3 Fantastic Habits Every Marketer Needs to Try This Year

The fantastic book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear changed my life! I vividly remember the dreamlike beach of Ko Poda in Krabi, Thailand, where I dived into it. The book’s key insight was no novelty to me, but James’s storytelling somehow convinced me to change my mindset. To build a habit, you need to do something for 30 days continuously, and then it becomes a part of you. What habits can you build as a marketer to be a better version of yourself?

Read an opposing opinion, one you don’t agree with

I know; we are all busy and swamped with emails and Powerpoint decks, but those who exceed tomorrow are the ones who compound their habits and build insights in this knowledge economy. Read a blog, follow someone smart on Twitter (like Seth Godin), subscribe to a magazine (could be Harvard Business Review or The Economist – I know it’s not free, but nothing is), select a website (could be The Drum or Marketing Week), or even a Marketing book and read at least 10 minutes every single day. Augment your coffee break with a marketing read, and you will start making better knowledge connections.

Talk to a Customer or at least observe them

I know breaking away from your desk to build habits is hard; it’s difficult to talk to consumers in a social distancing world, but when was the last time you’ve been to the store and observed consumers without being creepy. When did you search for your brand on Twitter or Reddit and learn the reactions? When did you last ask yourself a question and answer not from your vantage point but from the consumer's point? Remember, you are not the consumer. It would be best if you “talked” to them daily.

Learn your Customer’s Media Habits

We love our Social Media streams, YouTube accounts, and TV bundles. When was the last time you glanced over the usage behavior stats for your target audiences? How much time do your customers spend on TikTok, and how much time do they watch TV? The numbers from 2015 are different from today, so why not challenge your media agency to show you the data. “Show me the data…daily!”

I challenge you to pick up one of the three ideas or anything else you have always wanted to do and challenge yourself to do it for 30 days in a row. You will discover how the practice slowly grows on you and how it becomes you. And you develop into a better version of yourself.