Everyone talks about starting the new year with a bang, but what if this season, right now, is your best chance to make meaningful moves in your business?
As we wrap up 2025, I want to invite you to shift the narrative: instead of pressuring yourself to “start strong” on January 1st, why not end strong this year?
These final weeks are the perfect time to experiment, refine your voice, test new content strategies, and plant seeds for a marketing plan that doesn’t just check boxes—but actually works in 2026.
Below are five free, totally doable strategies that reflect where the marketing world is right now. I’ve tested all of them myself or with clients, and they’re working. Best of all? You don’t need a giant team or big ad budget to implement any of them.
1. Use AI, but Let Your Point Of View Lead the Way
We can’t ignore it: AI is everywhere. And if you’re not using tools like ChatGPT, or ClaudeAI it’s time to explore. But here’s the caveat: what’s resonating now is your point of view. Not regurgitated tips. Not robotic advice.
Use AI to help you brainstorm, outline, or even draft, but then go in and make it yours. Add personal stories. Bold opinions. Things only you can say.
Try this before the year ends:
- Use ChatGPT to help you generate blog titles, carousel content, or newsletter outlines.
- Take the draft, then rewrite it in your voice with your experieneces and your stories.
- Use that edited piece across platforms: your blog, email, Instagram captions, or Reels voiceover scripts.
This combo of AI for support + human voice for connection is the sweet spot in 2025—and it’s what Google is prioritizing in SEO now too.
2. Create Blogs That Answer Real Questions
You don’t need to “blog daily” to win with SEO anymore. You just need to create high-value, answer-driven blogs that solves problems your ideal clients are actually Googling.
Here’s why: with Google’s AI Overview rolling out more widely, your content is more likely to be pulled into featured snippets if it’s helpful, credible, and clearly structured.
Try this before the year ends:
- Make a list of 10 questions your ideal clients ask you all of the time.
- Write 2–3 blog posts answering them directly, using simple, conversational language.
- Use headers like “Here’s what you need to know” or “The truth about ____.”
- Share these blog posts as links in your email newsletter, with short warm intros and repurpose the content on social media.
3. Start Building a Library of “Face to Camera” Reels
Yes, even if you don’t love being on video.
Right now, what performs best across Instagram and TikTok isn’t just B-roll or lip-syncing—it’s you, speaking directly to your audience. Think 30–60 seconds, face to camera, offering:
- A tip
- A mini story
- A mindset shift
- A “here’s what I’m seeing in the industry” style hot take
Why it works: Video builds trust faster than anything else. And thanks to AI writing overload, your face and voice are your brand’s most powerful differentiator.
Try this before the year ends:
- Record 3–5 short Reels (don’t post them yet—just get them filmed).
- Use trending audio las light background if you prefer music under your voice.
- Add simple on-screen captions that match your spoken message. I like using the Captions App.
Post one each week to start building your library. You’ll be glad you did once January comes.
4. Make your brand message feel like a conversation, not a sales pitch.
It’s not enough anymore to just have a soundbite or tagline. What matters most now is how you use it to show up as the guide, not the guru, and let your ideal client feel seen. With the flood of AI‑generated content out there, people are done with slick slogans that sound like everyone else. They’re craving trust and a human voice.
Here’s a quick test you can run before the year ends:
- Take your one‑liner and read it out loud. Does it sound like you’re talking to a friend? Or like you’re trying to win a pitch?
- Then, write two new sentences that follow your one‑liner and finish the sentence: “So you can…” What’s the clear outcome you deliver?
- Finally, ask: “If they don’t act, what happens?” Many brands forget the cost of doing nothing. Adding that makes your message real.
That three part formula—what you do, the outcome, the cost of not doing it, is what your audience needs to hear right now.
5. Nurture Your Email List with Real, Human Stories
I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it: email is your most valuable marketing tool. And not just because of deliverability, it’s about connection.
What I’m seeing work right now? Letter-style newsletters, written like you’re talking to a friend over coffee. Share a shift you’ve made. A lesson learned. A mistake you’re still thinking about. Then connect it to what you offer.
Try this before the year ends:
- Write two emails: one personal story and one “how-to” or insight-based
- Send them to your list over the next few weeks
- Add a soft CTA like: “If you’re ready to work together in 2026, now’s the time to reach out”
You don’t need a fancy funnel to make a sale. You just need to stay in touch with the right people—and speak from the heart.
You don’t need to do it all—but you can start now.
If the new year already feels overwhelming, I want to remind you: you don’t need to a new website, or a brand new sales funnel, or to go viral on social media to grow.
You just need momentum. And sometimes the smallest actions now set you up for the biggest results later.
I’m cheering you on—and if you want support building a full, clear marketing plan for 2026, let’s talk.
✨ The Brand Engine™ is open now for January enrollment.
It’s a 12-month cohort of women who are ready to show up and create messaging, strong strategy, and marketing that actually reflects who they are.
Still unsure where to start?
Take the FREE Marketing Assessment and get a customized report on what’s working with your marketing, and what’s not.
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