Marketers are forever asking (and being asked) what’s next, what more can we do to drive leads to sales? Conveniently for us right now, there’s a lot. So much in fact, it can be hard to know what strategies and tactics will make the biggest impact and what efforts will offer the biggest return. After reviewing the options, here are the five areas of investment I believe every marketing strategy must include in 2025:

1. Event Strategy—since we paused collaborating in person, events have been mounting a comeback. I’ve worked in event marketing for 20 years. Right now, we’re experiencing an explosion of interest in in-person events that we haven’t seen in decades and it isn’t limited to any one industry. This means your organization needs a clear events strategy as part of its overall marketing strategy. Map out what events you will attend. Decide if you will exhibit, speak, sponsor or just attend. Develop ways to extend your participation beyond the actual event to get more value from it.

2. Video Strategy—yes, as a society we consume a lot of video (YouTube is the number 2 search engine). We all know that, but not all of it is for entertainment. We learn a lot from video. So yes, even if you’re in business-to-business, even if your product is “boring” or serious or intangible, you need video. Video is a great way for people to learn about your brand and your solution. It’s also a great tool for internal communications.

3. Varied Content—our audiences prefer different delivery methods for our messages. Limiting website and social media content to one style gets stale and boring and when things are boring, we tune them out. Think about ways you can extend your brand style to incorporate different content formats. For example, don’t write everything the same way—use multiple templates for blog post styles. Add video, white papers, infographics and webinars to your content mix. 

4. Webinars—hosting webinars are a great way for prospective customers to get information, but also to understand the value they can get from your brand. When you give away something for free, you’re demonstrating that you’re really here to solve a problem, not just make a sale. You build trust. Webinars are also useful because after they are recorded live, the recording can be made accessible to future prospects. 

5. New Platforms—the fourth quarter is always a good time to look around and see what’s new. Do your due diligence on the newer social media platforms now. Understand what they are, who is using them and how brands engage with audiences on them, to decide if any of them make sense for your brand.

If these areas are new, accomplishing them can feel like a lot to tackle, but you don’t have to prepare a feast of new tactics. Start with a manageable size for each category. For example, plan quarterly webinars instead of monthly webinars to start, or aim for a monthly video instead of weekly. In addition, tapping into outside resources on a project-basis can help you execute your ideas without breaking the budget. Look for videographers, writers, animators, voice over actors, or designers that can help you take your plans across the finish line. 

The best marketing I’ve seen comes from brands that don’t rest once they’ve found a marketing format and style that brings results. They keep experimenting and pushing the envelope with new and creative ideas. Will all of them work? No. But if you don’t try something fresh, you’ll never know.  I’ll touch more on these ideas in the coming weeks, but please reach out if you have questions while you plan your strategy.

Photo by Walls.io on Unsplash