The Kate Show – "Your 2026 Marketing Must-Do's"

Host: Kate, Socialite Agency
Date: December 1, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Kate Show, Kate offers a clear-eyed, practical recap of the essential marketing tactics home industry professionals should focus on for 2026. Directing her tips to interior designers, home stagers, professional organizers, and window treatment specialists, Kate covers where business owners are inadvertently wasting their marketing budgets and energy—especially on social media and Google Ads—while highlighting proven strategies like email marketing and quality content creation that drive real ROI. This episode is data-driven, honest, and sharply focused on actionable advice for high-end home service businesses.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Stop Wasting Time & Money: Social Media’s Real ROI

[03:04 – 11:15]

• Kate’s Position: Social media is overrated for high-end home industry pros. Most are not gaining significant business, yet spend huge amounts of time/money on content or managers.
• “I have become infamous for being the marketer that doesn’t have social media... others are concerned, and still others are intrigued. I know, I’m such a unicorn.” – Kate [04:58]
• Industry Data:
  • Only 17-20% of interior designers find social media "very effective" for bringing in clients ([Forbes/Home Trust studies]).
  • 80% say word of mouth is far more effective, driving at least 5x more sales.
  • Only 40% of highly successful designers even bother to maintain socials—overuse deters affluent clientele who value privacy.
• AI Input: Kate asked Grok AI about this:
  • “Social media is not the most reliable for direct connections with affluent clients where privacy and personal networks dominate.” [10:12]
• Actionable Take: If you’re reviewing budgets, social media should be the first cut unless you can clearly measure results.

2. Google Ads: A Costly Crutch for Website Problems

[11:15 – 15:12]

• Designers often spend $150–$2,000+ monthly on Google Ads but get little ROI or unqualified leads.
• Common patterns:
  • Traffic but no client inquiries
  • No website analytics tracking
  • Reliance on ads due to a weak website (SEO/AIO not in place)
• “Get the website fixed and then you’ll find you don’t even need to pay for Google Ads.” – Kate [14:00]

3. Doubling Down on Email Marketing: The Underrated Powerhouse

[15:15 – 18:54]

• Email marketing remains the most profitable channel:
  • 40x more effective than social media for selling.
  • ROI over 3,000%.
  • Used by 80%+ of small businesses for acquisition & retention.
• Past clients are fertile ground for future jobs & referrals.
• “If you’re not doing email marketing yet, I don’t know what you’re doing.” – Kate [16:45]
• Best Practice: Send newsletters every 2–4 weeks.

4. The 2025 Google Overhaul: SEO & AIO Essentials

[18:54 – 28:55]

• Recent Algorithm Updates:
  • March 2025: Google rewarded long, high-quality, text-heavy content. Minimalist sites lose out.
  • June 2025: Emphasis on human authorship/original content. Pure AI-generated posts get penalized.
  • Introduction of new algorithms:
    • Movera (M-U-V-E-R-A): Prioritizes full-topic coverage, delivering results users truly want.
    • GFM Algorithm: Ranks based on web interconnectedness and trustworthy backlinks.
• Practical Guidance:
  • Avoid thin, fluffy, or shallow content
  • Don’t rely on unedited AI content; Google detects and demotes it
  • “You can certainly use AI to bolster… but you can’t just say, go write this and expect things to turn out well for you.” – Kate [25:00]

5. EEAT Guidelines: What Actually Works for SEO/AIO

[28:55 – 32:05]

• EEAT: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness—the gold standards for Google now.
• “Of all these EEAT guidelines, this is probably the easiest one to follow. Like, don’t make crap up. Okay, we won’t. No big deal.” – Kate [31:30]
• Rely on real, personal expertise and detailed, unique coverage. Use AI only to help, not replace, your input.

2026 Marketing Must-Do’s: The Master Checklist

A. Website

[32:05 – 36:10]

• Comprehensive Core Pages: About, Services, Home—with backgrounds, qualifications, achievements, clear business info, and service areas.
• Showcase Testimonials/Case Studies & Add Schema Markup: Helps with credibility and Google rankings.
• Keep Content Updated & Client-Focused: Don’t just talk about your mission; focus on the client’s needs and pain points.
• Avoid Black-Hat SEO Tricks: No keyword stuffing, hidden text, or over-optimization schemes.

B. Blogging

[36:10 – 39:25]

• Consistency & Quality:
  • 1–2 blog posts per month, minimum 1500 words each.
  • Use original insights — avoid fluff or pure AI output.
• Technical Structure:
  • Use headings (H1, H2, H3) for readability/voice search.
  • Place primary keywords naturally (in titles, intros, meta descriptions).
• No Clickbait: Titles must truly reflect content.
• Focus: Offer unique analysis/insights.

C. Email Marketing

[39:26 – 43:57]

• Newsletter Structure:
  • One topic per email (300–400 words).
  • Include 1–4 images, a headshot, & mini-bio.
  • Frequency: 2x monthly to all warm contacts.
• Strategy:
  • Don’t send DIY topics or redirect to blog posts (keeps them moving forward in funnel).
  • Avoid hard sales pitches (unless justified, e.g., an unusual sale—not for services).
  • Highlight case studies, indirect angles on your services, and personal/professional insights.
• Quote:
  • “Your services should never be on sale—they should be for sale, but never on sale because you are not cheap.” – Kate [41:40]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Social Media ROI:
  • “Was it worth it? … None of it puts money in your pocket and that’s kind of what we’re in business to do.” – Kate [01:55, 06:15]
• On Google’s SEO Changes:
  • “Those very chic, minimal websites…yeah, they don’t work anymore.” – Kate [20:40]
• On Blogging:
  • “Shallow short content does not work anymore when it comes to blogging.” – Kate [38:30]
• On AI Usage:
  • “AI hallucinates like crazy and it will make crap up. So that’s another good reason to avoid having AI write something for you from start to finish.” – Kate [30:40]
• Final Encouragement:
  • “Keep your marketing simple, your message clear, and do not lose yourself in the process, because there is much more to your life than marketing or running a business.” – Kate [43:36]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:04] — Social Media: Usefulness (or lack thereof) in high-end home industries
• [11:15] — Google Ads: Common pitfalls & underlying issues
• [15:15] — Email marketing: Stats & why it still works
• [18:54] — Google’s 2025 algorithm updates (SEO/AIO)
• [28:55] — EEAT and what it means for content strategy
• [32:05] — Website essentials for 2026
• [36:10] — Blogging guidelines for best results
• [39:26] — Strategic email marketing for referrals & retention

Key Takeaways

• Social media and Google Ads are often money pits for most high-end home service pros—track your results and don’t be afraid to cut these if ROI isn’t clear.
• Email marketing and in-depth, client-focused content are where you should invest both time and dollars.
• Google rewards original, well-structured, human-authored content now more than ever.
• AI is a great assistant—don’t let it become your ghostwriter.
• Structure your marketing to put people (your clients) first and push everything else to the background.

For more actionable marketing advice, visit: www.katethesocialite.com