by Kirby Hasseman
It’s time for Episode 39 of the He Said She Said Podcast with Hasseman Marketing! This podcast is designed to give an inside look at being married and being entrepreneurs and the projects we are working on and the challenges we are facing! We talk about business, family, community and more. So listen in and let us know what you think!
On this episode we talk about…
Trending Topic
This week Kirby and Amy talk about the idea of ending the quarantine. While we are very excited to get back to “normal,” we discuss some things about the process that are making us nervous. Are we headed back for more?
Weekly Whirlwind
This week in the Weekly Whirlwind we get an opportunity to hear about big progress at the building on Main Street. Amy gives an update on flooring, painting, and using the time wisely during this shut down. You can even learn more and sign up for the waiting list here. Kirby talks about working hard on video projects…and a website redesign on the site. We would love to hear your thoughts on the new look! Here is the homepage for a shortcut!
Lesson In Life
This week in the “lesson in life” Kirby and Amy talk about thinking of others. This is something we should always do of course, but it might be more important than ever now. Are you considering how your actions affect others? Maybe we all should.
Shout Outs
Each week we want to give a shout out to an organization or an individual doing good work. This week we talk about how educators and administrators worked hard to make this year special for graduating seniors. We have all heard about the challenges, but there were some cool projects that made this year cool too.
So that’s a wrap! Thanks for listening to Episode 39 of the He Said She Said Podcast! Any feedback will be welcome as we try to provide you value! If you want to subscribe you can do that where you normally get podcasts…or you can head here to follow on Soundcloud.
Thanks so much for listening! If you have any topics you want Kirby and Amy to cover, please comment and let us know! Oh…and if you like this content, check out this page where you can find all of the content we create!
One final thing…we have created a 5 Day Marketing Course you can take for FREE. There is no catch. Learn more about it here.
by Kirby Hasseman
With some extra time on your hands during the pandemic, many people have decided to create content for their business and personal brand. I am excited to see the increase in activity in video, podcasts and blogs all over the business world. I think it’s a great use of time, and a great way to use this time to create long term business value. But as you start on your content journey (or if you are just considering it now), it’s important to not just “run and gun” your content. Here are a few questions to consider to make your content marketing pop.
Does This Answer a Question Or Concern of My Customers?
When I speak to business leaders, marketers and entrepreneurs about creating content, one of their concerns is where to start. What topic should I cover? What should I write about? The easiest place to start is to make a list of questions that your customers and prospects ask all of the time about your product or service. You probably already have the answers, because you handle them all of the time. If you can write a blog or create a video that answers that question you probably have a good piece of content.
But I think it’s important that this is not just a sales video. It’s not an ad. So many people create videos that say they are answering a question, but it’s really a full blown marketing pitch that only sells their own product. The idea is that you create value by answering a real question and add value to the customer. Once you have created value in the customer’s mind, and built trust, that is a great time to offer your product or service as a potential solution to the customer’s problem.
Does This Have a Point of View?
The famous Sports Talk Radio Host Jim Rome has a mantra he says to his callers. “Have a take…and don’t suck.” That might be good advice if you are calling a radio show, but these are great words of wisdom if you are creating content. Have an opinion. The idea of content marketing, in many ways, is to establish you or your brand as the expert. We go to experts for their opinion on matters. These experts have earned the right. That’s you. You have put in the work to be the expert in your area. So if you are going to take my time with a piece of content, have a point of view. Have a take. And don’t suck.
Is This Created With My Customers in Mind?
Many marketers and entrepreneurs have a “Toby Keith” problem with their marketing. They “wanna talk about me” all of the time. When we focus all of our marketing or our content on our own company, we lose sight of what is important…meeting the needs of our customer. The best content is created wit the customer in mind. It answers a question they need. It educates them to help them do their job better or make their lives easier.
Donald Miller talks about this in his great book Building Your StoryBrand. Many companies make themselves the hero of their story. It’s a mistake. As Miller says, in your marketing (and your content) you should position the customer as the hero of the story and your company should be the guide. So your customer is Luke Skywalker and your company is Obi Wan.
These are just a few questions to consider when creating a piece of content…and you want to make it pop. I think questions can be very powerful to lead us the right direction (I talk about more good questions here). If you have more questions about Content Marketing, check out Joe Pulizzi’s great book Content Inc on the subject here.
Thanks for reading! We will keep the content coming for you! If you want to catch up, you can head to our blog page here.
by Kirby Hasseman
We have all been to the small business that has been burned too many times. They have a new handwritten sign, it seems, for each customer infraction. The signs range from “No shoes. No Shirt. No Service” to announcing to the world that they “no longer accept checks.” Some small businesses get a bit carried away until their wall is papered with things their customer is not allowed to do for fear of tasing! As an entrepreneur myself, I understand. You sometimes get tired of being taken advantage of, and you want to make sure people know it.
But it’s important to be conscious of the message we are truly sending.
Especially now, as companies, stores and restaurants get ready to open to the public again, it’s important to consider the question “What message are you sending?” As business owners, we have been anxious about getting back open again. We might be frightened what will happen if we can’t get back to business. But we must remember that part of our audience is scared too. They are wondering if it’s safe to go back out…and you need to consider what message you are sending to them!
Is It Safe To Come in?
If a customer decides to come back to your business, are you showing them that you are ready? Do you have information displayed that explains how you are going to keep them safe? Do you have signs on the wall or stickers on the floor that discuss the idea of staying 6 feet apart? You might be thinking “They already know that,” and you would be right. But subconsciously (at the very least) they might be asking if you know it. Have the correct protocols in place show them that you do. That is the reason I think masks matter. I talk about that here.
Do They Really Want Me In?
Now is also a great time to look at your entrances and behind the counter of your businesses. Is everything necessary? Does your signage look welcoming? Does it look like I really want business to come in the door? We all have seen our businesses so many times that we stop seeing what it looks like. Now is the perfect time to look at it with fresh eyes. This is a chance to treat customers as if they are coming for the first time. What do you want them to see?
I am excited to get “back to work” as a country. I am sure you are too.. Now we just need to ensure we are doing it right…so we can keep everyone safe and working! If you enjoyed this, please check out our blog page for more content. And now is a great time to brush up on your marketing skills. Sign up for our (FREE) 5 Day Marketing Course here.
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.
