Last Week at Hasseman Marketing
Why Your Organization Should Do a (Fun) Video!
I have worked with hundreds of organizations over the years that have (at one point or another) said, “We need a video.” And in most of these instances, they are right!
The problem with the concept behind most of the videos is, well, they stink. They are either too long, or too jargon-filled, or too salesy or too boring. And did I mention too long? The problem with all of these video ideas is pretty simple. The organization producing it makes the video for themselves. I mean, they don’t mean to do that. But they do.
Let’s face it, no one other than you wants to watch a 15 minute video about your company!
As a matter of fact, many people (raise your hand if you do this) actually choose NOT to watch videos if they see they are too long. So that means the video could be absolutely awesome, and no one would watch it anyway.
So what do you do? Make it fun.
Here are some reasons to make a video that is fun for your customers (and you)!
You Show Personality: If your company is boring, then this is probably not your thing. But most companies are not. And even if many people in your company are boring, someone within the organization might be a hoot. People like it when you show personality. They like to know who they are dealing with…and it allows them to get to know you when are you not asking for money! 🙂 Here is a recent video from Hasseman Marketing that shows us let our hair down.
You Can Sell (with less sales): At the end of the day, most of us understand that companies need create sales. But humans like to buy, they don’t like to be sold. A fun video can help you showcase features and strengths without it seeming salesy. In this video from Distributor Central, I learn a ton about their software. I also learn that I want to party with Dave.
You Can Show Off Facilities: When we moved into our new location a few years ago, we had some requests for tours of the place. I am glad to do that, but it’s hard to at scale…unless we do a video tour worth watching! To this day, this is one of my favorite videos we have created. I dare you NOT to smile.
The fact is, a well done fun video can do a lot for your sales. But in addition, I have found that our team has fun creating them. Don’t get me wrong, we have plenty of grumbling about the process on the front end. But once we get “rolling” we have a lot of fun goofing around and teasing each other. It’s like a team building exercise that we don’t have to go off site for!
So if you think you need to create a video for your company, you are probably right. But considering doing something outside the norm…and have some fun with . You will be glad you did!
P.S. If you think hard enough you can work in Ninjas. And everyone loves Ninjas.
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Last Week at Hasseman Marketing
Supercharge Your Marketing! Combine the Power of Social and Promo!
Smart marketers combine their advertising and marketing efforts all the time. I talk with business owners and marketers that talk about making sure their “branding is consistent” across the platforms of TV, Radio, and Print. That’s great! The problem is, they often tend to leave out Social and Promo when they consider their marketing platforms. This is getting better, but the problem still exists.
Another reason I like to combine the power of these two is they have another thing in common. Both Social Media and Promotional Products are often discounted as advertising media that “doesn’t work.” It’s ironic that these advertising venues are often discounted for the opposite reasons. Social is too new (for some people) and Promo is too old. As you might have guessed, I don’t subscribe to the theory that either of these advertising platforms “doesn’t work.” They both do (quite well actually) if you know what you are doing.
As Social Media guru and superhero, Gary Vaynerchuk says, “Just because you can’t shoot a three-pointer doesn’t mean your basketball is broken.”
Some people who are marketing with Social and Promo are throwing stuff out there without “spending any time in the gym.”
Give First Strategies
One reason I think Social Media and Promotional Products are great allies is they are both most effective when utilized in a “give first” strategy. As Gary points out in his book “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” a business that wants to be successful on Social Media needs to be willing to spend some time to develop credibility first. They need to add value by sharing information, humor, insight, and engagement (Jabs) to their audience. Only after doing this for a period of time does the business earn the right to effectively ask for the sale (Right Hook). The same is often true with the very best promotional product campaigns! The very best promotional campaigns are often built around branded products that are functional. They are valued! Although they are marketing tools for sure, when they are done right they are often perceived as gifts to the potential customer. The business marketer “gives first” to provide value. Then they have the chance to ask for the sale!
Targeted and Native
Successful marketers on Social Media are wise on telling their story in the native tongue of the Social Platform they are using. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Pinterest (just to name a few) are different and distinct platforms. You need to communicate on these platforms “natively” or you have the real opportunity to turn people off. However, if you do speak “natively” and hit the mark with your message, you have the chance to make a big impact. Similarly, you have the same challenge and opportunity with Promotional Products. When done right, you can reach right into the homes, offices, and lives of your exact target market. But if you don’t give real thought to where and when your promotional products will be used, you might miss the mark before you even have the chance to tell your story!
Pump Up Posts
So if both formats are “give first” formats, I suggest you get them to work together. When working with your social format, you certainly provide value by sharing appropriate articles, funny pictures, and informational videos. Those are great. But what about simply sharing the opportunity for branded swag? What about this on your next Facebook post? Take a picture of a staff member holding a cold beverage in a branded Coolie. Then post: “We will send a FREE Drink Coolie to the first 100 people to comment on this post!” That is a great way to provide value AND it nearly ensures customer engagement! Yes, you will incur some cost on a promotion like this. But you create a great deal of buzz within your audience AND likely increase your audience for the next time you want to try to make a sale. Oh, and you have created a great bond with the customer (or future customer) and given them a lasting token to remember you by. People still buy from people (and brands) that they like. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.
Affecting Human Behavior
Marketing has been, and still is, about influencing human behavior, right? That is where combing promotional and social really can create some magic. Last year, at Hasseman Marketing, we stumbled across a strategy that helped us increase our social presence…nearly by accident. In promoting “Promotional Products Work Week” we decided to increase awareness through our Facebook page. We wanted to promote the idea of how Promotional Products can help in business (sound familiar?) AND increase our presence. So we quite simply (and crudely) posted a picture of a staff member (Dustin) in our office holding a cute stuffed puppy (with a branded handkerchief around its neck). We said “We are having a contest today! For a chance to win this puppy you need to do three things: 1) Like our page, 2) Share this picture, and 3) like or comment on the picture.
Wow. The results were amazing. That one post is still one of the largest number of impressions we have ever received on Facebook (with no ad bucks spent) AND we increased the number of likes on our page by 40%. No, you can’t do this sort of thing all of the time. Yes, it could be obnoxious. But the results were incredible. It just goes to show you, promo affects human behavior! So work to provide value to your clients in both the Social Media world and the Promotional realm. It will pay off! But if you can combine them, you can Super Charge the effect!
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Last Week at Hasseman Marketing
