In 2018, I participated in Kat Gordon’s visioning workshop. For those of you who don’t know her, Kat is the creative genius behind Muddy’s Bake Shop and her success is inspirational! Her visioning workshop is based on the methods she and her team of “gnomies” use to plan and make decisions for Muddy’s.

January always seems to be the month of plans. New Year’s resolutions are often a jumping off point for sometimes extravagant plans for the year ahead. Businesses start fresh with new campaigns for the first quarter of the year. Plans include some anticipation: How much time will we need to accomplish this goal? What kind of equipment will we need for our newest exercise routine? The team at Campfire Collective has looked at reports from 2022, as well as our own yearly analytics, and have put together a few marketing trends we believe we will see take off in 2023:

Is it just me, or has this year flown by? While 2020 and 2021 dragged on, the year 2022 seemed to pick up speed. Thanks to vaccines and boosters, pandemic restrictions didn’t affect our gatherings as much this year. The extrovert in me was thrilled by this and tried to make up for lost time. I flooded my calendar with activities, which made each day, week, and month pass by that much quicker.

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to take a look back at trends – from bigger headlights on cars to the rise of the mocktail in bars. We can’t claim to know much about automobile industry trends, but we do have a few social media experts on hand. As we close out the calendar year for 2022, here are the social media trends that popped for the team at Campfire Collective during the past twelve months:

Okay, look. I used to be a really stubborn, whiny baby about grammar, judging everyone’s writing no matter where I saw it. After a lot of learning from people who definitely didn’t have to teach me anything, I have a more open mind about variations in language depending on context, medium, and audience. My new philosophy is to do what’s appropriate for whoever I’m trying to reach.

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful…” is a phrase that pretty much sums up winter weather in the Mid-South. Winter time means goodbye patio weather, sunshine, and outdoor activities and hello layers upon layers of clothing, the warmth of home, and the seemingly never-ending stretch of the holidays. Snow days are always a fun treat, but how do you make sure your marketing efforts don’t get put on ice? Try these 5 tips to make the most of your winter marketing!

I have heard too many times in my career that business owners don’t think they need a digital marketing strategy, preferring to invest instead into one or more billboard, radio, television, or print advertisement contracts.

My second favorite thing about traveling is writing about the trip. My first favorite thing is the trip itself! Once I get back home, I enjoy reliving all the moments – good and bad – that make travel so exciting, eye-opening, and just plain fun. Travel is a gift for content writers; it widens our minds, offers new food for thought, and gets creative juices flowing.

Thanksgiving is synonymous with many things: turkey, family gatherings, gelatinous cranberry goo, and gratitude. In fact, giving thanks and showing gratitude may be the two things that you hear about most often throughout the fall season. But, there is a fun etymological difference between the two words. Being thankful is an emotional reaction to something good or beneficial that happens to you. Gratitude is an attitude of appreciation under any circumstance. So how do you cultivate a culture of gratitude through social media content?

We believe in working with community-based businesses, so they can in turn uplift our community as a whole. We put work into our community daily, and in return, they have taken care of us. Campfire Collective continues to grow. Our work continues to be recognized. In return, we’ll continue deep diving into making our community a better place every day.

A few years ago, I was asked to create content for a direct mail campaign, asking alumni of a prestigious school for donations. The money raised would give a few buildings a much-needed upgrade. Luckily, the mailing would go out at the end of October, so we had a great theme to work with – Halloween. Working with a designer, I came up with the idea of a fun postcard with the headline Our Old Haunt Could Use a Little BOOst From You!

Halloween is fun for more than just the kiddos and college kids! It’s also a great time to tap into your creative side to develop clever and engaging marketing content to tie in with the spooky season. You can use Halloween-themed imagery and wording to develop strategies that will boost your engagement, promote your business, and connect with your audience. To get you started, here are some tips:

You may think it’s too early to start thinking about the holidays. Yet, I am here to gently inform you that you are wrong. If a holiday promotion plan for your business has yet to hit the task list, then, yes friend, you are behind. Have no fear. While the best time to start was a couple months ago, the next best time is today. Consider this your guide to get started, get motivated, and get going to ensure your business is competitive and thriving this Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day.

As someone who works from home, I find the lack of structure to be a challenge. Each week, I like to switch up my work routine to keep things interesting! Working from home can be rewarding and productive if you follow these tips.

Many businesses have already hopped on the Instagram train. For those who haven’t, here is why it can be instrumental in your marketing strategy. Instagram focuses on beautiful photos and capturing moments through visuals. Instagram is key to marketing, as it uses hashtags and geotags to increase visibility, connect and engage with users, and draw them to specific events and programs.

Email is a wonderful way to communicate in our digital age. Unlike a phone conversation, we can think through what we want to say and edit our thoughts before we hit send. When contacting others, we can take the time to craft our emails to be clear, professional, and engaging. However, sometimes even the best writers fall into the trap of relying on cliches and overworked expressions to convey their point. I’ve been guilty of using some of the following expressions – but it’s time to retire these phrases!

“You don’t even have to tell girls when it’s fall. We know. We sense it. The second it turns fall. The second a leaf falls in Connecticut, we feel it. We’re sitting at home watching TV and outside the temperature drops from 86 to 63, and we pop out of the ground like gophers. We’re like, ‘Did you feel that? I did. It was a breeze... Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, PUMPKIN EVERYTHING.’”
If you’re familiar with my favorite comic Iliza Sheslinger, then you’re most likely aware of her fall bit in the stand-up special Freezing Hot. While fall is not my favorite season, I can relate to the magic in the air and all the excitement that surrounds the season. With new seasonal fun also comes a new, fresh take on marketing efforts. Here are six ways to make the most of your fall marketing.

While it’s true that anyone can ask a reporter if they are interested in a story, hiring a PR team to handle your story ideas has many benefits, including much more publicity for you! Here are four key reasons to hire a PR firm for your campaign: