It’s time for the latest edition of Thirsty Thursday! Who’s ready? Thirsty Thursday is the award-winning piece of content from Hasseman Marketing where we take a mystery drink out of a piece of branded drinkware! It’s funny. It’s irreverent. And we show you some really cool merch as well! This week we feature the 8 oz Whiskey OTR (On The Rocks) Glass. And we welcome our guest-taster, Amy Hasseman. Watch the latest episode below!
The 8 oz. Whiskey OTR is made in the USA and, as we said on the show, it has a sturdy sham. (Who doesn’t want that?). What you get is a quality piece of glassware for a really good price. And if you utilize the creative decoration techniques that are offered, you can create a piece of branded drinkware that really stands out!
Hasseman Marketing is your one-stop marketing shop. We work hard to “Deliver #MarketingJoy to you. If you want to make sure you never miss an update, now is a great time to become a VIP. Sign up to be “on the list” here.
It’s a New Year and time for a new season of Thirsty Thursday! Thirsty Thursday is the award-winning piece of content from Hasseman Marketing where we take a mystery drink out of a piece of branded drinkware! It’s funny. It’s irreverent. And we show you some really cool merch as well! This week we feature the Highland 3-in-1 Copper Vacuum Bottle Kit 32oz Watch the latest episode below!
The Highland 3-in-1 Copper Vacuum Insulated Bottle Kit 32oz is perfect for an active lifestyle. Kit includes three types of lids, a screw-on straw lid, a screw-on chug lid, and a screw-on flip closure lid. Durable, double-wall stainless steel vacuum construction with copper insulation, allows your beverage to stay cold for up to 48 hours and hot for at least 12 hours. The construction also prevents condensation on the outside of the bottle. On-trend, durable powder coating. FSC-certified premium gift box is included. 32oz. Note: Drinking hot beverages with a straw is not recommended. Remove the lid to allow the beverage to cool.
Hasseman Marketing is your one-stop marketing shop. We work hard to “Deliver #MarketingJoy to you. If you want to make sure you never miss an update, now is a great time to become a VIP. Sign up to be “on the list” here.
Video is an incredibly powerful marketing tool. If you want to tell your organization’s story, using video is one of the best ways to do it. And yet, most organizations don’t use video to its full potential. When I visit websites, I am often surprised to find no video…at all! And even when there is a video on the website, there is almost never a clear strategy to use video to match the brand and tell the whole story.
The reason, I think, is that most organizations look at video as a one-time project. They create one video about their company, try to fit everything in, check the box and move on. This, of course, creates a boring video for the viewer, and less than exciting results for the marketer. What you need is a full video strategy. The most effective organizations use video to touch all areas of their company…so that customers and prospects can go on a journey…and arrive exactly where they need to be.
So what videos do you need? We have you covered. Here are the 10 videos we believe every growing organization needs.
Mission Video
What are you and your organization all about? This video explains that to potential customers and employees. Picture your CEO or leader looking into the camera and talking about your “why.” As Simon Sinek said in his best-selling book “Start with Why,” most organizations tell you “what” they do. But most customers and prospects resonate with “why” they do it. This video gets to the heart of that topic.
Marketing Video
This video is your front-facing message to your prospects. It is fast-paced with upbeat music and graphics. This is the video that tells your story and sells your story. It needs to be quick and to the point, but is not handcuffed by broadcast timelines. And while you will share this on social media (and you should), this will be hosted on your website to tell your story when visitors come to do their research.
Interview Series with Leaders
When customers are doing their research, they like to know who they are doing business with. Who is leading the ship? This series of videos humanize your company and the leadership team. The goal is to not only show that the team is competent and smart…but also fun to do business with.
Testimonial Series with Customers
While you can do a good job of telling the organization’s story, there is nothing more powerful than a great testimonial. These interview-style videos can show prospects what the real customer experience is like.
Facility Tour
If you are proud of your facility (and the people that work in it), a video showcasing your location can be awesome. This might include some beautiful drone shots and artsy shots set to music, it might be guided with narration, or it might be a fun one like we did when we moved into our current location (we were so excited that we were “walking on sunshine”).
Commercial (or series of commercials) For Broadcast
While the marketing video is perfect for social media and on your website, the broadcast video needs to fit into a 30-second or 60-second window. Some organizations use a shorter version of their marketing video, and then drive people to their website to see the full version. And other companies create an entirely new set of creative to even further ramp up the results.
Employee Interviews
Much like the concept with the leadership interviews (from above) interviews with your team are powerful. People still buy from people they like, know, and trust, and these videos show your customers and prospects who will be doing their work. When people connect like this, they are more likely to stay longer, forgive mistakes and pay (a little) more. Oh…and if you are looking for employees, these videos can be a powerful look into your company culture.
Quarterly Update To Employees
While marketing videos and outward-facing communication is important, using video to communicate with employees is under-utilized. What is going on at the company? Are there goals you are moving toward? What initiatives are you implementing? Regular communication with employees can help your team not only work better with customers but also feel more engaged and appreciated.
What Problem Does Your Organization Solve?
It seems so simple…but so many organizations don’t answer this vital question. What problem do you solve for your ideal customer? Creating a video that gets to the core of your organization can really lead the right people into your funnel.
Those are 10 videos that we believe that every growing organization needs. And while there are plenty more videos (and variations of these) that can be done, this is a great jumping-off point for companies that want to better communicate and market. Oh…and a bonus video if you want to highlight a fun company culture…a fun video. We have created a few “fun videos” (including this one) that are not only fun to produce but they help us really stand out in the marketplace.
Hasseman Marketing is your one-stop marketing shop. We work hard to “Deliver #MarketingJoy to you. If you want to make sure you never miss an update, now is a great time to become a VIP. Sign up to be “on the list” here.
“If you build it, they will come.” This is a line from an iconic Hollywood movie called “Field of Dreams,” with Kevin Costner. It’s also one of the biggest lies we believe in business when it comes to creating a new website.
Building a new (or improved) website for your organization can be exciting. It takes a lot of planning and hard work. And hopefully, when you are done, you are incredibly excited about the outcome! The problem that many organizations run into is they think that when the website is built, the work is done. They believe the line from the movie. They have built it…now the traffic will come!
Unfortunately, that’s not how website traffic works.
I hate the be the bearer of bad news, but once the site is functional, now the work of driving traffic to the website begins. This is one of the ways that websites are just like a retail establishment. You can’t just put up the “open” sign and have a steady flow of traffic. You have to do the work. So here are 7 ways to drive traffic to your new website.
Paid Traffic
You have likely heard of Google Adwords and Facebook ads. These are incredibly effective ways to drive traffic to your site. The best part about this traffic is that it tends to be very targeted. When it comes to Google Adwords, they have likely searched for the very solution you provide. For all its faults, Facebook is incredibly good at creating traffic as well. This is a great way to get your website on the map. The downside, of course, is that if your entire strategy is built on paid traffic, the cost will just continue to rise.
Press Releases
This is such an often overlooked strategy. When well-written and well-targeted, this can be extremely effective. We recently launched a website called JobsInCoshocton.com. The idea is to educate 17-24-year-olds in Coshocton County about the opportunities in their hometown. While sending this press release out nationally would make no sense, the local media is very interested. If you pick the right target, the audience might be hungry for your news.
Content Marketing
There are a LOT of ways to use content marketing to promote your new website. The first is to create a blog on the new site or to have other interested bloggers write about it to drive traffic. You can also create videos or podcasts that can talk about the importance and features of the new site. You can also request to be a guest on other podcasts or videos. These content providers may already have an audience that speaks to your target, so you can help them (by providing interesting content) while they help you!
In the example of JobsInCoshocton.com, we will likely feature that team on the Coshocton Conversations podcast soon. That podcast already speaks to people who are interested in the area, so they would be a perfect fit!
Direct Mail
We have said it before here, direct mail is not dead. And with the pandemic, its effectiveness has increased. When you want to drive traffic to your new site, a targeted direct mail piece can be powerful. A few tips to help increase the effectiveness include:
Make it clear what you want the audience to do. Put a QR code on the piece to show people to scan it so they can head straight to the site.
Do a postcard so they don’t have to open anything to see the information.
Add an extra feature (like a magnet) so there is added long-term value to promote the site.
Make it bumpy. Add a piece of branded merchandise to improve open rates and the long-term success of the mailer.
Branded Merchandise
Using Branded Merchandise is a great way to build a tribe. These brand advocates can become the best source of “word of mouth” for your new website. The best brands have a tribe of people excited to tell the story. And if you are smart, you can make that even easier. You can certainly add your website to items that have a large enough imprint area. And just like your direct mail piece, you can create an amazing piece of merch with a QR code as well.
Branded merchandise is (by its nature) very targeted and also longer lasting. So by incorporating a quality piece of branded merchandise into your campaign, you can not only give the website a boost in the short term but give it a longer-lasting impact as well.
Email and Text
We have talked about the difference between brand marketing and direct marketing here before. Branded merchandise can serve both purposes. Email and text messages are hardcore direct marketing! Your own list of contacts in email and text can be one of the most valuable assets you have in your marketing toolbox. You own that list. By letting these “VIPs” know that you have a new website, you can create direct traffic to the site…right away!
Event Marketing
When you know exactly who you are marketing to, you know what events they attend. Whether that is going to a trade show, a community event, or an educational conference, getting face to face with that audience can be powerful. At these events, you can create a buzz around the website and even show people how to use the new site. This “hand to hand combat” can be a great way to tell the story of your organization…and why the new website can be a great tool!
These are 7 ways to drive traffic to your new website. As you can see, I talk quite a bit about targeting the right audience. Traffic only really matters if it’s the right traffic. By using these strategies, you can not only increase traffic…but the right kind of traffic to the website!
Hasseman Marketing is your one-stop marketing shop. We work hard to “Deliver #MarketingJoy to you. If you want to make sure you never miss an update, now is a great time to become a VIP. Sign up to be “on the list” here.
When it comes to marketing our organization, everyone wants to make sure they are up on the latest tips and tactics. And we are here for it. Our goal is to keep you up to date on the latest that is happening in the marketing world. But if you (or your organization) are only jumping from thing to thing to try and catch lightning in a bottle, you will often never create long-term success (especially that you can replicate).
So we wanted to create some foundational rules for marketing. These are 7 Rules for Marketing…from Hasseman Marketing. If you follow these, you will create a marketing foundation that can help you tell your story in a way that lasts.
Give Value Upfront
We believe that we live in a Give First Economy. I even wrote a book about it! This means that entrepreneurs, salespeople, and organizations that provide value upfront will win long-term. They will create trust and build integrity and that will create sales. This value might come in the form of branded merchandise, entertaining video, or an informational blog post. But by focusing on the needs of your customers, and then meeting them joyfully, you can create a relationship that will last for years.
Know Your Customer
I mean REALLY know your customer. The best businesses I know are fanatical about this. They create avatars of their perfect customer. Who are they? What do they care about? Where do they hang out? Really dig deep. When you really know your customer, then you can create marketing that reaches them right where they are. So many organizations create marketing “for everyone.” That is a huge mistake. Most businesses I know don’t have a marketing budget that will allow them to reach everyone. So dig deep into your perfect customer and create marketing that reaches them.
Ask For The Action You Want
While creating value for our customers and prospects is incredibly valuable, you still need to ask them to take the action that you want. Do you know why I loved the Coinbase ad from the Super Bowl? It was very straightforward. Scan the QR code. So many Super Bowl ads focus so much on the creative that they forget the point of the exercise. And many small businesses don’t want to seem overly aggressive by saying “buy now.” You don’t have to ask for the sale with every interaction. But when it’s time to ask your audience to do something…just ask.
You Can’t Over-Communicate
This has never been more true than it is today. With the world, the economy, and the supply chain changing so quickly, we need to use every tool in the toolbox to keep in contact with our prospects and customers. Whether that is through video, social media, blogs, email blasts, or a simple phone call, you need to keep your audience up to date. Often, we feel like we have said something so many times that we are tired of hearing it, but it is just breaking through to many of our audience. As Donald Miller says “marketing is an exercise in memorization.” When your customers start to say your message back to you…you are on the right track.
Brand Marketing Versus Direct Marketing (Do Both)
Both Brand Marketing and Direct Marketing are important…but they are different. I talk about this here. Brand Marketing is about raising awareness. You are not asking your audience to buy (right then). Direct Marketing is when you send an email and make an offer (click here to buy now). Both of these are effective and important. But we get in trouble when we try to measure brand marketing using direct marketing metrics. They are not the same. But it’s important to have both of these in your arsenal.
Reach Your Customer When They Need you
We have already discussed why it’s important to know your perfect customer. This digs just a bit deeper by asking this specific question. Where is your perfect customer when they realize they need your product or service? Now…how cool would it be to meet them there? They might be in their car, or in their kitchen. Either way, creating your marketing strategy about reaching them in this moment of need can be a game-changer.
When In Doubt Keep Going
Don’t get me wrong. This does not mean you should keep throwing good money after bad on an ineffective marketing strategy. But so many organizations are incredibly impatient with their campaigns. They don’t commit at the beginning of a strategy about how long they will stick with it. This is especially true with content. An organization decides to start creating content (more brand marketing than direct marketing by the way), but then they want results in 3 weeks. Often the answer is just to keep going…and do it again tomorrow.
While this is not an exhaustive list, it’s a good foundation. If you (and your organization) can follow these 7 Rules for Marketing from Hasseman Marketing, you will be off to a great start. If you want to make sure you never miss an update, now is a great time to become a VIP. Sign up to be “on the list” here.
As we approach the New Year, it’s a great time for organizations to take a hard look at their marketing. Do you love your brand? How do you feel about your website? This is why we created HMC Marketing Pyramid. It’s a simple tool that helps you look at your organization and decide where to start. The Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce is one organization that will be starting the new year with a new website.
Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce Website Is Live
We are excited to announce and share that the Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce is starting the new year with a new website to better serve the Coshocton County community and its members.
We were honored to be asked to create this new website and want to thank Amy and the Coshocton Chamber for allowing us to build and maintain their new website. The task was simple. The goal was to create a more modern site that will make it easier for residents, visitors, and tourists in Coshocton County to find and connect with local businesses. Additionally, we wanted to build the website so that businesses and organizations can join, pay, renew membership, and update their profiles.
With the automation built into the website, the chamber can now accept new members 24/7, maintain an up-to-date directory of members, and free up time for staff to do more direct service and less administrative tasks. Are you a member of the Coshocton Chamber (or do you want to be)? Make sure you bookmark the member directory and use it to find your next service, restaurant, or entertainment venue in and around Coshocton. If your business isn’t listed, join today. And thank you so much to the Coshocton Chamber for letting us help you on this project!
