December 16, 2022
Two types of people exist come late December.
Those who are sprinting toward the new year and those who are absolutely taking their time.
Sprinters will attack these last two weeks, striving for absolute progress to close out as many tasks as possible. They feed off the endorphins of a fully-tackled To Do list.
Walkers move at a more sloth-like pace. They are using this time to slow down and gain perspective. They haven't started anything new since Thanksgiving.
Are you an end-of-year Sprinter or a Walker?
I am a Walker.
In the spirit of reflection, I have pulled 2022's most popular Into & Overit letters to gain perspective on what resonated and to shape the lessons to bring with us into the new year.
Let's go for a walk.
In 2023, we resolve to:
1. Dare to be different.
Repeat after me:
- I vow to find my true differentiator and NOT go to market with the same promises as my three closest competitors.
- I challenge myself to THINK BIGGER and stop copying others' bad ideas.
- I will not chase the same strategy or keywords as everyone else.
In 2023, we will market how we are different, not where we are the same.
Brand positioning isn’t about pinpointing the competitors most similar so we can stand side-by-side. It is about identifying those competitors and then communicating how you are different and better to a customer making a choice.
Adopting a brand position that aligns with your customer’s values and fears forces them to choose you. It forces you to put a stake in the ground, ultimately elevating your brand and customer loyalty.
What traits would have gotten your brand stuffed in a locker in high school if it was a person? That is your differentiator.
➡️ LESSON: It's about damn time to be different.
2. Evoke emotions.
Effective marketing centers on empowering our audience to make sometimes irrational decisions based on the feeling we trigger in them.
Creating those emotional connections -- through storytelling, visuals, and audio -- is the beginning and end of what we do as marketers.
As you map out next year’s campaigns and content calendars, pay attention to the stories you’re telling and the feelings you want to evoke.
What stories can you tell that show customers why they need you? Not a problem or service like you, but precisely you over someone else.
It takes a deep understanding of who your audience is, what matters to them, and what keeps them up at night. You can only craft the right story if you know whom the story is meant to attract. It seems so simple, and yet so few businesses really take the time to find out.
A beautiful campaign designed for the wrong person or intent will fail.
In 2023, let’s commit to telling stories that create a tie between your customers' problems, their desired outcome, and your irreplaceable role in that equation.
➡️ LESSON: Misery loves company, but I don’t want this.
3. Be helpful humans.
Marketing activities come with a built-in list of goals and KPIs. Attract. Nurture. Convert. But above all that, be helpful.
- Create content that explains, entertains, or helps someone complete a task.
Don’t create content that tricks, manipulates, or pretends to be something it’s not.
- Collect first-party data to increase personalization and inform smarter marketing strategies.
Don’t collect first-party information to invade privacy or be a creep.
- Send marketing emails only when they benefit the reader.
Don’t email your audience just because you need another touchpoint.
- Use social media to be responsive and offer assistance.
Don’t use social media to treat people like followers.
As a marketer, there is no shortage of tools available to you. Use them to be a more helpful human. Not a slimy marketer.
➡️ LESSON: If you don't have something helpful to say...
4. Do it scared.
In 2023, we will not doubt our skills, talents, or accomplishments, especially when the evidence suggests we are silly gooses for doing so.
We will reframe our thoughts on imposter syndrome and be the example we wish we had. We will:
- Take that class.
- Apply to speak at the event.
- Create a case for that promotion.
- Get comfortable with praise.
- Collaborate with other businesses, organizations, and individuals.
We will do it scared, whatever it is.
Not doing so discredits the people on your team who believe in you and know that you can, and it is a disservice to those looking to you as an example that they can do it too.
The world needs you to do what you do well. A little bit of courage will change everything.
➡️ LESSON: I might be on stage right now.
5. Release bad habits.
If the end of a year is the best time to slow down (and it is), the start of one is the best time to release the habits that no longer serve us.
I bet you have a LIST of new things you’d like to do this next year.
- Try new marketing channels!
- Use ChatGPT to do good.
- Unleash a truly out-of-the-box marketing campaign!
- Write that book!
Allow yourself space to do it by reassessing:
- What will you stop? What projects or activities can you pass off to free up time for something new?
- What will you start? What is on your Must Do list for 2023? What opportunities will you not forgive yourself for missing out on?
- What will you accelerate? What activities worked so well this last year that you need to do them more often?
Don't go into next year carting the same stuff dragging you down in 2022.
Put it down. Pick up something else.
➡️ LESSON: Social media is broken
6. Become better writers.
Communicating ideas is your job. It does not matter what your business card says.
As a human in business, you must know what you want to say, how to help someone understand the most important part of what you are saying, and how to convey WIIFM. Improving your writing skills is paramount to helping you do that.
In 2023, let’s take small steps to become better writers.
➡️ LESSON: The 6 writing tips I share the most
7. Slow down to go further.
The “race to the new year” advice encourages us to put our heads down, be our most productive selves, and make the most of the time we have left in 2022.
Yet, it ignores the fact that sometimes the best thing you can do to have a more productive January is to have a slower December.
Our brains need rest. They need space and quiet to process what has already happened and to create meaningful connections between the data points. This is how we keep the creative juices flowing and our minds sharp so that they can find answers faster.
In 2023, we’ll take our PTO, go for walks, and know when to sign off completely.
➡️ LESSON: Gimme a break.
8. Stop forcing what doesn't work.
Can I be honest? There have been weeks where I started a letter to you and didn’t send it. I filed it away in my drafts and shipped something else. Or shipped nothing at all.
What I always realize--sometimes 4 or 5 hours into writing--is that if I’m trying too hard to get something out, either it’s not the right idea, or I haven’t found the right way to say it yet.
The best course of action isn’t to force it or, even worse, to send something I am not excited to share. It’s to put the pen down. To allow the idea to marinate longer.
If I have to force it, it’s not for me.
In 2023, let’s commit our time to the work and ideas (and the people) we are so excited to share that they burst out of us.
➡️ LESSON: All the unsent letters sitting in my drafts. ;)
