Advertising in 2026

It’s a new year. And if you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, or decision-maker, you’ve probably asked yourself at least one of these questions recently:

What am I going to do differently this year?
Is my business going to make it?
How do I turn this thing on its head?
How do I make more money—or feel more fulfilled doing it?

Whether you’re a general manager, a marketer, or the owner carrying the full weight of the business, those questions are universal. And before you spiral too far down that path, let me stop you right there and tell you something important:

There is always more to do.
There is always more money to be made.
There is always more fulfillment available.
There is more opportunity in the world than most people can even comprehend.
The real question isn’t whether it exists.

The question is how do we access it—and how do we create enough value and make good enough choices to put ourselves in a position of peace, comfort, and long-term success.

That’s where advertising comes in.

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The Moment Every Business Eventually Reaches

In my industry, we see it happen the same way over and over again.

A business owner finally reaches a point—usually after exhausting every DIY option—where they sit in a meeting, or at their desk late at night, and think:

“Okay. It’s time.”

Time to stop patching things together.
Time to stop relying on templates, quick fixes, or free tools.
Time to stop hoping the website “figures itself out.”
Maybe it’s finally committing to professional advertising.
Maybe it’s finally building a real website.
Maybe it’s finally asking for help.

What I find fascinating—almost funny—is how little hesitation most businesses have when it comes to hiring employees… and how much hesitation they have when it comes to investing in advertising.

We’ll hire a human being without blinking.
But we’ll overthink advertising a million times.

The Employee That Never Sleeps

Let me put this into perspective.

Imagine you could hire an employee for $60,000 a year.

This employee:

Never sleeps
Never takes a day off
Always says exactly what you want them to say
Says it perfectly, every time
Shows up where your customers already are
Speaks in front of thousands of people every single day
Works 24/7, 365 days a year
Never burns out
Never turns off

You would hire that employee without hesitation.

That’s advertising—when it’s done right.

The reluctance most business owners feel toward advertising isn’t logical. It’s not financial. It’s a mindset issue.

Advertising has been mislabeled as a luxury, a gamble, or something to do later—when the truth is, it should be foundational.

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Why the Industry Lost Trust (And Why That’s Fair)

Here’s the part advertisers don’t like to admit. Our industry has failed people—repeatedly. Agencies have used clients as testing grounds. Inexperienced advertisers have oversold results. Tools were sold instead of understanding. Relationships were skipped in favor of tactics. And I don’t blame business owners for being skeptical. That’s why it matters who this article is written by.

I’ve been in advertising for over 15 years. I started my company before Instagram had video, before Facebook was a serious business tool, before social media was even considered advertising. I went door to door with flyers, business to business, learning how to talk to people and learning how to listen. I’m 44 years old. I live in a small town in Northern Idaho. I have a wife, four daughters, a dog, and two cats. I’m not trying to “hack” anything. I’m building things that last. And what I’m genuinely good at is translating the emotion, intention, and value of a business into a message its audience can actually understand and act on. That doesn’t happen by accident. And it doesn’t happen overnight.

Advertising Is a Relationship, Not a Switch

Advertising is not turnkey. It’s not something you pick off a shelf like a grocery item and expect it to work automatically. It’s a relationship. Think about your marriage or your closest relationship. If you chose that person and then put the relationship on autopilot—no communication, no effort, no working through issues—it would fail. Quickly. The same is true with your business and its audience.

Your business has a voice. Your customers are listening—whether you’re speaking clearly or not. Advertising is the ongoing work of clarifying that voice, learning how it’s received, adjusting when it’s misunderstood, and strengthening the relationship over time. Sometimes, you need someone like me to create balance between what you’re trying to say and how it’s being heard. That balance isn’t a one-time task. It’s ongoing.

Advertising Should Be Treated Like Your Electric Bill

Here’s a simple truth. Your advertising should be as important as your electric bill. You don’t call the power company asking for ROI. You don’t ask your landlord what the monthly return is on your lease. You just know you need it. Advertising is the same. It’s not just a lead source. It’s not just content. It’s not just videos or websites. It’s infrastructure.

Tools Don’t Build Houses—Craftsmen Do

Video, websites, graphics—these are tools.

Just like a hammer or a saw.

When someone hires a carpenter, the carpenter doesn’t sell themselves by laying out their tools. They sell their experience, their care, their understanding, and their ability to build something that stands.

Real advertising is emotional.

It’s relational.

It’s rooted in listening.

And as this industry matures, the noise will fade. The people who don’t know what they’re doing will get weeded out. And business owners will start to understand that who you choose matters far more than what you choose.

The Point of All This

If you have a quality product or service, there is a way to advertise it in a way that:

Automates your message
Clarifies your value
Reduces your workload
Increases your earning potential

Advertising isn’t optional if you want longevity.

It’s essential.

I’ll be writing more articles like this moving forward. This one was written by the owner. My name is Corey Jeppesen, and I own Bahlr. I’m looking for clients who are aligned with this way of thinking—who see advertising not as a gamble, but as a responsibility to their business. Reach out anytime. I’m easy to find. And if I’m not, then I’m not doing my job as an advertiser.
Happy New Year.

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