A week or so ago (as I write this), something happened that rocked a huge group of people to their core…Facebook and Instagram went down for around 6 hours. While you can comment about the addictive qualities of social media and our phones (and that’s a blog for another day), I looked at it through the eyes of a marketer. The fact is, many businesses use social media exclusively to market their businesses. Some businesses talked about losing millions of dollars during that 6-hour stretch because everything they did (marketing, selling, and collecting money) all happen through Facebook.
So it begs the question…what happens when Facebook goes away?
What will you do if the largest social media platform stops? How will you market your business or your organization without Facebook? Now before anyone gets on your high horse, this is not a blog designed to bash Facebook, or using the platform to market. From my perspective, an organization would be crazy not to use this resource. You can find us on Facebook here. For all its faults, I still see Facebook as the number one platform to promote just about anything online. But some of us (maybe me included) have become overly reliant on this one platform to meet our needs.
The most obvious and immediate strategy, if this happens, is to move to another social media platform. As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what happened that day. Twitter usage took off, as did Linkedin, TikTok, etc. And in talking with other marketing experts about this very situation, that was their first suggestion. As my friend Bill Petrie said, “When Facebook goes away it will likely be because another platform became more important.” That’s a great point. So first step…go to where your clients are hanging out.
While this is good advice (and it is), there are challenges here too. What if Facebook goes away quickly? What if the platform that takes on most of the users is not one you have a following on? You have the audience built on Facebook. The challenge, of course, is that you would need to start over to build your audience again. So if you need to build that audience on another platform at some point, maybe you should begin before you need to.
Takeaway: If your audience can only access you on one platform, you might want to consider building another.
Using Physical Marketing
One of the most powerful things that social media has allowed companies to do is to create a real relationship with their customers. Traditional media was one-sided. But social media allows for conversation. While Facebook is a powerful distribution tool, it does allow for you to hear from your tribe. That is really cool. Now that you have done that work, it’s important to continue to solidify that relationship. One powerful way to do that is by using high-quality branded merchandise. Get your brand in the hands of your advocates and let them help you spread the word.
This is what the best marketers did during the pandemic. When there was no way (other than social media) to reach customers, creative marketers started to send boxes of branded merchandise to their employees and their customers to their homes. This created a connection that did not exist in the “real world” because of our isolation. It’s powerful. So why wait? Start a campaign to get amazing coveted merchandise in the hands of your best customers.
Takeaway: Create a quarterly appreciation program targeted at your Top 20% of customers.
Rented Versus Owned Media
Since the early days of marketing, we have become very comfortable with “rented media.” That is when another entity “owns” the audience and we just rent their attention for a short time. We did this with radio, newspapers, and TV. Those companies owned the audience and we paid for access. As social media proliferated, this relationship became a bit more confusing. As we built our audience on these platforms, we got lulled into thinking that we “owned” the audience. But we don’t. If Facebook decides to change their algorithm, they don’t have to check with us. They own the audience. So does every other social media platform. That became incredibly clear when Facebook and Instagram went down. Boom..”our audience” was gone.
That is why it’s so important to create an audience that is actually our own. How do we do this? The best way is to get your fans to sign up for an email or text list. When a customer opts in to receive messages from you, they are really a part of your audience. You have the right to send them messages when YOU want to. While many marketers ruin this by spamming people with too many offers, many do a great job of providing value and giving great offers that the audience is excited to see. Do that.
But we all know that (thanks to those spammers) most people don’t just go around handing out their email address to everyone. Most of us have been burned by that! So it’s important to create an offer of real value so the audience is excited to hand over their information. Then, it’s equally important to value that audience. The audience you “own” is a true value to your company. We do this. That is why we have created this 5 Day Marketing Course. It’s totally free…and we hope it provides you value. Sign up today and join our VIP list!
Takeaway: Create an offer for your customers to “opt-in” to sign up to get emails (or texts) from you.
Have A Website That Works For You
I have repeatedly heard from new small businesses, “Why do I need a website? I have a Facebook page!” Well, my friends…this is why. If that platform goes away, so does all of your ability to tell your story. In addition, though Facebook is a powerful marketing tool, not everyone is on it. That means that even if they WANT to see your message or learn about your service, they can’t. You need a website.
But you don’t JUST need a website. You need a website that works for you. Many companies have what I call a “brochure website.” That is a great start. But if you want to succeed in a world without Facebook, you need a website that can help people find you. That means a website that Google can find. Have you done a search for your service? Not your name…your service. Are you coming up near the top? If you are not in the first few search results, you are effectively invisible to your potential customers.
In addition, your website is a great place to start providing actual value to your clients. You are the expert in your field. Start acting like it on your website. Write a blog that answers questions. Create a podcast. Start a video series that helps clients. Create content and host it on your site. This builds your credibility in the marketplace. It shows that you are willing to “Give First.”
In addition, it’s the place where you can not only sell your service but also have offers that allow customers to give you their contact information and you can build that audience you own.
Takeaway: Create a website that really tells your story and acts as a business builder for your company.
Put It In Writing
We have all heard prognosticators tell us “Print is dead.” But a funny thing happened when nearly everything shut down during the pandemic. Businesses needed an affordable way to tell their story and promote their business. So they turned to print and direct mail. Social media is a great way to promote your organization. But I don’t recommend abandoning all other forms of marketing. If Facebook goes away, you will still need to tell your story…and do it affordably. That is when you might want to turn to print.
And here’s the thing, with many of your competitors moving away from print, it might be a great time to get valuable attention in that same place.
Takeaway: Don’t forget about print to tell your story…today and in the future.
So what can you do if Facebook and Instagram go away? How will your organization tell your story? These are just a few ways you can still stand out. And if they work then…it might be time to start implementing these strategies right now.
It is almost time for the Hasseman Marketing Fall Fiesta…and we are fired up to bring back this event! For those that don’t know, we host an annual (except of course last year) in-person event to showcase the best and brightest ideas in marketing…just for you! Essentially, it’s a fun trade show that we put on just for you. There are plenty of reasons to attend (in fact here are 6 reasons), and we want to let you know that we are still on.
3 Updates For The Fall Fiesta
Safety Protocols
As you can imagine, there have been plenty of questions about safety protocols for the event, so here is where we have landed. We will be recommending that guests wear masks. We will not be requiring them. There will be masks and hand sanitizer for those that want them. Since we are recommending masks, the HMC team will most likely be wearing them. I have no intention of being the mask police, but we will be asking everyone to respect one another’s choice. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
Reminder Of Hours
Just a reminder, this year’s show hours are 11 am to 3 pm. We have made that adjustment based on supplier and attendee requests. The goal is to make this an action-packed event with lots of ability to interact and learn.
Super SWAG
Every year we are blessed to have some wonderful branded merchandise to share with our events. This year is no different. We have been getting boxes of “marketing joy” for the past month and we are excited to share these with you. We will be packing bags this coming week in order to get ready. If you registered early, there will even be an extra goodie in the bag as well.
Didn’t register early? It’s okay! We will have plenty of good swag for you. You are still welcome to join us!
Once again, the event is Thursday, October 14th from 11 am to 3 pm at Lake Park Pavilion in Coshocton County. We hope to see you there!
(Coshocton, OH)—Coshocton-based marketing firm and promotional products distributor Hasseman Marketing & Communications is growing again. Hasseman Marketing is excited to welcome Dustin Haywood back to their team. Haywood worked at Hasseman Marketing for 10 years previously and rejoins the team as Director of Marketing.
“I could not be more excited to have Dustin back on the team,” says Hasseman Marketing CEO, Kirby Hasseman. “Not only is he a great team player but he is incredibly talented. That will be great for us and our clients!”
In his new role, Dustin Haywood will not only help to market the services that Hasseman Marketing has to offer, but he will also provide marketing services to clients as well. This includes new digital marketing services for Hasseman Marketing clients. In addition, Haywood will also help to increase the video production services Hasseman Marketing offers.
“I am happy to be back home,” says Haywood. “The last several years I have had the chance to increase my knowledge base and skills and I can’t wait to use those to help our clients.”
At Hasseman Marketing, we are all about creating content that provides you value, inspiration, entertainment, and (hopefully) some joy! It’s about “Giving First” and we are big believers! But we have heard that sometimes, it’s hard to keep up. We get that. And while it’s totally okay if you are not able to see every piece of content we create, we don’t want it to be because of a lack of effort on our part. So I wanted to take just a moment to highlight a few pieces of content we are consistently cranking out.
Each Monday we create a motivational video for PromoCorner. The idea is to give you a quick boost of motivation to start your week off on the right foot. And because it’s quick-hitting…we hope you can find the time! If you have never taken the time to listen, you can find them all right here. Feel free to binge-watch them all and get fired up!
In Stock and Ready to Rock
As we write this, inventory is a challenge in nearly every industry. We have been talking about it a lot because we want to spare you some stress and headaches. But we didn’t want to just complain…that’s not our deal. So we created the “In Stock and Ready to Rock” shop. Each week we will feature one item that has deep stock and is ready to be branded with your organization’s logo! Click here to check out the latest!
The Kirby Hasseman Blog
Each week I work to create a personal development article that might help you move your business in the right direction. I often file these under “messages I need to hear,” as they resonate with salespeople, entrepreneurs, and leaders that want to level up. Here is my most recent (as I write this) about 3 Things To Do Every Day if you want to be more productive and happier. If you enjoy that one…there’s plenty more where that came from!
Delivering Marketing Joy
This is what I call the “OG” of our online content. With over 350 episodes, that means we have been doing Delivering Marketing Joy for nearly 7 years. Every Wednesday we interview leaders, marketers, entrepreneurs, and authors from (quite literally) all over the world. This is one of the pieces that updates to our blog page each week, but you can head here to binge hundreds of episodes on PromoCorner.
Thirsty Thursday
One of our newest pieces of content has quickly become one of our most popular! Each week we try a mystery drink in a different piece of branded merchandise. Sometimes the drinks are good…but not often! The reactions and the cool branded merchandise make it all worth while. This is posted on our Facebook page and is just one reason why you should follow us if you are not already. Watch the latest episode here!
Oh…and if you are interested in any of these pieces of drinkware for your organization, you can head to our shop here!
Fashion Friday
Each week we have some fun featuring a simple apparel piece for our Fashion Friday! This is another Facebook/Instagram exclusive, so head here and give us a follow.
Ohio’s Heart
Finally, I want to highlight Ohio’s Heart. Some of you may remember that we created OhiosHeart.com to highlight positive things going on in our region. While I have been a bit distracted from this site, I still believe it has a great opportunity to spread the good word! So we have been posting more to it recently (like this drone footage of a local expansion)…and I want to continue that trend. So if your organization has some good news, please feel free to share with us! Please add us to the list of press releases you are sending out to lift up the good news!
Whoo! That’s a lot of content…but we do it for you! If you want to have most of this content delivered directly to your inbox, join our VIP list here. Each week we send ONE email to the members of our list so you have it in one place!
It’s a tradition like no other. For over 15 years, Hasseman Marketing has hosted an “End User” trade show and has invited our customers. It’s evolved and grown over the years and we are quite proud of it. This year’s event will be Thursday, October 14th from 11 am to 3 pm at Coshocton County’s Lake Park! And since we missed hosting the event last year, we are ready to get back after it!
But why should you come? We want this event to be fun AND add a ton of value. Here are 6 reasons to attend The Hasseman Marketing Trade Show.
Incredible Product Access
We invite some of our top (and favorite) supplier reps to showcase their lines at the show. I like to say “There is no way I could fit all of this in my trunk.” You get to see and touch and feel the product and see what it’s really like. We all know that many products look the same online or in a catalog. But when you get them up close you can really see a difference. This is the perfect place to make sure your brand materials are on point.
Idea Generation
As you walk around and see the latest and greatest in Promo, you will come up with some great ideas for upcoming projects. The reality is, the show is at a great time of year for year-end gifts for your team or customers. But some of our best customers come every year and start to plan their marketing for the next year and beyond.
Great SWAG
Nobody leaves empty-handed! We put on a fun event where (with the help of our suppliers) we invest in putting some really cool SWAG in your hands. In addition, we build the event around a theme so you can see how we use a bunch of different items around a theme!
Additional Services
You may think you know all that we do at Hasseman Marketing, but we find that most people discover some new ways to promote their organization! Having all of the ideas in one place can be very illuminating! For example, did you know we do website development or in-house print services? We do. And you can find more about them at the event.
Tasty Food
You have to eat right? We have food and drinks as well. Each year we get compliments about the tasty treats and we know this year will be no different. The event this year is on Thursday, October 14th from 11 am to 3 pm at the Lake Park Pavilion (in Coshocton). Our goal is to create an event that provides value and fun…and you never want to miss.
Things Have Changed
I am not sure if you heard about it, but a lot has changed since we were able to do this event last! And while we are excited to get back together to get back to normal, there are some real business reasons you should attend. Your organization might have changed logos, brand messaging, go-to-market strategies, where people work, and so much more. Or, like some of our clients, you might just need to update your materials because it’s been 18 months since you’ve needed them!
(Coshocton, OH)—Coshocton based marketing firm and promotional products distributor Hasseman Marketing & Communications is growing again. Hasseman Marketing is excited to welcome Skylar Hasseman to their team. Skylar joins Hasseman Marketing after working all over the United States as a Professional Dancer, she will take over a new position titled Marketing Coordinator.
“We are so excited to welcome Skylar to the team,” says owner Kirby Hasseman. “She has a great personality and I am excited to have her start working with our sales team to help grow Hasseman Marketing’s brand.”
The Marketing Coordinator is a new position for Hasseman Marketing. In her duties here, Skylar will work solely on branding and marketing Hasseman Marketing in order to utilize marketing services and social media management from Hasseman Marketing. She will manage social media accounts, create video content and work to “story tell” online.
Skylar has worked hard to be able to travel and dance professionally for most of her life, and now she is excited to settle down and start a new future in marketing.
“I am so excited to begin this new journey on the marketing train at Hasseman Marketing. I can’t wait to help market and promote not only our clients, but also focus on branding Hasseman Marketing. The team at Hasseman Marketing is one of a kind, and I look forward to spending each day.”
