It is the Year of the Horse, and it’s started off very strong for very many businesses. The Chinese zodiac calendar has been used for centuries, and it helps signify the changing times as well as age-old traditions that still remain impactful. Interestingly enough, this Chinese Year can teach people a lot about product marketing and how any company can turn into a fierce dragon.

Here are some of the lessons that all product marketers can learn from the Year of the Horse as well as the Chinese Zodiac in general.

What is the Year of the Horse?

The Chinese calendar signifies that this year is specifically the year of the wooden Horse. The wooden material signifies strength and stability while also symbolizing great decision makers. Product marketers should be interested in having all of these qualities to become successful.

The Horse zodiac symbolized persistence and the ability to endure a wide range of changes. In a very similar manner, the product marketing industry has endured and evolved as tools change the meet the need of the world. However, there still need to be some same basic foundations in place that are successful to this day. Things like e-mails, press releases, and calendar posts will still bring in successful results. As you can see, the Chinese understand the importance of blending old and new things to create something strong and everlasting.

Knowing what to Remove

Those who recently participated in the New Year’s celebrations know that families will clean out their homes in order to remove any past misfortunes and make room for future luck. This basic concept can also be applied to the business world. It’s important to look at what’s working and what isn’t. If something wasn’t successful previously, it’s time to remove it and replace it with something that’s more beneficial.

Take time to think about how the past year was and what “misfortunes” you encountered. Understand that you must move forward to grow and that what was successful before may not be relevant any longer. If you want a more literal definition, most people can also tidy up their offices for a cleaner work environment as well.

Bringing Everyone Together

The New Year’s celebration is a time for family to come together and reconnect. In a similar manner, marketing professionals need to create better interactions with their colleagues. They are the “family” that you are spending your days with and can contribute to your success. Any successful product marketer knows that teamwork is essential, and you need to make sure that everyone is working together as one. Check the goals that everyone has and make sure they match up and that nobody feels left out. If you work together as a true team, you’ll be able to reach your goals faster and you may even be able to come up with some new ideas to mix things up and streamline the entire process.

Don’t Be Afraid to Try Something New

The year of the Horse signifies freedom, and there are plenty of brand new adventures to be had in this New Year. Don’t stick to what you know because you feel comfortable, try something new and see how it works for you. Gartner analyst, Ben Pring, writes that “Any new idea emerges within the context of established ideas. To gain attention amid well-known, well—understood ideas that have their subscribers, a new idea or approach needs a way to both differentiate itself and attract attention.”

One of the best examples of this is the use of social media. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are great areas for a company to grow in, yet very few actually take advantage of the opportunity. The website Social Media Today predicts that social media markets will double in 5 years, so why not start making a difference today? One great example is how Twitter gave one business a 15% conversion of leads to sales, just by doing live tweets.  Each platform has a different set of rules that must be followed, so be sure to learn each one and master it so that you can reach the highest number of customers and clients out there. You can answer questions on the fly and even create lasting connections with some of the most vocal clients out there. It’s a great step forward for any company, and you should take advantage of it. Gartner highlights social media’s unique capabilities to engage customers. Pring writes, “Social media is the perfect format and forum for introducing (and continually reintroducing) yourself, your ideas and your offering to anybody and everybody. Your passion and excitement about your “crusade” can be communicated through incremental, additive, ongoing articles, blogs and tweets that build your presence and reputation.”

Another great example is online guidance systems, such as WalkMe. These great tools can educate a user on something new and even help train your staff while they are working on the job. It’s a great way to teach people without wasting resources.

You won’t grow if you don’t try something new. You are the only person holding yourself back, and the same can be said about a company. Take a risk and see how it can pay off in this year of freedom.

Be the Dragon of the Industry!

No matter what year you live in, you should always do your best to become a mighty dragon and conquer the industry. You can’t do that without some flexibility and freedom, and the year of the Horse is a great year to start out on the right foot. Learn from your past mistakes and ensure that this year is one that is full of growth and prosperity.