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The sun peeps out from just behind the clouds, while the last few layers of snow slowly begin to melt away. Springtime is just around the corner, soon to be followed by the warm embrace of summer at its heels. For business owners and professionals, this means it’s out with the old season of marketing and in with the new. 

The seasonal shift brings with it a shift in marketing. Consumers feel restless as they shake off the cold of winter and embrace the upcoming sunshine of spring. How can businesses and individuals best reach out to consumers during the new spring season? Luckily, we have five super springtime marketing ideas to get you started.

1. Practice spring cleaning.

When it comes to springtime, a business is like any other household—out with the old and in with the new through some good ol’ fashioned spring cleaning. For professionals, spring is the perfect time to evaluate current products, services and marketing campaigns and see how they have fared over the cold winter season. This includes items such as your website, programs and even holiday sales. For those which might not have received the greatest return on investment, consider tossing them out and drumming up some new ideas for the spring and soon-to-be summer seasons. 

2. Bring people together.

With the sun out and the weather quickly warming up, consumers are just itching to throw off their winter sweaters and get outside to bask in the springtime sunshine. The best businesses and marketers know how to capitalize on this. Bring people in the community together and get them involved with your business by hosting local events, sales and promotions. If the seasonal weather permits, do what you can outdoors to bring people together and enjoy the day’s rays.

3. Work in tax season.

As you might already know, springtime means tax time. Marketing expert Sujan Patel says, “My top tip is to incorporate tax themes into your marketing strategy for the spring. That could be as simple as reference that it’s tax season or as complex as having specific deals or offers.” Work tax season into your marketing efforts over these next few weeks to draw consumers in and encourage them to utilize that ever-coveted tax refund.

4. Run a new social media campaign.

The new spring season is also the perfect opportunity to run a social media marketing campaign. Whether it’s through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter, utilize social media to share more about the business’s spring sales, interesting spring graphics or upcoming spring events. Like practicing spring cleaning, use this time to oust the old social media efforts and integrate a new, more effective campaign for the season.

5. Embrace the holidays.

Finally, spring has plenty of holidays and big events to use in your marketing efforts for the next few months. This includes St. Patrick’s Day, the first day of spring, Passover, Easter, Earth Day, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, just to name a few. And let’s not forget the famous March Madness. Embrace these holidays in your marketing efforts. For example, run a social media contest surrounding a holiday, share a holiday sale or run a holiday email campaign. Whatever you decide to do, mix up your marketing efforts by embracing a holiday and using it to promote the business full-force.

Springtime is quickly coming upon us, which means it’s time to integrate those beautiful rays of sunshine with your marketing efforts. Try out these five super springtime marketing ideas next time you want to run a campaign and see how your business blossoms this spring.

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The ball has dropped, and the confetti has been swept away—2025 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 2025, all while utilizing what you’ve learned from 2024.

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 2025 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 2025 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.

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Happy New Year! Every year, New Year’s Eve brings with it the sweet sensations of excitement, preparation and hope as we look ahead toward the new year and wonder what will come. Will 2025 be filled with good news and adventure? Or will it bring strife and challenges?

For small business owners, professionals and marketers, a new year creates a whole new set of ideas, difficulties and problems to consider. What might have worked in 2024 for business might not work in 2025. However, though we can never know what will come in the year ahead, there are ways to prepare for 2025. Here’s how to set your business up for success in the new year.

Conduct an audit

The first step to setting up for success in 2025 is understanding how the business did in 2024. Before you can plan for the upcoming year, you first need a deep understanding of the various layers and parts within the organization. Which means, before you dive into setting resolutions for 2025, take time to map out the current state of  the company. Which areas are growing successfully, and which areas might need more support? Run a thorough audit throughout the entire business structure to see where the company is at, so you can have a strong grasp of where you want it to go.

Identify your priorities

Once you’ve completed the audit, identify your priorities for the upcoming year. Setting goals is definitely valuable in business, but prioritizing those goals can ensure they actually get done. In other words, create a Big Dream Checklist for 2025. Look forward to the end of 2025 and consider where you want the business to be in a year’s time. Now is the time to dream big! Once you have a few big goals or dreams in mind, work backwards and identify the steps it will take to accomplish them. While creating a priority list might seem overwhelming, it will be extremely useful as you move forward into the new year and stay on track with your goals.

Check in with the team

Whether you’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or in a small business, it’s important to check in with team members. Particularly at such a pivotal moment as the new year, your teammates might feel overwhelmed, stressed or even consider switching jobs. Now is the time to check in with them, empathize with their concerns and encourage their talents. The team plays a critical role in any company’s success, which means if you want 2025 to be a great year for business, then your team’s motivation levels must be a high priority.

Learn something new

You’ve probably heard the saying before, “Leaders are readers.” When it comes to business, nothing could be more true. The moment you start to believe you have everything figured out is the moment the business will begin to crumble. Instead, focus on learning something new in 2025. What you choose to learn could be intricately related to the industry, or it could be something completely unconnected. Whatever it is, learning something new adds to your skillset a new level of knowledge, understanding and even motivation, which can influence how you interact in business in 2025.

Practice self-compassion

Finally, set your business up for success in the new year by practicing self-compassion. Oftentimes as professionals, we can be incredibly hard on ourselves, tearing ourselves down whenever we fall short of a goal. Instead, allow yourself the respect of failure. Recognize that you are not perfect, and there will be many moments in 2025 when you make the wrong decision. When those moments come, practice self-compassion. Set yourself up for success by continuing to move forward, despite how many failures you have along the way.

The new year brings with it a whole new set of challenges for small business professionals. However, by taking intentional steps, you can set yourself up for success, no matter what may come your way throughout 2025. Keep these tips in mind as you prepare for the new year, and watch your business flourish in the coming months.

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‘Tis the season of giving, but for your small business, that might be easier said than done. After all, if you’re intent on growing your business, you need to save money, right?

In some cases, however, this may not be the best move.

Turns out, being philanthropic with your business can actually lend itself to promoting your brand and growing your consumer base. Check out these quick tips on how giving back this holiday season can actually grow your business down the road.

Giving showcases your brand

First and foremost, giving to local charities showcases your business as a positive force in the community. Whether it’s sponsoring a local sporting event, donating to a nonprofit organization or volunteering your time, giving allows your business to give back while showing off (just a little).

When your business is out and involved in the community in a positive way, it draws consumers to your image and shows them you’re a company that cares. Consider giving as a significant return on investment—your business invests in helping others and you get free publicity in return.

Giving is tax deductible

That’s right, supporting a charity is often a tax-deductible endeavor for your business. Typical tax-deductible donations include sponsorships of local charities or events, inventory or services donations and, of course, cash donations.

Generally, your business can benefit from deductions on charitable donations of up to 50% of your Adjusted Gross Income. Of course, before jumping into the giving season, be sure to check what is tax deductible in your community and how this would fit into your business tax plan.

Giving motivates employees

If your business wants to boost employee morale and encourage involvement, try giving back to the community. In the last few years, community involvement has become something the most qualified employees look for in their company search.

By offering volunteering opportunities and encouraging giving as part of your business mission statement, your company will be able to attract the right employees who not only work hard, but have giving hearts. Gain and retain more employees by giving back in your community.

Giving gains customers

Most importantly, customers are more attracted to companies who show they care for the community. Your business can do some research in your community to find what causes are most attractive to the population, then show your involvement by giving back. Not only will customers like your philanthropic side, but they’ll feel more comfortable trusting an organization they’ve already seen in the community. Giving not only builds stronger relationships with current customers, but it helps attract new customers as well.

This holiday season, get your business in on the action by giving back to charitable efforts in your community. Plant the seed for your small business now and watch as it grows your company even more later on.

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Holiday season is among us, which means a time of promotions, advertisements and so many sales. When it comes to marketing for your small business, how do you stand out from the crowd at such a busy time?

The key is to use the holidays to your advantage in promoting a product or service. This Thanksgiving, don’t be like all the other companies. Set yourself apart by using these top marketing tips to help your business celebrate Thanksgiving and grow this holiday season.

Thanksgiving Dinner Sweepstakes

Get your business in the spirit this season by offering a Thanksgiving dinner sweepstakes to current and potential customers. Send out promotional information via email, mail and community posts asking for nominations of families who could use a free Thanksgiving dinner.

When all the nominations are in, choose one lucky family for your company to buy Thanksgiving dinner for. Not only does your business appear jovial and holiday-enthusiastic, but you also show your philanthropic side, while still promoting your brand and image.

Thanksgiving Social Media Promotion

If your business is active on social networking platforms, use the holiday season to your advantage and market yourself to clients. Share funny Thanksgiving posts, tie your products into the Thanksgiving season or offer Thanksgiving promotional deals.

One example is hosting a picture contest of Thanksgiving meals clients can share with your business or by using a hashtag. Choose the winner with the best Thanksgiving picture and offer up a prize! Your business gets free marketing to not just your followers, but your followers’ followers as well.

Thanksgiving Thankful Sharing

Thanksgiving is about giving thanks, and your business can do just that by showing it cares about the community and its needs. Consider offering a seasonal sale or promotion where a percentage of every purchase goes to a local nonprofit organization.

Market the promotion as a Thanksgiving sale that gives back, and customers will come flocking in, knowing your company cares about more than just profits. You can even involve fans further by asking them to pick the charity.

Thanksgiving Holiday Cards

Be personal with customers and help your business get noticed by sending out printed Thanksgiving holiday thank you cards to all current clients. Lots of businesses send out Christmas cards, but sending out Thanksgiving cards is a unique way to show your customers you’re still thinking about them before the big holiday rush.

Thanksgiving cards are an easy step your business can take to show its personality, familiarity and brand image. Marketing during a holiday with few other competitors sets your company apart and helps customers remember it going into the buying season.

Thanksgiving Event

Finally, if your company really wants to go all out this season, host a community Thanksgiving event to get others involved and promote your brand throughout the local neighborhood.

Try partnering up with other local businesses or nonprofits to share your product, service or cause while offering delicious food and fun for families to come and enjoy. Your company and employees will have a great time while also selling your business to customers.

This Thanksgiving, use the holidays to market your business in the best way possible. Have fun, give thanks and promote your product or service and see how your company grows.

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While much ado is paid to company branding, little is said about personal branding. Like it or not, you do have a personal brand, and if you’re active online, especially on social networks, your brand (generally defined as “how others see you”) is largely affected by your online presence.

As the year comes to a close, now is the perfect time to evaluate your brand and ask yourself if it’s what you want it to be. When people search for your name, what comes up and do you like what you see? Your answer may help you determine next year’s resolutions or goals.

Here are four things to consider as you hone your brand in 2024.

1. Be authentic

Building a personal brand isn’t about creating a persona; it’s about simply being yourself and sharing authentically. Don’t ever try to fake it with your digital community and social networks—people can spot a fraud a mile away.

2. Make your interests clearly known

Are you passionate about mentoring teenagers? Advocating for the elderly? Rescuing animals? Your personal brand isn’t just about what you do from 9 to 5; it’s about your interests and passions, both work-related and not. Those are the things you should post, tweet, write and talk about.

3. Stay active

Sharing content consistently helps build your credibility. You can do this several ways: Share posts from your personal blog, share content (retweets, Facebook shares, repins, etc.) that pique your interest, share links to articles you like or join online discussions related to your interests.

4. Pay it forward

This might sound like an oxymoron, but personal branding isn’t just about you—it’s also about building relationships. Social media gives you an opportunity to engage with people in a meaningful way and share your expertise, experience and connections with others who can benefit from what you offer.

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The end of summer is coming up quickly, which means state and county fair season is quickly approaching. People flock from all around their states for fun times and fried food. Fairs may take place in small towns, but their marketing opportunities are anything but small. They are fantastic ways to generate leads and earn new business. There are plenty of ways to market your business at state and county fairs, and we’re going to tell you how.

Buy an ad in a fair’s event program.

Event programs are necessary for almost all fair goers. They contain maps of the grounds and lists of food and drink vendors. Since programs will be in the hands of most visitors, it would be smart to buy an ad space. Be sure to determine what size will be the most affordable and effective for your business. Your ad will have great reach across fair visitors and hopefully earn you some new customers.

Be a sponsor on a fair’s website.

By helping to sponsor your local fair’s website, you’ll likely earn a mention or logo linked to your own site. This is great for SEO and will hopefully lead traffic to your website and increase your business. Sponsoring a website is often an affordable way to attract site visits.

Hand out materials.

Everyone likes free stuff. Enlisting a street team to hand out promotional items at your local fair is a great way to increase brand awareness among consumers. You’ll want to pass out items fair goers will be drawn toward. They likely won’t be interested in fliers, which can turn into trash on fair grounds. Think about what your target audience will actually use. Some ideas include branded chip clips, yearly calendar magnets and pens.

Sponsor an event.

Most county and state fairs have some sort of big event each night, typically a concert. These events provide an opportunity to make your brand more visible. By becoming a sponsor, your brand will be seen on promotional posters, fliers and possibly even the stage. If this is something your business is interested in, be sure to contact your local fair organizers about event sponsorship opportunities.

Donate an item to be auctioned or raffled off.

If your marketing budget is tight, but you still want to get your name out at a local fair, consider donating an item or service to be auctioned or raffled off. Nearly every bidder or raffle-ticket buyer will see what you’re offering. This will not only increase brand awareness, but it will also hopefully lead to site traffic and new customers.

Make it easy for customers to join your mailing list.

People walking around the fairgrounds will likely have their hands full of food and prizes, so they likely won’t be free to write down their information. Instead, have a few tablets handy and ask if you can take their info for your e-newsletter or mailing list. They’ll appreciate not having to fumble around with their belongings as well as your customer service. This will hopefully turn into future customers and brand advocates.

Follow up.

Once your time at the fair has ended, you’ll likely have made contact with a good amount of leads. It’s now time to follow up with personal, engaging content. Put their names in your emails and subject lines, and tell them what all you can offer them. Your potential customers will appreciate the personal touch and possibly will become customers.

County and state fairs are fun and effective avenues for marketing your business. They offer multiple ways to engage with your target audience and get to know them one-on-one. If you choose to use any of the above tactics, you’re sure to increase your brand awareness and your potential customer base.

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