THE LATEST
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MARKETING AND PR TRENDS
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THE LATEST ~ MARKETING AND PR TRENDS ~
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10 Must-Run Marketing Plays for Small Businesses in 2026
The year ahead favors the bold, the scrappy, and the founder-led.
If you’re a small business owner heading into 2026 with a “let’s just keep doing what worked in 2021” mindset… oh sweetheart, pull up a chair. The marketing landscape has officially entered the era of AI engines, personalized discovery, lifestyle storytelling, and consumers who can spot inauthenticity a mile away (even from behind a screen scrolling at 2x speed).
Use This Strategy to Build Your Audience on Instagram and TikTok
Your current customers (for brands this would mainly be retailers that carry your products) have a vested interest in your success, as you do in theirs. For brands that are carried in dozens or even hundreds of stores you have a built-in network of micro-influencers who can help drive your social account to major success.
Encouraging your current customers to post about your brand on their platform of choice not only helps to increase visibility but also fosters a sense of authenticity and trust.
Here are some tried-and-true strategies to inspire customers to share their experiences and promote your business on Instagram and TikTok:
Floral Trends: On the floor, the wall, the ceiling, just not in a vase.
If you’re planning a resplendent photo shoot, breathtaking store window display, or product launch, you’ll want to take note of this unique trend.
Some Excellent Quotes to Motivate You as You Prepare for Fall and Holiday Marketing.
We searched for some particularly inspired quotes ... here are a few of our favorites.
Let’s Get Tuned Up For Fall with Some Excellent Jewel and Floral Tones
Pantone’s trend report for Autumn/Winter 2023-2024 describe the coming season’s color palettes as limitless and full of self-expression while “serving as a vehicle for vitality and enthusiasm.” Shown above Rose Violet, and Persian Jewel.
3 Easy Steps for Setting Up an Online Store
Even if your retail business is mainly driven by local foot traffic, setting up a web shop gives your customers a way to browse what you have to offer at their leisure. In this manner, you’ll sell more and have a direct route to following up with clients in weeks and months to come. You can more easily “bundle” items that go well together as you would instore, and offer incentives to buy on the spot.
Five Easy Ways to Instantly Boost Your Brand's Social Proof
Social Proof relies on the notion that if a product is tried and true, it must be trustworthy and worthwhile. Most easily put, Social Proof is the spark of energy that each of us give off each time we scroll through a social feed. We offer it in the form of likes, recommendations, comments and shares. Few brands can exist without social proof, and in the abscence of it, find competing in a crowded marketplace very difficult.
How Lifestyle Brands Can Repurpose Content On Social Feeds and Blogs
We all know content is king, but for solopreneurs and smaller brands, keeping blog posts and social feeds fresh and relevant can be a struggle. Time taken away from designing, manufacturing, and direct selling can be hard to give up.
And while the struggle is real, it’s important to keep those social marketing channels well fed and buzzing.
The Case for Cleaning Up Your (Decaying) Instagram and Facebook Story Highlights.
If you like staying organized, don’t forget about your social media posts. Just as cleaning out closets brings about order in your physical space, cleaning up your Instagram stories can help clear the air in your digital world.

