by Kirby Hasseman
It’s a crazy time to try and market your business. On the one hand, you don’t want to be seen as insensitive or tone deaf to the current health and economic challenges that are facing the country. On the other hand…payroll. Your organization still has bills to pay. And when this is over, you want to have a business to market!
Madison Avenue has decided the best way to do this is to let everyone know that “we are all in this together” (even though we have been ordered NOT to be together). They remind you that these are “unprecedented times,” and we should not worry because no one is touching our pizza after it leaves the oven! What? I wasn’t worried about that…until now!
And while it’s tough to know exactly what to do and say during these “unprecedented times,” I think we are over thinking it. It’s time to get back to basics with your marketing. Here are a few quick tips on how to market your organization now…and always.
Decide WHO Your Customer Is
One of the biggest challenges I see with companies is when they try to market to everyone. Not only is that impossible (and expensive) it makes for boring marketing. If you identify exactly who your target is, you can create compelling marketing and content that resonates with them. In addition, you find that your message does not need to be everywhere. It needs to be where your perfect customer is…and there only.
Explain What Problem You Are Solving
Every good business was created to solve a problem. The lemonade stand was created to quench your neighbor’s thirst on a hot day. The pizza shop was started because people are hungry (and don’t want to cook for themselves). Whatever the problem is that your organization solves, make sure you let your customers and prospects know. So many times we are concerned that we might be “overly salesy” and we make our prospects guess what we do. Don’t do that. Make sure it’s clear what you have to offer.
Add Value Where You Can
Once you let your customers and prospects know what you have to offer, it’s a good time to add value. I still believe that the Give First Economy is in full swing. You have an opportunity to be generous here. Help your prospects. Give them information to help them solve their problem. Not only will it establish you as the expert in the field, but it will build integrity and trust with your audience.
Cover Your Branding Foundation
This is a good time to look at your marketing and make sure the foundations are covered. Is your website up to date? Do you have flyers, brochures, and print materials that tell your story (consistently with your website). Does your team look like a team? Once you have created that ideal customer, you need to make sure you are showing up the right way to them, all the time. If you need some help with this, please reach out to us and we can help.
Make Your Offer
If you have identified your customer, explained the problem that you solve, and have added value, then please don’t forget to make an offer. It doesn’t have to be over the top. You don’t have to be in their face. As a matter of fact, if you have take the other steps, it would be weird if you did NOT ask for the business! This is not the time to “get the digits” from your prospect and NOT make the call! Make your offer and give them a chance to do business with you.
It’s a great time to get back to basics with your marketing…and these are some ideas to get you started. If you want to dig deeper, feel free to sign up for our (FREE) 5 Day Marketing Course here. Oh…and make sure you never miss out on our content. Head to our blog page now and see what you have missed.
by Kirby Hasseman
I am not a doctor and I don’t play one on TV. I am also not a nurse and do not have any medical training. And while, to my uneducated mind, the idea that masks can help to stop the spread of a virus makes sense, I am not going to wander outside of my lane here. There will be no fancy graphs. And there will be no links to articles that support my theory. God knows we can find plenty from either side on every argument nowadays. Nope…this is from your friendly neighborhood marketing guy. This is my simple take on the Real Reason Mask Matter.
I was on a shopping trip recently when I discovered this. I was with my wife and we went into two different Big Box stores (of course they were Big Box stores…that is what was open). In the interest of transparency, she and I were wearing masks. The first store we went into felt strange. Almost no one was wearing a mask. We were the outsiders and we got some funny looks. Kids were running around the aisles like it was a normal Tuesday night. To be candid, I was uncomfortable. Amy and I looked for what we needed, and when we couldn’t quickly find it, we left.
We left that store and headed to the next Big Box solution. But this one felt different. Even as we walked in I noticed that employees were wearing masks. As a matter of fact, once inside I realized that all of the employees had masks on. The vibe in the store seemed more calm. So Amy and I went through the store, found what we needed, and finished the shopping mission. And this leads me to the real reason masks matter.
Masks Matter Because They Put Your Customers At Ease
As consumers, when we head out to find necessities, most of us are on edge. We look at nearly everyone with judgement. Can they cause me harm? Are they doing what they should be? I talk about it in a vlog here. It’s natural. But if I am worried about whether or not I am safe, there is one important thing I am NOT doing…shopping. If your organization does not make me feel safe, then I (as a consumer) will not want to stay there. If I must, I will either leave before I get what I need, or I will get only what I need…and get out.
On the other hand, if I feel safe, I will take the time to find what I need. I might even find a few more things. Your team wearing masks sends a signal that you care for your team and for your customers. So while I believe masks provide another level of protection from the virus, my medical opinion is not in question. The real reason that masks matter is because of your customers.
Make sure you never miss an update. You can find all of our content on our blog page here. Oh…and if you do want to look at some products that you might need to open up safely, you can head to a shop we created here.
by Kirby Hasseman
Every once in a while, we get a question about the ROI on branded merchandise. It’s an important question, but often one that is difficult to answer. The first reason is because people mistake the difference between Brand Marketing and Direct Marketing (I explain the difference here). But another reason it’s hard to measure the ROI is because it’s very difficult to measure how you “feel” about a brand.
I mean, how do you feel about this picture? Jeff Wickerham sent in this story.
A few months ago, I gave a gift to a friend, Donna. The gift was a branded Bluetooth speaker. I thought Donna would have a need for it and when I gave it to her, she really appreciated the gift. I hadn’t heard anything about the speaker up until this past week when my wife, Sarah, received a text message from Donna’s daughter. She was pregnant and delivered her baby…yeah! We were super happy mom and baby were healthy and safe. The personal piece which makes the story mean so much to me, is the following message:
“Tell Jeff this speaker he gave to mom allowed us to have praise and worship music during our labor experience and after. Our son approved and it helped our family “SmileOn Together”.
This is one of the reasons I am proud to do what I do for a living. The branded gift brought joy to someone else’s life and when Sarah showed me the text message and picture, it brought me even more joy. This story is another reminder for me to continuing to do what I love to do: provide value to people through branded products.
That is incredible. As Jeff says, it brings me joy. But how do you measure the ROI on Marketing Joy? The short and honest answer is, you don’t. But you know it when you see it.
If you want to see more content like this, please check out our blog page here. And if you want to dig into our Free 5 Day Marketing Course, you can find that here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I don’t know about your, but I have good days and bad days. Sometimes during the past few weeks, I have been calm and grateful for the opportunity to stay at home, safe with my family. Then on other days, I run as fast as I can through the front door of my house (leaving a Kirby-sized hole in it).
Some days I am the voice of reason saying ” We are doing great! There is a light at the end of the tunnel.” And then other times, I am the one that is near tears saying “Oh my God! When will this end? I miss eating out!”
During the times of stress and internal turmoil, I have come up with a few techniques that have helped get my mind right. They are not fool proof. But I do find they help me. So here are 5 techniques for curing the Quarantine blahs.
Create A Revised Routine
Despite the fact that many of us are either working from home, or not working at all, I think routines are still incredibly important. During normal times, I have a very specific routine to help keep me productive (I talk about that here). Now that things are different, I still have my routine, but I have modified it so I can have a bit more freedom…but still stay on track. On many days, I get up a bit later. I watch a different morning show while I am on the treadmill. Little things, sure. But if you get rid of your routine completely, it can hijack your sense of purpose.
Have A Purpose Each Day
That leads nicely to, have a small purpose each day. This does not have to equate to your purpose in life. It can be small. Your purpose for today might be simple. But it gives you something to do for the day. I think we often think we want “nothing” to do all day. But this is what (I think) is creating the blah we are trying to escape. Create a little goal each day. You can spend an hour working to learn a language, write a blog, create a video, or choreograph a family dance. Whatever your purpose or goal is, it can help you stay up and look forward to the new day.
Exercise
Keep this simple my friends. This does not mean you need to start a new Beachbody workout. Just take the time to get your blood flowing. Exercise helps to reduce stress, increase brain function, and makes you feel better. It can be as simple as a short run or a walk. Don’t overthink this. Get your blood pumping each day. You will thank me.
BE A Friend
During times of stress, we often look for people to be good friends to us. It’s great when that happens, but it’s not in our control. Instead, take a bit of time to BE a good friend to someone. It might not get returned. Not everyone will be a good friend back. It’s okay. Make a phone call to check in. Send a text or an email. Do something nice for your neighbor. Most people will appreciate it…and the world will be better for it.
Meditate or Prayer
One of the tough things about times like this is, our mind seems to be running around looking for reasons to stress and panic. When I feel overwhelmed, this is when I know it’s time to control my thoughts. For me, this comes in the form of some meditation. I am hardly an expert. But this act of controlling my thoughts and quieting my mind can have a profound effect on my day and my mental state.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I am hardly an expert in dealing with a pandemic in isolation. These are just a few techniques that are helping me deal with the quarantine blahs. I hope they help you in some way!
If you want to make reading more of our content as a part of your routine, check out our blog here. And, if you are part of an organization and want to sharpen your Marketing Skills, check out our FREE 5 Day Marketing Course here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I was asked recently to present a webinar on creating better video. The idea is, with this time of crisis, many of us are taking the time to learn new marketing techniques. So here are my 10 Tips For Creating Better Video. (And yes you can watch the VIDEO of this here).
Video is huge…and growing. It’s a great way to tell the story of your business. Here is a great statistic to consider. People remember 20% of what they hear. 30% of what they see. 70% of what they hear AND see!
Zoom calls and have shown us the power…and some possible pitfalls of video. So here is Top 10 List of Tips!
10 Tips For Better Video
1. Lighting Matters: We have seen the zoom call where you are backlit by a window. You are invisible. Consider lighting before you shoot.
2. Consider a Mic: Or at least work on good clear audio. Nothing is more distracting than bad audio…and it will keep people from watching the video…and getting your message.
3. Use a tripod.: Or do your best to keep the video steady. These are all just basics so you don’t lose people before they get your message at all!
4. Think Different Angles: What does this shot look like from a low angle? High angle? My former lead of video was 6 7. I always knew when he shot a video…because it was from his height. Some shots can look TOTALLY different from another angle. Put the camera on the ground. Or consider taking the next shot from a higher perspective. That’s why people love Drone footage.
5. Do An Extra Take! You think you have it…but you might not. Dogs might have barked. Emails dinged. Whatever. Do it one more time. You will thank me.
6. Don’t use Equipment as an excuse. For most of you…your phone is a GREAT way to start. As a matter of fact, I still use my phone a lot. The best camera is the one you have on you…and I have my phone all of the time.
7. Spend time on the Message. Spend time before you start to roll the video thinking about what you want to say. Create a script or outline or bullets. We think we can just “wing it” and the video ends of looking like we are winging it!
8. Create videos with your customers in mind. Answer their questions. Educate them. It’s not just about you.
9. Shared Platforms are powerful. Delivering Marketing Joy is great because I get to interview people that make me smarter…they help the audience…AND it gives you and them a bigger audience.
10. It’s not what you can create. It’s what you can re-create. Consistency is so important. Dollar Shave club is the exception. You don’t create one video and then you are famous. You have to show up again and again. Create something you can create again and again…think that way from the beginning.!
Thanks for checking these out! If you want more content, head to our blog page. And if you want to learn and grow more, check out our 5 Day Marketing Course here.
Finally, if you want to chat with us about video, or learn more about what we can do for you…head here.
