3 Tips For Your Marketing Budget

There are two reasons that many businesses find this time of year crazy.  

The first, and most obvious, is the holiday shopping rush that is truly in full swing.  Whether you are a retail business or not, you know this time of year can really add excitement and stress to the atmosphere.  

The second reason your business might be busy right now is that budgeting is being done as well.  Many businesses and organizations are knee deep in getting the 2014 budget together.  It can be a stressful and overwhelming project...and you want to get it right.  So we want to give you some tips on making sure your marketing budget is in line with the market place.  

1)  Social Media:  Yes...you should be playing in the Social Media field.  As we move into 2014, you really need to realize that whether you like it or not, having a real and thought out social media presence is crucial.  This does NOT just mean posting a few pictures to Facebook and calling it a day.  You need to have a thought out strategy and budget for it.  

2)  Reconsider Budget Numbers:  Just because you have allocated certain numbers to certain media doesn't mean you should "copy and paste" those this year.  The world is changing extremely fast and you need to consider that when you allocate funds for the coming year.  Don't throw money into an abandoned media just because you always have.  Look at moving those dollars where they can be most effectively used.

3)  Don't Sleep On Promo:  That's right.  The interesting thing about measuring marketing ROI is that one of the oldest advertising media is still one of the most effective.  Don't take our word for it.  Studies show that advertiser recall (and isn't that one of the real goals here?) of those that receive a promotional product is 89%!  Nearly 9 in 10 people who receive a promotional product remember that advertiser.  Say that out loud.  Now ask yourself what your recall is on other forms of advertising. 

Creating that marketing budget is a huge process.  It's about forecasting the future...and that is always tough.  But with a little forethought, you can get ready to make 2014 the best year yet!

Thanks To You

In my experience this might be almost over said today (on Social Media), but almost never any other day.  Thank you!

Thank you to all the friends and family that help to make Hasseman Marketing go.

We sincerely appreciate you.

And during this time of Thanksgiving, we want to be extra sure that we do our best to make sure you know it!

So thank you!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Give Yourself Permission To Dream

I often find this little time right before Thanksgiving a little bit of "calm before the holiday storm."  I try to use this time as a little time of reflection and it inevitably brings me to the topic of goals for the coming year.  I take goals very seriously, and think they are a great indicator of future success.  

It’s time to work out those dream muscles folks! Unfortunately, many of us have forgotten how to dream. We have been told repeatedly by well-meaning loved ones that we should “be realistic” or “sensible.” These are loved ones who simply don’t want to see us be disappointed or hurt. But they are wrong.

No great thing came into the world without a big dream. No great thing can come without a little bit of risk of disappointment. But giving yourself permission to dream is the only way to truly drive the subconscious toward what you want. 

I am a big believer in the power of the subconscious. This is the personal computer inside each of us that works (without our knowledge) 24 hours a day. And it’s important to note that the subconscious mind does not know what is real or not real. So…it’s vitally important that you are “feeding” this part of your brain with “good thoughts.” 

I was out golfing with some family recently. One of the better golfers of the group continued to sabotage himself throughout the round. He was get over the ball and say “Okay…don’t hook this.” So of course he would hook his shot. Then he would say, “Don’t leave this putt short.” So he would leave it short. After about 9 holes of this I pointed out to him that he should stop saying the thing he didn’t want to happen right before he hit. He dismissed me out of hand. And quite honestly that is a normal reaction I get. But do you think it’s any coincidence that the last thing he told his brain is what he did? 

That is why it is so important to DREAM again! Start feeding your subconscious mind these things that you DO want before you go to bed and when you wake up! 
As I have also said before…write these goals down! This is such an important step! So few people actually take this into action. That is why so few people are living the life they desire! 

Finally, when you are “feeding” these into your mind, make sure you do so in the present tense. “I am a magnet for money.” This tells the mind that it is already the case…and you will start living your life accordingly!

So now is the time. Give yourself permission to dream today! Close your eyes and imagine what the life of your dreams would look like? What do you see? What do you hear? Smell? Use all of the senses to create this perfect life in your mind. 

Now get ready to go out and get it!

If you like what you read here, you might want to download the ebook (to the right here) Give Your Way To Success.  It's filled with information just like this!  And it's free!

Resting Face

Seth Godin describes here that we have a "default setting" to our face when we are not trying to show anything.  And often that face is actually quite grumpy looking.  He extrapolates here that your business likely has a similar face when no one is looking.

What does yours look like?

What can you do today to change that for the better?

10 Ways NOT To Describe Yourself

I love the idea of being more authentic.  I think that is a constant balance.  Because let's face it, you are not the same person with your customers as you are with your friends.  You are different with your aunts and uncles than you are with strangers.  This doesn't mean you are not authentic.  It means you are careful about your perception in relationship to your audience.

But are you being overly grandiose in describing yourself or your company online?  

That article made me smile.  And it's going to make me go and check my LinkedIn profile!  :)

Books We Should Read

I am not sure if I should find it ironic or just telling that one of my favorite writers (Jeff Haden) wrote this list of books that I should be reading in 2013.  I am proud to say that I read a lot, but excited to point out that I haven't read any of these.  I have a new list!

Let me know if there are any other books that Jeff missed!

Let me add one to the list.  For those of us that want to continue to grow in our Social Media presence, I recommend Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk.  I have it on the way and I can't wait to read it!

Give Yourself Permission To Be Happy

At church yesterday, the message discussed the idea that most people hate their job.  And when I say most, I really do mean most.  The study suggested that 8 out of 10 people "hate" their job.  That is amazing to me.  As the pastor discussed, if 8 out of 10 people in the United States had the flu, it would be an epidemic.  But we just continue to roll along each week as if this is the penance we have to pay to have a weekend.

And let's face it, this is not just something I heard in the church sermon.  If you pay attention to Facebook at all, you know it's true.  I have discussed here before that there is a percentage of people that post "I hate Mondays" every week.  

I found one of the solutions that was suggested equally interesting.  He suggested that in order to enjoy your work more, you should do "whatever you do" like you you are doing it the best you can for the Lord.  This struck me because it was saying that if we want to be happier at work, we need to, in essence, change our attitude. 

I think in some ways it really is about deciding that you are in charge of your happiness.  Here Seth Godin reminds us that we often defer to "authorities" when we really don't need too. 

So let's take control of our happiness today.  Give yourself permission to be happy.  And if you really "hate' your job that much, make a different choice.  Choose to leave that job.  Choose to do something different.  Or...just Choose to be more happy.

Good luck!