Ten years ago, on October 31, 2016, after a few weeks of doing the technical things required to register and establish a business, I woke up and realized I had nothing to do.

My one and only meeting that day was at 1pm, which meant I had a full 4 hours to panic about what I’d just gotten myself into. Shoutout to Dr. Kimberly at Palmetto Kids Dentistry, because that panic quickly turned into excitement and determination after that first conversation about social media marketing, and I haven’t looked back in any real sort of regretful way since.

The reality was, even with the potential of one single client, I had no job, no income, and no idea what I signed up for. Luckily, I’ve always been slightly delusional, preferring always to err on the side of boundless optimism and what could be… supported then also, of course, by the classic vanity and naivete of being in your 20s. 

I tell you this because I know that for many of you, this moment is familiar. Going all in on a dream, an idea, a passion… without even a passing thought that what you’re about to do might not work out. And maybe it didn’t, but that’s not the point because… You bet on yourself, you mastered a million things you never even knew you needed to know, you surprised yourself doing things you never imagined you were capable of, and you adapted to change, even if you wanted to burn it all down more times than you could count. 

Whether you’re in the trenches right now or at the top of your game, here you are. You deserve a moment for that.

And there’s a lot coming up next. 

The landscape of marketing a business in 2026 has drastically changed in the last 10 years, and shit’s only getting crazier.

Back then, we at Creativ spent a lot of our time helping businesses get set up and figure out how to market themselves online, in all the ways. Today, we're increasingly being asked to do something we once had to fight for: question what actually deserves a business owner's time, money, and attention. Showing up strategically where it actually matters, rather than trying to be everywhere, all the time.

The biggest thing I've learned in the last decade? So glad you asked. The more complicated marketing becomes, the more valuable it is to simplify. Turns out, what we've been getting at all along is more relevant than ever: Simplify. Execute strategically. Lead with hospitality, whether or not you're in the hospitality business.

With more tools, more technology, more competition, and a seemingly endless number of ways to fight for attention, it's easy to confuse doing more marketing with doing better marketing. 

Getting people's attention matters. But attention was never the end goal. The goal is to build a business people are drawn to, give them a reason to choose you, and create an experience worth coming back for. Marketing should amplify all of that, not distract you from it.

You'll likely find that when you give yourself a second to take away all the noise, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

We’ve put together a THEN 2016 → NOW 2026 section below with some recommendations on what to do right now if your own approach to marketing your business falls a little short of what’s required in 2026 and beyond. 

And, since this delusional optimist can’t end this on anything but a positive note, here’s a reminder.

The last decade may have changed how people discover your business, but it hasn't changed why they fall in love with it. 

A few things that remain unchanged, and will continue to be true in the next 10 years:

1. People still make decisions, to buy something or otherwise, based on how brands make them feel. Emotional connection often outweighs reason, and that’s as powerful as it’s ever been.

2. Word of mouth is still incredibly valuable. It's just amplified through reviews, creators, social sharing, and digital communities. You know this.

3. Knowing your audience still beats chasing trends. A viral video isn't necessarily a successful business outcome.

4. Trust still drives decisions. The channels and signals have changed, but credibility and integrity remain essential.

5. A great customer experience is the root from which all good thing$ grow. Especially in hospitality. And remember, that experience extends well beyond the transaction itself. Every interaction, online and off, shapes how people feel about your business.

So there’s good news. You don't need to reinvent everything about how you market your business. But you may need to rethink a few things about how people find, choose, and stay connected to you.

Customer-centric business owners and hospitality professionals like you already understand something that good marketers in 2026 are increasingly trying to replicate: how to make people feel welcomed, understood, and connected.

If nothing else, I know you know a little something about that.

// MAKE IT HAPPEN

THEN 2016 → NOW 2026

THEN Having a website was a pretty good way to have a presence online, and you were killing it if it was optimized for mobile. 

→ NOW You need to be discoverable across search, maps, social, and AI… and bless your heart if your website looks funky from a mobile device.

• A website is no longer necessarily the front door to a business, mobile-optimized or not. It's one of several. But, it is often the place where someone decides whether to walk through the real one. People use it to validate what they’ve learned about you, so still super important in converting people into customers. Pull up your website on your phone and pretend you've never heard of your business. Can you immediately figure out what you offer, why you're worth choosing, and how to take the next step?

THEN Social was all about followers… more, more!

→ NOW Thanks to the algorithms, a high follower count does not mean more eyes on your business. 

• Stop using follower growth as your primary measure of success. Look at reach among non-followers, profile visits, website clicks, and whether the content is driving reservations, inquiries, or purchases over time. A post that reaches 500 potential customers in your market may be more valuable than one that reaches 50,000 people who will never visit.
   

THEN You could still get away with applying a traditional advertising mindset to the online ecosystem.

→ NOW If you think the only time your business needs to show up on the Internet in all its forms is when you’d like to promote a deal, offer or otherwise, you are missing 99% of the plot. 

• Walk through the experience of discovering, researching, purchasing, and returning to your business as though you've never heard of it. Where's the friction?
   

THEN Your business largely controlled the story it told online.

→  NOW Your customers, their cameras, their reviews, and their conversations are helping tell that story for you, whether you like it or not.

• The experience you create can often be more influential than the content you publish. Identify one part of your customer experience worth talking about. Is it distinctive enough that someone would tell a friend without being prompted? Every guest or customer has the potential to become an advocate for your business, and unlike using paid influencers, you have the opportunity to earn that advocacy every single day.

The best marketing in the world can't fix a disappointing guest experience, believe me, we’ve tried. But a great guest experience can't grow your business if nobody knows you exist.

In 2026 and moving forward, you still don't need to be everywhere. You just need to be easy to find, easy to choose, and worth coming back to. So simple! 🙃

THINGS THAT BLOW OUR MINDS ABOUT HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN 10 YEARS

Ten years in, we're still learning, still questioning, still trying new things, and still occasionally explaining why going viral isn't a business strategy.

But one thing hasn't changed. How much we care. About our work, the details, the results, and mostly, the people behind the businesses we get to work with. We're still here to help good businesses become great ones, and make sure the right people know about them. No plans for any of that to change anytime soon.

Here's to the next decade. Whatever the hell it brings.