There’s nothing like an in-person event, especially at the start of a new year, to leave you feeling motivated and inspired. At Lumbermen’s recent Product Fair and Buying Show, I had several great conversations with Dealers about marketing. The range was wide: from “we don’t do any marketing” to “we just hired an agency.”
One of my favorite parts of working at Lumbermen’s is that we offer our customers complimentary marketing support. Most of my career was spent in agency environments, helping businesses of all sizes. I’ve always loved learning how companies got started, who their customers are, what makes them successful, and what keeps them up at night. Even within the same industry, every business has its own story, and the most memorable ones are often the most unexpected.
In today’s marketing world, there’s a heavy focus on AI, analytics, algorithms, and automation, and rightly so. These tools provide valuable data and insight. But sometimes I think we lean on them too much, allowing the numbers to limit our creativity, innovation, and willingness to take risks.
There’s nothing like an in-person event, especially at the start of a new year, to leave you feeling motivated and inspired. At Lumbermen’s recent Product Fair and Buying Show, I had several great conversations with Dealers about marketing. The range was wide: from “we don’t do any marketing” to “we just hired an agency.”
One of my favorite parts of working at Lumbermen’s is that we offer our customers complimentary marketing support. Most of my career was spent in agency environments, helping businesses of all sizes. I’ve always loved learning how companies got started, who their customers are, what makes them successful, and what keeps them up at night. Even within the same industry, every business has its own story, and the most memorable ones are often the most unexpected.
In today’s marketing world, there’s a heavy focus on AI, analytics, algorithms, and automation, and rightly so. These tools provide valuable data and insight. But sometimes I think we lean on them too much, allowing the numbers to limit our creativity, innovation, and willingness to take risks.
Even mistakes can turn into meaningful lessons. Shortly after I started at Lumbermen’s, I launched an important email campaign on opening day of deer season. The moment I hit “send,” our inbox was flooded with out-of-office replies from people who were out hunting. My stomach dropped. What was I thinking? I’m surrounded by hunters in my personal life; I should have known better!
But later that day, when I checked the analytics, I was shocked. It was our highest open and engagement rate ever. As it turns out, those hunters were checking their phones from tree stands, waiting for that trophy buck to appear. Sometimes a “mistake” turns out to be the perfect moment.
Another recent surprise was learning that one of our customers had a TikTok account with posts that went viral, despite being located in a largely Amish community. Of course, I had to look them up, and I was blown away. Their employees were embracing trends, having fun with stitches, and even getting recognized by strangers at the grocery store. Well done, Alpha Building Center.
Whether you’re just getting started with marketing or have seasoned pros on your team, here’s my advice for the year ahead and beyond.
- Don’t assume you know your audience.
Let data inform your decisions—but don’t let assumptions dictate them. - Be willing to take smart risks.
Some of the most successful ideas start as uncomfortable experiments. - Ask for input and feedback.
Your employees, customers, and partners often have ideas and insights you won’t find in a report. - Get creative—and have fun with it.
When your team is enjoying the process, it shows. And your customers will feel it.
If you’re not sure where to start, that’s okay. Reach out to us. That’s what our complimentary marketing services are here for—to help turn ideas into action and stories into results.
Written by Jill Carroll, Director of Marketing
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