by Kirby Hasseman
How many of you have ever started a new year (or a new quarter, or a new week) with the very intense desire to improve your fitness? Raise your hand…everyone. You had decided that “enough was enough.” You were going to put in the work. You were going to follow the plan. You had a goal in your mind. You had new “workout shoes.” You were fired up and you were committed. And you failed. Sound familiar? It does to many of us…me included. We know what to do. We just struggle with the discipline to do it. You know the quote I use all the time… The greatest distance in the world is the distance between “I know” and “I do.” I think the same is true for success in content marketing. As a matter of fact, I see a lot of similarities between success in fitness and in social media! Don’t believe me? Here are 10 ways Content Marketing and Fitness are the same! 1. Success takes a long time: One of the common misperceptions that causes frustrations in both is that results happen quickly. They don’t. The best plans for both start extremely slow and show only incremental progress at first. 2. You need to focus on the day…not the goal: If you continue to look at the marathon, you will get discouraged quickly. You don’t need to run 26.2 miles on day 2 of training for the marathon. You just have to run 2. The same is true with content. You don’t need a million followers. You just need to do the work today. 3. Consistency is Key: You can’t work out for a week and take 2 weeks off and have 6 pack abs (trust me, I know). The best success comes from consistent work. 4. It’s important to track progress: Most training plans have you weigh yourself at the beginning (and take pictures). That way, when you are frustrated, you can see how far you have come. The same is true with content. Start with your traffic baseline. The progress will be slow…but then you can look back later to your progress. 5. Most people start fast…and can’t keep it up: I started P90X the first time and went out of the gates like crazy. Then I could not lift my arms for a week. We have all see the company that started off with a Facebook page like crazy…and then have not posted in 2 months. 6. Most people use the same excuses about why they can’t do it: I know. You don’t have time. Bullshit. Yes you do. Do it or don’t do it. Your call. But time is not your issue. 7. The best plans do a little every day: You don’t have to go out the first week and run 25 miles. It’s often better to start slow and build up. The same is true on the content side. Start slow. There is no point firing out at a pace you can’t maintain. 8. The best people are intentional: You don’t have to (and probably shouldn’t) work out every day. You need to create rest days to let your body recover. But you need to do it on purpose. If every day becomes a rest day, then the routine is over. If you follow a plan, it’s much easier to stay on track! 9. The first 3 months are the hardest: In the program P90X, it’s 90 days for a reason. In that time you can create a habit in your day to workout. And you START to see results then. The work isn’t done. But that’s when it starts to become a part of you. 10. Most people know what to do…but aren’t willing to do it: Fitness and fad diets are huge business. We all want the shortcut. But if we eat less (or better) and work out more, most of us will get results. The fact is, we know that. Most of us are just not willing to DO it. These are just 10 ways that Content Marketing is like Fitness. There are more. So let’s put the excuses to bed. Create a plan. Then, let’s get to work! Make sure you never miss an update (like a mental workout). Sign up for our VIP newsletter here!
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s hard to believe (and even harder to say), but today will be Dustin’s last day at Hasseman Marketing. (Excuse me while I wipe away a tear). Dustin has been with us for 10 years and it’s hard to imagine work life without him. Though we are certainly disappointed that he is leaving, we know he is heading to a great new opportunity! My goal for this organization is to be a good leader for the team. Opinions might vary on my effectiveness, but most would say that a leader is a teacher. I want to help the team grow. But today, as I look at the legacy Dustin left with us, he has been a great teacher to each of us. So here, on his last day at Hasseman Marketing, are a few lessons we have all learned from Dustin. Stay Steady: Dustin has been a calming force at the office. He never gets to high or too low. In a room full of people that can be emotional, this is a powerful trait. Keep Learning: Dustin was hired to be a video editor, and today he is so much more than that. That is because he is constantly learning and getting better with his craft. Much of his learning time might be to upgrading his video skills. But he is also consuming content, social media, SEO and more. We all need to have this thirst for knowledge! Show Up: You become extremely value by simply showing up every day. Not only was Dustin talented at his job, but his consistency and his work ethic took it to the next level. Co-workers knew Dustin would be there to do his job…day in and day out. Laugh: Though he can be quiet, Dustin has a great sense of humor. That is so wonderful in a small workplace! Sometimes, as you are working on a stressful project and a tight timeline, the best skill you can have is a sense of humor! Be Willing To Help: Dustin is a jack of all trades. Obviously he was our “video guy.” But he became our computer guy, our email guy, our art guy, our social media guy, etc. Why? Because he was totally cool when you came to him with the question, “Hey can you help me with this?” We could all use a bit more of this trait. This list is way too small…but it gives you an idea. Dustin has been a great teammate. We are sad to see him go. But we are excited to see what he does on his next adventure! Good luck brother! Make sure you never miss an update! We post new content each day. Sign up for our VIP newsletter here! We would love to have you! Oh…and if you just want to shop for some cool new swag, you can do that here.
by Kirby Hasseman
When this guy asks you to be on his podcast…answer the call! I had a blast recently when Roger Burnett asked me to be on his podcast! Roger is a long time sales guru and is the VP of Sales for Branded Logistics. He is also a Co-Founder of an organization called Promo Cares. The goal of the organization is to get Promo Super Heros to “put on the cape” and use their power for social good. When Roger asked me to be on his podcast he promised not to ask me the “easy and standard” questions. Though that is a little intimidating, it was really fun to cover some new ground here. So feel free to listen in as we cover a range of topics including: * Why the skills that make a sales person and a sales manager are different…* How and why to justify the time and budget for content…* How content marketing is very much like fitness…* And quite a bit more! It was an honor and it was fun. Listen in now…and let me (or Roger) know what you think! Sign up for our VIP Newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
Yesterday was my 22nd Anniversary…and my wife got me these shoes. These shoes represent the best kind of gift. They were something that I really wanted, but I had decided that I was not going to buy for myself. So I was really excited when she (quite thoughtfully) surprised me with them. In addition, these shoes represent a lot of what I believe in. Gary Vee’s Shoes: These are the new Gary Vee 003. Gary Vaynerchuk teamed up with K-Swiss to create these shoes, designed for entrepreneurs. If you are regular reader of this blog, you have seen me mention Gary Vaynerchuk…like I did here. Gary has become legendary in the content creation and entrepreneurial world. The short story goes like this: He took over his family’s liquor store and grew it from $3 Million to $60 Million in 5 years. He did it on the back of Youtube and Twitter. Then he left the family business to create VaynerMedia where they work as a digital ad agency with huge businesses to do advertising on line. So what does this mean to you? Why should you care about my shoes? I am glad you asked. 
Gary Vaynerchuk is sold wine…not fashion. Then he left that business and created a Digital Media Agency. He did not create a shoe company. So, why then, is he able to work with K-Swiss and create his own shoe line? Maybe more importantly, how is he able to sell out of them? Why are people buying them, then re-selling them on E-Bay? (Seriously…it’s happening). He is doing it because he has a large and passionate audience. He has a platform. He is an influencer. Over time, Gary has created content and added value…through content. (His Youtube channel is here). Day after day. Year after year. He has taken the time to “Give First” (I talk about this concept here) over and over again. So that when he decides to “ask” people are lined up to buy. So when we talk about creating value online, this is why. It’s about creating value so that you can create an audience. If you have a passionate audience, then you get to decide what to do next. This sort of thing does not happen overnight. It’s hard work. It may seem unreasonable. But in my estimation, it’s worth it. Now for those of us that are willing to grind, it’s time to get back after it. For those that are not, enjoy the view. Oh…and thanks to my wife for awesome anniversary gift. She really is the best. Speaking of value, we are trying to create it for you every day. If you want to make sure you never miss an update, sign up here for our VIP Newsletter. We deliver this value to you each week via email.
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.
Want to keep up with all of the lessons? Sign up for our VIP newsletter. It’s a great way to stay on top of the content we are creating!
