Happy Holidays! Are you Ready for Another Unpredictable Ride?

I never liked roller coasters all that much.

But I used to ride them with my kids and was always relieved when they were done and I could plant my feet on terra firma and catch my breath.

I don't know about you, but haven't the past two years felt a bit like being on an endless roller coaster?

And just when things were starting to move in the direction we used to refer to as 'normal', it seems like we've been treated to few more laps.

With bigger dips and a faster pace.

And no one thought to ask if we wanted to get off.

But I Rang the Bell. Why Didn't You Stop?

It's easy to get disheartened by the recent turn of events and swept up by the (bad) news cycle.

But don't let this state of affairs wipe out your start-of-the-year optimism.

Use the holidays as your chance to unwind, unplug and uncouple from your daily routine.

By hitting the proverbial pause button, as my friend, colleague and professor Michael Meath might say, you get a chance to step away from all the uncertainty and reflect.

So you'll have the spark you need to assess and adapt once again.

One Step Forward ... Two Steps in Who Knows Which Direction?

In one of the introductory videos I recorded for this series, I talked about a time when I thought I knew the answer to any PR or marketing question.

That seems like a long time back.

The truth is, I no longer feel like I know the answers to anything. I'm in a constant state of flux.

Learning and evaluating.

And when you think if it, that's not such a bad place to be.

But in order to be comfortable in an environment where the only constant is change, you need to adopt a mindset that embraces the unknown.

Here are five strategies that can help:

1. Be curious. And proactively seek out new ideas. Don't be one of those folks who only does things the way they've always been done. Curiosity didn't kill the cat. But it sure can mess up the status quo, in a good way, that is.
2. Ask questions. A healthy dose of skepticism, that is, posing the why and how questions and being open to answers you didn't expect, can often help you gain a better grasp on what you should keep and what you should throw away.
3. Ground yourself. Any type of change is hard, but when you ground yourself in things that matter—family, friends, ethical behavior, being fair, honesty, compassion and kindness—it's easier to embrace the unknown.
4. Adopt a scientist's mindset. That is, test things out in a methodical way before making your decision. And develop an approach that can be replicated by others. That way, you can step back, review the data, assess the pros and the cons. And then make your decision.
5. Let yourself be scared, but don't let fear immobilize you. Courage in the face of the unknown is the heart of all great adventure stories. You don't have to be the hero every time—that can get a bit boring for others around you—but you do need to get out of your comfort zone.

Your Ticket to the Digital Marketing Ride

If you're in digital advertising, you may feel like you're on one of those whirly rides where the floor slips out from under you and you feel like you're about to go into free fall.

Because you have to figure out a way to reach your audience without tracking cookies. And maybe for the health of your customer relationships, cutting down on a few of those targeting sugary sweets is the way to go. The good news is, you'll have till 2023 to get it done. The bad news? It's another change you can't do anything about.

What's ahead on the digital ad landscape is the topic of this week's video. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Connect With Martin

And with that, it's time to slow down and wrap up things for 2021 and issue #45 (our last one of the year).

What are you excited about in 2022? Are you expecting a smoother ride or another roller coaster of a year? How will you deal with it? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Be sure to reach out if you have questions about any of the videos in Digital Marketing Trends, or my other?LinkedIn Learning courses.

And if you want to find me, follow me on?LinkedIn?or?Twitter.

Or visit my my website?and send a message or a question.

You might also enjoy the?Inside PR?podcast I co-host with?Gini Dietrich?and?Joe Thornley.

And speaking of ideas, if you've got any you'd like me to cover in my next newsletter, be sure to send them my way.

Thank you again for reading and subscribing!

Happy holidays! I hope you get a break and come back refreshed.

Stay safe. Stay healthy.

And stay tuned for more Digital Marketing Trends in 2022!

Snowy day photo by Maureen Judge.