by Kirby Hasseman
Delivering Marketing Joy is one of the pieces of content that I am most proud. Why? Probably because it was one of the first consistent pieces I produced…and it helped put me on the map.
Now, nearly 250 episodes later, it’s still rolling. As you might expect from a journey like this, I have learned a lot from Delivering Marketing Joy. But what can it teach you? Here are a few lessons I am proud to share.
Don’t Listen To The Voice: I have talked about this before here, but it’s worth mentioning again. The hardest voice to overcome when starting something like this is the one in your own head. For Delivering Marketing Joy, I had to overcome the voice telling me that no one wanted to talk to me on an interview show. Who was I? I am so glad I pushed through that. Most people were more than willing (and generous) to spend the time.
Share Platforms: One of the reasons I think the show worked (early on) was because I was sharing platforms with other people in the industry as I grew my own. In my first episode I talked with Mark Graham. He was already an influencer in the industry, so I was able to leverage his audience too! Obviously, the goal is to provide value. So by sharing platforms you get to share the goods with more people.
Stay With It: When I was about 20 or so episodes into the show, I was kind of tired. I was proud of how many shows I had done…but I did not know whether it was worth it to continue. Insert Seth Godin. I got the chance to interview him (with Mark Graham) and Seth mentioned that he had seen the show! Wow! Then he said something I will never forget. “Stick with it. In 3 years you will be glad you did.” At the time I did not have the next episode lined up! But I did keep it up. And Seth even agreed to be my guest when I got to Episode 100. Watch that here.
Be Consistent: This is something I preach a lot…because I think it really matters. If you want to build an audience (and I am still working on it), you need to be consistent. It’s important to the audience. But I think it’s important to you too. It sets a deadline. Otherwise, it becomes really easy to “just miss one.”
Start With A Few in the Bank: This leads nicely to Start with a few “in the bank.” When I started DMJ, I heard that the average web show never makes it to Episode 5. I have no idea if that was true. But I was obsessed with starting with 5 shows done! That bank of episodes gave me some confidence and gave me time to get more going!
Don’t Worry About the Metrics (at first): It’s not about creating a “viral video.” It’s about creating value. Way too many people get really focused on the numbers too early on. It’s a recipe for frustration. You are (likely) not going to have a big audience at first…so the numbers are not going to be impressive. That’s fine. It will build. Plus, I have found that despite the numbers, you never know who is watching. Keep focusing on the value…the numbers will take care of themselves. Delivering Marketing Joy is a weekly class for me. I learn something all the time. But these are just a few lessons that I am reminded of as I look back.
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by Kirby Hasseman
Happy Thanksgiving! The holidays are officially upon us. And as the Black Friday Sales start (on Thursday, no less) it is extremely easy to get sucked into the stress of the holiday season. We can get too focused on the gifts and less on the meaning. We get focused on the tasks on the to-do list and less on the point of the exercise. I know I am guilty of it. So on this day of Thanksgiving, I wanted to take just a moment to outline a few of the things I am thankful for here at Hasseman Marketing.
The Team
I really am excited and thankful for the team I get to work with every day. From different backgrounds and different parts of the country, the inside employees and the outside sales team are what make us go. They are who “Deliver Marketing Joy.” Thanks to the Hasseman Marketing Team!
Our Customers
Nothing happens until there is a sale. That is true of any business, and certainly ours. We so appreciate the faith and trust our customers place in us every day. Thanks to each and every one of you!
Our Communities
Our Corporate headquarters is in Coshocton, Ohio and we love that area. We #ChooseCoshocton. We are proud of it. We want to have an impact. But with the nature of our business, we have team members in other communities too. Yes, we have people in Ohio. But we also represent communities in Virginia, North Carolina, and California as well. We are thankful for the opportunity to make a difference in each.
Our Suppliers and Partners
As with most any business, we are not in it alone. We have a host of fantastic suppliers and partners that help us do what we do. These suppliers are manufacturers, printers, designers and software developers…and more. We are thankful for the opportunity to work with each. So thank you! If you are reading this, you are likely in one of these camps.
All of us at Hasseman Marketing would like to take this chance to give Thanksgiving…for you!
by Kirby Hasseman
Video Marketing is one of the most effective and engaging ways that you can communicate with your audience. As technology has advanced, it has become more and more simple to create video content. However, there are many mistakes that you can make when deciding to pull out your camera to shoot a quick video. This post will only focus on 3 things that, in my opinion, can have a huge impact on the quality of your video. But, don’t fret, they are also some of the easiest to remedy.
1. Shaky Footage
No one wants to watch a video that looks like it was shot by a hyper dog that just heard the door bell ring. One super easy way to fix this one is to invest in a tripod and use it. It doesn’t have to be expensive. There are many options that you can find that will work great for under $25-30. If you plan on doing movements such as Panning and Tilting and you want them to be smooth, then look into getting one with a video head. (You will pay more for these but they are worth every penny when you are trying to get your shots to look as professional as possible.) If you are shooting hand-held. I.E. you have no tripod or you are doing something spur of the moment with your cell phone. Make sure that you are as steady as possible.**PRO TIP: Hold the phone with both hands, tuck your elbows into your ribs and stay locked into that position. Also remember, try to never be zoomed in when you are going hand held if you can help it. Nothing will make a video shaky more than zooming in and shooting hand held. This only accentuates the movements and makes everything look like you are shooting a Mad Max Fury Road chase scene.
2. Shooting in Portrait Mode
This is one of my biggest pet peeves. A simple turn of your phone onto it’s side will make a much better video.
You are holding your phone with both hands with your elbows tucked in after all right? (See Above.) So you should be using the example on the right. 
Black bars on the sides of your video are unacceptable and make you look amateur. It’s a simple fix. Turn your phone on it’s side before you click record.
3. Bad Sound
Another easy fix, but if you don’t think ahead about it can ruin your video. Be aware of your surroundings. Is it really windy outside where you are shooting? If so maybe go inside or go behind a building or something that can block that wind. Are you standing too far away so that the audio is not being picked up by your microphone? There are many things to consider when shooting. If you want to up your chances of getting better audio, invest in a microphone that is well suited for the type of shooting you plan to do. There are many options that I won’t go into, but in general if you are using an external microphone; it is probably better than the one built into your camera.
Of course, if you want our help, you can head here to find out how we can create professional video for your or your organization.
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