The Best of 2021!

We like a good wrap up as much as the next person, so here is our official A Brave New year in review.

Top 3 most-read blog posts in 2021:

As a content marketer, you’ll be unsurprised to learn that all of them were published prior to this year! And as the savvy marketer we know you are, you’ll know what’s next! Yep, revising these posts, adding some updates and republishing this already well-loved content.

1. 3 ways to templatize your design process to build efficiency - Creative Shea Williamson walks you through the best places to use templates to speed up your process, while creating even more space for creativity.
2. Discovering the Essential (And Learning to Say No) - I wrote this post after reading the incredible book Essentialism, that has made its way onto the rare must-read every year list. This post is a great breakdown of the best tips from the book. But you should seriously consider reading it for yourself in 2022.
3. How much does video equipment cost? A little. A lot. And somewhere in between. - This practical post will walk you through video set ups at every price point, with clear tips and tricks on where to spend your money and where you can save. 

Top 3 most-read blog posts published in 2021:

1. Trends, Trust, & The Pursuit Of The Next Breakthrough - As you well know, marketing trends in 2021 were an ever evolving challenge. Josh walked through three major reports and provided his insights for brands seeking to meet the challenges of this year and position themselves for growth.
2. Case Study: Redapt Brand Refresh - This post provides a snapshot of the visual refresh we did for our client, Redapt. We upleveled their brand to take advantage of an acquisition and to prepare them to take their business growth to the next level.
3. 5 HubSpot Marketing Tools You Need to Take Your Investment To The Next Level - This post walks you through 5 features of the Hubspot marketing tool that you should be either taking advantage of, optimizing, or making a plan to implement in your marketing strategies next year.

Top 3 podcast episodes:

1. Demystifying culture, with Chris Ihrig - Chris Ihrig, CEO of Fired Up Culture, helped explain how in the crazy times we’ve been having, business leaders can help navigate their teams through change. And how a strong culture can empower employees and put the chaos of change into perspective
2. Bravery and empowering women in leadership, with Nicole Bianchi - Nicole is the author of Small Brave Moves: Learn Why Little Acts of Bravery Are the Key to Life-Changing Leadership. We talked about why bravery isn't just about big, dramatic moments, but also about the "small brave moves" we make every day, and what steps you can take to build a habit for making small brave moves every day.
3. Harnessing the power of community, with Garrett Harding - This episode was an inspiring conversation with Garrett Harding, the Associate Director of Community Outreach at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI). Garrett and I talked about the most effective approaches to capture an audience’s attention around scary healthcare topics like cancer and cancer prevention. And how his work builds on the power of community to save lives.

Top 3 resource downloads:

1. Why Inbound Marketers Must Embrace Direct Response Principles - We know that the words “direct response marketing” evoke eye rolls and shudders out of many self-respecting marketers. But direct response marketing taught us some essential things that most marketing often glosses over — how to be tactical, disciplined, and laser-focused on actual results. This guide teaches you how to apply direct response principles to your growth marketing program.
2. How We Work With Clients And Why It Works - Are talented marketing agencies hard to find? Not at all. But thriving client-agency partnerships are. Whether you have experience working with agencies or not, finding the right partner can seem like a daunting task. We collaborated with Susan Curhan, Vera Whole Health’s Director of Marketing, to share the secret to a highly effective client-agency relationship—and how it leads to great work.
3. The Secret To An Accelerated Branding Process - In this guide we unpack why a unique brand matters, how to know if your brand needs work, and the essential things you need to think about to conduct an effective branding process.

Best of the year:

If you’re looking for a few other bests, here is a short list for you of some of Josh & my favorites from the year, from our ABN podcast episode: Reflecting on 2021.

• Best book: Think Again, by Adam Grant
• Best podcast: We Can Do Hard Things, with Glennon Doyle
• Best email newsletter: NextDraft, from Dave Pell
• Best word: Languishing
• Best restaurant: St. John London
• Best show: Ted Lasso
• Best wine: Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
• Best app: Evernote
• Best musical genre: Argentine reggaeton

Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!  See you in 2022!