Since the start of the new year, I have noticed business owners posting on LinkedIn daily or several times a week. Yay for being more active! Boo for the frequency and overall execution. Double boo for the AI-generated content and visuals. It is riff-raff. Please just stop making mistakes on LinkedIn — you can do better!

Instead, Connect With Other Business Owners and Leaders

Right now, LinkedIn is the only place to connect with like-minded professionals, business owners, industry leaders and potential leads. This is the only social network where you can get updates from your industry’s leaders on what’s happening in their career or company. In addition to that, it is a platform for professional development — hello LinkedIn Learning — and to get the heads-up on industry trends, emerging technologies, the state of the economy and more.

Personally, I love seeing updates from my connections on awards they have won, events they have attended, professional milestones and shout-outs about what is happening in their business or with their people. Please, get back to that.

LinkedIn Builds Professional Credibility

So hey, business owners and leaders: Let’s harken back to the three Cs of successful brands. Conviction, consistency and connection should be your guidance on how to use LinkedIn successfully.

Focusing on connection and the relevancy of your content are the things that matter. If your target doesn’t care about what you stand for and if it isn’t authentic and purposeful, no one will pay attention. The stronger the emotional connection, the more likely your target or your connections will be positively pre-disposed to your organization.

Business Owners and Leaders Build Connection on LinkedIn

Trusted relationships develop into emotional bonds. And this is true for LinkedIn. Loyalty to your brand or to you as a business leader means greater business success for you, and reduced competitive threat.

While you may think staged photography of you behind your computer or with a team member, belongs on your personal LinkedIn timeline, think again. It is not enough to just show yourself working. Let your followers know what you’re thinking. Don’t weaken connections with your professional network you spent decades to build. Keep connecting with your network in ways that help them.

Balance helpfulness, expertise and relatability to boost engagement on LinkedIn without excessive self-promotion. Please and thank you. Again, for the love of Pete, keep your audience interested by providing value. Establish your authority by sharing your expertise.

And above all, build connection.

Front Porch Marketing can help if you need additional thoughts on how to use LinkedIn, how to build and maintain connection with your network, or just some counsel on your LinkedIn brand or personal page. We know you can rock it in 2026!

In a world of crowded inboxes and constant notifications, effective Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in the form of email and text messaging isn’t about sending more, it’s about sending smarter. Whether you’re communicating through email or text (SMS), the goal is the same: deliver the right message, to the right person, at the right time.

CRM channels like email and text are powerful because they’re personal. These messages land directly in someone’s inbox or phone, making relevance, timing and clarity absolutely critical. Start with some best practices to help your email and text campaigns connect, engage and convert.

Start With Segmentation For Stronger Email and Text Messaging

Before you write a single word, define who your message is for in each particular instance. Generic messaging leads to generic results. But specific messaging for a specific set of people generates tailored results that the receiver will find to be helpful and motivating. Segmentation can be based on:

• Past purchases or behaviors
• Engagement history
• Location or timing
• Lifecycle stage (new lead, active customer, lapsed customer)

Write Like a Human in Email and Text Messaging

People don’t want to read corporate language in their inbox or texts. CRM messages should sound conversational, clear, and approachable. Even in B2B environments, friendly and direct almost always outperforms formal and vague. For both email and text messaging try to:

• Use short sentences and simple words
• Avoid jargon and buzzwords that you might use in your marketing department
• Write how your brand would actually speak to a person, as if they were a person

Make the Value Clear and Get to the Point Fast

You only have a few seconds to earn attention, especially on mobile. Always ask yourself: What’s in it for the reader and make sure they can tell immediately.

For Email Messaging:

• Subject lines should quickly communicate benefit or relevance (remember your character count here is 60, including spaces)
• The first sentence should reinforce why this matters to the reader

For Text Messaging:

• Lead with the purpose of the message
• Avoid burying the point under greetings or filler
• Remember you have a maximum of 160 characters, including a link and the best practices phrase “Text STOP to end” at the end of the SMS

Keep Calls to Action (CTAs) in Email and Text Messaging Simple and Specific

Every CRM message should guide the reader toward one clear next step. Avoid stacking multiple asks or multiple CTAs into a single message. Focus in your messaging increases a reader’s follow-through.

Best practices for strong CTAs:

• Are action-oriented (“Book your spot,” “Download the guide,” “View your offer”)
• Match the intent of the message
• Feel easy to complete

Optimize for Mobile (Because That’s Where It’s Read)

Most CRM messages are read on phones, even emails are mobile first these days. If it’s not easy to read on a small screen, it’s unlikely to be read at all.

Best practices:

• Use short paragraphs and plenty of white space
• Avoid long blocks of text
• Make buttons large and easy to tap
• Keep SMS messages concise and skimmable

Test, Learn and Refine Your CRM Messaging

The most effective CRM programs evolve over time. Even small improvements in open rates or click-through rates can lead to significant gains. Consider regularly testing:

• Subject lines
• Send times
• Message length
• CTA wording
• Personalization

When it Comes to Email and Text Messaging, Be Helpful First, Promotional Second

At its best, CRM messaging feels like good service to loyal customers, not advertising. When emails and texts deliver value, solve problems or save time, they build trust that lasts beyond a single click. Strong email and text messaging isn’t about filling calendars or hitting send quotas. It’s about building relationships one relevant, well-timed, precisely-crafted message at a time.

What are the marketing trends to look for in 2026? Every new year brings fresh predictions, buzzwords, and strategies that can make marketing feel overwhelming. As algorithms continue to change, often we shift and adjust (or panic about Google’s new rule). However, the reality is that the strongest marketing trends are not about chasing what is new. Instead, trends focus on adapting what already works in smarter and more intentional ways. 

As we move into 2026, we see marketing becoming more human, more strategic, and more focused on genuine connections. Here are the key marketing trends to watch and lean into this year (if you are curious about 2025 trends, we wrote about those too). 

Authentic Content Over Perfection 

Overly polished visuals are losing their edge. Today’s audiences and clients want authentic content, not sales-driven or staged. In fact, authenticity isn’t just preferred; it is expected. 

This can look like:  

• Behind-the-scenes moments 

• Honest storytelling 

• Content that prioritizes connection over aesthetics 

• Casual, conversational captions 

People are more likely to engage with content that feels genuine and relatable rather than overly produced.

Short-Form Video Will Remain a Marketing Trend in 2026 

Short-form videos aren’t going anywhere. That said the marketing trends to watch in 2026 depend less on what you post and more on why and where you’re posting it. 

Specifically, high-performing video content focuses on: 

• Education, storytelling or quick insights 

• Consistency rather than going viral 

• Repurposing content across platforms 

• Reaching audience where they already spend time 

Brands need to prioritize intentional video content that aligns with their values and speaks directly to their audience. directly to their audience. 

Personalized Marketing Over Generic Marketing

Generic messaging has become easier than ever to scroll past. In the marketing trend for 2026, clients expect content that feels tailored to their needs and interests. 

We create these opportunities by: 

• Listening to our clients 

• Creating marketing plans  

• Prioritize personalization over generic marketing strategy  

When audiences feel seen and understood, trust naturally follows. Personalization not only builds stronger relationships but also drives stronger results. ships but also drives stronger results. e long run. Personalization not only builds stronger relationships but also drives stronger results. 

Final Thoughts on Marketing Trends in 2026

Overall, marketing trends in 2026 are less about doing more but about doing things better. Authenticity, personalization, strategy, and consistency are shaping how brands and clients connect with their audiences in meaningful ways. 

Although trends will continue to evolve, the foundation remains the same — we continue to focus on understanding our audience, providing value and showing up with purpose. When marketing is rooted in connection rather than pressure to chase what’s new and shiny, it becomes not only more meaningful but also far more successful. 

It’s the last post of the year, y’all, time for a round-up of the best marketing tips from our blog. It’s about to be 2026 in a few days, and we’ve accomplished a lot! To move forward to the future of your marketing success, we thought it would be helpful to go back and share some knowledge from the past. Hopefully, this will help you start thinking about what you want your business to be in 2026.

Start the Year With a Marketing Plan

First of all, you don’t know where to start planning for the year ahead? Start with an official marketing plan. Put a document like this together to help guide you through the year. Here are some marketing tip posts:

• Get Started on Your Marketing Plan
• Get Your Marketing Plan Ready
• Business Success: Now is the Time to Plan

Pro Marketing Tip: Strong Branding

Next, does your branding stand for the company the way you want it to? Can you strengthen your brand? Will 2026 be the year for a re-branding to more align your business goals? Here are some branding posts to help you evaluate your situation.

• Harness the Power of Branding
• Begin with Branding: Do You Have a Solid Foundation?
• The Evolution of Your Brand’s Visual Identity

Your Brand’s Voice Has Power — Channel It!

To continue this thought, part of your brand is your voice. The words you use, the story you tell. Are you maximizing that voice in every point of contact? Here are some marketing tips on topics to think about when you are evaluating your content:

• Brand Messaging: How Strategic Word Choice Builds Trust
• The Impact of Brand Storytelling
• Brand Voice: The Importance of Consistent Communication

Tame the Tactics: From Email to Social Media

Finally, need marketing tips on how to do email or newsletter marketing? Social media posting? We’ve got you covered. Get started by checking out these post for information, or advancing your digital marketing prowess this year:

• Engage Customers With These 3 Smart Email Marketing Strategies
• Using Scroll-Stopping Content to Hook Your Audience
• How to Increase Traffic to Your Company Blog

For More Helpful Marketing Tips, Check Our Blog

Overall, we might have covered just about every every marketing topic that a small business could use to grow their brand. Because, we’ve been creating content on our blog for over a decade! Find a nugget or two in there to help you get started. If you want to subscribe to the blog and get a tip post every week next year, just subscribe here. If you have questions, be sure to holler.

2025 was a crazy year, to say the least, and the most popular marketing trends of 2025 made that even more clear. With tons of new technological advancements and the fastest-paced media we’ve seen to date, trends came and went like rapid fire. Brands have had to work harder than ever to stay up to date and keep their audience’s attention. Here are just a few ways we saw this play out throughout the year.

Targeting Younger Audiences

The first trending tactic we’ve noticed being used heavily is targeting younger generations. Brands are shifting from the Boomer/Gen X demographic to Millennials and Gen Z, and with that shift brings lots of changes. Gen Z is extremely different from past generations when it comes to purchasing decisions. Prioritization of authenticity, mission driven messaging, and inclusivity is crucial in order to appeal to these younger audiences. Companies have been accomplishing this by creating campaigns that stand out among competitors, using humor to connect, and partnering trusted creators to convey their messaging effectively.

Visual Storytelling Dominates Marketing Trends

With platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, where short-form video content dominates, brands quickly jumped on the opportunity. These video ads can be easily integrated among the endless entertainment content that consumers spend hours watching every single day. Paid promotion through short-form videos and influencers have taken the world by storm, bringing companies huge amounts of success. Leveraging niche audiences through micro-influencers was especially popular in 2025, and we expect to see this trend continue for years to come.

Utilizing user data

Data-driven marketing is one of the most powerful tools a brand can use. Personalization is expected in today’s market, and every year we see it becoming even more individualized. In 2025, consumers were more willing to share their data with brands they trusted, especially when they could clearly see the benefits in doing so. This data helped brands to tailor content and campaigns to the most relevant users. Investing in this strategy was a major trend leading to higher engagement, increased conversion rates, and stronger customer loyalty.

We’ve all been there staring at a blank content calendar wondering what on earth to post next. Social media moves fast, and staying consistent can feel overwhelming. But here’s the important truth: you don’t need a big idea to show up online. You just need to know where to look when inspiration runs dry and what to post when you have nothing to post. 

As marketers, it’s our job to turn even the simplest moments into valuable, scroll-stopping content. Creativity isn’t always spontaneous. It’s built from reliable strategies you can pull from anytime. 

1. Repurpose What Already Works 

One of the most overlooked content strategies is simply revisiting your existing work. 
Your old posts, blogs, client questions, or even past presentations can become new content with a fresh angle. 

• Turning a long blog into a short tip 
• Reposting a high-performing graphic with updated context 
• Sharing a “throwback” post you still use today.  

Repurposing gives proven ideas new life and saves you time when you’re drained and don’t know what to post. 

2. Share Micro-Wins or Micro-Lessons with your posts 

You don’t need a huge story to offer value. Especially when you don’t know what to post. Small moments can be just as powerful. A simple observation, a quick mistake you learned from, or a recent client insight can spark a genuine connection. 

• “One thing I learned this week…” 
• “A mistake we used to make (and how we fixed it)” 
• “A question clients keep asking us lately…” 

These micro-stories feel authentic, human, and relatable — especially on days when you don’t have a bigger narrative to tell. 

3. Show the Process, Not Just the Outcome 

When you feel stuck, look at what’s already happening around you. Behind-the-scenes content builds trust because it shows the real work behind the brand. 

You can share: 
• A brainstorming snapshot 
• A before-and-after moment 
• Tools your team uses daily 
• A peek at how a project comes together 

People connect with processes because they reveal the side of your brand that isn’t polished or staged—it’s real. 

Final Thoughts on “Posting When You Have Nothing to Post” 

Creative ruts happen to everyone, but they don’t have to break your consistency. Repurposing ideas, sharing small lessons, and showing your process are all strategic ways to keep your audience engaged even when inspiration is low. 

There are real, intentional methods behind staying visible online, especially during slow weeks. By focusing on value, authenticity, and relatability, you can create content that resonates, even when you feel like you have nothing to say. 

We all know that social media has taken our world by storm and become part of most people’s everyday lives. Mindless scrolling has become something we all do— whether that’s consciously or subconsciously. But here is the important question: What actually gets us to stop scrolling?

As marketers, it’s our job to figure out what grabs people’s attention and holds it. This kind of content doesn’t just happen, it’s built from intentional strategies and tools. One of the most powerful ways to do so is by creating a strong social media hook.

Three-Second Rule

The first few seconds a consumer looks at a post are absolutely crucial. A strong hook determines whether someone decides to pay attention or keep scrolling. Start with a statement that is either bold, relatable, or intriguing. Psychologically, these hooks trigger gut level response before people even realize themselves. Targeting curiosity, emotion, and connection are all effective ways to drive instant reactions.

Bold Statement Hooks

One way to hook your audience’s attention is by presenting a bold statement. This statement can be shocking, thought provoking, or even slightly controversial; anything that makes the viewer stop and think.

Examples include:

• “You’ll never believe this…”
• “The secret to…”
• “You’ve been doing ___ wrong this whole time”

These statements get the viewer wanting to know more and spark curiosity. Your first couple of words set the tone for everything that follows.

Emotional Trigger Hooks

Connecting with your audience goes beyond logic, it taps into the heartstrings. Empathy, joy, motivation, and nostalgia are all reactions that keep people hooked. Making people feel something is far more memorable than simply presenting facts or statistics.

Some examples of emotional hooks include:

• “This will make you believe anything is possible”
• “This story changed how I see …”

Emotions create messaging that people will remember long after they scroll past.

Visual Messaging Hooks

Having strong visuals is the first step to standing out. People often see your content before listen or read what you have to say. Utilizing bold colors or high-contrast imagery catches viewers’ eyes in a sea of posts.

Using imagery involving real people increases engagement due to the authenticity and relatability it brings. Maintaining a strong brand aesthetic makes your visuals more recognizable and consistent over time. Lastly, using fast paced content and movement is key when attempting to keep up with the short attention spans of today’s audience.

Final Thoughts on Scroll-Stopping Content

Hooking your audience in the first three seconds of your post determines if they will pay attention or scroll on. There are real strategies behind this, based on psychological factors that trigger gut reactions.

Targeting curiosity, emotion, and visual intrigue are three ways to do so. Combining these techniques creates moments that make people stop, look and tune in. Standing out in the ever-changing state of social media is definitely not easy, but with intention, it’s absolutely possible.

I’m often asked by small and medium-sized business owners whether email marketing is worth the effort. Many say email marketing feels confusing, overwhelming and hard to keep up with. Here are a few of the questions I hear most often:

• Isn’t email just annoying to everyone? I don’t want to spam my customers.
• What would I even say on a recurring basis?
• Isn’t email just another way to try to sell something?
• How do I get started if I don’t have time or resources to build a list, find images, or write a copy?

At Front Porch Marketing, we see email marketing work for small and medium-sized businesses all the time. The key is focusing on connection, consistency, and value. Here’s how we help our clients make email marketing feel more manageable and more effective.

1. Share Something Worth Opening

Think of your emails to stay helpful, authentic and human – not salesy. Your audience wants to hear from you when your content makes their day easier, more interesting or more inspiring. That could be industry insights, community news or stories about people behind your brand.

Email marketing ideas to try:

• Welcome series: A few short emails that introduce your brand story and highlight what makes you different; you’re building trust from the start.
• Customer testimonials: Share real experiences and success stories that show the impact of your products or services.
• Educational content: Offer quick tips, how-tos or behind-the-scenes information that give your audience something valuable to take away. 

2. Send the Right Message to the Right People Using Email

Not every customer needs to hear the same thing. By segmenting your list into simple groups, you can tailor messages that feel more relevant. It doesn’t have to be complicated!

Example groups:

• Current customers, prospects and vendors
• Frequent customers versus first-timers
• Customers in different locations, such as like Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin and Houston

3. Be Consistent and Keep an Eye on Email Marketing Results

The best email strategies are the ones that show up regularly. Think monthly newsletters, team spotlights or helpful blog recaps. Over time, consistency builds trust and keeps your brand top of mind.

Lastly, don’t forget to check your metrics; open rates, clicks, and conversions. They’ll tell you what’s working and what might need to tweak.

Ideas to test:

• Monthly newsletter: Share updates, events or trends your audience cares about.
• Reactivation campaign: Remind inactive subscribers of what they’re missing.
• A/B testing: Experiment with subject lines, visuals and send times to figure out what yields the best engagement.

Wrapping It Up

Email marketing doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful, it just needs to be consistent, authentic and tailored to your audience. When you share valuable content, speak directly to your customers and pay attention to what works, your emails can become one of your most powerful tools for growth.

At Front Porch Marketing, we love helping businesses find their voices and turn everyday emails into meaningful connections. Ready to start? Let’s build something great one inbox at a time.

I’m a list maker – you name it, I likely have a list. A daily to-do list, a Christmas shopping list, a grocery list, a list of my kids’ school start and end times, even a home improvement project list… you get the idea.

In marketing, we make lists too—just with fancier names, more research, more strategy and more words: a Marketing Roadmap, a Messaging Map, Marketing Tactics, or a Content Calendar. Perhaps on your list of marketing tactics is blogging. So, you build a blog, create a content calendar and post a few articles… now what?

Unfortunately, as with many aspects of business, the old adage “if you build it, they will come” does not apply. Driving traffic to your company blog takes work, time and consistency. Time for another list – here are several ways to increase traffic to your blog.

5 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Company Blog

1. Keyword Research & SEO

Use keyword tools to identify the words and phrases your audience is searching for and weave them into your posts to help increase blog traffic. SEO helps your blog show up in search results and attract the right readers.

2. Promote on Social Media

Share your posts across social media platforms that make sense for your business – LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or X, and use engaging captioning and visuals to draw readers in.

For example, I recently shared a Front Porch blog post on my LinkedIn profile about our summer interns. My former high school reshared it on their LinkedIn page because the interns were from that school, which gave the post a whole new audience. That single blog post “grew arms and legs,” increasing traffic to my LinkedIn profile, Front Porch’s LinkedIn profile, and ultimately the Front Porch website.

3. Establish Internal Links

Keep users reading on your company’s site by connecting content together. Readers can move from one piece of content to another through links. This also improves SEO demonstrating that your content is connected and relevant.

4. Build Backlinks

Encourage other reputable sites to link to your content through guest posts, partnerships, or by creating high-value content worth sharing. Backlinks increase both traffic to your blog and establish credibility. 

By the way, the Front Porch blog post I mentioned earlier that was shared on social media – now has backlinks to the Front Porch website from different profiles on LinkedIn. See how it works?!!

5. Email Marketing

Send your blogs directly to your subscribers’ inboxes with a short teaser and link back to your site. Email remains one of the most effective ways to drive consistent traffic to your company blog. 

In conclusion, there are plenty more ways to grow your blog, but these 5 are a strong starting point. If you’re looking for other ideas to increase traffic to your blog, contact Front Porch Marketing—ask for Nancy, and I’ll make a list just for you! Best of all, Front Porch can execute that list too, saving you time and resources while you keep running your business.

Nothing defines business marketing today more than social media posts. With over 4.8 billion users worldwide, it’s no surprise that more than 80% of B2B companies rely on social platforms to research and engage with potential partners before making purchasing decisions.

So why is social media so effective for B2B brands?

It enhances online presence, drives growth, builds credibility, and fosters genuine relationships with clients and partners.

Here’s the challenge. Social media is only effective if you make it effective.

Viewers scroll through endless content every day. Repetitive posts get boring. Content variety is essential; it keeps your feed interesting, engages your audience, and keeps your brand relevant.  

While every brand may differ, certain posts often outperform others on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, which are considered the top platforms for B2B brands. Don’t be limited to one platform or content type, either. Switch things up. Here are 5 types of posts B2B companies must create. Each type is guaranteed to boost engagement, build authority, and target a diverse audience.

#1: Blog Post

First, blogs demonstrate your expertise and establish your brand’s authority, building trust. They provide information in a long-form style, allowing you to go deeper than a standard post. Sharing articles on social media makes your company a go-to resource, allowing your viewers to consistently rely on you for information.

Promote your articles, because companies should take pride in their posts. Blogs can be repurposed, so turn that information into short videos, infographics, Q&As, or quotes. Blogs are strategic and not limited to a single platform. Post them everywhere.

#2: Interactive Content

Next, interactive content is a guaranteed way to boost engagement and involve your audience. Social media isn’t one-sided, so don’t make it seem that way. Inviting interaction allows you to level with your audience and demonstrate that you value their opinion. Polls, quizzes, surveys, and Q&As help others feel heard and deepen relationships with clients and partners.

#3: Visual Content

Now, much of what you see online can be overwhelming. Switching to visuals makes content easier to digest, increases shareability, and clarifies complex information. Infographics, charts, diagrams, and illustrated lists capture attention with simplicity. Sometimes less is more.

Videos are a high-performing post tactic, and they capture viewers with sound and visuals. Videos require little effort to watch, making ideas simple yet effective. This is ideal for product demos, quick tips, and event recaps. Keep videos short and post them on multiple platforms to increase views.

When used effectively, Instagram posts can be highly effective. Visual storytelling is effective in conveying a brand’s personality and expertise, but it is essential to stay on top of posting regularly. Sharing quick tips, industry facts, and events from daily work, as well as employee highlights, humanizes your company and makes others want to work with you.

#4: Behind-the-Scenes Post

Behind-the-scenes content can often be overlooked, but it is one of the strongest ways to strengthen relationships and establish reliability. Whether you share this through videos, stories, or pictures, choosing to post your company at its most vulnerable lets users see the work you put into your business. Brands don’t just want to know what you do. They want to know the people behind the brand. Make your company relatable with spotlights, day-in-the-life posts, volunteering clips, partnerships, charity work, or celebrations. With all this hard work, you need people to see it.

#5: Industry Trends

Lastly, a similar approach to blogs, sharing knowledge on industry trends, establishes authority and attracts a professional audience. B2B buyers are seeking guidance to know what’s next and how to stay ahead. All companies must stay in tune with their industry, but some are more attuned to it than others. Being aware of emerging technologies, staying up-to-date with market shifts, and sharing regulatory updates and predictions for the future positions your company as well-prepared.

Post Now

In today’s fast-paced world, social media is a strategic place to build your company. It can be tough with all the content types, so rotate through these 5 high-performing posts. Your ideas will reach a wider audience, build trust and authority, and contribute your company growth. Experiment with these and watch your platform thrive.