5 Cringe-Worthy Marketing Trends That Are Dead (Or Annoying)

If you're like most businesses, you probably have a love-hate relationship with marketing — social media, website, SEO, video, podcasts, email marketing, etc. It's enough to make your head spin ‍. While none of these are going away, they are continually evolving.nnIn this issue, we're talking about trends that came and went. nnHere's what's going out of style like low-rise jeans (thank goodness!).n

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5 Cringe-Worthy Marketing Trends That Are Dead (Or Annoying)

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1. #️⃣Hashtags: Hashtags aren’t “cool” anymore, especially with an influx of bots and spam. Way back, the intended purpose of hashtags was to help find relevant searchers and create impressions, but now social media algorithms do this automatically (thanks to smart AI). But hashtags aren’t entirely dead. Just be selective about your hashtag research, choose 2-3 max, and focus on your actual content.nn2. ️Stock Photography: This is one of our pet peeves. Poor and generic stock images don't typically show real people in natural settings. Worse, bad photography can damage or weaken your brand because they don't connect with your audience or help you stand out. nn3. The Home Button: We continue to see it on websites. Why all the hate? Because they take up valuable real estate in the navigation bar. Ditch it and use your logo as your home button. nn4. ‍♂️"We"-Centered Copy: If you're not making your audience (customer/client) the hero of their own story, then you're losing connections and conversions. Shift the spotlight to the user experience and use storytelling to champion your customer.nn5. Clubhouse: If you haven't heard or can't remember Clubhouse, the voice-based, audio-only social platform, you didn't miss out. One less thing to worry about.