Back in Session

And just like that, in the northern hemisphere, summer is over. Well technically in Northern California - weather-wise - we’re starting second summer, or “real” summer. But the mindset shift is still there, and all the pumpkin spice things are on sale here just like everywhere else.

As we move into the final stretch of the year I’ve been reflecting on my first 2.5 years in business at Bright Venture Marketing and also planning for what’s next. As many of us are moving into planning season, it seemed like a good moment to share a few digital marketing strategy tips. Some are new, and some I've picked up over the past 20 (!) years.

A Few Marketing Mechanics for Your Digital Marketing Strategy?

Below are the top three things that come to mind when considering digital marketing for the final quarter of the year and/or planning for 2025.

The Catch-22 of AI Writing Trends

AI has officially been the trending topic in the business world this year and it’s no different for marketing. One of the most prominent areas we’re seeing AI in marketing right now is with new(ish) AI writing tools - including jasper.ai and of course ChatGPT. Many marketing software options have built-in AI writing tools, including HubSpot and SEMRush.

Except for ChatGPT - most of these marketing AI writers are designed to develop search-engine-optimized content faster. So while AI writers can be used for various applications, many marketers and businesses are using or considering AI writing for content marketing.?

The major catch-22 is that, at the same time, the Google search algorithm is continually being updated to favor and rank original content. Google is definitely among all the tech companies pushing AI solutions this year, but at the same time, their search engine is programmed to negatively impact websites with unoriginal content.

I believe there is a place somewhere in the marketing toolset for AI writers and I’ve been slowly introducing them into my work. When it comes to search engine marketing, for the time being, AI writing can only be used as a smaller complementary component to maintain and grow your search rankings on Google.

It’s a good reminder in general, that when it comes to buzzwords and trends, to dive a little deeper and also consider the bigger context when making decisions on marketing tactics and strategies.

Matching digital marketing channels with your goals

Not all digital marketing channels are the same when it comes to using channels that are a good match for your business goals and objectives.

Something I learned years ago from HubSpot has stuck with me. I admire HubSpot not only because their product is good but also because they are masters of what they are selling. They sell marketing software and they are also awesome at marketing. Anyway, before HubSpot, I had a similar methodology (that I no longer remember), but theirs is simpler and has stuck. HubSpot defines the buyer’s journey in three main categories - regardless of industry and whether your business is B2B, B2C etc.

HubSpot Buyers Journey

• Awareness
• Consideration
• Decision

This framework is so helpful for building a marketing strategy - especially when aligning different marketing channels to your goals. Below are a few examples.

Social media

• Social media has a place in all phases of the buying journey but can be difficult to measure for B2B companies.
• Regardless of industry and business model, social media is great for awareness building - that can probably be said as a blanket statement.?
• Certain social media platforms are more effective than others depending on the business. Most B2B businesses don’t need a strong Facebook presence - although having a small presence on Facebook provides a little boost to search engine marketing and your overall digital footprint.?
• Unsurprisingly Instagram and Tik Tok are really effective for retail and direct-to-consumer businesses, and LinkedIn is better for B2B companies.
• For retail and B2C ventures, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are super effective platforms for the decision phase - generating sales.?
• For B2B ventures, LinkedIn can be a source of lead generation but it’s more so an indirect channel for decision-making. If a business leader is considering doing business with you, it’s likely they’ll come across your social media channels either by chance or by actively looking you up. Seeing compelling content and a professional, active presence on LinkedIn can bolster sales in that way, but is only one of many factors.
• Other platforms I would put under social media include sites for reviews - Google Business pages, Yelp, and various other industry listing/review sites. Regardless of industry or business models reviews are one of the most important factors for buyers - these platforms are important for consideration and decision phases of the buyer’s journey.

Email marketing

• If someone has opted into your email marketing, they’re already aware of your business? ?? Email marketing is a great nurturing tool for consideration and decision-making phases.
• Email marketing goes beyond the single buyer lifecycle and is a powerful tool for nurturing ongoing relationships and gaining repeat business.
• Email marketing is one of the most reliable digital marketing tools today, even though it’s been around for decades at this point. This is because email marketing is one of the best ways to meet your customers and prospects wherever they are because for better or worse most of us are connected to email regularly.

These are only a few examples - other top digital marketing channels today include advertising, search engine marketing, content marketing, and more. Connecting each channel to a phase in the buyer’s journey is a tip for taking your marketing strategy to the next level.

Sometimes your digital marketing is about you, and that’s OK

Especially now the business world needs authentic voices, ideas, and creativity. Sometimes the best marketing ideas come from something that’s inspiring you, something you feel compelled to share, something you think is worthwhile, something you think would help people. The best ideas don’t always grow from what’s been done before, and not everything stems from an existing data point. ChatGPT doesn’t know your customers, your industry, your field, better than you do (yet).?

Customer-centricity is something all successful marketing campaigns have in common. Being authentic and sharing your unique perspective is, in a way, customer-centric. There’s no persuading the customer anymore (if there ever was). Customers today are more informed, have more research and information at their fingertips than ever before. Once all the boxes are checked, as always, people want to do business with people they either like or trust - ideally both. Putting unique ideas, content, campaigns out into the world helps the right customers find you and vice versa. There’s not always a specific algorithm behind it, and it’s not about artificial intelligence. It’s how we generally operate using our human intelligence ??

Thank you for reading Marketing Mechanics. If you have any questions about digital marketing - or marketing in general - reach out to me today!