Build a Marketing Plan That Works for You — Not Just the Algorithm

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and wonderful holiday season! 🎄🎁🎅🏼

If you've spent this year chasing every algorithm change, trying to keep up with the latest marketing trends, or feeling exhausted from constantly adapting your strategy to whatever Instagram or Facebook decides to prioritise this month, this episode is exactly what you need as you plan for 2026.

While everyone else is scrambling to hack the algorithm in 2026, the businesses that will actually succeed are the ones building sustainable marketing systems based on human connection, not platform trends. And with a new year starting in just a few weeks, this is the perfect time to get it right.

In this episode, I'm breaking down how to build a marketing plan for 2026 that works for you and your business—not just whatever the algorithm wants this week. Because here's the truth: algorithm-dependent strategies are fragile, and what worked in January often stops working by June.

Stop building your business on rented land. This episode shows you how to create a marketing plan that works whether the algorithm loves you or not.

Tools & resources mentioned:

• MailerLite
• Momentum Marketing Playbook
• Marketing Momentum Membership

Transcript

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Hey. Welcome to the New School of Marketing podcast. I'm Bianca McKenzie and this is the place where we break down marketing strategies that actually work without the overwhelm.

Before we dive in, I want to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land I live and work on, the palawa people of lutruwita. I pay my respects to elders past and present and I acknowledge the deep connection they have to this land, culture and community.

Now let's dive in and make marketing work for you.

All right, if you have spent this year chasing every algorithm change or trying to keep up with the latest marketing trends, or maybe just feeling really exhausted from constantly adapting your strategy to whatever, you know, Instagram or Facebook decides to prioritise that month, then this episode is exactly what you need as you plan for for 2026.

Today, we're going to be talking about how to build a marketing plan that actually works for you and your business, not just whatever the algorithm wants this week.

Because, you know, here's the truth. While everyone else is scrambling to hack the algorithm in 2026, the businesses that will actually succeed are the ones building sustainable marketing systems based on human connection, not on platform trends.

And with a new year starting in just a few weeks, this is the perfect time to get it right.

Firstly, let's start by acknowledging what most of us have been doing and why. It's just exhausting.

Instagram says that reels are the priority, so we all start making reels.

Then they change and it's carousels.

Then it's like longer captions. Then they put the priority on stories and suddenly they're pushing the three minute videos and everyone pivots again.

LinkedIn changes their algorithm to favour documents.

So everyone's like uploading PDFs, then they change it to newsletters, then they change it to video posts.

Then polls are everything.

Facebook decides to prioritise group engagement, then live video, then stories. Then you get the idea and we just keep chasing it.

We keep adapting, trying to follow the trends.

We keep trying to like, you know, air quotes, beat the algorithm by doing whatever these platforms tell us they are prioritising.

It's exhausting.

And here's the problem.

You're building Your entire marketing strategy on rented land that can change the rules anytime.

You have no control, no stability, and no sustainable system.

Every time you get into a certain rhythm, things change again.

You're constantly in reaction mode instead of in actually strategic mode.

And you're not planning, you're just responding to whatever the platform changes.

And it's just, it's exhausting.

The game keeps changing and just when you figure out how to make one thing work, it changes again.

And worst of all, you're not actually building a business asset.

You are building an audience on someone else's platform.

You're playing by someone else's rules.

And there's no guarantee that any of it is going to even be around next year.

Look, we're at the end of 2025, and if this year taught us anything, it's that algorithm dependent strategies are fragile.

We saw major platform changes this year. Some businesses that were thriving on like one strategy in January were scrambling by the time June came around and things changed.

Others who had diversified their marketing barely noticed.

The businesses that struggled this year were the ones who had all their eggs in the one algorithm basket.

Whether that was SEO that got hit by Google because, you know, they ran updates too, or social media reach tanked because of algorithm changes or paid ads that became unsustainably expensive, I honestly have seen it all this year.

The businesses that thrived were the ones with marketing systems that were not dependent on any single platform's whims.

So as you plan for 2026, here's the question:

Are you going to build a marketing strategy around algorithms that will definitely change or around principles that don't?

Before we talk about your 2026 marketing plan, let's have a look at what doesn't change.

Regardless of what algorithms do, one thing is that people still buy from people they know like and trust.

This was true in, you know, the 1980s, 2006, and it's still true, and it will be true in 2026.

No algorithm change affects this fundamental reality that people buy from businesses and people they know like and trust.

The next one is that helpful content that solves real problems still gets shared and remembered.

So algorithms might affect how widely it's distributed, but valuable content always finds its audience, eventually through shares, through word of mouth, through search, or sometimes community recommendations.

Next is that email lists you own still matter more than followers that you don't own.

Instagram could shut down tomorrow or, you know, completely tank your reach and really your follower account would be worthless, but your email list would still be there.

Is something that you own.

Also, direct relationships still convert better than cold traffic.

Someone who has consumed your content for six months and they feel like they know you, they're always going to be more likely to buy than someone who just saw an ad.

It's like it is all about visibility and numbers, but it also comes down to relationships.

The next is that content visibility still compounds over time.

So whether the algorithm loves you or hates you, showing up consistently for months and years builds recognition and it builds authority that is going to outlast any platform change.

So, yes, you might not, you know, be the hype right now, but if you have years of content there, it compounds. People find your account, they're going to scroll back and look at what you've done in the past, get to know you, all of that.

So that compound effect is really strong.

Also, results and testimonials, they still convince people to buy.

Social proof never goes out of style, regardless of how platforms prioritise content.

So these are your foundations that your 2026 marketing plan should be built on.

Not know whatever Instagram's thing is for January, you need to think about these foundations.

So as you sit down to plan your 2026 marketing, and I hope you do this in advance and not, you know, the second week of January, where you go, oh, my gosh.

So as you sit down, here are the questions that you should be asking, and none of them are about algorithms.

The first question you need to ask is, what do I want my business to look like at the end of 2026?

Not just revenue, although, you know, that matters too. But also think about how many clients or how many students do you want to serve?

How do you want to spend your time?

What kind of business model do you want to have?

And what would make 2026 feel successful beyond just numbers?

Your marketing plan should serve your business vision, not the other way around. And I'm already starting to do this. I'm looking at, you know, how do I want to spend my time?

I want to spend more time with my horses and doing things that I love doing.

Yes, I love my work, but it's not all about that.

Also, I am writing down how many members I want to bring into my membership every quarter.

So think about all of those things.

Question number two, who am I actually trying to reach?

So you want to get really specific.

Not like our business owners or, you know, mums or something like that, but think about who am I trying to reach?

What stage of business or life are they in?

What specific problems are they struggling with right now.

Also, what have they already tried that hasn't worked?

That's really important.

And where do they actually spend time? Not where you wish they spent time. You know, you might wish that they were on Instagram, but maybe they're not.

Maybe they're hanging out at the school gate chatting to the other mums.

So think about all of these things. Who exactly are you trying to reach?

Question number three. What do I genuinely enjoy doing?

If you hate making videos, don't make your 2026 strategy around video content just because, you know, someone said video is the future because it's not going to be sustainable for you.

If you love writing, build around written content.

I know there's a whole lot of things with AI nowadays, but if you love writing, it's going to stand out.

If you love speaking,do something with audio or events. You know, get up on stages, host workshops, have a podcast.

And if you love teaching, build your marketing around workshops or courses.

Your marketing needs to be sustainable, which means it needs to align with your natural strengths and preferences.

So really think about what do you really enjoy doing?

Question number four.

What actually got your results in 2025?

So look at your actual data from this year.

Where did your best clients or students come from? And, you know, you might have to do some digging and some, you know, tracing back things because often, you know, we just move on.

We're like, oh, yeah, cool. Next.

No, where did your best clients or students come from?

You can have a chat to them. You can give them, like, an incentive for giving you some answers.

Also, which content pieces generated the most inquiries of sales? It'd be great if you can trace this back.

Don't guess.

If you can't actually find the answer, don't guess.

But if you can trace it back, that is great.

Which marketing activities gave you energy and which ones drained you?

Because again, you want to do something that you enjoy and not come up with something that's unsustainable for you. So what did you enjoy?

What drained you and then also what worked that you should do more of?

And sometimes this is a little bit of guesswork, but you really want to build your 2026 plan around the winners, like what actually worked and not some unproven trends.

So, okay, question number five, what can I realistically maintain?

Be honest about your time and energy.

If you can dedicate 5 hours per week to marketing plan for that reality, don't create a plan that like, requires 20 hours.

Just, you know, because some guru says that that's what you need to Do a simple plan that you execute consistently is going to be like the complex plan that you literally will abandon by February.

Simplicity. If you can only dedicate 2 hours per week on your marketing, then do that, but do it consistently.

Right?

So let's build your actual 2026 marketing plan.

Here's the framework that I use with my clients, and it works regardless of what algorithms are doing.

So the first element that you need is your core message, your foundation before you plan any tactics, because who cares what platforms you're on?

You need to be really, really clear, clear on your message.

So who do you help?

What problem do you solve?

How is your approach different?

And what outcome can people expect?

Write this down in really plain language, like a toddler should almost be able to understand it. It needs to be super, super simple.

This is going to be the foundation of all of your content, regardless of the platform or the format. Your message needs to be the strongest piece that you move around.

And ideally, you look at the transformation. So the outcome that people are going to get, because that's what they're there for.

Okay? The second element, your primary platform.

This is your home base.

Choose one, and I'm saying this again, one primary platform where you will show up consistently in 2026.

Not three platforms, one.

Yes, you can have secondary and, you know, platforms.

Even if you cross post, you know, I know, posting from Facebook to Instagram, all of that kind of thing, you still need to create and focus and build your content for the one platform, regardless of whether or not you, like, share it to multiple platforms.

So this should be where your ideal clients actually are. So find out where they spend time.

Also, a platform that you enjoy using, or at least you know, you don't hate, needs to be a platform that matches your content strengths.

So again, don't be on. I mean, YouTube is not a social platform, but it is a content platform. But if you don't like doing videos, don't do videos.

So a platform that matches your content strengths and somewhere where you can actually maintain consistency.

This is why you don't want to hate it.

Like, ideally, you enjoy using it.

For 2026, I'm seeing a lot of business owners choosing to go deeper on one platform instead of spreading themselves across, and that is smart.

I know we feel like we need to be everywhere because we might miss a piece of the market, but let's be honest, most of us are everywhere in terms of consumers.

You know, if you really know who your audience is, that's where you want to be.

Okay, element number three, Your content system don't just, you know, post regularly.

You need to have a system.

You need to set up some content buckets, which basically are like three to five themes that you rotate through.

And that could be educational content. So really teaching people something useful, showing off your skills and your expertise.

Authority content, which can be like, you know, sharing your perspective and what you've done with clients, things like that. Again, social proof is another one, which is client results.

But authority content is your perspective of working with certain clients and getting results.

Already said social proof. So that's another one.

Connection content, having that behind the scenes, like really showing your personality. It doesn't mean that you need to like, you know, tell your whole life story.

It needs to still be strategic. But definitely that connection piece and promotional content. So really putting out offers.

And I feel like a lot of us, we either stick to the educational because, you know, that's easy. We can teach what we do all the time. It's. That's the easy part.

And we don't put out enough offers, or all we do is putting out offers. And like, you know, there's all these other pieces that I'm missing.

So your creation schedule, you need to look at when you will actually create content. And ideally you will batch your content.

So maybe twice a month, sit down, do all your content for the next two weeks.

You also need to think about, you know, your publishing frequency and be realistic.

If you can't post five times a day, so five times a week, don't do that.

Stick to like two or three impactful pieces.

So be realistic about the frequency and what formats are you going to use? Are you going to do posts? Are you going to do videos? You're going to do articles, Are you going to do reels?

Are you going to do podcasts?

Choose, you gotta choose.

And then you can't forget the engagement piece.

So you can't just post and ghost.

You need to engage. And when will you engage with your audience?

How will you turn engagement into conversations?

Because that's the ideal situation. You want to have the conversations.

How are you going to actually track your leads that come from content? And this can be a little bit tricky, but see if there's a way.

And this is where manychat comes in. Like the whole comment, this word, and like, I'll send you the details and it goes into your system and all of that. So doesn't mean that you have to have that, but there are ways to track this.

Okay, Element number four is your email strategy.

And this is a non negotiable for 2026. It's been a non negotiable for years. So I'm going to say it again.

If you don't have an email strategy, you are building on sand and it's going to slowly sink away.

Your email plan should include a lead magnet that solves a real problem for your ideal client.

So not just like, you know, some generic checklist, but really something valuable, ideally something that gives them a result really fast.

It also needs a welcome sequence.

So you want to build trust and you know, introduce your offers, introduce yourself, all of that. So you know, five to seven emails at a minimum.

You want to build this email sequence a regular email schedule.

I say weekly at a minimum because this is how you stay top of mind.

I get a lot of resistance from people that I mentor because they're like, oh, I don't want to spam someone.

Well, are you building a business business or are you building a fan club?

People will forget.

I don't know if your inbox is anything like mine, but it fills up really fast.

I like it when I get a weekly email from someone because it will keep them top of mind.

So there we go.

And then your email plan also needs to include promotional sequences for your office.

Don't be shy about selling to your list.

They joined your list for a reason.

If they don't want to be sold to, they can unsubscribe. But there'll be a whole lot of people that actually want what you offer. So just don't hold back because it makes you feel ick.

You're offering a lot of value.

You can ask for the sale.

Okay, why, and I have said this so many times in the past, but why is email so important?

It's because algorithms cannot touch your email list.

Platform changes are not going to affect is the most stable marketing asset that you can build and it's consistently delivers the highest ROI it has. I've been in this business for 11 years and it has been the most stable marketing asset with the highest ROI for the past I don't know how many years, but at least as long as I have been in business.

So email marketing matters.

Now element number five is your traffic strategy.

So how are people going to find you? How are new people going to find you in 2026?

And you want to pick two to three methods and do them consistently.

So that could be organic social media.

So through your primary chosen platform it could be SEO and blogging. If you write well and you have that patience, because this is the SEO Game is a compound piece.

It could be podcast guesting. If you love speaking and you're not quite ready to have your own podcast, be a guest on podcast. See if you actually can reach out to podcasts and be a guest.

Collaborations and partnerships. A lot of people don't utilize these amazing ways to actually connect with others and have these shared marketing power Networking.

There's so many opportunities, whether it's online or in person. And yes, in person networking still happens. I love going to in person networking meetings.

Maybe it's YouTube. If you're comfortable on video, put some time into that.

And maybe if you have the budget paid advertising, don't do all of them.

Pick two to three that makes sense for your business and for your audience and then commit to them for a full year because only then will you get enough data to figure out what's happening.

And to get that compound effect, you can't expect to put out, you know, one YouTube video and that's going to just do all of the work for you. So pick it, stick to it.

Element number six is your conversion path.

So how is someone gonna go from discovering you to actually becoming a customer?

This is a whole journey and I want you to map it out and try to just do it simply. I love to do it with sticky notes because you can move them around, like literally on a window or on a wall, just move things around.

So simple. Map.

Firstly discovery, which is where they find your content. The next is interest. It's, you know, they engage with your content.

Maybe they join your email list and like, look, this is mapping it out. It doesn't mean that this is exactly what's going to happen, but it's so good to have a visual of it. So discovery, then we have interest, then we have consideration.

Which means, you know, they consume more of your content, they see your offers.

The next step is conversation.

You know, they reach out to you or you reach out to them.

And the final step is decision.

They either buy or they don't.

And you want to make sure that each step has a clear next action.

Don't leave people hanging wondering what to do next.

If it's not super, you know, smack you in the face obvious, they are not going to figure out that they need to click a button or they need to take a certain step. This is why I want you to map it out.

You know, your decision, interest, consideration, conversation, decision.

But you need to map out what that looks like. You know, they discover you through your content. Then what's the next step that's going to happen and what's the next step that's going to happen?

Map it out because you'll start seeing the gaps and you're like, oh, I didn't even realise that that checkout page didn't do X, Y and Z.

So look at it.

Element number seven is your measurement plan.

You need to figure out what's working.

You need to decide now what you're going to track in 2026.

So firstly, email list growth, super important.

Obviously it needs to be the right people on your list, but still you want that list to be growing.

Engagement, quality.

How many people are saving your content, sharing your content, actually giving you meaningful comments?

I am not talking about people, just hitting that little like button.

That is not enough.

We want people to save, to share, to comment,

to have conversations. So how are you going to track that?

Also your lead sources, where are your inquiries coming from?

How are people finding out about you? And then you know, what's the next step?

And every time you bring in a student, you know, into your membership or into your course or working with you, one on one, ask them, how did you first find out about me?

Ask them, you'll be surprised.

Also, another thing that you want to track is your conversion rates. So from the number of leads that you have, how many turn into customers having that rate.

And you want to look at your revenue by source, which marketing actually generated it. This can be tricky, especially because there will be so many touch points. So it's like, well, which part of that journey gets, you know, gets attributed?

Is it our last touch point? No. Where did they first find you? So this is a little bit of a tricky one.

But if you can at all track it back, whether it was, you know, a networking thing or someone referred you or any of that, set up a simple tracking system now or in January and then you want to maintain that all year because you cannot improve what you don't measure.

This is literally the first thing that I do when I start working with clients.

We go back and look at their data because only then can we make a plan of how to move forward.

Okay, element number eight, quarterly reviews.

Schedule four dates in 2026 right now, one at the end of each quarter.

Because I want you to review each quarter you need to look at for that quarter, what is working and what should you do more of?

Also what is not working and what do you need to stop or change.

You also want to just pause and look at if anything has changed in your business or in your market, in your industry, because you might need to make some changes.

Look, I love planning ahead, but you still need that flexibility. You need to, you know, review it every quarter and go, okay, well do I need to make some adjustments?

So which adjustments do you need to make for the next quarter?

And I want you to do this because you're being strategic about it, not reactive.

So every quarter, plan a date with your numbers so you can see what's working, what's not working, where you need to make changes.

All right, now let's talk about how to make your plan resilient to algorithm changes to any platform volatilities.

And I don't know, who knows, things will shift in the market. So how are you going to actually marketing proof, you know, algorithm proof your marketing plan?

The first strategy is to diversify your traffic sources.

Don't put all of your eggs in one basket.

If Instagram is your primary platform, also build your email list.

I think you always should build your email list.

So diversify.

Be a guest on podcasts, maybe depending on where your audience hangs out.

Go on LinkedIn, go on TikTok.

You need to figure out where your audience is and then find something that you can consistently do.

Don't do it if you hate it because you're not going to stick with it.

So if one channel has a bad month or bad year, you've got others to keep you visible.

I am very much a fan of things that are more in my control versus algorithm controls, all of the other things.

So my primary platform is my podcast because I have way more control over that than I do over Instagram or over Facebook, any other platforms.

And my email list derives my business.

So that is strategy number two.

Prioritise owned assets.

Your email list, you own that.

Your website, you own that.

Your customer database, you own that.

Social media followers, they are rented.

Algorithm favour is borrowed and platform reach is temporary.

In 2026, focus more energy on building assets that you control.

Like I said, this is why I love having my podcast.

If I look at my stats, my most listened to podcast, like I still get listens to podcasts that I did last year or the year before.

It's a compounding asset.

I have more control over it than I do over my social media followers.

So focus on building assets that you control.

The third strategy is to create evergreen content.

Trend jacking and timely content has its place. But the backbone of your 2026 content should be evergreen.

It should be helpful regardless of when someone finds it.

It's that piece that you know will still be applicable for years to come.

And this content is going to keep working for you months and years after you create it.

And it doesn't matter what the algorithm changes are.

So really focus on creating evergreen content.

Your strategy number four is to build direct relationships.

The more people feel like they know you personally, the less the algorithm matters,

because they will seek out your content.

They'll type in the URL directly, they will tell friends about you, they will tag you. All of those focus on genuine connection. Not just, you know, broadcasting kind of stuff, but really building those relationships, having those connections.

Strategy number five is play the long game.

Stop optimizing for this week's algorithm and literally start optimizing for next year's business.

I don't care about this week's algorithm.

I want you to build a business that is there, that is going to sustain you, that is going to fulfill you, and that you actually can keep going with.

Who cares about the algorithm? Optimize for the business you want in 2026.

Consistent, helpful, authentic marketing compounds over time.

Trust builds slowly, but it lasts.

Shortcuts and like, hacks, yes, they're going to give you, like, quick hits, but they're going to disappear.

So as you plan 2026, you need to think in years, not in weeks.

This is time to pull that big vision out.

All right, here's how you can stay on Track, which are 2026 plan, without getting derailed by, you know, shiny objects or algorithm changes. Because I know that a lot of us have, you know, we have a plan. We start with the plan.

But if I ask you now to look back at your 2025 plan, how much of it did you actually stick to?

I know we get derailed.

There's, you know, shiny objects, we kind of forget about the plan and we get reactive. I don't want that.

So how are we going to keep you on track at the start of each month? Here's what I want you to do.

I want you to review your quarterly plan.

What are you focusing on this quarter?

Really? You need to keep this laser focus, whether you, I don't know, put reminders in place or stick a sticky note to your computer or something. But review your quarterly plan.

What are you focusing on this quarter?

I want you to batch content for the month.

What are you going to create and when?

I want you to schedule your emails. What are you going to send to your list? You need to come up with all this stuff already.

I literally sat down the other day and I planned my entire year, and then I decided on what content pieces I'm going To create for my podcast.

What content pieces am I going to create for my socials that week?

Doesn't mean you cannot change or you can't, you know, react to certain things, but you need to have a plan. So batch your content.

Also schedule your emails and plan your promotional activities. So when will you actively sell? This is like one of my favorite pieces of planning.

I get a big calendar.

I firstly a block out all the school holidays and like, I look at where my white space is, where I have space to do my launches. So plan all of that out and block out time for content creation and engagement.

You need to not be reactive. You need to treat it like client work.

It is the engine of your business, your marketing, your content is going to drive your business. So you need to not be reactive. Not, you know, 8 o' clock on a Tuesday night, go, oh, I haven't placed, I haven't posted for a while.

What am I going to do? And you just come up with something random. No, no, no. You need to plan this.

Okay.

During the month, I want you to execute your plan consistently.

Show up when you say you would engage with your audience daily, even if it's just, you know, 10, 20 minutes, engage.

I want you to track your metrics in a simple dashboard and I want you to pay attention to what's resonating because this is gonna go in your monthly review.

And then at the end of each month, I want you to look at your metrics, what worked, you know, which content pieces.

I'm not just saying, you know, how many likes did something get or whatever, what did people take action on that actually saved, shared, commented on, and particularly what made people purchase or take the next step?

Can you identify your wins, what should you replicate and also what were the challenges?

Where do you need to make some changes and you want to plan any tweaks for the next month based on your data?

So I want you to have a plan already.

I don't want to make you, I don't want you to make a plan every month. I want you to have quarterly plans.

But then every month you need to look at, do you need to make some changes in that plan?

And then what's going to happen is your monthly rhythm is going to keep you strategic and consistent regardless of what's happening with the algorithms.

But this is really, this comes down to either having an accountability buddy, which you can come and join us in the new school of marketing membership where we hold each other accountable, or just be super disciplined, put in those dates in your calendar and do not cancel on yourself. I know how easy it is to go, oh yeah, just, you know, I'll reschedule with myself.

No, like you are your most important client and you cannot keep canceling on yourself.

So self discipline or find an accountability buddy.

All right.

Just as important as what it is to do in 2026 is to know what to ignore.

So I'm going to give you permission to completely ignore and tune out things that are not going to serve your business.

And that is I want you to ignore trends that do not fit your strengths.

If everyone's doing a certain platform or a certain format, but it doesn't suit you, I want you to skip it.

Someone will always be doing something that you're not doing and that is fine.

I've said it before, I am not on TikTok.

I consciously, deliberately made that decision that I was not going to go on another platform.

I know it works for people, but I didn't want to go on it, so I made that decision.

So anything that doesn't fit your strengths, ignore it.

I also want you to ignore the you must post X times a day advice.

The right posting frequency is whatever you can sustain consistently while maintaining quality.

For some people, that's daily.

For others, it's three times a week.

And both can work.

So ditch the pressure if it's not something that you can maintain consistently.

As in quality pieces of work consistently, don't worry about the frequency.

Consistency is more important.

I also want you to ignore panicking about algorithm changes when Instagram, LinkedIn, Google, whoever, whenever they change their algorithm in 2026 and they will take a deep breath,

Take a deep breath.

Your job is to keep creating valuable content and building relationships.

The algorithm will sort itself out.

Take a deep breath, let it go.

And I know my son will be singing Elsa, but honestly, let it go.

It's going to sort itself out.

Also, ignore the gurus promising instant results.

If someone's selling you like a blueprint that promises massive growth in 30 days, you need to run sustainable business. Growth takes time.

I want you to plan for the long game.

Yes, we all want, you know, this now or in the next 30 days or whatever.

It takes time.

Things take time.

And I want you to plan for the long game, not, you know, right now. I don't want you to just be a flash in the pan.

I also want you to ignore like comparing to other people's highlight reels.

Someone will always have more followers, more engagement, more revenue.

I want you to focus on your own growth and your direction, not Someone else's.

If you are constantly focusing on someone else's growth, you're going to lose track of where you're going.

You haven't got your eyes on the prize. You're not 100% focused on where you're going because you're looking sideways.

So stop comparing now. As you head into 2026, there's also a mindset piece that you need to think of.

So I've come up with some affirmations, maybe for you to build your business. Stay on track, really keep focused.

So here's the first one.

I am building a business.

Not chasing.

Going viral.

Going viral might feel good.

You know, dopamine hit, we all want it, but it's not going to build a sustainable business.

Consistent visibility to the right people is going to build your business.

Here's the next one.

I'm focused on relationships, not just reach 1,000 engaged subscribers who love your work matters. More than 10,000 passive followers who barely notice you.

So you want to really build that fan club.

You know, those people that stay up all night to get the Taylor Swift tickets. I'm not a swiftie, but I can relate to, you know, doing something like that.

So you want to really focus on relationships, not just on reach.

The next one is I'm playing the long game, not the short game.

I mean, we all love quick wins, but compound growth comes from showing up consistently for years.

If you want to build things fast, it is not going to happen on social media generally unless you're lucky and things go viral.

But that is out of your control.

If you want things to go faster, build real relationships, go to networking events,

just start helping a lot of people.

That is honestly the fastest way.

But you really want to focus on playing the long game, building, having that compound growth.

Okay, the next one is I'm building an asset, not just creating content.

Every email subscriber, every piece of evergreen content, every relationship, they are assets that are going to appreciate over time.

Really focus on that long game.

Creating assets, not just content. Creating the next one for you is I'm being strategic, not just busy. I love this. This is one of my favourites.

Posting daily.

It doesn't matter if it's not going to lead anywhere.

It's actually better to post less and be more intentional. So you really want to be strategic, not just busy.

And this is something that you'll need to watch throughout the year that you're not going to, you know, fall back into reactive mode.

This is not just a reminder for you, by the way. This is also a Reminder for me as I am a human as well, and I can get into that space as well.

So strategic, not busy. Also, and this is the last one. I'm staying authentic, not trying to be someone else.

The best marketing is genuinely you helping the people you want to serve.

So you don't need to perform or, you know, be like so and so or do like so and so.

You need to be yourself at scale.

It's hard, I know that, because we're constantly bombarded with all these images, and I.

I'm no different.

I see lots of different people teaching business, recommending strategies, looking all glamorous, and I'm like, oh, maybe I need to do that. You know, maybe I need to have the makeup and the. And then I go, nope, nope. I just need to be me.

I know there are people out there that work with me because I don't wear the makeup. And I have nothing against makeup. It's just not something that I spend time on.

Right now, I am sitting here recording my podcast in my activewear.

I will later on put on my Blundstone boots, which, you know, classic Tasmanian brand since we moved to Tasmania.

I'm glad I discovered them.

So I will put my boots on. I will be out in the paddock with the horses.

And I know there are people that resonate with that and not, you know, with the shopping trips and the cocktails. And again, I have nothing against it. It's just that I do not need to change me.

Just like you do not need to change you and be someone, be someone else or try to be someone else or have this, you know, online image versus an offline image.

You don't need that. You need to be genuinely you helping the people you want to serve.

There's absolutely nothing better than to just be you.

And it feels so much better, too, not to have to wear two different hats. It was bad enough having to do that in corporate because, you know, you have to dress a certain way and all of that.

Not my thing.

So you will see me showing up in my activewear and, you know, that's it.

So let's wrap up.

Before you finalise your 2026 marketing plan, I want you to run through some reality checks.

Firstly, could you maintain this plan if you got busy?

If your plan only works when you have tons of free time, it's going to fall apart by March.

So you need to really think about, can I build this and can I do it sustainably and can I maintain it?

Second one, does this plan actually lead to revenue?

You Know, marketing is supposed to generate business, not just make you feel busy.

So make sure that your plan includes a clear path to sales. And this is super important because I feel like, and I've seen it with the people that I mentor, they get uncomfortable selling.

You all love helping people, but the minute it comes to asking for money, you feel uncomfortable about it.

So is this plan actually going to lead to revenue?

Also, are you enjoying this plan?

If you dread every marketing activity on your plan, then you're not going to stick with it. So find something that is actually going to make you want to do it, that doesn't make you feel miserable.

So you need to enjoy the plan.

The next question I want you to ask is, could this plan still work if your primary platform tanked tomorrow?

If Instagram went away, would you be completely screwed or would you be okay because you've got an email list and you've got other channels you need to look at building resilience into your plan.

Because, look, personally, I don't think Facebook and Instagram are going anywhere, but you cannot rely on it because it's still rented land.

So you need to have other channels.

Next, is, is this plan based on your data or on someone else's advice?

If you are copying someone else's strategy without actually thinking about whether it fits your business, whether it fits your audience, your strengths, it's not going to work.

I have tried this, trust me. I have signed up for like lots of different things and they give you all the things and all the templates and all the the plans.

But it doesn't work for me because it's not aligned to my strengths.

Half of the time I give up because I just don't enjoy it. So is it based on your data or on someone else's advice? You cannot copy someone else's strategy because your business is different, your audience is different, you are different.

So think about that.

Now, you don't need to have everything Perfect on the 1st of January, but here's what you should do in the first weeks of 2026. I know you're probably taking some time off, but try to have some of it ready.

Week one. Set up your systems.

So get your content calendar template ready.

You want to have an email welcome sequence if you don't already have that, and a tracking spreadsheet.

Also, sit down to prepare your batching process.

And I don't know, you can already start with this second week.

I want you to batch your January content and maybe February too if you're on a roll, because it's going to give you breathing room and momentum.

I think a lot of us kind of wait till we hit that first of January and then we go, oh, oh, no, we started in a year. How. How did this happen?

If you can, you probably already want to do some of this. Now then, week three, you want to establish your routines. So start showing up consistently.

Post on your schedule, engage daily, send your first emails if you haven't already.

You want to build the habits that are going to take you through the year. And I'm saying week three, you don't have to start this from week one.

If you already have some of this in place, obviously keep emailing, keep doing certain things, but if you don't, it's okay not to start on the 1st of January.

And then week number four is review and adjust.

So that's the end of January, look what's working, what's not.

And then you can make some adjustments before February starts.

So by February 1st, you should have momentum and systems that are going to make the rest of 2026 feel manageable.

So there you have it. How to build a 2026 marketing plan that works for you and your business, not just whatever the algorithm wants. This week, I want you to walk away with this.

Sustainable marketing is built on principles that don't change, not on tactics that shift with every platform update.

So here's what I want you to do.

And I know we're close to the end of December, but I want you to sit down, block out, you know, two to three hours before the end of the year to actually create your 2026 marketing plan using all of the tips and insights that I've shared.

So write it down.

Your primary platform, your content system, your email strategy, your traffic methods, your conversion path.

Don't just think about it.

Put it down on paper.

Because when you write it down, you're much more likely to actually follow the plan.

And if you want to create a framework to guide you through really creating your 2026 marketing plan, I've got something for you.

If you found this episode helpful and you want more strategic marketing advice for 2026, I have two favors to ask. First, make sure that you're subscribed to the new school of marketing podcasts so you don't miss any episodes.

We're going into 2026 with a practical, strategic content that helps you build sustainable marketing systems.

Secondly, if this episode helped you think differently about your marketing planning, I would love it if you could leave a review.

Tell me what clicks for you or what you're committing to for 2026.

Your reviews help other business owners find a show right when they need it most at the start of the new year.

Here's the thing. I read every single review and I want to say thank you so much. So if you leave a review and send me a screenshot via email through hello@biancamckenzie.com or DM me on Instagram @bianca_mckenzie will send you my Marketing Momentum Playbook for free.

It's not just another template.

It's a strategic framework to build your marketing foundation.

So you get like worksheets, prompts, all of the bits and pieces.

It is literally everything you need to start 2026 with a clear strategic marketing plan instead of just winging it and, you know, crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.

So just take a screenshot of your review, send it to hello@biancamckenzie.com or DM me on Instagram @bianca_mckenzie and I'll get the playbook over to you straight away.

Now remember, 2026 is going to be the year that you are going to stop chasing algorithms and start building a marketing system that actually works for your business.

Remember that one tip.

Just breathe.

Don't worry about the algorithm changes.

I want you to make the plan. I want you to follow the plan.

I want you to to adjust as needed, but I really want you to stop letting platforms dictate your entire strategy.

All right, thank you so much for tuning into the new School of Marketing podcast. Remember, the best marketing plan for 2026 isn't the flashiest or the trendiest. It's the one that you'll actually stick with.

I'm Bianca McKenzie and I'll catch you in the next episode. Until then,

keep make marketing work for you.