4 Unexpected Things We Learned About Business In 2021

2021 was certainly an interesting year for business and we learned a lot! As the year comes to a close, we wish you all a happy and restful holiday season with your family and friends. It’s also the perfect time of year to look back and muse over everything that happened this year, the good, the bad, and the weird. 2021 was certainly eventful and we prepared the following list of things we learned about business in 2021 to help guide your marketing strategy. 

Business Learning #1: Creative Marketing Campaigns Will Always Be Relevant

A lot has changed in marketing over the last decade. Marketing has seen a lot of changes over the years, whether it’s the mediums, the pricing, or the agency structure, and 2021 was no different in that regard.

However, creativity will never go out of style. Whether it was the Chipotle Boorito promotion or Wendy’s teaming up with Rick & Morty, 2021 was filled with unique marketing approaches. Inventive advertising will always be a bedrock of any marketing strategy and 2021 did not disappoint.

Don’t think that you need to reinvent the wheel the way some of the world’s biggest brands did in 2021, but remember that staying fresh and timely in your marketing campaigns helps your business stay relevant all year long.  We’d recommend considering adjusting your marketing strategy as you move in 2022. If you haven’t adjusted anything in your marketing within the last year, your customers are likely a little fatigued by your messaging or have possibly even forgotten about you. If it’s been a bit, then a new year is a great time to revamp, refresh, and revitalize your strategy. A good marketing strategy will be… 

There are, of course, many variables that go into revamping your marketing strategy, and the list above is merely a thought starter. Still, think back on your favorite ad campaigns from 2021 and compare them to the list above. Odds are, all of your favorite ads from 2021 meet the criteria listed above!

Business Learning #2: Automation Will Continue

Automation is nothing new in the history of business, whether it’s in the form of steam-powered mills or auto chatbots. However, advancements in tech, compounded by worker shortages and high inflation, will keep the trend of automation thriving in the near future. By some estimates, 25% of the workforce is highly vulnerable to automation. 

Marketing and customer service are no exceptions. Businesses are always looking for ways to cover more ground with fewer resources and a great way to enable your marketing team is to automate away some of the repetitive and tedious tasks that take up the majority of their day. The main examples in the marketing space are….

If you have questions, contact our marketing team for more information!

Business Learning #3: New Products and Services Will Always Emerge

Have you been following developments in the metaverse and NFTs? We could spend a lot of time catching you up on the history of these developments, but both are an important reminder. The world and especially the tech world, will always evolve and change in unexpected and frankly, odd ways. Businesses that can see through the haze and confusion of a new product or tech are in a good position to capitalize in the near future. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to invest in every new fad. (The metaverse is probably a long way away from being pertinent to your business.) 

However, it does mean that you should consider looking into new products, mediums, and marketing strategies for 2022. Maybe it’s time to get on TikTok. Maybe you need to create a Customer Loyalty Rewards club to help drive repeat business. Regardless, take the buzz about the metaverse and NFTs as proof that new opportunities exist for your business. (Even if they don’t involve digital monkeys!)

Business Learning #4: Salary Isn’t The Only Part Of Staff Retention

If you’re a small business owner, you know how hard keeping and retaining top talent is during the Great Resignation. Competitive salaries are, of course, a linchpin of any employee-retention program. But quite a few employees also point to other factors in choosing whether to stay or go with their current employer. 

The following cultural options may be decisive in keeping your best people if you can’t offer the salaries that the scions of corporate America can. (And honestly, work-life balance options may even be more important to some employees than salary.) You might not be the biggest player in your industry, but you can treat your people right with some additional offerings that others aren’t offering. 

  • Early Dismal Summer Fridays
  • Flexible WFH Arrangements
  • Extended Holiday PTO
  • Regular Team Building Events & Company Outings

The right company culture and flexibility really help show how much you care for your employees and give you an edge with competitors fighting their way through the Great Resignation by merely raising wages to entice and retain employees. (Although that certainly helps!)

Of course, brand collateral is a huge piece of this retention and team building for any small business. If you’re interested in providing your staff a reminder of what your brand stands for, talk to our team about your needs in any of the following!

  • T-shirts
  • Coffee Mugs
  • Office Accessories
  • & More! 

Happy Holidays From JSL Marketing & Web Design

It was, as always, an interesting year and we are so grateful to have shared it with you.  We all learned a lot about ourselves and the business world in 2021 and are so thankful for those opportunities.

We hope you had a great year reading with us and get the chance to rest and relax with family and friends while 2021 wanes. Your support means the world to us and we hope you are able to reflect on these business trends in the first weeks of 2022. Rest up, celebrate, and we look forward to being your partner in 2022. 

Happy Holidays from all of us at JSL Marketing & Web Design!