2026 is just around the corner. I know, I can’t believe it, either.

As we come to the end of December, most of us are already looking ahead to next year. We’re dreaming about where the next 365 days will take us and (hopefully) creating plans to make those dreams come true.

As we reach the end of 2025, you need to spend time reviewing how the year went. Especially in the marketing department, because that's how you actually, you know, get sales.

If you're not sure where to start, I’m sharing five things you need to do to set up your 2026 marketing for success. They range in difficulty and time to accomplish, but doing them will put your business ahead before January even arrives.

Assess 2025

Time: 1-2 hours

I shouldn't even have to tell you that you need to review this year before you can start thinking about the next one. Gather all your accounts, data, and goals, and review 2025.

What channels worked well for you? Which didn’t? Did you try anything new? How did that go? How much money did you spend, and what was your ROI?

Be brutally honest with yourself here. Check the numbers. Run the stats. Take special note of any marketing channels that ended up being more successful or more of a time suck than you anticipated.

Decide 2026 Priorities

Time: 30-60 minutes

Once you know how 2025 went, it’s time to look ahead to 2026. Start by deciding what your priorities are. What areas do you want to focus on most?

Do you want to improve your email marketing? Finally figure out Instagram? Experiment with paid ads?

Once you've decided on your priorities, set specific goals for each one. Not just “do better at email” but “raise our CTR to 5% by June”. This gives you something solid to work towards, rather than the enigmatic "do better".

Aren't sure what goals to set? Check out this post with ten actionable marketing goals for small businesses.

• 10 Fantastic Ideas for Actionable Small Business Marketing Goals (With Examples)

Clean Up Your Marketing Channels

Time: 2-3 hours

You know how every January you have the urge to clean your entire house, empty half your wardrobe, and finally tackle that pile of paperwork you’ve been putting off? Well, you apply that same energy to your marketing channels.

Go through your email, social media channels, and website. Remove unengaged subscribers and followers. Make sure all your links work. Tidy up your profiles. Work on anything else you've had on your list forever.

This is also a great time to get rid of any channels you no longer want to use in 2026. You don’t have to delete them, but you can if you know you won't be using them anymore (this is what I ended up doing with X).

Know What to Track

Time: 1 hour

Tracking metrics and KPIs is essential for your marketing. But if you study the wrong ones, you’ll end up with bad or useless data.

For example, email opens are a useless metric to track anymore. Many platforms no longer allow open tracking, so you won’t get an accurate count. Instead, you should focus on things like CTR or sales from emails to know how effective they are.

I suggest researching what the best metrics to track are for all your main marketing channels. These things are always changing, and it’s important to be up-to-date on these things. Here are a few posts to get you started.

• 17 Digital Marketing KPIs That Will Still Matter In 2026

• Marketing KPIs: How To Measure Success in 2026

Consider Hiring

Time: 2-3 weeks

"If you’re struggling to handle your marketing workload, you should consider hiring someone to help you." What, who said that?

But honestly, outsourcing some of your work to a reliable freelancer has so many benefits. It reduces your workload, helps your marketing perform better, and leads to more sales. It's scary, but worth it.

You don't have to outsource everything, either. You could just hire someone to write emails or blog posts for you. Or you could find a digital marketing agency to handle your entire marketing from beginning to end. It all depends on what you need.

This isn't all you should do to prep your 2026 marketing for success. But these are the big ones that will help you get started.

Could you use help writing marketing materials for your small business in 2026? I would love to chat and see if we’re a good fit. Click the button to get in touch with me and set up your analysis call today!