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Your Marketing Can’t Take a Vacation

It’s summer time! The sun is shining, the temperature is up, students are out on summer break, and many people are getting ready to go on vacation. You might also be preparing to go on a much needed (and well-deserved) vacation. But just because you can go on vacation doesn’t mean your marketing should.

Today, we’re going to give you three reasons why your marketing can’t take a vacation . . .

3 Reasons Your Marketing Can’t Take a Vacation

It might only seem fair that your marketing should get a break (or better, you), but we stand firm behind these three reasons your marketing shouldn’t stop over the summer months.

Don’t let your marketing take a vacation this summer . . .

1. Your Business Will Take a Hit

If you’ve read any of our former posts, you’ve probably heard us say this many times before, but we’ll say it again: you should view marketing as an investment, not an expense.

Marketing has so many positive functions in your business. It . . .

Informs and educates people about your business and your products/services.
Keeps your customers engaged and builds credibility not just for your current customers but also for your new customers.
Enhances your business’s reputation from having a professional website to represent your business, to five-star reviews on your Google profile, to great customer service on your social media profiles.
Gives you leads and generates interest in your business which leads to sales.
Grows your business as you implement marketing strategies.

So if you understand even just a little bit about how much value marketing offers your business, imagine what would happen if you stopped marketing altogether.

Let’s say you stopped updating your website. You stopped Google ads, didn’t bother updating videos on your site from 10 years ago, and stopped posting to your social media profiles. Your digital graphics are at least 7 years old. Your Google profile doesn’t have your business’s updated address, hours, or phone number. You stopped implementing SEO keywords into your blog, website, and social media strategy.

Alone, these issues might not seem like a big deal. But when you start to look at the big picture, you’ll notice that when you stop marketing your business, you have a LOT to lose, like . . .

Leads, because they’ve never heard of your business.
Credibility, because your listings aren’t up-to-date.
Engagement, because you stopped engaging with them.
Reputation, because your site and graphics aren’t professional.
Visibility, because you aren’t implementing SEO.
An edge over competitors, because they didn’t stop marketing . . . YOU did.

2. Your Competitors Won’t Take a Vacation

Let’s backtrack here for a second.

If you’re a business owner, you’re really busy. You’re juggling a lot. You’re working through the challenge of owning a business and trying to market it at the same time.

Running a business isn’t easy, so of course, trying to do all your business marketing is a major undertaking.

If you’re taking a break from your marketing, you might just feel burnt out. You might be struggling financially and feel like you can’t dedicate any of your budget to marketing. Or you might not even be purposefully taking a marketing vacation . . . maybe you’ve been so busy, you’re just doing as much as you can and marketing is on the back burner.

Whether you’re actively marketing or taking a break, remember this: your competitors aren’t taking a vacation. Your competitors are actively marketing their businesses. They’re going after the same clients as you are. They’re probably viewing your website and trying to find out how they can differentiate themselves from you. Maybe they’re watching your social media strategy and replicating whatever you’re doing because it’s working. Perhaps they’re targeting the same locations as you. They might even have similar brand colors as your business. They’re working to educate their clients – and future clients – on the same things.

So if your competitors aren’t taking a marketing vacation, then guess what . . . you shouldn’t be either!

But what are you supposed to do if you don’t have time for your marketing . . . ?

Well . . .

3. You Have Other Marketing Options

We’ve already established why you shouldn’t take a vacation from your marketing.

And perhaps there’s a good chance that if you are taking a marketing break, it’s not that you want to . . . you just need help.

Think of it like this: when you go on vacation and leave your kids at home, you don’t just tell them, “Hey, have a great week – figure things out!” (Can you imagine what your 5-year-old or 10-year-old would do?)

Or perhaps when you go on vacation, you have a couple dogs. You don’t just leave out the bag of food and wish them good luck. You bring them to a doggy daycare or invite over a trusted friend or relative to watch them.

And for those of us who like plants, we don’t go on vacation for two weeks and never ask anyone to water them . . .

So just like our kids, our pets, and even our plants need looking after when we’re on vacation, so does your marketing.

As a business owner, you might not even remember what it feels like to go on vacation. Most business owners can share stories of working grueling hours, rarely getting enough sleep, and just barely managing their lives outside of work. But sometimes, you deserve to go on vacation.

And the even better news? You can go on that vacation. Just make sure you leave your marketing in trusted hands.

At Paragon Marketing Group, we’re here so you can take the vacation, that well-deserved time off from work. Our tagline says it well:

“You run your business, we’ll run your marketing.
Paragon Marketing Group

You don’t want your business to suffer because you haven’t been marketing. And you don’t want to lose business to your competitors because you don’t have the time to market.

Whether you need to lighten your workload and hand off some of your marketing tasks, or you’re looking to completely get marketing off your plate, Paragon Marketing Group is here to help.

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.

Top 10 Marketing Mistakes

Circling marketing mistakes in pink highlighter

“Don’t be a fool and make these marketing mistakes.”

Um . . . what?

We promise this isn’t a prank or an April Fool’s Joke. We’re not calling anyone a fool. Rather, as a small business, one of our biggest desires is that other business owners not make some of the most common marketing mistakes we’ve seen over the last several years.

Don’t Make These Top 10 Marketing Mistakes

Now maybe you’ve made some of these. Or maybe you’re looking for some tips on how to avoid making these mistakes. Either way, here are the top 10 marketing mistakes we’ve seen:

Business owner pondering what marketing mistakes he's made — Have you ever made any of these marketing mistakes?

Mistake #1

Your business doesn’t have a website OR your website is outdated.

Having a sleek, professional, and updated website is a vital part of your web presence. Not only will a website help your customers find your business online, but it will also give your business more credibility than organizations with just social media sites.

Mistake #2

You aren’t thinking about your mobile viewers.

More customers are conducting business, making purchases, and scheduling appointments on their phones today. So every business needs an attractive, functional, responsive, and mobile-friendly website that will serve your customers where they are and encourage them to spend more time on your site. Because more time on your site means a higher likelihood of them making a purchase.

Mistake #3

You don’t know who your audience is, where to find them, or how to reach them.

This is where marketing strategy comes into play. If you’re just throwing content onto the internet, there’s no way you can track, measure, or even hope for success. Determining who your target audience is (and where to find them) is a crucial step you should take before deciding which marketing channels to use.

Mistake #4

You don’t know who your competitors are or what they’re doing.

As a small business, you have to work even harder to get your message out there when you have competitors. Learning who your competitors are and what they’re doing — as in what’s working and what’s not — is vital to help you differentiate your business from the competition.

Mistake #5

You’re under-utilizing OR over-utilizing your social media channels.

Most people are on at least one social channel, if not several. This is great news, because that means your customers are ready and waiting for your business to interact with them! But successful social media requires a plan. Are you posting once every 6 months, or 6 times a day? You don’t want your audience to forget about you, but you also don’t want to annoy them. Come up with a plan and then consistently post to your social channels.

Mistake #6

Your business is difficult for your customers to find.

Before you can build trust with potential clients, listing your business in leading directories will make your business visible and easy to find. Plus, making your business easy to find in leading applications, search engines, and other directories will provide the validity your business needs to be established online.

Mistake #7

You’re hoping rather than creating a well-thought plan and strategy to accomplish your marketing goals.

We often don’t put enough stock into our plans. It’s so much easier to come up with a few marketing goals and then hope for the best! But marketing goals shouldn’t be just unfulfilled New Year’s resolutions. Schedule time to come up with a plan (or contact us so we can help you make one!), write down all your goals and your plans to accomplish them, and then start executing.

Mistake #8

You aren’t distinguishing your products/services from your competition.

For better or worse, you know you’re not the only business owner selling your product or service. You likely have local, regional, and national competitors vying for the same customers as you. That’s why it’s so important to differentiate your product or service. Ask yourself what separates you from all your competitors. Why should customers buy from you rather than from someone else?

Mistake #9

You’re trying to do all the marketing yourself OR you’re not doing any marketing at all.

Perhaps you’re trying to figure out how to market your business, or maybe you’ve even wondered how much money you should spend on marketing per month. Have you ever wondered how you’re supposed to have time to do all your marketing while trying to run your business? Whether you need to delegate marketing responsibilities to other staff or outsource your marketing altogether, we recommend not trying to do it all yourself. In fact, that’s where our company tagline comes into play: “You run your business, we run your marketing.” If you’re interested in outsourcing any of your marketing, we’d love to help you.

Mistake #10

You consider marketing an expense rather than an investment.

Like all things in life, it’s much easier to focus on the short-term than the long-term. Yes, it does cost money to outsource your marketing, but as a marketing agency, we stand by the belief that it’s so much more a long-term investment in your business rather than a short-term expense.

Let’s face it — no one is perfect at marketing. No business owner has all the answers and can do everything perfectly. In a way, we’re all fools to an extent, because it’s impossible to know everything. And even if we did know everything about running a business, our time can’t fully be dedicated to marketing our businesses.

And that’s really where we come in. At Paragon Marketing Group, we understand exactly what it’s like to feel overwhelmed. We know what it’s like to wear all the hats and juggle all the balls. We’ve been in your shoes before. And that’s why it’s so important that we not only help other small businesses like us, but also be a marketing resource that you can access whenever you need.

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.

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The Why’s of Marketing

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 . . .

A business owner considering the why's of marketing — 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.

marketing Small Business small business marketing

5 Reasons to Outsource Your Marketing

“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.

Business owner feels overwhelmed. He should consider outsourcing his 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.

digital marketing marketing outsourcing Small Business small business marketing

It’s Time To Plan Your Marketing For 2023

A marketer pointing to a graph on his computer to demonstrate why it's important to plan your marketing for 2023.

We’re still a few months from the new year, but that doesn’t mean your marketing shouldn’t be prepared. It’s time to plan your marketing for 2023. Aside from inflation and economic changes impacting businesses nationwide, technological advances and new, emerging trends in marketing mean it’s even more important to start planning your marketing for the upcoming year.

As a full-service marketing group, we believe it’s important that your marketing attract new clients while retaining your current customers. Here are three reasons why it’s time to plan your marketing for 2023:

1. Marketing Trends Are Always Changing . . . And So Should You

Between a global pandemic and constant advancements in technology, it isn’t surprising that advertising trends are changing. While we believe in celebrating your milestones, the marketing machine is constantly evolving, which means your marketing strategies should, too. Whether you need help with your website or a social channel, it’s time to map out marketing strategies for 2023.

Constantly evolving marketing trends means it's time to change and plan your marketing for 2023. — Constantly evolving marketing trends means it’s time to change and plan your marketing for 2023.

2. New Consumers’ Habits Requires A Mobile-First Mindset

While the pandemic might have slowed in-person business for many consumers, those same consumers not only continue to spend more time online, but they also use their mobile devices to shop, search for businesses, and view websites on their mobile devices. And with this move here to stay, businesses need to ensure their websites are responsive, consider increasing their mobile advertising budget, and make decisions with a mobile-first mindset to continue to attract today’s consumers.

Plan your marketing for 2023 with a mobile-first mindset as more consumers continue to search and shop on their mobile devices.

Source: FinancesOnline

3. Marketing Experts Could Give You The Upper Hand

Many people are overwhelmed by the prospect of trying to design their own website, get their business in all the proper listings, and post regularly to multiple social channels in addition to all the other marketing avenues they could be utilizing. What often helps a business stand out from the crowd is bringing in a third-party expert. Why? Because marketing firms stay up-to-date on the latest trends and specialize in providing marketing services for businesses big or small. They can even manage your marketing completely if you rather focus on running your business. Whether you need an outside opinion or guidance, firms like Paragon Marketing Group can provide the necessary expertise you need.

Consider hiring a marketing firm, like Paragon Marketing Group, to help you in the year as you plan for marketing in 2023.

Source: Paragon Marketing Group

Marketing trends will continue to change, so it’s vital that your business embrace the future. Whether you choose to hire a marketing firm for outside expertise, mobilize your website to create a better online experience for your mobile users, or map out a marketing strategy to prepare for the new year, now is the time to plan your marketing for 2023.

business marketing content marketing digital marketing marketing plan marketing planning planning for 2023 small business marketing

5 Reasons to Outsource Your Marketing

“Why should I hire you if I can just figure it all out myself?” This is a common question many small business owners ask when they consider outsourcing 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 it’s time for MOST businesses to outsource their marketing.