According to 966k+ Views on TikTok, Leveling Up Your Goal-Setting Game with Our Bingo Goals Template Is "In"
Embark on a transformative 2024 with Bingo Goals – a fresh approach to goal-setting that turns aspirations into a vibrant journey. Crafted as a game of bingo, it goes beyond traditional resolutions, creating a clear roadmap on an interactive vision board. Our video showcasing this unconventional strategy went viral, reaching just under 1 million TikTok views. Join the excitement, utilize our customizable Canva template, and immerse yourself in a goal-setting adventure that fosters community support and creative evolution.
As we kick-start the new year, there's a familiar buzz in the air. New resolutions, new goals, new dreams. But how do you intend to tackle your goal-setting game this year? Do you have a game plan? A strategy? If not, it's time to level up your game. Picture this: your goals but in a game of bingo. Suddenly, you're not just writing down your aspirations for the new year, you're crafting a vibrant, interactive vision board. Instead of vague goals, you have clear objectives mapped out in a grid, ready to be crossed off one by one. Sounds fun, right? I thought so, too.
ICYMI: Bingo Cards > Vision Boards
About a week ago, I posted a video sharing that my team and I used an unconventional goal-setting strategy and made bingo cards (rather than a traditional list or vision board).
Instead of our typical team meeting, we brainstormed a list of our 2024 goals for our agency, from dream clients and branding projects to professional accolades to marketing milestones – together. Then, each team member used our collective goals list to fill in their bingo card, placing each goal in a unique spot. We discussed that the first person to make a bingo should win a prize (spa service, anyone??)
In under 24 hours, our video proclaiming "bingo cards > vision boards" reached 500k views and 800 saves on Tiktok, as well as a bunch of requests to make it into an editable Canva template...so I did! Fully customizable to accommodate your brand and aesthetic, our template is ready to help you knock off those 2024 goals.
From a "1-Mil Views on TikTok" Goal to the Road to Crossing Off our First Goal!!!
Our bingo card video may have started at just under 500k TikTok views and 50k Instagram views on day one, but now, just under two weeks later, we're sitting at 966k views and 17.4k saves on TikTok, 750k views on Instagram, and just under 350 Canva template sales.
Feel-good vanity metrics aside, it's incredible that our bingo video might also be our first TikTok to reach 1 million views, crossing off our first bingo square! It's a timely reminder that the day-to-day moments that feel small, mundane, or ordinary to you or someone else's content cup of tea.
The support for our goal-setting strategy and collective excitement towards shaking up the new year planning process goes beyond our one milly goal. Overflowing comments across Instagram, TikTok, and Threads were just the beginning, as articles like Smart Mommy's A TikToker Put Her New Year’s Resolutions On A Bingo Card, & It’s So Smart and Upworthy's Work team puts their New Year's resolutions on bingo cards, and it's a genius idea highlight that our idea has transcended our branding and marketing bubble.
Setting Up Your Goal-Setting Bingo
Ready to play? Step one is the bingo card itself. No need to design and sketch one out yourself; you can use my template.
Instead of the usual numbers, you'll populate the bingo card with twenty-four aspirations for 2024. Whether you're a solopreneur or an agency, keep your goals succinct. The middle slot could either be a free space or filled with a goal that you are confident of achieving. Feel free to jumble up their placement on the card (especially if you're playing with others). The idea here is to strike a balance between easy-to-achieve and challenging goals.
Now, it's showtime! With your bingo card in hand, it's time to work on crushing your goals throughout the year, crossing out each completed square as you go.
As squares on your bingo card start filling up with triumphant checkmarks, take a moment to soak in your journey. Give yourself a pat on the back for the goals accomplished, and consider the unchecked ones with curiosity, not criticism. Recall the roadblocks you encountered along the way. What obstacles held you back? How can you tackle them differently moving forward? Remember, this goal-setting adventure isn't simply about arriving at a destination but also about the wisdom gained during the expedition. Celebrate every win, learn from every stumble, and keep pushing toward your 2024 vision.
The Goals Behind B-I-N-G-O
With all the excitement around my team's goal-setting strategy, I realized that just like playing games, goals are best accomplished surrounded by community. Here's a closer look at some of our 2024 goals:
🧳 Hotel/Hospitality Brand Client: Some of our favorite portfolio work to date has been for luxe AirBnB properties/boutique hotels. We've done two so far: Peach Grove House in NY and Hemsley Ranch in Idaho. We would love to do more in '24!
🥂 Influencer/Founder Client: We'd also love to work with another influencer founder. In 2020, lifestyle influencer Lindsay Silberman came to us with the idea of starting Hotel Lobby Candle. We designed all the branding and packaging, and we oversaw creative direction. This brand quickly went viral, and we've designed over a dozen candles together since.
🧀 Food Client: I'm obsessed with food, so another "food client" feels *self-explanatory*! Our team designed the branding and packaging and briefly ran social for cowboy-inspired Rockhill Cheese. Working with a DTC CPG brand in 2024 would truly be epic!
🎙️ Podcast Milestones: We've reserved four of the bingo squares for the Kiss My Aesthetic podcast! We've recorded more than 140 podcast episodes on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurship over 3+ years. We're seeking guests (and sponsors) for KMA in '24!
❣️ 10K Members in the KMA Facebook group: My favorite corner of the world wide web is the Kiss My Aesthetic Facebook group, so adding 10k members to our bingo card was also a no-brainer. The KMA group is free to join and always has job apps, advice, resources, and BTS of my agency's process for binging. I am RUTHLESS about the quality of the group, so you're safe from bot (and human) spamming.
📱 Social Media Clients: We're ready for more social retainer clients! Our agency offers social media management for brands on TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, Facebook, and Threads. Comment if you want our rates!
🎾 Festival Branding: For the last two years, we've done all the marketing for San Diego Open, including branding, social, signage, merch, and IRL event content. In '24, we'd love to work with a food/music/culture festival of any kind.
💖 Another Team Retreat: In April 2023, our fully remote, three-continent team had our first-ever in-person retreat, and it was everything! Let us know where we should go in 2024…
🛍️ New Merch Suite Clients: Hear me out…merch is about to be really big in 2024! In 2023, we designed more merchandise than we could count. From birthdays to bach parties to subscription boxes – we’ve got our fair share of learning merch under our belt heading into 2024.
💻 Web Sales Galore: 2024 is going to be the year of reviving our digital resources. Here are a few of the ones live currently on our site:
Alsooooo my team couldn't keep this sharing to ourselves! I created a carousel post round up our community's bingo goals so we can start to help each other knock out these bingoals (get it?!)
In Conclusion…
This bingo journey isn't just about completing a card, it's about your growth and evolution as a creative entrepreneur. Whether it's bingo or your own strategy, gamifying your new year traditions and planning processes is very IN. Stay tuned for the accompanying podcast on Kiss My Aesthetic, which you can listen to anywhere you find your podcasts OR tune in on YouTube. You can also find @mkwcreative.co on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, and Pinterest. Happy goal setting!
But Wait, There’s More…
For the first time literally ever, MKWCC if offering our very own year-long accountability member/mentorship program! I wanted to create a small group for SERIOUS goal crushers (and give you and your biz some 1:1 time on my very crowded calendar). Ready to learn more?
New to MKWCC?
MKW Creative Co. started back in 2014 with not much more than a laptop and two very encouraging parents saying, “hey, try it!” Since then, the business has taken many shapes and forms, but the vision and dream have always stayed true — helping build brag-worthy brands that people are proud to be a part of and founders are proud to share with the world.
2024 Design Trend Predictions: The Aesthetics you’re about to see Everywhere Next Year
Explore the forefront of design aesthetics with our 2024 Design Trend Predictions, a comprehensive guide to 2024’s most influential trends in branding, design, fashion, and culture. From luxurious Cherry Chocolate and Silver aesthetic, to the sweet Bow Adorned Ballerina Coquette style, the bold fusion of Neon Fauvism and Sheer Surrealism, and the artful culinary narrative of Foodie-torial and Food as the new Avant Garde, discover how these trends are reshaping the creative landscape, from high-end fashion to innovative branding. See which leading brands are pioneering these styles and which are poised to embrace them next. This essential guide offers an insider's look into the trends that are set to dominate the visual and cultural scenes in 2024.
As we gaze into the crystal ball of 2024, a few clear narratives emerge to pick up where 2023 left off. In order to know where we’re going we must start where we’re coming from. In summary…
LOOKING BACK: OUR 2023
ERAS
WOMEN RULE ERA
We’d be remiss to not call them “Eras” after the chokehold Ms. Taylor Swift had on pop culture this year (like being named Time’s Person of the Year, hitting Billionaire status, and producing the highest grossing tour of all time). But she’s not the only female at the top of her game. From Beyonce’s glass-ceiling-shattering Renaissance Tour, to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, to the Rihanna Superbowl Halftime Show (most watched halftime show in history), these iconic moments cemented the year of the woman, and simultaneously ‘eventized’ the in-person experience. Almost all of these events ignited their own dress codes to match, giving super fans a chance to pledge their loyalty (and super fandom) in costume and flex their creativity online and off. More of that in ‘24, please.
APEROL SPRITZ ERA
Speaking of themes, in 2023 we said “andiamo a italia” for a summer of la dolce vita. After my over-the-top white lotus italian 30th birthday theme invites went viral on TikTok, it was no surprise we noticed tons of Italian design influence flooding our feeds (or hey, that’s just how the algorithm works). Photo dump carousels and compilation reels consisting of bikinis, boats, spritzes, stripes, pizza, pasta, and more pistachio gelato that anyone should have in their lifetime gave us an Italy hangover in the best way… but felt very 2023 in retrospect. (All recapped on Ep. 125 Bday Boxes and Aesthetic Themes).
R.I.P. TWITTER, HELLO THREADS ERA
Elon Musk’s $44 Billion dollar acquisition of Twitter and rebrand to X was like a dagger to the chest for all branding and marketing enthusiasts. The lackluster logo and seemingly nonexistent accompanying brand suite felt like bro marketing flop at its finest.. or its worst? (He should have tuned in to Kiss My Aesthetic Ep. 127 about Common Branding Mistakes). The silver lining (and polar opposite) was Meta’s rollout of Threads. Discussed on KMA Episode 121 with Ashli Pollard of Team AP Consulting.
EVERYONE’S OBSESSED WITH AI ERA
I mean, guilty as charged. From skeptic to superfan, AI totally transformed the way we run our agency this year. Personal sensei, guru, and self-proclaimed AI Auntie Lauren DeVane of Bemused Studio spilled it all on Kiss My Aesthetic Episode 117 & again on Episode 133: Midjourney & AI Part 2. Creators on Instagram and TikTok started popping off with their AI creations, like how @glamseasons transformed a soccer field into a mystical castle scene blending video and AI image generation or how I can’t stop making Faux-tels for Hotel Lobby Candle. Sitting out on integrating AI into your business in 2024 will the equivalent of choosing to run your business without using the internet in the dot com boom. Saving myself from writing an entire dissertation on the ubiquitous-ness of AI in the creative space, I just want you to know that in 2024 we are going to be seeing MORE AI, not less… and therefore each of the themes outlined in this article will hint at how that can be integrated.
TREND 1: CHERRY, CHOCOLATE, SILVER 🍒🍫🍴
Move over vanilla aesthetic, grab a spoon, and dive in to the chocolately deliciousness that is the 2024 version of Cherry Garcia. In both fashion and art a cherry chocolate color combo speaks to a broader cultural fascination with blending the tart, with the sweet and the sultry. These colors on their own carry such individually rich history and symbolism, but together create a combined palette that is warm, nostalgic, and decadent. You might recall this combo from late 90s & the early 2000s, where it was actually a revival of 1970s fashion trends that brought back chocolate browns into vogue: influencing attire, interiors, automotive, and cosmetic industries. The internet’s PR agent Girl Boss Town’s titular Red Nail Theory summarizes this on the cherry side.
WHERE YOU’LL SEE IT
Embracing the Cherry/Chocolate/Silver trend in your brand aesthetics means going full bore moody, reflective, seductive, and fruity sweet. Here’s where you’ll see it most:
BRANDING & DESIGN - Color palettes will start to shift from dreaded beige, greige, tan and black to incorporate more richness like dark chocolate or espresso color tones. Typography will also start to look more fluid and sugary, mimicing a sense of thickness and viscosity reminiscent of these candy coated visuals (does the Wonka movie have anything to do with this?). Packaging designers can draw inspiration from old candy wrappers (see DumDums) and dive in to blind emboss effects to give physical depth to pieces they make. Anticipate playing cards and board games making a huge comeback in 2024, as more Gen Z and millennials are drawn to an alcohol-free lifestyle but still want to stay connected with friends.
PHOTO & VIDEO - The photography style for the Cherry/Chocolate/Silver trend carries the baton of flash photography low res grainy edit of 2022 and 2023 but peppers in the late 90s early 2000s white wall backlit studio headshots a la Christian Dior, Chanel, and Tom Ford. The Cherry/Chocolate/Silver brand brings their brightness all the way down, and saturation all the way up, yet counts on the hint and glimmer of chrome, motion blur, and sparkles to bring romantic mystery.
FASHION & CULTURE - From the runway to your timeline, Red Stockings and Tights have already picked up steam and chrome and silver jewelry are quickly replacing it-girls’ gold dainty chains. I’d guess to say that Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn set to come out next October has Cherry/Chocolate/Silver potential… and something about this moodboard is also very Taylor Swift Reputation (Taylor’s Version) coded… but also a hint of Shania Twain?
Brands that already do this well: Shop Natalie MCM What Happens in Vegas Fragrance which morphs on the skin and smells like nothing you’ve ever smelled before, trust me. Summer Friday’s Midnight Retinol Launch Campaign, Schutz Cherry and Silver Fiorella Pumps or even Chocolate brown Croc boots, Jacquemus Cherry and Silver, Rhode Lip Glosses
Brands that should do this soon: Imagine if department store Macy’s reinvented themselves with this look? They’re halfway there with the red star already, but a revamp of the brand to 90s/2000s mall rat nostalgia would crush. In fact, I’m very down for a revival of mall culture. Additionally, a Miley Cyrus x Lana Del Rey collab again is long overdue for this look, since their last team up was way back in the Charlie’s Angels reboot era and a Gucci (already cherry red) shoot on top… why not. Lastly, Coca Cola could save face by bringing back Cherry Coke after dropping it from their line up in 2023.
TREND 2: BOW ADORNED BALLERINA 🩰🦢🎀
It’s no doubt that bows are having their moment. You’d be hard pressed to find any influencers holiday tree sans-ribbon this season, but here’s why bows and ballerina-core are here to stay.
Bows, historically a symbol of femininity and grace, have seen various iterations in fashion over the decades. Prominently featured in the voluminous and elaborate dresses of the Victorian era, bows symbolized luxury and refinement. In the mid-20th century, bows were reimagined in a more subdued manner, often as accents on collars, waistlines, and hair accessories. The return of bows in 2024 continues the Barbie legacy of 2023, allowing women to embrace and celebrate their femininity not as an antithesis to masculinity but as its own asset; its own attribute to be proud of. In 2024, ballerina-core is poised to make a significant comeback filling a craving for fluidity, grace, and elegance and intoxicatingly sweet silliness. This trend will likely emphasize soft fabrics, flowing silhouettes, and a palette that includes pastels pinks and neutral tones.
This trend is also nicknamed the coquette aesthetic (and seen via personal favorite: the coquette trend on TikTok, or read Bustle’s snarky take here). The term coquette quite literally translates to “to deal with something playfully rather than seriously.” Don’t forget — Mean Girls reboot comes out in 2024, and we would bet that one of the plastics will be repping this style & attitude in the movie musical.
WHERE YOU’LL SEE IT
BRANDING & DESIGN - Where 2023 was the height of the hand written calligraphy, the Bow Adorned Ballerina brand is going to use classical style cursives and formal script fonts that feel more regal and prestigious. Edge embellishments on print invitations and monograms fit for monarchs will be popular among personal brands, luxury lifestyle products, fragrance houses, and confectioners. This style is about all things light, airy, and delicate, meaning that the color palettes and packaging designs would look just as natural on Marie Antoinette’s bed side table as it does in your favorite influencer’s GRWM. Textures will also be huge in carrying out this aesthetic to its fullest: lace, tulle, satin, silk, bronze, and pearl are all on our watch list.
PHOTO & VIDEO - The photography and videography of this Ballerina-core/Coquette aesthetic will undoubtedly be soft focus, hazy, monochromatic, with billowing clouds of fabrics framing feminine features. This aesthetic could take a turn for more grunge-y/less pretty in pink when toughened up with harsh flash, black accents, or unnatural posing, but overall the sweetness and innocence as seen in this moodboard will prevail.
FASHION & CULTURE - Ballet, with its fantastical settings and costumes, offers a form of escapism. The world of ballet is often seen as a magical realm appealing to those who seek a sense of wonder and fantasy. With the Paris Olympics taking place in the summer in the city of love, anticipate french culture dominating the fashion and aesthetics landscape. We can speculate that attending the a ballet, opera, or museum event will become more popular after the Met Gala 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion' takes place the first monday in May.
Brands that already do this well: Christian Siriano SS24, Belle of the Ball Selkie, quickly followed by LoveShackFancy, creator @isa.bella.ricci or @thesandraduran
Brands that should do this soon: Van Cleef and Arpels should claim this space after Swarovski rebrand went more bold in 2023. This aesthetic could be reclaimed by pop princess Ariana Grande in anticipation for her role as Glinda the good witch in the upcoming movie adaptation of Wicked slotted for November 2024.
TREND 3: NEON FAUVISM & SHEER SURREAL 🪲🍸🌀
The Aperol Spritz is to the Amalfi Coast what Chartreuse and Absinthe is to Copenhagen on an acid trip… or what I’ll coin “Neon Fauvism.” Different but not dissimilar to the Gen Z affinity for lavender purple and citrine green, this design movement will be as if that Gen Z-er got a job in a French/Danish fashion house or art museum.
Fauvism was a radical early 20th-century movement where vivid color reigned supreme. Spearheaded by visionaries like Henri Matisse and André Derain, Fauvism broke free from realism's reins and took an emotional, surreal and sometimes garish approach to the ordinary. These 'Wild Beasts' (‘Les Fauves’ in French) dared to use bold, unorthodox hues to express emotions, rather than replicate the natural world's tones. Their canvases were a riot of color, unapologetically loud and emotionally charged, making Fauvism a brief but blazing comet in the art firmament, forever altering the trajectory of modern art.
Envisioning Fauvism in 2024, we might expect a contemporary reinterpretation that blends its foundational ethos of bold color and emotional expression with modern artistic trends and technologies. In the digital age, Fauvism could evolve through new mediums like digital art/generative AI, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR), where its characteristic vibrant colors and emotive forms take on a new life in interactive and immersive environments. Colors that were relegated beyond the pantone swatches (or only designated in the neon palettes) can be reintroduced thanks to the boundless limits of modern tech, pushing the boundaries of what we expect things to look like.
WHERE YOU’LL SEE IT
BRANDING & DESIGN - Expect a painterly approach to brand work, incorporating loose brush strokes with a wide range of funky color tones. This look will work best with products and services who don’t shy away from the weird and unconventional. They’ll use loosey goosey fonts like this free one called Donut, sheer shape-shifting textures like tulle, chainmail, chiffon and gauzy linens. These brands love a highlighter pop of color to bring emphasis to the emotions they most want you to feel.
PHOTO & VIDEO - The photography and videography styles that best encapsulates this trend are pieces that feel like a dreamscape — hazy, burry, sometimes garish, but all in the daytime. This aesthetic is NOT nighttime neon from Blade Runner or Pulp Fiction, but instead a fluorescent that feels herbaceous, floral, and otherworldly. Quirky architecture and street style fashion photography come to mind with this trend, especially when unconventional colors, textures, or materials are at play.
FASHION & CULTURE - In a nod to Fauvism’s dramatic flair, accessories in Fauvist-inspired fashion can be statement-making, with vivid colors and unique, sculptural designs that stand out as art pieces in their own right. This might manifest in unexpected drapery, asymmetrical lines, or unconventional garment construction that challenges traditional forms. Culturally, hoteliers, artists, architects, and interior designer will incorporate a fauvism approach as instagram eyecandy.
Brands that already do this well: The GOAT of this trend is Schiaparelli, especially Hunter Schaffer’s dress for the 2023 Hunger Games Premiere, also loving Glassworks and Homewares by Completedworks, Ganni, Artist Tiel Duncan, Delightfully Neon Illustrations by @theintuitivecreative, & @jw_horner ‘s Mirrored Florals.
Brands that should do this soon: Poppi Sodas (they’re sooo close as it is, we’d love to see them go full bore with this theme). Also in the food category, Altoids should bring back their Citrus Sours as a millennial throwback. Brands in the cannabis and psilocybin realm could have a field day with this theme, due to the trippy color combos and painterly aesthetics. Lastly, if Green Chartreuse could get whoever did Aperol’s PR, they’d be flying high all year long.
TREND 4: FOODIE-TORIAL 🍅🥒🥨
Permission to play with your food: granted. 2023 had its fair share of food induced themes from butter boards to flavored water, everyone’s cottage cheese obsession to girl dinner (which inspired my halloween costume). In 2024 however, you’ll see food in more of a high fashion context. Following the footsteps of Jacquemus and Loewe (Read: Food as a Status Symbol or the Culinary Team behind Luxury’s most Exclusive Dinners), integrating food into fashion, fragrance, homewares and lifestyle accessories will become mainstream in the new year to embody the “art of multi-sensory marketing”.
Our cultural obsession with food as status is not new. Renaissance and Dutch Masters made painstakingly accurate renditions of food-filled tablescapes until the invention of the camera in the 19th century. Yet it wasn’t until the mid-20th century, with the boom of advertising and print media that food photography started to gain significant commercial importance. The gourmet food scene of the 70s and 80s led to a more sophisticated approach to food photography emphasizing elegance, opulence, and authenticity. Today, in the digital and social media era, food photography is a blend of professional and user-generated content, reflecting both artistic expression and cultural trends in food consumption and presentation while also flashing to your friends and followers “look what I can afford”.
In 2024, the avant-garde depiction of food as high art is likely to transcend traditional boundaries, blending culinary mastery with innovative artistic expression. As the lines between art, technology, and gastronomy blur, we can expect to see food presented in ways that challenge and expand our understanding of aesthetics and taste. Interactive and immersive experiences, possibly utilizing augmented and virtual reality, will elevate the dining experience to a form of performance art. This evolution will mark a new era where food is not just sustenance or pleasure, but a powerful medium for artistic and social commentary.
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on where you stand on the issue), weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Monjaro have already undoubtedly changed the way we look at food as a society. We predict that in the new year, you’ll see food presented as art objects & in avant garde ways. Mark my words butter pyramid towers are coming because Gwyneth Paltrow had one at her Goop holiday party (…its giving the party scene at the Capitol in Hunger Games). How is this possible when everyone else is feeling the crunch of economic downturn due to high cost of living? Read more in this fascinating Nylon article: Fashion’s Obsession with Bread is Recession Camp.
WHERE YOU’LL SEE IT
BRANDING & DESIGN - Don’t be shocked to see food used a as styling tool for selling goods and services unrelated to the food itself. Foodie Editorial or “Foodie-torial” craze as I’m dubbing it, across visual communications pairs well with bold, san serif, poster-ready fonts for max impact. Bold color palettes will be derived from the produce itself: tomato red, buttery yellow and leafy green. Patterns you’ll see accompanied with this look will be traditional restaurant tablecloth inspired like gingham and checker.
PHOTO & VIDEO - Food as prop seems to be the most obvious theme but food looking like things that aren’t food and vice versa also seems to be an impending trend. This photo/video style makes use of naturally lit UGC just as much as a high gloss studio setting. The primary ingredient in these compositions is fun and absurdity. You’ve got to be ready to take on the silly excessiveness of using food in this way in order to do the trend justice.
FASHION & CULTURE - As explained in CNN’s article Conspicuous consumption: Why the worlds of food and fashion are Colliding “fashion brands including Prada, Gucci and Ralph Lauren have opened cafes and restaurants, allowing shoppers to literally consume their favorite brands.” Expect more of this in 2024 as fashion and food are two industries that everyone does participate in (cue Cerulean scene from Devil Wears Prada). We also think that we’re overdue for a new era of celebrity chefs to hit the scene maybe due in part to the popularity of The Bear which is renewed for Season 3 in 2024.
Brands already doing this well: Iconic food fashion hybrids Lisa Says Gah & PanacheBklyn, Food Artist @thisismold, @badtaste.biz, Jacquemus, Loewe, Schiaparelli again with the Lobster Dress, Oscar de la Renta’s Creative Director Laura Kim’s feed is half dedicated to food > fashion. Ultimate brand crush doing Foodie-torial right is Flamingo Estate. If you don’t know them you better… and you can thank me later.
Brands that should do this soon: We’ve seen fashion and food paired well together, but not as much with beauty, haircare, or skincare. Imagine DryBar did a campaign themed around hair food for a new product line launch. What if Ilia or Rare Beauty’s next shoot had juicy fruits and farm fresh veggies in scene? Additionally interior design brands should use this approach in their brand visuals to create quirky renditions of lighting setups, chairs, furniture installations, wallpapers and fabrics. Not that 2000’s tuscan kitchen trompe l’oeil or stuffed olive oil jars need to make a comeback, but interior rooms decorated for dinner parties with unexpected off the wall presentation & themes are welcome to stay.
IN CONCULSIOOONN…
These are just a select few trends and themes we’re anticipating in the new year, but by no means is this everything. I’ll be keeping this Pinterest board active with more sub aesthetics and trends as they come across my desk. The main takeaways being these consistent threads:
DO double down on your brand adjectives to drive your aesthetic. Is your brand sweet or sultry? Quirky? Unconventional? Traditional and nostalgic or modern and avant garde? These descriptors should represent your home base (making any deviations from home a true experiment worth pursuing by the way!) and be something you come back to as a core tenant of what you offer in the broader communication of your visual style
DON’T be afraid to push the envelope and create ART in your marketing… with food, with color, form, texture or messaging, 2024 is a year to embrace your frenzied creative mind and make something magical, either physically or with the help of your favorite AI tool of choice
If you made it all the way to the end of this behemoth of a blog post, thank you, and I want to reach through my computer and kiss you. Stay tuned for the accompanying podcast on Kiss My Aesthetic, which you can listen to anywhere you find your podcasts OR tune in on YouTube. You can also find @mkwcreative.co on TikTok and Instagram.
Looking to implement one of these trends with your brand in 2024?
How to Read Social Media Analytics and Optimize your Strategy Accordingly
In this Guest Post, social media experts from @HomemadeSocial_ break down what each of your metrics * actually * mean and how to use your insights to inform your content.
Hi there! Allow us to introduce ourselves- we’re Homemade Social, a boutique social media marketing agency specializing in social + digital + influential campaigns for lifestyle brands.
Before putting any effort into your brand’s social media, it is important to establish goals as it will set the stage for the social media strategy to follow. Contrary to popular belief, social media is not a mindless game of just posting whatever, whenever. In fact, never post just to post. Behind every piece of content should be purpose backed by a strategy supporting set objectives.
So, what are you hoping to get out of social media for your business? The answer to this question will allow your digital marketer to know where to put most of their energy when planning content and what metrics to look at most when tracking analytics.
Remember, the purpose of tracking social media analytics is to tie the metrics back to your goals and optimize your strategy going forward based on the insights found. Read on to discover the meaning of popular social media metrics and how to use them to inform your content strategy!
SOCIAL MEDIA METRICS GLOSSARY
REACH - Reach is the number of users that have seen your post aka the number of users your post reached.
IMPRESSIONS - Impressions is the total number of times your post has been seen. It is not the same thing as reach because one user can view your post multiple times. Why would they do that? Likely because the content made an impression on them! While reach only accounts for the number of users, impressions accounts for the number of times the content was seen by those users.
ENGAGEMENT - Engagement is any form of interaction on your post. There are several ways a user can engage with your content, including:
Likes = This is the number of users that double tapped or tapped the heart icon on your post.
Comments = This is the number of comments your post received.
Saves = This is the number of users that saved your post to refer back to later.
Shares = This is the number of users that sent the post to another account for viewing.
These metrics then contribute to your engagement rate, which is a percentage revealing the level of engagement your post received from those who saw it. The more likes, comments, saves, and shares a post has, the higher that post’s engagement rate.
To calculate the engagement rate of your post, use this formula:
Engagement rate = engagement / impressions OR followers
And remember: Engagement = total number of likes + comments + saves + shares on your post
So, why is this important? A high engagement rate signals to the algorithm that the content is valuable and that users enjoyed seeing it. Therefore, the higher the engagement rate, the higher the chance of the post being pushed to more users by the algorithm. This “push” is done both via users’ home feeds and the explore page.
PROFILE VISITS - This is the number of times your profile was viewed.
WEBSITE CLICKS - This is the number of taps on the website in your profile.
FOLLOWERS - This is the number of accounts that follow you. It is also a vanity metric, meaning it’s a number that can make us feel good but doesn’t really tell us a lot. Regardless, it is a good metric to track routinely, especially if your goal is to increase brand awareness or grow your following.
INFORMING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
While each metric discussed is important to track, here is a breakdown of specific metrics to pay attention to based on certain goals:
If your immediate goal is to increase brand awareness, pay extra attention to and formulate your strategy around increasing…
Followers
Shares
If your immediate goal is to foster a relationship with your current audience, pay extra attention to and formulate your strategy around increasing…
Engagement rate, which is influenced by:
Likes
Comments
Saves
Shares
If your immediate goal is to increase sales, pay extra attention to and formulate your strategy around increasing…
Website clicks
Overall, when tracking analytics, take note of what is doing well and continue doing it. If something is not resonating with your audience as expected, consider trying out something else! Repeat this process each time when tracking monthly social media analytics to continue optimizing your strategy.
HELPFUL TOOLS
This can be A LOT- we know! Luckily, we have plenty of resources available to help you. Here are a few of our most popular:
For general analytics assistance...
For increasing engagement...
For increasing brand awareness/growing your following...
We hope this blog post was helpful for you in learning more about social media analytics! Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram for more tips! See ya on the ‘Gram!
xx- The Homies of Homemade Social
How to Gracefully Quit a Client before they Quit You
Vulnerability SZN over here at MKW Creative Co. Throwing in the towel, sending the white flag, or squealing “uncle” are all ways to Q U I T a project that is just a poor fit for your biz. In this blog, I am outlining how to identify when a project is going south, how to approach quitting the project with your client, and how to end things gracefully so you, the freelancer, come out unscathed.
It’s the situation you dread the most… You get excited about a project, feel like it’s a great fit, and slowly the whole cookie starts to crumble. Eventually, you’re left with a big ol’ mess of crumbs and it’s time to decide if you’re going to spend the time trying to mash pieces together to put the cookie back together again, or decide if it’s time to wipe the plate clean and move on.
Writing this blog today because this just happened to me.
With 5 years of brand design under my belt, I’ve got a pretty good feeling when I talk to a prospective client whether or not we will work well together. However, sometimes there are projects that start optimistically, and end up not working out.
In this blog, I am outlining how to identify when a project is going south, how to approach quitting the project with your client, and how to end things gracefully so you, the freelancer, come out unscathed.
Identify Red Flags
This can be easier said than done, but nonetheless is an important part of the process. I have a running list of red flags (that change often) that I keep close to the vest when speaking with a potential new client. My new project process goes a little like this…
If I get contacted for a new project via email or social media, I will direct them to my contact form. In my contact form, I have some pretty specific questions about the business/business owner regarding their brand. These questions include: mission statement, vision statement, ideal client avatar. If these three fields are left blank then it is a note to me that this person may not be completely dialed in on their business.
After I receive the contact form, I respond back to said client and send them a link to book a video call (via Calendly + Google Calendar). This is another quick test — how are they with technology. My ideal client knows their way around Google Drive, so making sure they know how to login, get set up on, and SHOW UP for a video chat is a major test.
During the video call, I also try and get a sense for what they know about branding. I ALWAYS give them the chance to talk first, and crosscheck their answers against these red flag Qs:
🚩 Do they struggle to talk confidently and consistently about their business idea?
🚩Do they say their ideal client is ‘everyone’?
🚩Can they accurately describe the aesthetic they’re after?
🚩Do they have a realistic budget and timeline?
Know when things are Getting Rocky
Say one slips through the cracks… Now you’re in the thick of it, so how can you tell when things are starting to get rocky? Here are the warning signs that you may not be the best fit:
🚩 Feedback is slow - when I notice that a client takes a long time to respond to an outstanding message this is usually a sign that they aren’t sure what they want, or are unclear on their business mission or goals
🚩 Feedback is contradictory - On this project specifically, we worked together on a brand design questionnaire where we came up with brand adjectives. When the first draft feedback came back, I was a little shocked to hear that the client was looking for something completely different than what she outlined in the questionnaire. This is a great time to have the questionnaire to circle back to.
🚩 You’re backsliding - if you’ve already locked in steps 1, 2 and 3 of your process and the client wants to go back to 1 when you should be on 4, you’ve got a problem
⚠️ BIG WARNING: Micromanagement
I notice that clients who micromanage do so because they don’t trust my expert opinion. Famous micromanagement statements are:
“Can you just try______?”
“Can I just see what it looks like if you ______”
“I saw this online, can you copy that?” (uhhh no way jose)
It is my goal to present the BEST POSSIBLE solutions to my clients at every point in the process because I am a professional. Someone who wants to do your job for you doesn’t trust your expert opinion.
The Graceful Exit
If you get the sense that a project should be over, give yourself the opportunity to quit that client before they quit you. I know personally that I tie up a lot of my self-worth in my work (my love language is words of affirmation, through and through). Being in a creative field on the one hand can be so exciting and rewarding, and on the other can be totally crushing when things don’t work out. When you sense that a project is NOT going to work out, here’s how you can make a graceful exit.
✔️ Point out the friction - identify where the pain points are and offer a solution to talk things out
✔️ Remind them of the terms of your contract, why those terms exist, and why they hired you in the first place - sometimes a gentle nudge to why you started the project is a good reminder
✔️ Give them the out - explain what it looks like to quit the process at the current stopping point and what you can do make the ending easy on them. Will you issue a refund? Provide them with files? Connect them with another professional? Do what is right here, without selling your soul, and your conscience will thank you for it.
✔️Sign off Politely - end things positively! Try your hardest to bite your tongue, and keep emotions out of it.
Brush yourself off, get back in the saddle
Best thing to do when you’re down and out on a project is to channel your energy back into what you ARE good at. For me, that was taking the time to write this blog for all of you. Channeling the feelings of less-than-ness into creativity helps you to get back on the horse and ride off into the sunset.
Just a reminder that no matter where you are in your business, there are STILL projects that don’t go according to plan. Learn the lessons that you can, reconnect with the clients and projects that you DID succeed at/with, and then move on. Now, it’s your turn:
🤔When things don’t go according to plan, how do you get back in the groove?
🤔What can you learn about projects that don’t end up the way you wanted?
🤔 How can you ensure your client stays happy even when you’ve stopped a project?
🤔As a creative, what are your tips for checking your ego at the door?
Sound off in the comments or participate in the discussion over in my facebook group, Kiss my Aesthetic!
7 Books that Changed my Small Biz (for the better)
Being a small biz owner is no joke, and statistically, the majority of Small Businesses will fail within the first 5 years. As I approach my own five year mark (full of failures, lessons, big oopses, by the way) I wanted to take the time to share the business books I have read that really changed not only the way I thought about my small business, but changed the way I thought about myself as a business owner. Here’s a breakdown of my top faves!
Being a small biz owner is no joke, and statistically, the majority of Small Businesses will fail within the first 5 years. As I approach my own five year mark (full of failures, lessons, big oopses, by the way) I wanted to take the time to share the business books I have read that really changed not only the way I thought about my small business, but changed the way I thought about myself as a business owner. Here’s a breakdown of my top faves!
Might as well start off with what might be the obvious choice here. These two books by Jen Sincero are great because you can literally read them in an afternoon. Jen’s writing style is friendly, approachable, and sometimes a nice kick in the …ass regarding treating yourself and your money with the respect they deserve. I love that she encourages ‘abundance’ mindset over ‘depravity’ mindset in not just financial facets of our lives, but in happiness, too. I think that these books helped me to consider how what I tell myself paves the path for what materializes.
3. The Power of Habit: Why we do What we Do in Life and Business
I love this book by Charles Duhigg because it looks into the science of our habits and how habits become so ingrained that we forget that we are doing them. He breaks down in great detail about how our ‘keystone habits’ can trigger larger life changes so that we can change the habits that we feel stuck in.
The habits I am looking to break are my ‘unproductive’ habits… mindlessly scrolling instagram, falling into Pinterest rabbit holes, or spending too too long looking at a project without getting up, moving around, taking a break, and giving my brains and eyeballs a break. I like having this book on habits nearby to remind me that these ‘habits’ are all programmable in our own brains, and that we have the power to do something different about them.
This book is an absolute classic. I love the old-timey sounding punctuation that Napoleon Hill uses throughout that makes it feel like a very enthusiastic college lecture.
My biggest takeaway from this one is the anecdote he tells in the beginning about his son who was born without the ability to heal. Instead of taking pity on his son, or treating his affliction like he was less than everyone else, Hill instead raised his son with the idea that he was more special than everyone else. Hill says he '“wished his son to hear, so he did” which is part confidence, part manifestation, and part stopping at nothing to find solutions… All of which are super powerful lessons in mindset and business. I think this book is a great read for anyone who needs a little oomph in their goal setting, financially and otherwise.
5. Contagious: Why Things Catch On
The internet says there is no one else more well versed in why things go viral than Jonah Berger. When I read this book (back in 2015 by now, but literally picking it up again to re-read tonight) I remember enjoying how Berger explains exclusivity, social currency and social proof. For example, he talks about how airlines game-ified the points system, making their different membership levels into status symbols (I totally fall for bougie ‘insiders-only’ stuff like this and you probably do too).
Berger’s book made be think about how I can create these moments in the brands that I create for my clients. How can we add that extra level of detail, that extra hint or sprinkle that only the BEST of the BEST of that brand’s clients know about and appreciate? Like Disney’s hidden Mickey phenomenon… ideas that spread through word of mouth have much longer and stronger business legs in the long run.
6. Big Magic
Elizabeth Gilbert is a great read if you’re down for a little kooky woo-woo in your life. I for sure dabble in woo-woo-ness so this book was another quick and easy read for me.
Although a lot of her book felt a little predictable, the one that stuck with me is her explanation of how ideas exist in the universe in search of a host, and that it is possible to sit on an idea for too long, and that that idea might just move on to the next host (which explains the phenomenon of seeing the infomercial for the exact invention you wanted to create, but never did). I like this theory because it encourages us to act on our ideas as they come to us, to brainstorm on them, flesh them out, then decide if they are meant to be, or meant to move on. I have ideas like this anywhere between 5-20x a day. I get so many ideas that I will write them in the steam on the shower doors, only committing them to paper or laptop if I am still thinking about them by the time I get out of the shower. I love that Glibert brings the idea, of ideas, and illustrates them as being energetic bodies instead of random synapse firings.
7. The Art of Thinking Clearly
This last one came recommended by a good friend of mine who I think is particularly intelligent. :) The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli is not so much a business book as it is a life book. The best part about this one is that each little story is only a few pages, and leaves you with a good idea of why our brains work the way that they do, and what our inherent biases are towards others, towards our situation, towards ourselves, and towards the world as a whole.
The small anecdotes make this a great travel or beach read, because you can easily share the stories like “Why You Shouldn’t be Friends with Supermodels” and “Why you see Shapes in Clouds.” There are soooo many good nuggets in here that make you think “yeah, well duh” in a way that you wouldn’t have been able to put into words yourself, which I think is why I like it so much.
Which ones am I missing? Let me know in the comments, shoot me a DM or send a carrier pigeon!