Keep on top of the yearly events your audience is already getting ready for in 2025 with the D2 Creative Holiday Cheat Sheet! From major holidays and health observances to lighthearted special days to help mix up your marketing, this guide will help you stock your marketing calendar with the dates your audience has on theirs.
What’s Keeping Marketers Up at Night?
In a survey conducted by D2 Creative, more than 100 marketers have identified several key challenges for the upcoming year:
Lead generation emerges as the top concern, and with good reason as form submissions and the acquisition of new leads tends to be the prime indicator of success in a digital campaign.
To address this, we advise marketers to adopt an omnichannel approach, leveraging social media, email marketing, webinars, events, pay-per-click advertising, and AI-driven automation to nurture leads and drive conversions.
Personalization remains crucial, with tailored content, targeted ads, customized emails, and individualized offers proving effective in engaging diverse audiences.
Another significant challenge revolves around creating compelling content. We urge marketers to focus on providing educational and informative materials that address specific pain points and informational needs of their target audience. This includes deploying multimedia formats such as videos, infographics, podcasts, and interactive content to cater to various consumer preferences.
Implementing robust search engine optimization (SEO) strategies is also recommended to enhance content visibility and attract organic traffic.
Finally, user-generated content can further bolster community engagement and add credibility to brand messaging.
Demonstrating return on investment was the third top critical concern for marketers. To effectively measure and showcase ROI, it’s essential to establish clear marketing objectives aligned with broader business goals. Defining key performance indicators (KPIs) such as lead generation metrics, website traffic, conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and customer lifetime value provides a structured framework for evaluation.
Advanced analytics tools and multi-touch attribution models are invaluable for tracking and attributing conversions across various stages of the customer journey, from initial awareness to retention, thereby offering a comprehensive view of marketing effectiveness.
Explore the infographic below for a breakdown of these challenges and insights. You can view, download, and share it with your team to strategize for success in 2024.
LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and all of those other platforms are the same, aren’t they? You post pictures and videos. You comment. You “like”. You “friend”. So that must mean you can create one piece of content and blast it across all of your channels, right?
No.
Please don’t do that.
The average person uses 6 or more different social media platforms per month, and are on each one for, generally, a different reason. They’re not looking to all those different platforms for the same content. Their behavior on each platform varies, and so does what they want to see across different platforms.
As a brand, you’re not expected to create content like a user but you are expected to create content for users, so keeping your target audiences’ preferences top of mind should be key to your overall content development process.
There are several pieces to consider when creating content, including what content usually looks like on the platform and what users are expecting of your channel. These expectations should form the foundation of your content strategy for each platform.
For instance, users on Instagram are looking to be inspired and entertained. The content they consume generally falls in the buckets of aspirational, luxury, culture, and personal vlogging, and the easier it is to consume and engage with the better. Instead of leaning heavily or only on a feed of posts, develop 2 to 3 Story slides, including engagement stickers that users can quickly interact with as they thumb through.
Want a head start on creating the right content for all your channels? Check out our Social Media Platforms Content Cheat Sheet . With insights into user behavior, content preferences, and even how often you should be posting, this high-level outline will help you understand what you should be keeping in mind when developing truly engaging posts.
Get ready for bite-sized insights, tasty tips, and a few laughs along the way. D2 Bites is a fun and engaging digital series where digital marketing expert Laura Lentchitsky (that’s me!) sits down with pros across the industry for quick, digestible conversations over snacks.
Each guest shares their expertise in things like SEO, social media marketing, video production, web design, and more – all in easy-to-watch clips that won’t take a big bite out of your day.
Lauren Sparagna Gets Interrupted
by Kevin Chung while Talking Video
In this episode of D2 Bites, Lauren Sparagna discusses the intricacies of video capture and production from our sound studio, while input from the video team adds a twist to the conversation.
Laura Lentchitsky Shares SEO
Trends and How AI and Chatbots are Changing the Game
In this episode of D2 Bites, Laura Lentchitsky swaps seats from host to interviewee to dish about how AI-powered chatbots are reshaping search engine results, the importance of balancing technical and creative aspects in SEO, and practical tips for optimizing content in MedTech.
Patrick Sodano Shares Hot Takes on Heat Maps and Web Design
In this episode of D2 Bites, VP of Creative Pat Sodano demystifies heat mapping technology, revealing how it informs web design, balances creativity with analytics, and enhances user experience by tracking where visitors click and scroll.
Vijaya Singh’s Guide to Authentic Social Media
In this episode of D2 Bites, social media expert Vijaya Singh reveals the secrets behind her new content cheat sheet, discusses the evolving role of social media in MedTech, and explores the balance between authenticity and trendiness across platforms.
Kenny Kudzma Talks AI and Why Robots Aren’t Taking Over Just Yet
In this episode of D2 Bites, writer Kenny Kudzma shares his approach to content creation, using AI, tackling writer’s block, and how video game music fuels his creativity, all while discussing its role in the changing landscape of digital marketing.
Whether for advertisements, social media, emails, or just about anything else the question always comes up: “How can I maintain a consistent, and quality stream of content for my brand?” As a digital marketing and communications agency, one of the strategies we’ve found works best is creating content pillars.
Content pillars are a strategic approach to organizing and planning content for your brand. They are a set of overarching topics representing the key themes or messages you want to communicate to your audience.
Organizing your content around a set of content pillars allows you to create a cohesive content strategy that supports your overall marketing objectives. This approach ensures that your content is aligned with your goals and consistently delivers value to your audience.
Creating Effective Content Pillars
Here are some tips for building a content pillar strategy that works:
Define your brand’s core values and mission. Your content pillars should be aligned with what’s most important to your brand. Consider what sets your brand apart from others and what messages you want to communicate to your audience.
Conduct research. Find out what your audience’s needs, interests, and pain points are, then use this information to build content pillars that will resonate with them.
Choose 3-5 overarching topics. The topics you choose for your pillars should represent your brand’s key themes or messages. Make sure they’re broad enough to allow for a variety of content types but specific enough to keep your content focused and consistent.
Develop a content plan. Once you’ve established your content pillars, develop a content plan that aligns with each one. The topics/themes of the pillars will inform the types of content to create for each pillar and the channels you will use to distribute it. You can also create pillars by channel or platform. For example, we frequently create content pillars for social media content. This helps maintain a steady stream of monthly topics and ensures the most important ones are always covered in a long social media calendar.
Evaluate and adjust. Monitor your content strategy regularly to confirm that it’s performing well with your target audience. Don’t hesitate to adjust your content pillars as needed to keep them relevant and effective. You’ll be able to measure which pillars are driving the most traffic and engagement, and which need your attention.
We share the goal of creating a cohesive and effective content strategy that drives results for your brand, and there’s even more that’s possible after first taking the time to fine-tune the pillars supporting it. If you need a hand getting started or honing your content pillars, we’re available to help.
Navigating social media as a marketing tool can be a complex and ever-evolving task, and even the most skilled social media managers can face challenges along the way. Here are some common areas where companies may struggle to effectively connect with their audience on social media.
Too many marketers neglect the social part of social media; treating it as just another sales channel rather than a place to connect with their audience. This kind of thinking causes social media managers to not respond to comments, questions, and concerns, or participate in conversations. When you don’t engage with your followers, it makes your brand seem cold and uninterested in them, which keeps you from making real connections.
Something we as digital marketers notice frequently is when accounts focus too much on sales. People can easily recognize content that’s trying to sell them something, and will quickly tune you out if that’s all you give them. Instead, try to balance sales-focused posts with content that’s relevant and interesting to your followers. Providing value to your followers by sharing helpful information, tips, advice, and even humor makes your social media presence more enticing to follow and makes the content that.
It’s important to remember social media strategies aren’t one-size-fits-all. You have to remain aware of the audience you’re trying to reach, and the rules and etiquette on each platform in order to make a real impact. For example, on Twitter people expect short, to-the-point updates, while Instagram is a visual-first platform where users engage with longer posts, including lengthy reels, carousels, and post captions.
Too many marketers base strategies on what feels right, rather than what’s proven. From engagement statistics to follower demographics, social media sites give users in-depth data on how and why posts perform—so use it! This means tracking your results and using them to determine what’s working and what isn’t so you can make informed decisions about your social media marketing. By ignoring this data, you put yourself at risk of wasting time and money on ineffective strategies.
Social media marketing can be a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their audience and build brand awareness, but it requires careful consideration and execution. To avoid these pitfalls and create an effective social media strategy, it’s essential to prioritize engagement and build real connections with your audience. This means responding to comments and questions, sharing valuable content that resonates with your followers, and staying attuned to the norms and etiquette of each platform. Additionally, regularly analyzing performance data and adjusting strategies accordingly can help ensure that you’re getting the most out of your social media efforts.
Lastly, remember that authenticity is key. Stay true to your brand voice and values, and don’t try to force a particular social media persona that doesn’t align with who you are as a company. With these tips in mind, social media managers can overcome common challenges and create a successful social media presence that connects with their audience and drives business results.
Social media is a dynamic mix of innovation, cultural shifts, and audience expectations. To thrive, brands must blend agility with authenticity, leveraging tools like AI for research and social listening while staying grounded in human-centric strategies. Here’s your roadmap:
Your voice, visuals, and values should adapt to each platform without losing cohesion, especially in immersive formats like AR or virtual spaces.
Why this works: A unified yet flexible brand identity builds trust and recognition across platforms while allowing you to meet audiences where they are. You respect user expectations without diluting your core message by tailoring your voice and visuals to suit each platform’s culture (e.g., playful on TikTok, polished on LinkedIn).
You may be thinking, “Does this mean my life sciences organization should be on TikTok?” check out our social media white paper for the top channels we recommend for the industry, and how to optimize your presence on each one.
Merge creativity with insights:
Why this works: Personalized content tailored to audience preferences boosts relevance and retention. Pairing AI tools with creative formats ensures your content feels data-smart and human-centric.
Automation streamlines efficiency, but human connection builds loyalty; striking the right balance ensures your brand scales without losing its soul.
Why this works: By blending AI’s 24/7 availability with curated human interactions, you cater to modern audiences who crave both convenience and authentic relationships.
Ditch generic hashtags. Use platform-specific and/or AI tools to research trending phrases tied to micro-communities.
Why this works: Generic hashtags drown your content in a sea of competition, while hyper-targeted hashtags act as a beacon for niche audiences already passionate about your topic. Platform algorithms generally reward relevance, helping you build authority in specific spaces without appearing spammy.
Micro-creators and digital personalities offer hyper-targeted reach and fresh creativity. Partnering with them bridges authenticity with innovation in crowded landscapes.
Why this works: Micro-creators thrive in niche communities, driving higher engagement than macro-influencers by fostering trust through relatable, unfiltered content. Digital personalities attract Gen Z and tech-forward audiences with stylized storytelling, while user-generated campaigns (like AR template challenges) turn followers into co-creators. Pairing real creators with virtual counterparts caters to diverse audience preferences while keeping campaigns cost-effective.
Track metrics that matter. Data tells the story, but context gives it meaning. Combining real-time analytics with human oversight turns numbers into actionable strategies that drive growth and trust.
Why this works: Real-time analytics tools (e.g., AI dashboards) surface trends instantly, letting you pivot campaigns mid-flight to maximize ROI. However, human review adds critical context.
Social media users demand a balance of innovation and humanity. Invest in platforms that align with your audience’s values and use tools like AI as a supplement, not a replacement, for creativity.
For tactical guidance, explore our social media cheat sheets, as well as our latest social media whitepaper.
Remember, technology evolves, but trust is timeless. Stay adaptable, stay authentic, and always put your community first.
