Ever notice how one person starts something on social media, and suddenly EVERYONE and their mama is doing it? I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a little tired of all the regurgitated, predictable content.
One day, you see a video that makes you laugh. A week later, you’ve seen 47 businesses do their own version. By the time the last one rolls around, you’re so over it you’d rather watch paint dry.
Welcome to the internet.
Between AI-generated content, Canva templates, viral trends and the endless stream of marketing advice telling you what you should be doing, it’s easy to feel like you need to jump on every bandwagon just to keep up.
But here’s a question worth asking:
If every business does the same thing, how are any of them supposed to stand out?
You don’t have to swim against the current every day. Sometimes that video trend or piece of marketing advice makes perfect sense. But if you’re hooked on following the crowd for every new thing without considering it carefully first, you might be doing your business more damage than good.
Let me explain…
Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should
AI can write your social media captions. Canva can give you a polished-looking flyer in minutes. A trending audio clip can help your video get noticed.
These are all tools that can be useful. I use AI myself. I love a good shortcut when it makes sense.
The problem starts when we let the tools make all the decisions for us.
AI used without creative direction can make your business sound like every other business using AI. Canva templates can make you look more professional, but professional and memorable aren’t the same thing. And a trend that works brilliantly for one business might be a complete flop for another.
I’ve seen AI-generated flyers for completely different businesses that look so similar you could literally swap out the business names and call it a day.
That’s the irony of trying to stand out by using the same tools in the same way as everyone else. You might save some time and money up front, but you could also end up blending right in and losing potential sales.
Use the tools. Absolutely. Just don’t hand over the steering wheel.
Not Every Trend Is Worth Chasing
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve jumped on a trend or two without necessarily thinking it through. I even did the sheet-ghost trend last year!
And no, I’m not saying that particular trend is bad. It can be cute, funny and perfectly appropriate for some businesses. The point is that what’s harmless fun to one person might land differently with someone else.
Some people have seen a trend so many times that they scroll right past it. Others may find it insensitive because of its cultural, political or historical associations. That’s worth considering when deciding whether it makes sense for your business and audience.
Then there’s the question of whether a trend fits your brand at all.
If you’re a financial advisor, lawyer, medical personnel or another professional whose customers trust you with serious matters, you need to think carefully about how your content affects that trust. A little humor can make you more approachable. But if your latest dance video makes you look foolish rather than personable, you may have done more harm than good.
There’s a difference between showing personality and undermining your credibility.
Case in point: I’d much rather see videos of nurses and doctors doing their jobs well than another Reel of them dressed in scrubs and dancing in hospital hallways. Maybe it’s because of the crisis-level shortage of medical staff here in the US. When you’re sitting there waiting for assistance, seeing staff goofing around on social media can send a pretty frustrating message, even if it was recorded “off the clock.”
I’m not saying healthcare workers aren’t allowed to have fun. Of course they are! But when people are already concerned about staffing shortages and whether they’ll get the care they need, that kind of content can leave the wrong impression.
A video showing a nurse going above and beyond for a patient, a doctor explaining something complicated in a way people can understand, or a team working together to make someone’s day a little easier? THAT’S the kind of content that can build trust and show people what makes a healthcare team great.
The point isn’t that every Reel needs to be serious. It’s that you need to think about what your audience is going to take away from it. Sometimes, what seems like harmless fun behind the scenes can look very different to the potential client watching from the outside.
Before jumping on a trend, ask yourself:
- Does this fit my brand’s personality?
- Will my actual customers find it funny, useful or interesting?
- Could it be misunderstood or turn people off?
- Does it support my goals, or am I doing it because everyone else is?
If you can’t answer those questions, maybe let this one swim by.
There will be another trend tomorrow. There always is.
Marketing Can Backfire
Some trends are funny precisely because they make someone look ridiculous. And sometimes, that’s the whole point! But sometimes it can backfire on us.
Consider the trend where someone is supposed to be filming an object or event and accidentally points the camera at themselves instead.
It’s funny because the person looks like they have no idea what they’re doing.
Now imagine a business in the tech industry jumping on that trend. If you’re trying to convince customers that you know your way around technology, is making yourself look clueless really the best move?
Maybe you can pull it off with the right context. Maybe your audience knows you well enough to get the joke. But it’s worth thinking about the impression you’re creating before you hit publish.
The same goes for using AI-generated photographs to advertise a product that doesn’t actually look like the image. That might make for a beautiful flyer, but what happens when a customer shows up expecting one thing and gets something completely different?
You’ve gone from creating excitement to creating disappointment. And that’s not exactly a winning marketing strategy.
Your marketing sets expectations. If those expectations don’t match reality, you’re setting yourself up for trouble.
Your Marketing Should Match Your Values
Here’s another one worth thinking about.
Imagine a creative business that regularly promotes the importance of supporting local small businesses, but then uses AI-generated imagery for its marketing instead of hiring a local photographer or designer.
Is using AI automatically wrong? No.
But if you’re building your brand around supporting local creatives, your own choices are part of that story. People in that creative community may notice the disconnect, especially if you’re asking customers to support the very people whose work you’re choosing not to hire.
Here’s another example: Imagine posting a reel of someone smashing a pie in another person’s face for laughs in a community where food insecurity is a real issue. You might see a funny video and an opportunity for engagement. Someone struggling to put food on the table might see something very different.
You can’t anticipate every possible reaction to everything you post, and I’m not suggesting businesses need to avoid anything that might offend someone. But if supporting your community is part of your brand’s message, it’s worth thinking about how your content might land with the people in that community.
Your marketing isn’t just what you say. It’s also what you do.
Customers notice inconsistencies. And in a world where businesses are constantly telling us what they stand for, those inconsistencies can matter more than you realize.
Just be mindful of the message you’re sending. If supporting local businesses is central to your brand, look for opportunities to live that out, too.
You Don’t Need to Be Everywhere
Remember when everyone was told they needed to be on Facebook? Then Instagram. Then TikTok. Then whatever platform popped up next.
Suddenly, running a business wasn’t enough. Apparently, you also needed to become a full-time content creator on six different platforms.
Here’s the thing: your customers don’t necessarily spend their time where everyone else’s customers do.
Different social platforms attract different audiences. Facebook and TikTok, for example, have notably different age profiles. If your primary customers are older adults, a strategy built entirely around reaching younger TikTok users may not make much sense.
You don’t get extra credit for having accounts everywhere. You get results by showing up where your audience is, giving them something worth their time and doing it consistently.
Choose your platforms intentionally. Do them well. Expand when there’s a good reason to expand.
Your time is a resource, too. Don’t waste it trying to keep up with everyone else.
Opinions Are Like Underwear
Everyone has ’em, and they change often.
Marketing advice is everywhere. One expert says you need to post three times a day. Another says once a week is plenty. Someone swears by video. Someone else insists email marketing is the only thing worth your time.
And don’t even get me started on the people promising you’ll double your revenue in 30 days if you just buy their course. We wrote a whole blog post about this here!
Some of that advice is genuinely useful. Some of it works beautifully for a particular business. And some of it is nonsense dressed up in a very convincing Instagram carousel.
Don’t blindly follow marketing advice. Even this advice!
Instead, consider the source.
Do they understand your business? Do they have real-world experience in what they’re advising? And do they have something to gain from you taking their advice?
That last one matters. It doesn’t automatically make someone’s advice bad if they’re selling a product or service. But if every road leads to something they’re trying to sell you, it’s worth asking whether their recommendation is genuinely the best fit for your business.
Look for trustworthy sources. Talk to people with relevant experience. Ask questions. Test what makes sense, and pay attention to the results.
You don’t need to take every piece of advice you hear and try to make it work.
You need to figure out what works for YOU.
Here at Cup O Code, we’re big believers in helping other small businesses thrive. We’ll never try to sell you something you don’t need just because it’s the latest thing. Our advice comes from real-world experience and a genuine desire to help, whether or not it leads to a sale.
Because good advice should help you make better decisions, not convince you that you need to buy something else.
Be the Fish They Remember
Standing out doesn’t mean you need to be outrageous, controversial or wildly different from everyone else.
You don’t need a neon pink website just because your competitors all use blue. You don’t need to make ridiculous videos to prove your business has a personality. And you certainly don’t need to reject every new tool or trend to show that you’re original.
You just need to give people a reason to remember you.
Maybe it’s your sense of humor. Maybe it’s the way you explain complicated things in plain English. Maybe it’s your commitment to doing things a little differently, the story behind your business or the personal attention customers get when they work with you.
Those things matter. And they’re much harder to copy than a template.
Think about the businesses you remember and recommend. Chances are, it’s not simply because they used a trendy font or posted a funny video. It’s because something about the experience stuck with you.
Your marketing should reflect that same individuality.
Use AI as a tool, not a replacement for your creative vision. Customize templates instead of letting them dictate your entire look. Try trends when they make sense, and skip them when they don’t. Listen to advice, but don’t abandon your own judgment in the process.
Most importantly, know who you are as a business and who you’re trying to reach.
Because the goal isn’t to be different just for the sake of being different. It’s to be recognizable to the people who need what you offer.
Don’t Just Follow the Crowd
Running a small business means making a ridiculous number of decisions every day, and marketing is just one more thing competing for your attention.
You don’t need to chase every shiny new thing that swims by.
You need a strategy that makes sense for your business, your customers and your goals.
The next time someone tells you that you have to use a certain tool, join a certain platform or jump on the latest trend, take a breath before you bite.
Ask questions. Think it through. Make your own decision.
The whole school might be swimming in one direction.
That doesn’t automatically mean it’s the right direction for you.
