Stay Inclusive, Upgrade Your Email, and Get Back to the Basics

 Timely and tactical marketing ideas delivered to your inbox every Monday morning Issue #66 | January 3, 2020 Happy New Year, Insiders! We hope your 2021 is off to a strong start, and you're feeling ready to take on the world. Call us old-fashioned, but [we've been doing a lot of reflecting]( to prepare for what's up ahead. We're not just talking about setting goals (we talked about that last week), we're talking about understanding what worked and what didn't last year, and learning from the experiences we had. Don't be scared to try something new this year. And don't be scared to fail. Instead, learn from the problems you encounter and know you'll do better next time. It's all about balance. Now onto the Inside 5! INSIDE FIVE Is Instagram so 2020? "But new-to-market startups are increasingly doing away with some of the branding tactics that have been historically popular on Instagram." There's no argument that Instagram is known for its perfectly edited advertisements and sparkling story filters. The platform can easily make you feel like you live in a dream world. That said, if we learned anything from 2020 it's that sometimes we need a quick does of reality. That's why [Olamide Olowe and Claudia Teng, founders of skincare brand Topicals, are working to fill their social media with real (unedited) content]( that their customers can actually relate to. Topicals isn't the first brand to give this strategy a try, but while "realism" gains popularity and ad prices on Instagram and Facebook continue to soar, businesses are going to start flocking to other platforms this year (think TikTok and Twitter). Related: [Social Marketing with Chalene Johnson]( 5 Inclusive Marketing Tips for 2021 "Diversity and inclusion in marketing are about questioning the assumptions you make about who uses your product or service and how they use it." When it comes to diversity and inclusion, you should understand that it's not just HR initiatives you need to be focusing on. There's actually a much larger groundwork you should be laying for your business. Rammona Sukhraj, Impact's managing editor, explains that [diversity and inclusion in your business means taking steps like recognizing what groups your messaging speaks to.]( From there, you'll be able to see where representation is needed. Fortunately, there are some obvious things you can do to start working on this, such as updating stock images on your website or offering support and content in multiple languages. Remember that these changes can make a big difference and allow us all to come together as one community. Related: [Bring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity into Your Business]( How Digital Marketing will Change in 2021 "We saw a massive shift to online in 2020 because no one had a choice, NOW in 2021 those that shifted have choices." No one could have predicted all the events from last year, but that doesn't mean no one tried! So we decided to [kick off the new year by letting the smartest people we know predict what's about to unfold in 2021]( and we hope they'll help you decide exactly what to focus on in the coming months! From interactive personalization that invites your customers to participate to innovating webinar experiences, there's a lot of knowledge bombs dropped in this piece, so pick what's best for YOU and dive into Q1 fully prepared! Related: [Strategies Brands Often Overlook]( How to Upgrade Your Email Marketing Strategy "Sometimes we (think we) know what helps us the most. But don’t know where to begin." For the foreseeable future, email marketing will likely be the #1 way to grow your audience. While often overlooked, it's actually one of the most important marketing levers. That said, it's not as hard to get started as you may think. [Jordie van Rijn from eMailMonday broke down 2 important questions to ask yourself:]( - What is the best thing to do? - What is the one thing that would help you the most? By taking time to answer these two questions, you'll be able to start fine-tuning your marketing strategy and learn what's most important to you and your business. Related: [5 Email Welcome Sign Up Offers]( Get Back to the Basics of Content Marketing "You can produce more and better content by enlisting a broad array of content contributors from within your company and outside of it." Never has there been a better time to simplify your strategies and go back to the basics of core marketing disciplines. Lucky for us, Dan Beltramo, CEO of Onclusive, broke down [the 6 basics steps to content marketing]( making it easier than ever to either give ourselves a quick refresh or learn something brand new! You'll be reminded of the importance of an editorial calendar as well as building a contributor network. It's all here at your fingertips! Related: [Tools to Improve Your Content Team's Productivity]( NEW YEAR, NEW DEAL No matter what your company sells or how big it is, there is a universal truth—you need a good payroll service. If your current payroll system intimidates you or makes you want to bang your head against the wall rather than deal with it, we have something that may help you… We teamed up with our friends at Exigo to bring you a [FREE guide]( that will help you streamline your payroll. As a small business, you have sooooo much else on your plate besides payroll (trust us, we know first hand). This booklet will make payroll a little less complicated (and offer best practices to avoid costly mistakes and IRS audits). [Download it now]( to get 10 tips to simplify your payroll so you can spend less time bogged down by it and more time growing your business (#10 is our personal favorite). A FINAL THOUGHT If you're lacking a bit of motivation right now, don't worry, we get it. New Years is exciting, but we also have to get back to reality. But after holiday meals and lounging, it all seems a little difficult when you're feeling particularly sluggish. Our recommendation? Do something that excites you. Work-related our not, find a project that is going to propel your energy. It could be something as simple as starting a book you've been meaning to pick up or setting your sights to officially scale your revenue. Whatever it is... remember baby steps! Find the little things to motivate you that will help you reach your larger goals. Share The Insider Newsletter And Earn Rewards! Step 1: Click the button below Step 2: Share Insider with friends Step 3: Earn Rewards Collect points and win cool swag and prizes... even the chance to visit DM headquarters in Austin, TX! Now that's winning, y'all! [Share Insider](  Digital Marketing Is Complicated. We Make It Easy. Whether you’re a founder, agency owner, or marketing professional, DigitalMarketer is here to help. 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