The following article is one that I first wrote in 2020 for my subscribers, but is as relevant now as it was then. So I thought I’d post it here. I hope you enjoy it!
As the decade draws to an end, every publisher and producer is turning their heads towards the “top ten of ” … well, everything, it seems—films, books, TV shows, gadgets—it all makes for a good top ten list—everything, it seems, except the top ten marketing insights for business.
So here are my top ten for 2026. They come from insights I’ve had or come across to date about marketing that I believe will remain just as influential for your business in 2010.
1. Social Media
Hoping to become firm favourites with their target audiences, many brands jumped on the LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter bandwagon that rolled in and has since dominated cyberspace over the past few years. The problem is, despite their keenness and swiftness, they really didn’t invest enough time or resources to leverage either one. Worse, some businesses chose to ignore social media altogether. Big mistakes…
For these, Web 2.0 tools are here to stay — at least until they’re replaced by Web 3.0 or something even more sophisticated. With that in mind, savvy marketers will make the most of them by building direct relationships and developing conversations with the very people they want to reach. Not only that, they will make sure they are being as authentic and credible as possible by being prepared to listen, share information or valuable resources and respond fairly quickly.
Further reading: “Reach a Wider Audience With Less Effort” —http://bit.ly/4BLXkA
2. Joint Ventures
One of the best ways to market a business — especially if you’re just starting out — is to set up joint ventures (JVs). This is where you partner with other companies to sell your services or products to their customers or prospects.
There are two main ways of doing JVs: a) let your JV partners introduce what you’re selling to their customers for a set price, or, b) let them join your affiliate programme and earn commission for each service or product sold.
3. Honesty
Over recent years, there have been an increasing number of ‘tell-all’ consumer-created TV shows and websites, thus signalling a new era of honesty and transparency.
By being authentic in everything you do or say, always delivering what you promise, being upfront about the small print and being as genuine and good to your word as you can, your customers are more likely to sing your praises, rather than badmouth you. Therefore, your reputation will grow and so will your market share. And, as Comcast found out, honesty can even transform a PR nightmare into an industry-leading customer service.
4. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
A lot of freelancers, entrepreneurs and businesses don’t have a system for determining which prospects would turn out to be good clients and which ones would not. Others simply cast their net too wide. Rather than focusing on a niche or core client base, they try to be everything to everyone. This kind of marketing hardly ever works in your favour.
If clients are less than ideal, they will likely drain your energy, productivity and overall enjoyment. So, set up a system to recognise the warning signs of ‘toxic clients’ — it will save you time, energy, and resources in the long run.
5. It’s Not What You Sell it’s the Way That You Sell It
How a business sells to consumers is just as important as what is being sold — indeed, it is more significant than ever before.
With today’s consumer more firmly in the driver’s seat, advertisers and marketers alike are having to change the way they communicate their messages.
What sets a business apart in today’s shifting landscape is one thing: Does the marketing message identify and appeal to customers ‘hot buttons? That is, what you are saying is likely to trigger your prospect’s hidden psychological buying triggers?
You have to truly understand your target market. You need to know what makes them tick… what makes them buy. Then, you use proven methods to ethically turn casual browsers into qualified leads and buyers.
6. AI Answers
ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity have changed search forever. It was always hard to see how another search engine could challenge Google, but AI has. ChatGPT usage is surging: Prompt volume jumped nearly 70% from January to June 2025.
7. Local SEO
Local searches, keyword + location is less affected by AI. Google’s Geminis does not answer when a local search is made. AI platforms are not always as accurate, so Google is still the choice for finding a business or service online. Google Maps still plays an important part in matching users and businesses. A number of businesses have generated a huge volume of sales through optimising not only their Google Business Profile but also by creating landing pages for location + keyword in organic search. See case studies here.
(Why struggle needlessly when you can get expert, affordable mentoring and have fun attracting clients easily?)