by Kirby Hasseman
As the news about the Coronavirus has changed, developed and exploded over the last week in the U.S., it has been hard to escape. There has been panic buying, mixed information, quarantines and lots of shouting! And while there have been some nice gestures from individuals, for the most part it feels like this virus is making us drown in negativity (especially online).
That’s why now is really good time to consider creating a policy of “Giving Out Joy.” Whether as an individual, or an organization, we have the opportunity to stand out in a very crowded landscape. This is not to say that we do not educate ourselves on the very real threats in the world. It’s about understanding them, and being an island of inspiration anyway.
Here is an excerpt from my recent book “The Give First Economy,” that feels even more true now than when I wrote it.
Give Out Joy
Some days it feels like the world is drowning in negativity. Studies will tell you that 89% of what you see every day is negative. Whether it is through the media, social media or even in the 3D world, everyone seems to be frustrated or complaining.
And don’t just blame the media. That’s lazy. The fact is, most days CNN is not who is filling up my Facebook feed with bitching. It’s us. It’s you. Don’t get me wrong, the media helps fuel this fire, but they are not the only ones throwing logs on it. We all have a share of the blame.
The great thing about social media is that everyone has a voice. The bad thing is…everyone has a voice. As you turn on your device, it seems half the people posting are snarky trolls and the other half create a new reason to play the victim every day. Negativity is all around us.
Once we understand that, the question is obvious. What do we do about it?
The answer is simple (but not always easy) …Give Out Joy.
In a world where nearly 90% of what we see is negative, most people are hungering for something different. We are looking for someone to shine a light on good things. We are looking for inspiration. And the reality is, when you push out good and joy into the world, we stand out in a crowded marketing place.
When we are creating a business, an organization or a personal brand, we are always trying to prove to the market place we are better. But as Mike Michaelowicz says (author of Profit First, Pumpkin Plan and many other great business books),
“In the minds of our customers, better is not better. Different is better.”
The fact is, when seemingly everything we see in the world is negative, a positive person (or brand) can be a shining light. It stands out. So by giving out joy, creating joy and spreading joy, you start to stand out in the marketplace.
Now you might be thinking, “Great. But I am already a positive person!” My guess is, you are not as positive as you think. (Sorry to be negative). The fact is, as humans, we are not great at self-auditing. That’s why surveys will tell you that MOST people think they are an above average driver. The math tells you that’s not true.
So how do we know if we are positive or negative?
Let’s start with a simple exercise.
This is something I have done is sessions I give all over the U.S. I start with a simple question.
How many of you know someone that is constantly negative on social media? They are always complaining. As I say “They are pissed off if they can’t find something to be mad about?” This always elicits some chuckles as everyone in the raises their hands. Everyone knows this guy or gal.
Then I follow up with another simple question.
“How many of you ARE that person?”
Silence. No hands. People start to look around the room and small uncomfortable laughs start as they realize the joke.
Then the punchline comes as I say, “I have given this talk all over the country and I have never met the one jerk that is filling up all of our Facebook feeds!”
No one thinks it’s them. As I said, we are not great at self-auditing. We don’t think we are being negative. We think we “are just venting.” We might even think we are being funny. But we, generally, don’t think we could possibly perceived as a negative person.
Let’s go to the tape!
Go to your Facebook feed (or your social media outlet of choice) and look at the last 10 posts. Be introspective. Think about how they might be looked at from the outside world. Now, if 4 or more of those posts could be perceived as negative (and that’s not up to you, right?), you are likely thought of as a negative person by many of the people that follow you.
Oh…and here’s the caveat. Political posts and religious posts can be viewed as negative.
We all have that “crazy uncle” that posts on their favorite social media platform about 9 times a day outlining why the current U.S. President is a criminal. Sure…those people are easy to spot. But what about you? What do your posts look like?
The push back I sometimes get when I am speaking has to do with “religious” posts. What do I mean by that? I am not suggesting you should not celebrate your faith. I am suggesting that tone matters. Consider it.
On the other hand, you really should be authentic. You should not just change your personality to fit what people want. I don’t think you should and I am not suggesting that. If you WANT to post political rants, that’s your call. What I AM saying is you should be intentional. Most people just sort of randomly post and share without any real thought as to how they are perceived by the outside world.
I do think you should be intentional about it. And, if you want to stand out and make a difference, and create a personal brand that people want to follow in the Give First Economy, I think you should consider intentionally being joyful.
Where to Start
If you like the idea of pushing out more joy but are wondering where to start, here are a few ideas. Use these as a jumping off point and run with it!
Share Joyful News: This doesn’t have to just be about the highlight reel of your life. Seek out good things in your community and share them! Look for good things in your organization or relationships and give them a shout out! It will not only be a great and joyful noise coming from you, but it will make them feel good too!
Create Uplifting Content: If you are so inclined, write blogs that help to uplift. Create Instagram posts designed to admire. Edit a video together where you interview people doing good in your industry. Shining a light on the good in the world can always be a great place to start.
Give Compliments: We will talk more about this in the next chapter, but make it a point to give people praise.
Smile: Want a funny exercise? The next time you drop your kid off at school (or drive to any public place), take the time to look at the faces of the other drivers. Wow. You will see a LOT of grumpy faces! Take the time to give people your smile. It’s funny…you will see people give it back.
There are plenty of ways to give out joy…and it’s more important than ever. Please consider spreading that joy today. Oh, and if you want more content like this, please check out our blog page here. And you can find my book “The Give First Economy” here on Amazon.
by Kirby Hasseman
At Hasseman Marketing, we are proud of the team that helps us “Deliver Marketing Joy” each and every day. So we wanted to introduce you to some of our peeps with our series we call “Brand-ecdotes.” Today we get to meet Jeff Wickerham.
What is something fun that not everyone knows about you?
I absolutely love smoking meat. My specialty is smoked salmon…served with crackers, cream cheese, and chopped onions. Delicious!!! I drive a car with 321,000 miles! AND…I’ve written over 1,300 blogs!
What is your all-time favorite Promotional Product and why?
My all-time favorite promotional product is the custom sticker. I have collected stickers from every place our family has visited and put them on my refrigerator. I also put stickers of brands I love, on my water bottles and MacBook. Stickers are a great addition to put into packages, cards, and anything mailed.
What is the current product you use all the time?
Every single day, I use the El Dorado Roll Top Backpack. I love the style/look of the backpack and it is super functional: roll top, side pockets, side zip entry, and water resistant. I take it to meetings, to the coffee shop, to my office, on vacation, as a diaper bag, and on and on!
What is a company or brand that you admire and why?
The Apple brand is one I absolutely admire. Their product is not only top-notch, they deliver it in a way which makes me feel good. Whenever I open a new phone/computer/accessory, I always feel like I am getting a special gift. I have two phone boxes in my closet I just can’t get to the point of throwing them away. That is staying power!
What is your favorite part of “Delivering Marketing Joy?”
When I can drop off an order, I love seeing the look on someone’s face when they open up their product. It isn’t just the product though…it is the process from start to finish. Providing ideas, the process of ordering, delivering, and following up to make sure everything was exactly the way my customer wanted!
At Hasseman Marketing, we love our team. Want to learn more about us? Head to our About Us page here. And of course if you want to read more content, please head to our blog page here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I got a frantic text from one of my best clients just the other day.
“Can you meet me today or tomorrow?” she asked. “One of our events got cancelled and we need to do something quickly.”
To most of us, this is an all too familiar story. With the Coronavirus scare, conferences, meetings, festivals, sporting events and even small gatherings are being cancelled left and right. It is most likely the right thing to do for public safety, but it is wreaking havoc with businesses.
For businesses, these events and conferences are a chance to create relationships, form bonds, network, educate and, ultimately, sell. We host and attend these events because they give us something that emails, phone calls and even social media can’t. They represent true connection. These events can help to create brand affinity and growth.
During this time, when events are being cancelled at record rates, branded merchandise can help fill this gap.
“We had an event scheduled to welcome students who had committed to come to our university. We need a Brand Box, like you sent us,” she told me. “Cancelling the event is a bummer, but we are excited about this!”
As it turns out, Hasseman Marketing recently decided to send some of our top clients what we called a “Brand Box.” This box of Marketing Joy consisted of a very nice t-shirt, vacuum water bottle, a charging lanyard, lip balm, a pen and more. The items had the message “Be Kind. Give First. Work Hard. Repeat.” We curated the products with the idea of spreading some joy and to say “thank you” to our clients and prospects. It definitely helped us do that. And, as some of our clients have realized, this use of branded merchandise has created a brand affinity for Hasseman Marketing that they want to create with their clients and prospects.
My guess is, your company or organization has already been affected by the cancellation of events. If you haven’t, you will be. So what do you do? Instead of lamenting on social media and complaining to family and friends, I suggest you take a pro-active approach and take the #marketingjoy to your customers.
What will taking an approach like this do for you or your brand?
Surprise and Delight
Done right, a marketing box of joy like this will surprise and delight your customers or prospects. We don’t get a lot of mail these days that delight. This has a chance to turn the relationship upside down…in a good way! And because most of your competitors are not going to want to invest in this way, it will surely separate you and your brand.
Creates Brand Affinity
When you surprise and delight, you bring joy. And when you bring joy to your customers, especially in times of stress and need, you vault yourself to the top of their list. They don’t HAVE to do business with you…they want to!
Creates Long Term Value
Finally, if you select quality branded merchandise that will be used for a long time, you create marketing that works to further your story each and every day. Though everyone has to be conscious of budget, this is not the time to hand out new items that will end up in a landfill. Select items that create long term value to the customer, and you will create long term value to your brand.
I think we all would agree that we hope the Coronavirus quickly becomes a thing of the past. But in the meantime, officials are being rightly cautious. So while event after event continues to be cancelled, we can still create marketing and relationships that matter. Promotional products and branded merchandise continues to be the only marketing you you create where your customers will thank you. This is the time to leverage that tool to go on offense during these strange times.
For more information on how to create a Brand Box like ours, please contact us. You can reach out and email us at [email protected]…or you can head to our Promo page and find out more.
by Kirby Hasseman
At Hasseman Marketing, we are proud of the team that helps us “Deliver Marketing Joy” each and every day. So we wanted to introduce you to some of our peeps with our series we call “Brand-ecdotes.” Today we get to meet Kelly Bowe!
What is something fun that not everyone knows about you?
Hmmm…something fun that not everyone knows about me? I am a Nationally Certified Medical Assistant and Phlebotomist.
What is your all-time favorite Promotional Product and why?
I think my favorite product would be the Viking Tumbler from Crown. I use this every day. It has the same high quality as a Yeti tumbler at a small fraction of the cost.
What is the current product you use all the time?
Silicone Square Spoon from Bay State. I did a self-promo of these and my clients keep asking for more. I use mine every day while cooking and baking. This is a high quality item that will last for years.
What is a company or brand that you admire and why?
Showdown Displays. This supplier goes over and above to help our clients and are always doing top quality work. Javier is wonderful to work with every time. My clients will comment that their product is even better than they imagined.
What is your favorite part of “Delivering Marketing Joy?”
I have met so many wonderful people through my work and have acquired many true friends. I will carry these friendships on throughout my life.
Thanks so much to Kelly Bowe for taking part in Brand-ecdotes. At Hasseman Marketing, we love our team. Want to learn more about us? Head to our About Us page here.
by Kirby Hasseman
At Hasseman Marketing, we are proud of the team that helps us “Deliver Marketing Joy” each and every day. So we wanted to introduce you to some of our peeps with our series we call “Brand-ecdotes.” Today we get to meet Bree McAndrews!
What is something fun that not everyone knows about you?
There are quite a few things! I am a proud mom of two beautiful spunky (and strong-willed!) girls 😊 I love to bake and create new recipes for friends and family. And…I have jumped out of an airplane more than half a dozen times!
What is your all-time favorite Promotional Product and why?
Favorite promotional product(s): I love to travel and wish I could more. These are some of my favorite pieces I have come across to date that allow me to stay connected, safe and fashionable in my travels.
-hand sanitizer
-camera blocker
-blue light glasses
-rfid card for wallet
-3 in 1 luggage strap with scale and tsa lock
What is the current product you use all the time?
RFID Card is always in my wallet! I also have so many clients who choose these as giveaways at their trade shows, career fairs, general advertising!
What is a company or brand that you admire and why?
This is difficult! I have a few I really like. One being Intuit and former CEO Brad Smith personally calling me regarding a handwritten letter I sent him discussing an awesome article he wrote that really hit home to me. Also – Moosejaw has to have some of the best/funniest marketing strategies. Recently I was driving and one of their trucks pulled up behind me. I looked in my rearview mirror and their front bumper sticker says “You have a flat tire – JK” Also a few holidays ago they were doing a national white elephant gift exchange for any gifts you received that you didn’t want you could ship to their HQ and they would take another gift they received from someone and send it to you along with a coupon. I wish I participated to see what random thing I would have received.
What is your favorite part of “Delivering Marketing Joy?”
I have the best most creative team! I learn so much from every team member. I work remotely and I still feel very much a part of the team! AWESOME people!
At Hasseman Marketing, we love our team. Want to learn more about us? Head to our About Us page here.
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s hard to believe now, but there was a time not that long ago, when people questioned the power of social media when building a brand or an organization. Most of us now understand and acknowledge, that when done right, social media can be an extremely valuable tool in marketing and sales. There are just too many success stories to argue. But some companies still struggle to get their arms around how to make it work for them. So while they see that Social Media can be powerful, they have not learned to harness it for themselves.
Sometimes it’s not just about what to do…it’s about what NOT to do. So here are 3 mistakes I see organizations make on social media.
Always Be Closing
In this iconic clip from the movie Glengary Glenn Ross, Alec Baldwin gives a struggling sales team a speech that is for the ages. He says that those of us in sales (and we are all in sales) should “Always Be Closing.” While I think the cast is incredible and the scene is powerful, I don’t think that’s a great way to build a brand…especially on social media. So many organizations treat their social media platforms as another place to put up commercials. It’s not. You can’t always be selling or your prospects and customers will turn you off. They have that power now. If you want to create real business relationships, you need to provide value before you sell. You need to “give first.” Don’t “always be closing.” Always be giving value…or you won’t get the chance to sell.
I Wanna Talk About Me
Sure, it’s hard to get this Toby Keith song out of your head. But when it comes to social media (and marketing in general) when all you do is “talk about me” it can be a turn off for prospects and customers. Sure, you need to tell your story. But how you tell it matters. It’s important to consider why this matters to your customer. How does this help them? When you create social media and content marketing, make sure you do so with your customers in mind.
Ghosting
If you have not heard of it, one of the ways to define “ghosting” is to just leave a gathering or party without any communication. Sometimes that’s a great way to get through a business trip without a hangover. But it’s not a great way to treat your “audience” on social media. We have all seen that business that decided they were going to “be great at social media” and then go hog wild posting to Facebook. Then after a few weeks, the whirlwind gets in the way, and they “ghost.” No announcement. No explanation. They just stop posting anything for months. As you might expect, this is not a great way to build an audience or add value. Consistency is a powerful tool. Organizations that create a consistent plan, and execute on it, have the best results.
In many ways, it’s about treating your audience like you would want to be treated. You don’t want to be sold to all of the time. Most of us don’t want someone to only talk about them. And we certainly don’t like it when we are ignored. So consider that, as you look at your social strategy moving forward!
Thanks for reading! Want more content like this? Check out our blog page here. And if you just can’t wait another day without checking out my new book, you can find that here.
