Simpler is almost always better.

Simpler is almost always better. It’s true for copy, design, tactics, and strategy.

Iterate in small bites. Your next campaign doesn’t necessarily have to be the biggest most perfect ad campaign or email workflow. Try something. See if it works. Repeat.

Don’t do all the things. There’s always more that can be done. If you’re a lean marketing team, or a marketing machine of one, this is especially important. But it remains important as you scale. Otherwise, you’ll overwork your people (or yourself), or do things because you have the people time or money to do it. In the former, you’ll lose people. In the latter, you’ll lose efficacy and unravel efficiency.

Ship it. It won’t be perfect. What you publish today will be better than what you did yesterday and not as good as what you could do tomorrow.

I’ve led marketing in lean startup, corporate enterprise, and nonprofit settings. These four things have rung true in every setting. As I build my plan for the new year, I’m keeping them top of mind.