So when we consider all that goes into marketing, the big “why’s of marketing” we often hear from clients are . . .
“Why is marketing necessary for my business to succeed?”
“Why do I have to embrace digital marketing?”
“Why is marketing going to make my business any different than other businesses?”
“Why do I need to establish a brand?”
“Why should I consider outsourcing my marketing to Paragon Marketing Group?”
And we could go on. Now, you might have asked or heard different why’s, and that’s okay. But in some way or other, marketing impacts all of us, every single day. And as a business owner, understanding marketing isn’t just essential to running your business; marketing will help establish your business in the industry and expand its reach.
5 Why’s of Marketing You Should Consider
If you’re a small business owner, here are some “why’s of marketing” you should consider . . .
Which “why’s” should you consider when it comes to your marketing?
Why Is Marketing Necessary for Your Business to Succeed?
Marketing will help your business succeed because it . . .
Creates awareness of your products or services
Builds relationships with customers
Establishes your credibility as a business
Gives you valuable information so you can measure your success
Helps you compete in the marketplace
Why Should You Embrace Marketing?
Unlike traditional marketing methods, digital marketing . . .
Is cost-effective, scalable, and measurable
Not limited to geography
Allows you to target the right audience for your business
Gives your business more touchpoints with customers
Why Is Marketing Going to Make Your Business Stand Out from Others?
Marketing will help your business stand out because it . . .
Offers you the ability to show and tell why your business is different from others
Gives you endless opportunities to set your business apart from competitors
Provides a place for you to engage with customers to find out exactly what they want
Offers social proof (testimonials, reviews) of your business’s success
Why Do You Need to Establish a Brand?
Establishing your brand will . . .
Corroborate your business’s credibility
Increase customers’ familiarity with your business
Convert interest into sales
Build trust with your customers
Why Should You Consider Outsourcing Your Marketing to Paragon Marketing Group?
Paragon Marketing Group is worth hiring because . . .
We can run your marketing, while you focus on running your business
Together, we have more than 60 years of combined experience that covers every aspect of marketing
We desire to help organizations, whether they’re personal, corporate, or anything in between
We specialize in helping small businesses, startup businesses, Christian businesses, and nonprofits
We promise to work with you every step of the way so we can make your vision a reality
So . . . have we convinced you that marketing your small business is absolutely essential? Okay, maybe you still have some questions. Or, maybe you’re already trying your hand at marketing your business yourself. If that’s the case, we have some good news for you:
You started — and that’s often the hardest part. But if you’re looking for help or advice, or maybe just need someone to take some of the marketing off your plate, that’s exactly what we’re here for. Contact us by visiting our website at paragonmarketinggroup.com or call us at 262-443-9092. We can’t wait to help you!
Want to learn more about this topic? Check out our podcast, the Main Street Marketing Podcast, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your audio platform of choice.
“Why should I hire you if I can just figure it all out myself?” This is a common question we’ve heard when we talk about why you should outsource your marketing.
And that’s a great question. This might not apply to EVERY business. But most small businesses that are struggling to juggle everything are going to want to hear this. So here are 5 reasons we think it’s time for MOST businesses to outsource their marketing.
Feeling overwhelmed? Maybe it’s time to outsource your marketing!
5 Reasons to Outsource Your Marketing
1. You’re Juggling Too Many Things
When you have to do everything yourself, two things often happen:
You can’t perform every task at a high level because you’re too busy trying to do everything, so often you’re unable to give the necessary attention to all aspects of your business; OR
You forget about or give up on trying to do everything, so things like marketing fall by the wayside because you don’t have the time to dedicate to it.
If you see yourself in either or both of those situations, you’re not alone. You’re just juggling too many things, like this business owner.
2. You’re Focused on the Short Term
Like all good things in life, marketing takes time. And that time is a commitment you make to really invest in your business. But most business owners are often just trying to get through the next day, the next week, or the next month. And when it comes to marketing, this mindset is doomed to fail. Why? Because you’re focused on just the short term. It’s time to change your focus.
How do you start thinking with a long-term perspective? Since marketing strategies need regular planning and constant attention, you can start seeing results over time. Unfortunately, it is a rare business owner who can dedicate enough time to create a long-term plan specific to marketing.
That’s why many business owners will throw ideas at the wall and hope for the best. But this rarely works, if ever. And that’s why outsourcing your marketing to a team with the time can prepare your business to be successful over the long term.
3. You’re Losing Valuable Time
We often think of most things to purchase in terms of cost. How much is this lunch going to cost me? Am I going to have enough money to spend on my daughter’s dream wedding? How many dollars did your spouse just spend on that boat?! But what about the cost of your time . . . ?
If you’ve noticed a common thread through all these points, is that in most cases, business owners don’t have the luxury of time to dedicate to marketing. Ask yourself what all you could accomplish if you didn’t have to do all or any marketing by yourself.
Or maybe you haven’t spent much time on marketing, but it’s something you wish you had time for. A great marketing plan takes time and effort to create. And we’d love to help you do that!
4. You’re Limited to Only One Person’s Knowledge
Now maybe you or someone on staff has some marketing experience. That’s awesome! But what if you could multiply that knowledge? Together at Paragon Marketing Group, we offer more than 50 years of experience covering every aspect of marketing. Imagine what you could accomplish with so much more knowledge!
Let’s say you don’t have a background in marketing, but you’re considering hiring a person in-house. Now, this isn’t a bad solution, but consider the difference between hiring a full team of marketing experts as opposed to paying a single person a salary.
5. You Could Have So Many More Services at Your Disposal
Outsourcing your marketing truly does come with its perks. Consider all the additional services you could have employed for your business:
That’s a lot of services! And you could have all of them at your disposal if you outsource your marketing to a full-service group like Paragon!
You now have 5 great reasons to consider outsourcing your marketing.
Now it’s pretty natural to have doubts or uncertainties about moving forward. It’s a big step. So as you have questions, talk to us. We’d love to discuss things further and find out how we can really take your marketing to the next level, and relieve that pressure you’ve been facing to do everything yourself.
You can contact us by visiting our website at paragonmarketinggroup.com or call us at 262-443-9092. We’d love to hear from you.
Want to learn more about this topic? Check out our podcast, the Main Street Marketing Podcast, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your audio platform of choice.
Everyone’s heard that this time of year is the “season of giving.” And it certainly is. But this season is also really busy, overwhelming, stressful, and challenging. Often, finding ways to say “thanks” to our family and friends, much less to our customers, falls to the bottom of our never-ending to-do lists. But if you ever stop and really think about why you’re in business, why you do what you do, it always comes back to your customers. And your customers are what allow you to maintain and stay in business. So this holiday season, we challenge you to show customer appreciation.
5 Creative Ways to Show Customer Appreciation This Holiday Season
Most businesses choose to go the common routes – the holiday card, the fruit basket, the 20% off coupon. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with thanking your customers those ways. But we’re going to offer you 5 creative ways that are a little “out of the box” to show your customers how much you appreciate them:
1. Personalize Your Holiday Gifts
Have you ever received a gift and felt like the giver didn’t know you at all? This is often what happens when businesses send out generic gifts, such as mass-produced holiday cards or pretty gift baskets where half the food tastes stale. If you’re sending holiday cards, try handwriting a message. If you’re going to send a food basket, go the extra step and find out if that customer has allergies or food preferences. Whatever holiday gift you choose to send, make sure it’s personalized.
Now this might not be the most creative way to show your customers appreciation, but it might be one of the most fun ways to thank them for their business. If you have a brick & mortar office, this could be a great option for you. If not, you could consider renting out a small (or large) meeting space to have food, drinks, and plenty of holiday cheer to thank your customers in person.
The holidays might be the most common time of year for businesses to donate to charities. And that’s okay! It’s a great bandwagon to jump on, and there are many creative ways in which you can thank your customers by paying it forward. Ask your customers which charities are most meaningful to them, and then plan to donate to those! Or, invest a percentage of profits into local charities that will benefit your community overall.
So if you’ve been following along with our blog, you might recall our 12 Tips of Holiday Marketing post! Either way, we like the number 12. Put a cool twist on the 12 days of Christmas and instead, highlight 12 different customers for 12 days on your website or social media sites. Highlight what makes them a great customer or partner, and how much you appreciate their business.
5. Give Away Gift Cards . . . for Other Businesses
Okay, now this might seem counterintuitive. But we promise, it’s not. As a small or startup business, having the support of your local community is everything. And what a great time the holidays are to set the focus on other businesses. Whether you want to host a giveaway, or simply surprise customers with gift cards for neighboring businesses, this is sure to be a hit with your customers, and a reminder of what your business prioritizes.
We know this time of year is busy, but taking a few extra steps to show customer appreciation can go a long way. If you ever need help thinking of new, creative ways to thank your customers, we’re just a phone call away at Paragon Marketing Group. Call us today at (262) 443-9092.
Blink, and the holiday season is almost upon us! But did you know the holiday marketing season is already here? Which begs the question: are you ready? Despite inflation, this holiday season could likely experience record-high spending. We want to help you prepare your business by offering our top 12 holiday marketing tips.
12 Holiday Marketing Tips
Now, you might be wondering why 12 tips. Why not 5 or 10? Well, there are 12 days of Christmas. Jesus had 12 disciples. There are 12 months in a year. And you probably need to prepare for what could be your busiest month of sales, which also happens to be during the 12th month of the year. Plus, we’re fans of the number 12. So without further ado, here are our 12 holiday marketing tips:
Use our top holiday marketing tips this season to prepare your business for the holidays!
1. Be Honest with Buyers
It goes without saying that you should be honest with your customers. And now more than ever, people crave authenticity in this highly commercialized season we refer to as “the holidays.” Maybe you’re struggling to offer a certain service or product due to supply issues. Tell your customers upfront. Or perhaps you’ve had to make significant changes to your business due to economic pressures. Either way, communicating the truth will establish your business’s credibility and build trustworthiness with customers.
The holidays are overstuffed with commercialism, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a meaningful way to connect with them. A handwritten and/or photo card creates connection with customers and offers a glimpse of the person behind the business. Or, you could always send a digital holiday card that could be the start of a marketing campaign. Whichever way you do it, don’t miss out on this chance to connect with your customers.
Most consumers expect their holiday shopping to be affected by inflation this year. This creates a great opportunity for business owners to highlight deals, discounts, and special sales. Shoppers will be looking for new, creative ways to save money. With everyone feeling the impact of trying financial times, there’s no better time to offer holiday deals for frugal spenders.
Unfortunately, since the outbreak of Covid-19, many businesses have struggled to keep up with high demand and supply chain issues. Now is the perfect time to get your gift cards ready. Not only do they make great gifts for business partners or faraway friends and family, but the numbers are also in your favor: last holiday season saw a 27% increase in gift cards.
For many people, the holiday season is not so much the “most wonderful time of the year,” but rather the most stressful time of the year. All of us can recall a time when we weren’t treated with respect by a business. Or, maybe we had a terrible experience, but the business had no solutions to offer. Sometimes it’s easy to forget what it’s like to be the customer. So as you make your marketing plans for the holiday season, make sure you’re keeping your customers in the front of your mind when making decisions.
More people are shopping on their smartphones and tablets today, and you want your digital presence ready for the season, too. Whether you’re B2B or B2C, your site visitors want to have a pleasant online experience. Why is this so important? It will keep them on your site longer, AND make them more likely to purchase if it’s easy. Optimizing your site for mobile will enable your page to load faster and could play a big role in increasing your sales, especially with increased web traffic around the holidays.
When in doubt of where to start with your holiday marketing plan, look at how your business performed during last year’s holiday season. Whether you want to do a deep dive into Google Analytics, consider former successful (or failed) marketing campaigns, or repeat small changes that unexpectedly increased sales, historical information often offers a wealth of information.
How many times have you unsubscribed from businesses that seemed like they had nothing better to do than spam your email inbox? Now email marketing is a valuable, tried and true marketing method. But especially around the holidays, consumers receive countless emails. Even multiple per day from the same company! Give your email subscribers the gift of limited emails this holiday season.
Social media is an ideal marketing channel to use year-round, and there’s no exception to that fact this holiday season. Nearly three quarters of global marketers utilize social media marketing, and you should too. In addition to paid advertising, posting giveaways or contests on social media is a great way to capture organic leads during the holidays.
Now more than ever, businesses need to offer proof that their product or service is, indeed, worth it. And while there are many ways to approach that, user reviews act as a great proof of concept. Whether you’re highlighting 5-star reviews on your website, showcasing well-known customers, or filming a moving testimonial, the holiday season is the time to emphasize positive user reviews.
It’s not just our homes, vehicles, or boats that need winterizing in Wisconsin (or anywhere north, for that matter). Don’t neglect your online marketing presence. Updating your Facebook cover photo, using a catchy blog post title (we think ours is pretty good!), or giving your website a festive look will get your customers in the holiday spirit while also demonstrating your business’s attention to detail and ability to stay current.
There are so many ways you can maximize your marketing for the holiday season! We hope these holiday marketing tips will help your business succeed and sell during the holidays. Whether you’re gearing up for a busy shopping time or just need help with your marketing, contact Paragon Marketing Group for all your seasonal and non-seasonal marketing needs.
When it comes to video marketing, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. There are so many places consumers view video today – billboards, social media, websites, TV, search engines, apps. Plus, people are no longer watching video just on their TVs or computers. Now it’s convenient to watch on smartphones, tablets, and even e-readers. Which is all the more reason it’s important to update your video marketing for your business.
Why Should You Update Your Video Marketing?
Here are three reasons you should update your video marketing now:
1. Your Aesthetics & Content Need A Refresh
Retro TV, VCR, and soda cans
Now if your video marketing hasn’t changed since the 1990s, you don’t need us to tell you they desperately need an update. But it’s not the 2000s or even 2010s anymore either, The Internet is constantly changing, and so should your online presence, video included. Are the people, the styles, the objects, or the technology in your videos outdated? A good way to find out is to put yourself in the following fictional scenario: If you were to approach a potential customer in person wearing the same style, showing the same objects, and using the same technology in your videos, would that customer be more focused on your appearance or your message?
Perhaps it’s not the tangible items that need to change in your video marketing. Is data or information in your video current? Today’s consumers are highly intelligent. With new information readily available online, having updated, accurate information in your video marketing is vital if you want customers to take your business seriously.
It’s certainly good news when your customer base is expanding. But with growth comes change. Remember when we mentioned there are so many ways for people to consume video today? That means your video marketing net should widen to capture more demographics and types of people. While every business has its target demographic, limiting your video marketing to attract a narrow set of people increases your potential to lose sales and customers.
Have you heard of the term “ad fatigue”? Elevato describes it as “a phenomenon that occurs when an audience becomes desensitized to an ad set causing ad efficiency to decrease.” In simpler terms, people are tired of seeing ads. This reinforces our earlier point: video is everywhere. But as a business who wants to stand out in the crowd rather than get lost in the shuffle, your video ads need to be different. How? By telling a story. Stop selling! People have been telling stories since the beginning of time. Your video marketing might have current content and subject matter, but if you’re trying to sell rather tell, you probably need to update your videos.
Another element that can impact your videos’ reach relates to branding. Video marketing is a great way to reinforce your brand using your logo, brand colors, and even tone. Does your company have a mission? Make sure every video you put out there reflects it. Does your company sell a humorous product? Or is your company a non-profit with a serious mission? Whatever tone your business adopts, be sure to create video content that aligns with your company’s vision.
If there’s one takeaway here, it’s that video isn’t going anywhere. We encourage you to review your video marketing and ask yourself the following questions: Is the subject matter or information out of date? Are your videos failing to capture more demographics? Do your videos reflect your company’s mission and vision? Is your brand obvious in your videos?
Before we became the full-marketing agency you know as Paragon Marketing Group today, we were formerly a video production company. And with that experiences comes a world of knowledge that we are passionate about sharing with other businesses, just like yours. If you’re ready to update your video marketing, contact us today!
