Spooky season is here, which means it’s officially time to talk about tricks and treats, especially those in marketing. Some strategies look good on the surface but end up wasting your time, money, or energy, while others may not feel flashy but are the ones that actually help you connect with your audience and move your business forward.
Trick: Posting just to post. Treat: Posting with purpose
One of the biggest tricks we see is posting just to post. Filling a content calendar is NOT the same thing as having a strategy. If you are sharing random graphics, generic captions, or content with no clear purpose, your page may look active without actually doing much for your business. The treat is creating content with a reason behind it, whether that means educating your audience, answering a question, highlighting a service, or giving people a reason to engage.
Trick: Trying to be everywhere. Treat: Focusing on the right platforms
Another common trick is feeling like your business needs to be on every platform at once. Trying to keep up with Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and every new platform that pops up can quickly spread your time and content too thin. The treat is focusing on the platforms where your audience is actually spending time and putting your energy into doing those well.
Trick: Chasing every trend. Treat: Making trends work for your brand
Trends can be fun, but not every trending audio, meme, or content idea needs to make its way onto your business page. If it does not fit your brand or your audience, it can end up feeling forced. The treat is knowing when a trend makes sense and finding a way to make it feel natural to your business instead of changing your brand just to fit the trend.
Trick: Turning every post into a sales pitch. Treat: Giving your audience value
Of course you want people to know what you offer, but if every post is telling someone to buy, book, call, or schedule, your audience may eventually tune it out. The treat is creating content people actually want to consume. Share something helpful, answer a question you hear often, or give your audience a reason to keep following even when they are not ready to make a purchase.
Trick: Ignoring your analytics. Treat: Learning from your results
Creating content without ever checking how it performs can make your marketing feel like a guessing game. Your analytics can show you what people are clicking, watching, saving, or responding to. The treat is using that information to make better decisions. If something is consistently performing well, that is usually a sign to keep building on it.
Trick: Constantly changing your strategy. Treat: Staying consistent
It can be tempting to switch things up every time a post does not perform the way you hoped, but good marketing usually takes time. Constantly changing your message or visual style can make it harder for people to recognize your brand. The treat is staying consistent enough for your audience to get familiar with who you are and what you do.
Marketing does not have to feel like one big trick. The best strategies are usually the ones that feel intentional, useful, and true to your brand! If your marketing is feeling a little more trick than treat lately, the ESS team would love to help you figure out what is worth keeping and what may be ready for a change. Let your Halloween be spooky, not your marketing plan.
