Much like fashion, marketing trends that work for one company may be a bad look for another. (How many people actually look good in animal prints, amirite?)

Some trends can propel your business to new heights. Others can lead you down a rabbit hole of wasted time, money and effort. And you’ve worked too hard building a brand to let a risky trend derail your success.

While there are some great new trends worth exploring, here are some that may be better off ignored.

Going viral. The laughs, the shares, the fame — sure, it all sounds appealing. But in reality, viral content is unpredictable. And what goes viral isn’t always positive.

Chasing virality too often leads to a lack of consistent, valuable content for your audience. Instead of focusing on creating messaging that could potentially go viral, concentrate on producing quality material that resonates with your audience and supports your brand position and values. In other words, the kind of content that strengthens customer relationships and builds loyalty. 

Overreliance on automation. Automation can be your best friend, streamlining processes and freeing up time. But relying on it too much can create a disconnect between your business and your customers.

Customers crave personal connections. They want to feel valued and heard. If your interactions feel robotic and impersonal, you run the risk of alienating buyers. Use automation for tasks like scheduling social media posts or sending out standard emails, but make sure you’re still taking the time to personally respond to comments, messages and reviews.

Paid ads over organic reach. It’s no secret that paid advertising can boost your business’s visibility in a short amount of time. However, overlooking organic reach can be a costly mistake.

Organic reach helps build a devoted community of followers who are more likely to become loyal customers. These are the people who read your blog or social media posts, and then engage with the content and help to spread the word about your business. Without organic reach, you’re missing out on these valuable connections.

The use of user-generated content (UGC). From customer testimonials to product reviews, user-generated content has it perks — free, authentic advertising from the people who interact with your brand. Still, it may do more harm than good.

When relying on UGC, you’re at the mercy of your audience’s creativity and messaging. You have no control over what they say, when they say it or how they say it, which can make it more challenging to provide a consistent, high-quality brand image.

Bottom line, it’s a great piece of your overall marketing strategy. But make sure it goes hand in hand with your own carefully crafted content.

Influencer marketing overload. Eighty percent of marketers report influencer marketing is effective, and 89% agree it works just as well (if not better) than other marketing channels.

From mega-celebrities to micro-influencers, brands are partnering with influencers who have a significant following to promote their products or services. But you may want to approach this trend with caution.

Many brands make the mistake of investing in partnerships without considering the authenticity and relevance of the influencer to their brand.

To be successful, it’s crucial to align with influencers whose values and audience demographics mirror your own. Or better yet, take a step back and determine if your focus is better suited on building authentic relationships with your existing customers and engaging with them through personalized content and experiences.

You can’t go wrong with the basics
Marketing trends will come and go, but as long as you stay true to your brand and your customers, you’re on the right track.

Remember, the fundamentals of tried-and-true marketing stay the same. It’s all about connecting with your audience, providing value and building strong, long-lasting relationships.