2026 is here! And one thing is increasingly clear: marketing isn’t getting simpler and it certainly isn’t slowing down. Just when something starts to feel familiar, the landscape shifts again. New platforms appear, customer expectations move, and what worked perfectly well a year ago suddenly needs revisiting. It can feel relentless, but it doesn’t need to feel chaotic.
Despite all this change, the fundamentals remain. Marketing still exists to build credibility, generate demand, change behaviours and support commercial growth. The real challenge for marketing leaders isn’t keeping up with every new development, it’s knowing which changes genuinely matter, and then making deliberate, well-sequenced decisions that protect brand value while improving performance. All this needs to be delivered without exhausting teams or budgets in the process too.
At EBY, we work with businesses navigating this challenging reality every day. What separates those that make progress from those that stall isn’t enthusiasm or spend, it’s focus.
So, as every new year begins with lists, resolutions, and well-intentioned promises to “do things better,” here are six practical priorities to concentrate on and how EBY helps you move from sometimes unstructured activity to meaningful impact.
-
Treat the Website as Core Commercial Infrastructure
Websites continue to be the foundation of marketing’s operational infrastructure, but in 2026, they cannot stand still. Websites need to work hard all the time, not just for human visitors, but increasingly for AI platforms that scan, interpret, summarise and decide whether your business is worth including in search results at all. That means clearly communicating value, answering questions quickly, providing valuable information and converting interest into enquiry. Too many websites still prioritise how they look over how they perform, which is a bit like investing heavily in shopfront paintwork while quietly keeping the door locked.
EBY designs and develops websites with this evolving reality firmly in mind. Usability, structure, SEO, AI performance and conversion are treated as essentials, not optional extras. Content is structured so both people and AI can easily understand what the business does, who it’s for, and why it matters. Sites can integrate seamlessly with CRM and automation systems so enquiries don’t just arrive, they’re captured, qualified and acted on. Security, accessibility, and ongoing maintenance are built in as standard. As AI-led discovery accelerates, the website becomes the point where marketing effort either pays off or quietly leaks value.
-
Use Technology to Increase Impact, Not Activity
Technology gives users the potential to do more in less time. More emails, more dashboards, more platforms, more notifications. Unfortunately, it hasn’t made it automatically easier to do better. In 2026, success won’t come from how many tools you use, but from how well they’re joined up. Many SMEs invest in technology with good intentions, only to end up with fragmented systems, duplicated effort and the nagging feeling that things are somehow busier but no more effective.
EBY helps clients put technology back in its place, as a support act, not the headline. By integrating AI-supported lead handling, automated follow-ups, CRM systems and customer journeys into clear commercial workflows, technology starts pulling its weight. The focus is always on outcomes: quicker responses, better conversion and smarter use of internal resource. When implemented strategically rather than reactively, technology stops overwhelming teams and starts quietly doing the heavy lifting in the background.
-
Protect Brand Clarity in an Increasingly Crowded Market
As digital channels become ever more crowded, sounding “professional” is no longer enough, because almost everyone does. When messaging, tone, and visual identity are inconsistent or unclear, marketing activity blends into the background, regardless of how often you show up or how much you spend. This is particularly risky in professional services, where trust, familiarity and credibility drive decisions long before a conversation ever happens.
EBY’s branding work focuses on bringing clarity where it’s often missing. By defining who the business is for, what it stands for, and how it should be recognised, EBY creates a framework that everything else can work from. Content, campaigns, websites, and automation all pull in the same direction. Without this foundation, more activity simply accelerates confusion. With it, every interaction reinforces recognition, confidence, and trust—making marketing easier rather than harder.
-
Make Events Work Harder Before, During and After
Events remain one of the biggest marketing investments many organisations make and one of the most under-leveraged. Too often, because of day-to-day pressure the focus is on simply “turning up on the day,” hoping footfall turns into leads by osmosis. In reality, the value of an event is determined long before the doors open and long after they close. Without proper warm-up, capture, and follow-up, even the busiest stand can amount to an expensive couple of days out of the office.
EBY helps clients maximise the return on events by treating them as part of a wider marketing system, not a standalone activity. This includes pre-event promotion to drive the right audience, stand design that clearly communicates value, and practical event management covering design, build, logistics and installation. On the day, lead capture is structured and integrated with CRM so conversations don’t disappear into spreadsheets. Post-event, automated and personalised follow-up ensures momentum isn’t lost once the banners come down. When events are planned properly, they stop being a cost and start becoming a growth engine.
-
Modernise Without Overcorrecting
Progress doesn’t require tearing everything up and starting again. In fact, the most resilient organisations are usually the most measured. Modernisation works best when it builds on what already performs, rather than reacting to every new trend or tool with unnecessary urgency.
EBY’s integrated service offering allows clients to introduce new capabilities, such as automation, AI, and improved digital performance, while maintaining consistency across content, paid media, SEO, and offline activity. This reduces risk, protects existing relationships, and ensures marketing investment remains commercially grounded. Change should feel controlled and intentional, not exhausting. Modernising sensibly keeps businesses competitive without losing their footing.
-
Build Momentum, Not Campaign Spikes
Short-term campaigns can create noise, but they rarely create lasting value on their own. Sustainable growth comes from momentum, consistent presence, joined-up channels and ongoing optimisation that builds familiarity and trust over time.
EBY helps clients move away from stop-start activity and towards marketing systems that compound results. By aligning brand, digital, automation and performance measurement, marketing becomes more predictable and less reactive. Momentum provides stability in a changing landscape and ensures effort builds on itself rather than starting from scratch each time. It’s not about doing more campaigns, it’s about making every activity work harder.
Final Reflection: A Practical Question for 2026
As you plan for the year ahead in the first couple of weeks of the year (ideally before another meeting, another tool, or another “quick campaign” gets added to the list) ask a simple question: is our marketing structured to adapt, or merely to react?
The organisations that succeed in 2026 won’t be the ones doing the most, shouting the loudest, or adopting every new idea first. They’ll be the ones doing the right things, in the right order, consistently. Strong foundations, disciplined execution, and a clear sense of priority make it possible to evolve without constantly feeling like you’re catching up.
And if your marketing feels busy, but not necessarily effective, you’re not alone, however it is fixable.
If your priority this year is to make marketing work harder, not just look busier, EBY can help you get there, just say the word.
Happy New Year!