2026 is around the corner, and as the saying goes, those who fail to plan, plan to fail. A new year always brings fresh momentum, but it can also bring pressure to overhaul everything at once. When it comes to marketing, the goal isn’t to do more, it’s to do better. Strong marketing starts with a few clear, disciplined resolutions that are built for
consistency, not burnout. Here are six marketing resolutions that can help you kick the New Year off on the right foot.

Plan Quarterly – in Chunks

Everyone works better when large goals are broken down into manageable pieces. Marketing is no different. One of the biggest mistakes operators make is trying to plan the entire year in one sitting. It becomes overwhelming, rigid, and often abandoned by February. In 2026, proactive will always outperform reactive, but that doesn’t mean you need to map out every campaign 12 months in advance.

Planning in quarterly chunks allows you to stay focused while remaining flexible. A 90-day window is long enough to see results, and short enough to adjust based on what’s actually happening in your business. It gives you permission to test, pivot and refine, without feeling locked into a plan that no longer fits. We are aiming to have our quarterly email marketing campaigns and mailer campaigns completed in advance. This way we can share ahead of time with our team.

Decide What to Focus On

One of the most valuable reminders in business comes from Warren Buffett, who famously said that successful people say no to almost everything. Marketing is often where small businesses struggle with this the most. There is constant pressure to be on every platform, try every new tool, and chase every trend. The result is often diluted effort and uneven results.

Instead of trying to do everything in 2026, commit to choosing three key areas of focus. A simple and effective way to frame this is through customer acquisition, retention and goodwill. Maybe acquisition is your SEO and Google presence, retention is email or text marketing, and goodwill is reviews and community engagement. When you focus your energy on a few high-impact areas, your results become clearer, more measurable, and far more sustainable.

Redefine Your Customer

Some of the best advice I’ve received recently was simple but powerful: never grow old with your customers … that’s how businesses die. Loyalty will always matter, but relevance is what keeps your brand moving forward.

The holidays are a perfect time to observe who is actually walking into your store. It’s also the right moment to think intentionally about who you want your ‘it’ customer to be in the future. Where are they shopping? Where are they spending their money? What are they watching on Netflix? What brands do they trust? The most successful businesses don’t market only to who they’ve always served – they evolve toward who they want to serve next. When your marketing reflects the lifestyle and mindset of your future customer, it becomes far more powerful.

Test Yourself on Using AI More

Yes, most of us are already using AI in some capacity, but 2026 is the year to start using it with more intention. The real question isn’t whether you’re using AI, but how deeply it’s integrated into your business. AI can now support far more than just writing social media posts. It can help generate website images, organize and plan meeting agendas, assist with training materials, and research industry trends quickly and efficiently.

It’s also worth asking your suppliers, POS providers and service partners how they plan to incorporate AI into their platforms in the new year. The businesses that gain the most from AI won’t be the ones experimenting casually – they’ll be the ones building systems around it.

Here is a list of five opportunities for AI in small business in 2026.

Learn Something New

Education is no longer optional in leadership, it’s a responsibility. Staying curious and committed to learning is one of the strongest marketing moves you can make, even if it doesn’t feel like marketing in the traditional sense. Marketing works best when it’s rooted in education. Teaching customers about fabric care, garment longevity, seasonal wardrobe planning, stain prevention and proper storage builds trust in ways that promotions never will.

Organizations like DLI and the wealth of information already available through our industry offer endless opportunities to grow. The real question is whether you’re actively carving out time to learn and apply it. Just as important, ask yourself what you’re doing to help yourself grow. Leaders who prioritize learning build stronger teams, stronger brands and stronger businesses. On my list of books to read? Dare to Lead by Brené Brown; Indistractable by Nir Eyal; and The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber.

Plan Time for You

This final resolution may be the most important one of all. Creativity does not come from constant motion. It comes from space. The best ideas rarely show up when you are rushing between tasks, clearing emails late at night, or putting out daily fires. Your most creative marketing moments will come when you allow yourself room to think when you step outside the business, talk with other owners, travel, rest, and absorb inspiration from outside the industry. Planning time for yourself in 2026 isn’t indulgent – it’s strategic. That’s where your clearest ideas and strongest leadership decisions are born.

Marketing doesn’t need to be louder in 2026. It needs to be clearer, more focused and more intentional. Plan in quarters. Choose what you’ll say ‘no’ to. Redefine your customer. Use AI with purpose. Keep learning. And protect your thinking time. If you do those things consistently, your marketing and your business will enter the new year on solid footing.

---