| SPOTLIGHT ON |
| What’s still on the menu |
| SEO’s in chaos. AI is everywhere. No one knows what’s happening with LinkedIn reach. Collectively we’ve lost our minds. Marketing is going through it. |
| And yet, the Costco hotdog is still $1.50. |
| It’s not trendy. It’s simple, reliable, and effective. It delivers—every time. And maybe that’s the kind of energy marketing needs right now. |
| This month we’re talking about the marketing equivalents of the humble hotdog—the tactics, ideas, and formats that still deliver. |
| No hacks, no gimmicks, just stuff that works. |
| 🌭 The classics we’re still betting on |
| Some things are timeless. A well-placed quiz. A clear, confident headline. A lead magnet that actually solves a problem. |
| Even as AI muddies the waters and overwhelms our workflows, these tactics still pull their weight. |
- Helpful, specific lead magnets still convert
- Welcome emails are still the highest-performing messages most brands send
- Quizzes that guide people to the perfect match? Still magic
- A conversational tone still makes readers pause, and maybe even trust you
|
| You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You’ve just got to keep it rolling. |
| What’s on shaky ground |
| It’s not that these never work—it’s that they’re less predictable, more niche, more saturated, and harder to pull off. |
- Google is still a traffic channel, but relying on it alone feels like a house of cards waiting for a light breeze
- Thought leadership is fine. But are you saying something different? If you’re repeating the same things as everyone else, don’t be surprised when no one listens
- Performative “personal” posts. Over-designed decks. Emoji-packed CTAs. Everyone is doing them and people are tuning them out
|
| I’m not saying to ditch them entirely, I’m encouraging you to…approach with caution. |
| The new classics (maybe) |
| In a trust-fractured, AI-saturated world, attention and trust are gained through speed, specificity, and strong POVs. |
- Speed > perfection. If it takes 2 months to ship, it might already be old and forgotten
- Weird wins. The unusual, personal, and oddly specific tend to break through
- Trust is the real conversion lever. There’s no hack for that
- A conversational tone still makes readers pause, and maybe even trust you
|
TL:DR
Forget the hacks. Forget the hype. Marketing is built on trust, taste, and the occasional $1.50 hotdog. |
| — Lydia 💜 |
| Dive deeper: |
| 📝 Why marketing tech will be about trust in 2025 |
| 💁 From AI to authenticity: Why human connection will drive marketing in H2 |
| 🤳 The Get Real report: The data on influencer marketing has spoken |
| ✨ Why CMOs shouldn't trust the AI confidence boom |
