My 2026 Marketing Strategy Framework as a Designer
As a graphic and website designer who is constantly staring at a screen, I am really trying my best to stop doomscrolling in 2026. I am hoping that this focus in my marketing strategy framework. will help me stay consistent on social media, and I think it is because I have been approaching it wrong.
The importance of long-form content in your marketing strategy framework
Create a long-form content approach
Besides client work, I’ve never spent time writing or creating anything long-form. This was partly because of a lack of confidence in writing, but also because it was hard for me to find the time. In 2026, I am determined to make long-form content my priority. I will do this with biweekly blog posts and newsletters. Instagram will be a place that I post once a week, and show my process on stories, but I won’t have the same emphasis that it did previously. I find that Instagram is my most connected platform, with the best audience, so I will still be showing up for my community there!
Biweekly Blog Posts
I’m really interested in utilizing my website and SEO to bring in clients and leads this year. My hope is to alternate them with my newsletter, The Sunday Creative. This cadence feels doable and like I get to switch gears on content each week. I will be writing about topics like white label design, marketing, slow living as a creative, and whatever else I feel excited to write about!
I’d also love to spend intentional time growing on Pinterest this year. I will be creating 35 pins for each blog and scheduling them on Tailwind for two boards. This gives me 5 pins a day for two weeks, which is perfect for the cadence I’m wanting to have. ChatGPT will be my friend here in creating copy that is relevant and SEO friendly. I’ve seen Pinterest be an absolute POWERHOUSE for some designers, and I’d love for it to help bring it some leads!
Balance as a creative is super important to me. In order to stop the doomscrolling, I have to replace it with something else. That is what my newsletter, The Sunday Creative, will be. A biweekly curation of things to do, read, and learn about my studio instead of spending hours scrolling Instagram. I’ve wanted to create a curated newsletter like this for forever, so I’m really excited to bring it to life!
Website Refresh
I had December 20-January 5 off from my part-time marketing job, and it freed up some time for me to refresh my website and offers for 2026.
I’m using Squarespace and SEO Space to make my pages the most SEO friendly possible.
Intentional time spent crafting my copy instead of just letting ChatGPT write it has been life-changing for my creative workflow.
I updated my portfolio to include lots of recent website and graphic design work, since that is my main focus for 2026.
Coffee Chats
I love meeting new people and other creatives. It is really a wonder what a 30-minute coffee chat will do to help me learn about a designer and spend time getting to know them. This year, I am really prioritizing community and connection, so I’d like to do at least 2 coffee chats a month, and ideally one each week.
So, how will I realistically do this?
Planning and batching will be an important part of my marketing plan. Each week, I will spend 1 hr writing in one of those yellow-lined legal pads to create lots of rough drafts. This was a tip from Hannah Brencher’s blog, which has felt monumental to me! It is SO nice to sit down with a cup of tea and just write about one subject for 30 minutes. No distracting screens to stop me either.
I will spend 1.5 hrs typing, editing, and scheduling out my content for the week. I think it would be fun to have some “in the studio” story templates for Instagram that highlight each week what content I’ve created. Lastly, I hope to create 1 Instagram post per week based on the long-form content to show the algorithm that I am active and engaged in my community. What makes the difference now is that my mindset of Instagram has changed. I see it more as a connection instead of the sole place I create content. It’s a bridge between my long-form content and other awesome designers.
I hope that my thought-out and intentional marketing strategy will truly bring me the most aligned studios that are looking for a long-term partnership. If you’re interested in my services, I’d love to set up a call to chat!
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