takes your audience multiple touchpoints for them to recognize and remember your branding and message, so ensure you’re meeting them in ways that make sense— both online and in-person.
The new year is a time to start fresh and new. Take this as an opportunity to dive into your marketing strategy for the coming year. Embrace creativity. Understand what has historically worked for your business, and don’t be afraid to try something new! An omnichannel marketing approach will help you reach multiple audience members and increase your recognition.
