Pickett and Associates Recognized for Excellence, Earning Two 2025 MUSE Creative Awards

awards

Pickett and Associates (P&A) recently received two 2025 MUSE Creative and Design Awards, organized by the International Awards Associate (IAA). The P&A award-winning entries were chosen from more than 13,000 submissions in the global competition, recognizing innovation, craft, and influence across the creative and design industries.

Winning Entries for the 2025 MUSE Creative and Design Awards

P&A earned the Publication Magazine 2025 Silver Award distinction for a project brought to life by designer Kathleen Wedmore and writer Rose Campbell, delivered for client Hancock Health. This honor underscores the ingenuity of the idea, the caliber of its execution, and the lasting resonance it holds within its field. The publication series was recognized earlier in the year with a 2025 Hoosier PRSA Pinnacle Honor Award. View the winning entry here. 

In addition, P&A earned a 2025 Gold Award for Strategic Program-PR Campaignfor client Roberts Settlement and the Legacy Walk. P&A was a proud partner of Hamilton County Tourism working with the historic Black settlement in its launch of the Legacy Walk, an interactive, self-guided journey through Roberts Settlement’s pioneer history. Public relations strategy and implementation were provided by veteran communicator Patricia Pickett, APR. 

 

“This year we are celebrating 15 years of providing clients with strategic public relations, marketing communications and brand design. While our focus is always delivering measurable results for clients, it is gratifying to be recognized among such distinguished entries by a jury of very successful peers,” says Pickett. “It’s a great way to stop and reflect on the quality of work we provide to local organizations.”

The jury, consisting of over 100 distinguished professionals from 30 countries, brought together diverse expertise to ensure a fair and thorough assessment of the entries. All evaluations were conducted under a blind judging system, ensuring fairness and impartiality. 

To view the full list of 2025 MUSE winners, please visit museaward.com or design.museaward.com.

The MUSE Creative and Design Awards offers a platform where both renowned names and emerging voices find equal footing. This award highlights how today’s work continues to set new standards, while shaping a legacy that inspires future generations.

Proven Ways to Skyrocket Traffic to Your Website

websites

In today’s digital-first marketplace, your website is the foundation of your marketing, sales, and customer engagement strategy. Pickett & Associates often reminds clients that while social media platforms, advertising networks, and third-party directories are useful tools, they’re only extensions of your marketing. Your website is the one piece of digital real estate you truly own and control. 

Your website isn’t just about looking good. It’s also your lead magnet and reputation manager. The trouble is that too many businesses settle for cookie-cutter sites that look like they were designed during the dial-up era. The hidden costs of a weak or clunky website? Think of them as the silent profit killers: lost sales, shaky trust, and constant maintenance headaches. It’s like trying to win a race with flat tires, you’ll spend more time fixing problems than moving forward. 

Our P&A resident website guru, Wes Weber, has been a pioneer in the digital realm for three decades, transforming the online presence for companies of all sizes. In addition to P&A clients, Wes has worked with Indianapolis Motor Speedway™, Chicagoland Speedway®, Route 66 Raceway®, Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray Every Day, and the 2002 Winter Olympic Committee. Here, he weighs in on a big question for many of our clients: How can businesses drive more traffic to their websites? 

What are some of the top ways we help our clients’ websites drive more traffic? 

Building a beautiful website is only the beginning. Driving the right traffic to it requires a blend of technical expertise, content strategy, and ongoing marketing support. Some of the most effective ways we help clients grow include the following (see below); when your site isn’t built to support these tactics, you end up leaking traffic and opportunities. 

  1. SEO-First Development
      • Clean architecture, fast page speeds, and mobile-first design.
      • Keyword-driven content and ongoing optimization.
      • Technical audits to eliminate indexing or crawlability barriers.
      
  2. Content Strategy & Marketing
      • Publishing thought leadership, blog content, and resources that match what prospects search for.
      • Evergreen content that continues to bring in traffic over time.
      • Content mapped to different stages of the buyer’s journey.
      
  3. Conversion-Focused Design
      • Intentional layouts, visual hierarchy, and clear calls-to-action.
      • A/B testing landing pages to constantly refine what works best.
      • Minimizing friction (e.g. reducing form fields, clear next steps).
      
  4. Campaign Integration
      • Ensuring your paid ads, social posts, and email campaigns send users to optimized landing pages (on your site).
      • Consistent messaging and tracking across channels so you know exactly what’s working. 

What are the benefits of having a pro help out instead of doing it yourself? 

Many small business owners are tempted to use DIY website builders or piece together their online presence on their own. While this can work temporarily, it often comes with hidden pitfalls: lost time, poor SEO performance, weak security, and designs that don’t convert. By partnering with Pickett & Associates, businesses benefit from: 

  • Strategic Expertise: We don’t just design websites, we align them with your broader business goals. Every color, call to action, and page layout is chosen with results in mind. 
  • Time & Cost Efficiency: While DIY might seem cheaper, it often requires dozens (or hundreds) of hours learning technical skills, fixing errors, and troubleshooting. With our team, you can stay focused on running your business while we handle the heavy lifting. 
  • Professional Quality: From coding standards to mobile optimization, our websites are built to last. A DIY site might “look okay,” but may be missing the technical foundations that affect SEO, accessibility, and security. 
  • Ongoing Support: Businesses evolve. Having a professional partner means your website can evolve with you by adding new features, updating content, and staying secure over time. 

Are you ready to drive more traffic to your website? Contact us today to learn more about how we help our clients build and maintain gorgeous, functional websites that gain them customers and keep them on track for the growth they desire.  

 

How a Strong Website Supercharges Your Marketing Results

websites

Your website is more than just an online brochure. It’s the hub of your entire marketing strategy. Buying decisions start with an online search; most consumers say they won’t return after a bad website experience, so the quality of your site directly impacts your bottom line. P&A designs and markets websites that not only look great but also build trust, drive traffic, and convert visitors into customers. 

To help business owners understand why their website matters and how it can be a powerful marketing tool, we asked our team website expert, Wes Weber, who has over three decades of experience with clients such as Rachel Ray Every Day, the Winter Olympics Committee and more, for some answers to the most common questions we hear from clients: 

Why is it important for businesses to have a central hub like a website? 

WW: Think of your website as your company’s digital headquarters. Every other marketing activity, whether it’s a social media campaign, a Google ad, or an email newsletter, should lead people back to your site. Why? Because it’s the one place where you set the rules. Consider these: 

  • Ownership & Control: Social platforms can change algorithms anytime, but your website lets you control content, lead capture, and customer experience.  With a custom website, you’re building a long-term asset you fully own, unlike DIY builders, where you’re essentially renting space with limited control and no lasting equity. 
  • Lead Generation: Conversions happen on your site. Optimized landing pages can generate even more leads. 
  • Analytics & Insights: Track visitor behavior, interests, and drop-off points to improve marketing strategy. 

What are some of the benefits of having a simple website design? 

WW: Less is often more when it comes to design. A clear, minimalist approach gives you advantages in usability, performance, and trust. A cluttered site might feel impressive to its owner, but to a first-time visitor, it often signals confusion or lack of professionalism. 

  • Instant Clarity: Users decide in milliseconds whether a page is worth staying on. A clean design helps them understand your offer immediately. 
  • Speed & Performance: Complex layouts, heavy scripts, or excessive graphics slow things down. A simple design loads faster, which both Google and users reward. 
  • Better Mobile Experience: With over half of all web traffic coming from mobile devices, simple designs adapt easier and avoid awkward scaling or misplaced elements. 
  • Emphasis on Essentials: When you reduce distractions, your brand message, value proposition, and calls-to-action get center stage—not buried under excess content or decoration. 

Why is security important for a business website? 

WW: Security is often overlooked, but it’s one of the most important aspects of your website’s credibility and performance. An unsecured site doesn’t just put your data at risk, it damages customer trust. 

  • Having an SSL certificate signals trust to Google and to users 
  • Without proper safeguards, your site could be compromised, leading to lost revenue and reputation damage. 
  • Implementing security practices like encryption, firewalls, and regular updates help you stay compliant and reduce liability. 

 ***Pickett & Associates implements SSL certificates, routine security updates, malware scanning, and backup systems to keep our clients’ sites safe, fast, and reliable. 

How can a custom website that’s unique to my business pay for itself?

We’ve already talked about how a clunky website can quietly drain your wallet.  Now let’s flip the script and look at why investing in a high-quality site is one of the smartest moves you can make for your business or organization. A professionally built website: 

  • Improves search rankings by following the latest best practices 
  • Builds trust and credibility by looking sharp, staying secure & avoid looking outdated 
  • Drives more conversions with effective navigation and calls-to-action 
  • Keeps visitors engaged with smooth user experiences 
  • Shines on mobile devices 
  • Cuts down on ongoing maintenance headaches 

Your website isn’t just a marketing tool; it’s your brand’s digital handshake. And let’s be honest, nobody trusts a sweaty, flimsy handshake. A secure, well-designed site builds confidence, draws people in, and convinces them to stick around and contact you. The digital professionals at Pickett & Associates blend smart design, sharp marketing, and rock-solid security so your website works hard while you sleep. Ready to give your brand a firm, confident handshake? Reach out to us today! 

 

What is SEO and Why Does it Matter So Much?

When was the last time you searched for something on Google? Likely your answer is, “just a few minutes ago.” Most of us use search engines many times a day, whether that is to find an answer to a work question or to try to remember the name of that one movie we saw that one time with that one amazing actress… 🤔  Every time you type some keywords into that Google search bar, you will be on the receiving end of someone’s SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, which ensures you are delivered the results you need.  

Good SEO helps your customers to find you 

So, now put yourself on the other end of that keyword search, as the person who has the information or service someone needs. Google is a tool that both you and your customers use to connect with each other. You are using specific strategies to help them find you and they are able to use keywords to get the information, products or services they need. SEO simply refers to the way you optimize your website or content to make it easier for this connection to occur. 

Of course there are other search engines you can use, but most SEO focuses on Google because they take up more than 80% of the market share for searches performed. And why do you want higher rankings on Google? Because, like most things good marketing does, it increases your credibility, reach, brand awareness and potential for conversions, allowing you to effectively reach your target audience and create a wider customer base.  

Effective SEO uses: 

  • Keyword research to identify the keywords your customers are using when they search on Google or another search engine. 
  • On-Page SEO, or optimization of your website’s structure and content using relevant keywords. 
  • Off-Page SEO, which builds your reputation and credibility by acquiring quality backlinks from other sites. 
  • Technical SEO to optimize the efficiency and functionality of your site, such as speed, mobile-friendliness and overall performance. 

When you perform a search on Google, you will usually see an AI response followed by ads. These ads will look like regular search results except for a small “Ad” label in the corner. When you use SEO, your goal is to show up at the top organically, right after the ads, so that you can be the first real result your customers see. 

Boost your SEO and rank higher to outperform your competitors 

So, you (rightly) want to focus on SEO to get in front of more customers, rank consistently higher in searches and build credibility? If we are being honest (and as a PR company, honesty is at the forefront of what we do), it is difficult to figure out SEO all on your own. That is why we have dedicated members of our team who specialize and can either help our clients along or do it all for them to save them the time and the hassle. If you have ever tried (and failed) to navigate the backend of your website, research and utilize keywords or play with “Rank Math” you know it’s worth the money! 

We offer our clients real results because they are based on strategy, especially when it comes to SEO. We don’t just pick and choose keywords, blog topics or content. Everything has research behind it, with a desire to help you hit your business goals and growth.  

Head to our website to check out our client case studies or contact us to learn more about how we can help you with your Search Engine Optimization!  

Influencer Marketing: Why You Should Collaborate with Others in Our Dog-Eat-Dog World

influencer marketing

As an entrepreneur, having a strategic plan is more important than ever before, especially when it includes boosting partnerships, collaborating through influencer marketing and participating in some good old-fashioned networking.  

The priceless nature of influencer marketing and partnerships 

As the title of this blog suggests, it is a dog-eat-dog world. But that doesn’t mean we all need to fend for ourselves. Like the wily canine, we can team up to form partnerships that make us more weatherproof in the face of inevitable storms. Whereas we began the 2020’s with an overwhelming sense of isolation, we are coming to the halfway point with an intention to build trustworthy collaborations that will create an abundance in our businesses.  

Utilizing influencers and partnerships in your business sets you up for marketing success by: 

  • Enhancing brand awareness 
  • Building trust 
  • Driving target market engagement 

 Yes, you could DIY everything and drop tons of money on ads, boosts, etc. But why not team up with an influencer and make use of the huge platform of followers they have built for themselves? It is a cost-effective method that is high in ROI and it will land you a whole gaggle of new customers.  

How to make it work for you 

During our 15 years in business, we have had to learn about the ins and outs of social media marketing through direct experience with our clients. One thing we always gravitate towards, even after all this time? Collaboration. But how do you build these partnerships? 

One of the key steps to having a successful partnership with an influencer or other business is to make sure you have similarly aligned values. You will need to get along with your influencer both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Be very clear in your communication to ensure you both understand the other’s goals.  

Here are some more important tips: 

Define your goals and target audience before researching influencers 

Again, look for an influencer whose content style, values and audience align with your brand. Know what you want before you go shopping. Look at their follower count, engagement rate and the authenticity with which they connect to their community.  

Build a relationship first 

Engage with their content before reaching out and, when you do, personalize your outreach so they know you are authentic about your intentions.  

As a PR firm, we have relationships with many influencers already established, which is helpful to all of our clients when they are ready to use this form of marketing in their business.  

Collaborate on content creation 

You will need to be involved just as much as the influencer. Again, when you are working with a PR firm, they will handle all of this for you. It is important to give the influencer creative freedom, as their personality and style is what makes them popular with their followers. However, you will want to ensure that any content is also aligned with your brand and marketing strategy and will help you accomplish your own goals and objectives.  

Once you have completed your work with an influencer, make sure to monitor and measure results. Continue a strong line of communication to build a long-term partnership.  

Influencer marketing is a great way to form a long-lasting partnership that will continue to benefit your brand for years to come. If you combine this effective strategy with working alongside an established PR firm, you will have an even more successful go at your new partnership venture.  

Ready to get started? Contact us to learn more about our strategic marketing, branding, communications and PR services!  

3 Ways to Engage in UGC: Word-of-Mouth for the Digital Age

UGC for creating customer leads

If you haven’t yet made good use of User Generated Content, or UGC, then buckle up for a fun marketing ride! This is your brand’s chance to shine and build customer leads through the same methods used in good old-fashioned work-of-mouth marketing. Read on to learn more about how it works and how you can get started applying this to your business.  

What exactly is User Generated Content? 

UGC consists of anything your consumers create that features your product. This means reviews, photos, videos, social posts, message boards and more. Depending on your product or service, this content may come quite naturally (think: one of your customers sporting a well-made dress from your business on their social). However, you can foster more content and recognition by using things like hashtags, campaigns, contests, creating community and more.  

UGC is a big deal. In our digital world, there is a whole lot of noise in the ears of consumers. Every day, they are bombarded with different marketing strategies, as companies vie for their hard-earned dollars. Featuring UGC content helps to establish you as a reputable brand, building trust with your target market and spreading the word about your business organically through word-of-mouth. It feels like a breath of fresh air when people hear about you through someone else’s rave review. 

How to apply it to your business 

Here are some simple ways to engage your customer base and create UGC for your brand without spending tons of money and time on a new marketing initiative. 

Customer Ratings & Tesimonials 

We love sharing our clients’ testimonials because it proves the efficacy of their product or service.  That being said, getting the reviews can feel difficult, especially when you have so many other things to think about at the point of purchase. Will they really want to take the time to write something? Chances are, if you invite them to give a review, many will come forward bursting with positive experiences. Make it easy by providing a link to complete a Google Review or sweeten the deal with a discount code.  

Photos & Videos 

These are tougher to come by and will require more engagement on your part. The payoff, however, is huge. Think of the last time you purchased something online. When you saw a photo of the product in use, did it make it that much easier to seal the deal? Invite your customers to share their experience and provide them a hashtag to connect their post to your account social media. Let them know you will feature them in your story or social posts. Create a sense of community around it by bringing people together who have the same tastes.  

Don’t underestimate the power of your employees 

Getting employees engaged in your brand’s UGC is a great way to spread the word and make your whole company feel more approachable. Customers love to see behind the scenes, and if they know that your employees are using your product or service, they will trust it even more. Do you have employees who are especially savvy with social media engagement? That is a great place to start! 

 UGC is a cost-effective way to build more trust and authenticity with your target market. The most common obstacle that businesses may face is getting started. We have helped many clients create successful campaigns that engaged their customers in new and fun ways to build more UGC content. Learn more by checking out the case studies on our website or give us a call to chat more about how your business can use this powerful tool to boost your marketing strategy.  

Get Clear About Your Brand Pillars vs. Content Pillars

You might have a logo, website and marketing strategy, but if you are questioning what the heck brand pillars and content pillars are, then there is some work to be done. Building a successful business relies on a well-organized foundation of these pillars, which help you maintain a consistent voice and ensure you create content that is focused and effective.  

But what are brand pillars anyways? And are they really different from content pillars? 

In short, yes. These two parts of your business are different, but overlap in a lot of important ways. To break it down: 

Brand Pillars: Your company’s core values and characteristics. They define your brand’s identity and personality and serve as the foundation for all marketing efforts, helping you maintain a consistent voice threaded throughout your message.  

Content Pillars: Broad, core themes you will cover in your marketing content. They provide a framework that makes it easy to organize said content and focus your efforts. For instance, if you are a wellness-based business, you may have content pillars such as recipes, success stories and personalized workouts.   

An even easier way to think about it: Your brand pillars are your “why.” Your content pillars are your “what” when it comes to marketing strategy.  

Why do you need them? 

Have you ever felt overwhelmed, wondering what content you will post to keep up engagement in your online communities? What about the need to keep things fresh and interesting? It’s easy to get bogged down in the mires of social media (and other forms of digital and print marketing), but having a strong foundation will help your brand withstand the test of time.  

Brand pillars will guide you and your team when you are considering what your target market is looking for when it comes to your brand’s voice and personality. Content pillars will help you easily organize your content so that you can create calendars, work on batching and use other time-saving skills.   

Okay, so how do we create these and fold them into a marketing strategy? 

Brand pillars should come first, after you have done considerable target market research. You will also want to look into what your competitors are doing. Understand the psychographics and demographics of your market so that you can speak to them with honesty, authority and in a way that will build trust. From here, find where your brand and your target market intersect. Why are you going into business? What are your values? How do you want your audience to see you? 

Having trouble with this first step? We are here to take the load off your plate with thorough marketing research and expert understanding of branding, marketing and more. Head here to contact us! 

Content pillars also rely on solid target market research to be successful. With that as a background, and a thorough understanding of your brand pillars, you can begin to flesh out the content offerings that would resonate with your audience. Understanding trends on social media as well as within your industry is crucial here. You will also want to run a social media audit as you go, to see what resonates most with your audience. Keep up with those measurables and track your brand’s progress! 

Don’t know how to do that? We offer full service strategic marketing from start to finish, including setting up your brand as well as running quarterly reports to track your growth and progress! 

Aim for considering about 4-5 pillars each under both branding and content. By laying a sturdy foundation, you will help your business grow its engagement at a steady pace without relying solely on luck or the algorithm. And remember, it will take consistent efforts by you and your team to grow and nurture your online communities, customer relationships and leads generated through strategic and effective marketing.  

Best Practices to Build Your Mailing List

When we talk about getting back to tried-and-true marketing tools, nothing seems more effective than a mailing list. Whether you are working to send consistent email newsletters or you want to start a direct mail campaign, mailing lists help you to reach customers in the comfort of their own home (or inbox). It is also a great way to generate and nurture leads, which helps to solidify your client funnel! 

How do you add potential customer emails to your mailing list? 

In our experience, email marketing is a great way to build and nurture the relationship with your customers. But, how do you get those email addresses in the first place? Many people are being pickier about signing up to receive junk in their inbox. In order to get in there, you must give them something they value. And that will vary based on your target market. 

As always, we can’t get any farther in the marketing process without truly knowing the target market. By now, as a business owner, you should be familiar with both their demographics (characteristics of your customer base) as well as their psychographics (what they value, their lifestyle and desires). In order to serve them up something they really can’t wait to read (and increase the potential for them to click through your emails), focus more on their psychographics and pain points.  

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about what you can do on your end to give your target market plenty of chances to sign up for what you have on offer.  

Create a pop-up form for your website 

A branded opt-in pop-up is a great way for people to easily enter their email to receive updates. All you need to do is drive traffic to your site so that they have the chance to join your mailing list. You will want to have a catchy headline that makes them want to be included in your list. Don’t include too many details when asking for info…keep it simple by just asking them for their email.  

Offer a promo or gift with sign up

We have all visited a site where you can enter your email address in order to receive a coupon code or percentage off goods or services. This is a great way to entice your website visitors to opt-in for your mailing list. Promos or gifts can range from coupons to free downloadable eBooks and more. It all depends on your niche and what your target market will value. 

Promote your list through various channels 

If you have a social media presence, make sure to remind followers to subscribe to your newsletters, emails and more. You can also let them know about promos and offers on your channel. Facebook and Instagram offer ads that can boost your reach. We use these with caution. You don’t want to go dropping money on everything you post, but boosted ads are great when used intentionally! 

Use a platform that makes list management easy

Take some of the work off your plate by subscribing to a site such as MailChimp, which allows you to build your list, create email campaigns, monitor interest and much more. You will want to regularly engage with your mailing list and clean it up by removing inactive subscribers.  

By maintaining a mailing list, you are securing a client base that is evergreen compared to social media. Most people will come and go from channel to channel, but everyone will continue to check their email regularly. Offer something of value that speaks to your target market and helps you build a relationship with them through the power of email.  

 

Help Your Business Reach It’s True Growth Potential in 2025 with Clear, Measurable Goals

Do you constantly find yourself wondering why your team can’t get on the same page? What about numbers that aren’t aligning with your projected growth? Do your customers seem to all be gravitating toward your competitors without even giving you a second glance? Or maybe you just have a sense that your business could be growing more, doing better, than it is? 

By now, many of you are probably well versed in SMART goals. (If you don’t know yet about their importance, just check out our other previous blog here.) We have worked with enough clients to know that goal setting is a keystone of any good marketing strategy. And when our clients are experiencing common business pains or feeling just plain stuck, it is important to come right back to those goals and use them to get some clarity. 

Setting clear and measurable goals takes the guesswork out of strategy 

Have you ever had the experience of everything falling into place? Do you remember the feeling of expansion, like there were endless possibilities? That is what good goals can do. They have the potential to create a framework that allows everything to fall into place and a strategy to naturally unfold.  But getting there requires some elbow grease.  

This is where many of our clients get cold feet. Either they don’t know where to start or they feel like they will miss out on other opportunities if they get too focused on their goal setting strategies. But, we are here to tell you that FOMO will slow you down and focusing is where it’s at. To help clients get into the groove of goal setting, we recommend doing the following: 

Research 

Good research is a key component of anything you will do in business, whether that is defining your target market or setting goals for your company. What do we mean by “good research?” Engage in data collection by looking at your metrics. Truly get a handle on the sales and business you have done, where you have lagged behind versus where you have grown by leaps and bounds, what engagement you are getting from your target audience, etc. Keep track of your numbers and make sure you are starting your goal setting journey with an honest picture of where you are right now.  

You can also use this time to buff up your knowledge about your target market. Learn more about what content they have liked and what they haven’t. What marketing campaigns got a real response and which ones bombed? Has your target audience changed or shifted at all? Heck, you can even research what your competitors are (or aren’t) doing!  

Know where you want to go 

You are the business owner, the one in charge and the one steering the ship for your team and yourself. It is important that you have a clear picture of where you want to go. What would you like to see from your business this quarter? This year? In the next 5 years? Are these visions achievable? The key is to get out of your safe zone and stretch your desire just enough that your goals will be attainable, but still challenge you and your team. You are the one holding the compass and directing everyone toward a shared destination.  

Get clear about how you will get there 

Once you know what you want, you will need to start carving out a path. As a business owner, you are already smart and savvy. You know these roads. You have already travelled them by establishing your business in the first place. But, sometimes marketing can be sticky. There could be a lot of different and winding roads that seem to lead to the same destination. When you have difficulty getting clear about which path will be best, outsourcing to professionals is a great option.  

We love helping clients who know what they want but are feeling a bit stuck on how to get there. It is really where our team members shine. It also means we get to collaborate more with our clients. When they are clear about what they want, we can hold their vision in mind as we go to work finding the best path toward growth and marketing strategy.  

Measure it 

It’s on the front page of our website. You already know we are constantly touting the benefits of measurable results. But it isn’t just because we like to make sure people are being thorough. It is because the magic comes in the measuring. Learning from mistakes (or celebrating wins) all happens when you are able to check in with yourself and the health of your business. Your target market is already telling you everything you need to know. You just need to continuously LISTEN by measuring the outcomes of your marketing strategies. If something isn’t working, and you know it because you pay attention to your metrics, you get to pivot! You get to change course and do something even more on point! You get to choose growth over complacency. 

If the thought of goal setting STILL sets your brain on fire or has you wanting to crawl under your desk, you are not alone (and it doesn’t mean that you are not a great business owner). It just means you might need some guidance. Outsource it to people to consider it their zone of genius. (That would be us.)  

Own Your Algorithm: How to Support Business Growth Without Social Media

social media

This month, we saw a lot of changes happening in the landscape of social media. And it wasn’t, as you know, all about the algorithm. This time, it had to do with social media companies changing the rules, a temporary shut down and a lot of uncertainty as to whether we would have certain platforms to use.  

Also consider the number of times in the last six months you’ve heard health and wellness experts encourage people to rethink social media usage. There seems to be a general theme that it’s become an UNSOCIAL place that can negatively impact both productivity and mental health. We don’t think that’s going away. And in that vein, we are going back to basics here at P&A.  

Social media’s reliability is waning. What does this mean for your business? 

It’s safe to say that dumping marketing dollars solely into social media this year is not a great idea. (Honestly, it’s NEVER been a great idea, and we’ve always cautioned our clients about that.) When you consider algorithms as well as the changing economy, business owners as users have too little control to hand over a chunk of their budget.  

Yes, social media is an excellent tool. Yes, it gets you in front of a whole bunch of people who normally may not see your brand. Yes, we will continue to use it well. But let’s also gives some props to more traditional (and less easily influenced) methods of marketing such as direct mail, email campaigns, print advertising, PR, TV, radio and more.  

What should you do instead? 

Let’s pivot. Own your algorithm. Your website is a vital tool for your business, so make sure you are giving it some love this year. Check on your SEO and make sure to create plenty of original content. Blogs, case studies, white papers! News releases and earned media maximize your organization’s reach as well as add a level of credibility. These can, then, be shared as content on your site as well. Repurposing content is something we will talk about in the upcoming months, and it is a great way to save your team time and money! 

Building your email database will become a vital component of your brand’s longevity in the coming years. We never know which social media platforms will maintain popularity and users will come and go (and may get off social all together, as we are seeing now). But you know what people DON’T plan to stop checking? EMAIL. An email list will have you in their inbox with relevant content no matter what is happening elsewhere. 

Customer relations will also become even more important than ever before. If you have not invested in a CRM system, now is the time. CRM software stores all customer information in one place, which can help you analyze interactions with clients and potential customers. You can improve existing relationships, track sales activities and ultimately drive revenue using quality leads. CRM, and all of these functions, are vital to any strategic marketing plan. 

Feeling worried about what all of this means for your 2025 business marketing plan? 

We get it! Curve balls aren’t fun, even for pro baseball players. And no business owner wants to watch revenue decline because marketing strategies that used to work are no longer reliable. The good news? We are here to help you. We have been creating effective, strategic marketing plans for clients since before social media became a thing. Since launching in 2010, we have always been a “communications agency”; we put value on the written word for ALL channels. We make it our business (literally) to clearly communicate your organization’s unique value whether that be in a 240-word social media post or a 2400-word magazine article.  

Just because the world of social media algorithms has become uncertain, that doesn’t mean you won’t reach even more people this year. We can help you create original content that will not only get you in front of your target market but will help you gain their trust and loyalty. How about that for a great 2025?