Author: Garth Beyer

The problem is not understanding what being human means.

Being human isn’t acting like every follower’s best buddy. It’s not talking with the latest slang, and it’s not to be entertaining and to laugh at human flaws.

One archery brand comes to mind when I think about a failed effort to be human. They posted an image of a red barn on FB and asked people to tag those they know couldn’t shoot the red side of the barn. Entertaining? Sure. Human? No. Regardless of how many people you could tag.

Another way to explain being human is authenticity. For a brand to be authentic, it is less about being a brand people can care about and more about being a brand that does the caring.

No one wants to be friends with a brand that highlights their shortcomings as a human, especially for entertainment purposes. People care to walk the path to brand loyalty when they feel a brand is beside them, not pointing at them.

 

 

Stay Positive & Be Human, Be Authentic, Be Caring

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While camping this weekend, a little boy and his father walked back and forth from the bathroom to their tent a half-dozen times. Each time they passed I heard the boy asking “why?”

“Why don’t they have a camper?”

“Why are the campsites numbered?”

“Why is he crumpling the newspaper?”

Somehow along the path to adulthood, we lose the drive to ask why.

Moreover, we lose the drive to answer why, which is a terrible condition, especially given we are all marketers (of ourselves, of our ideas, of our existence).

This is one way humans are like brands: we aim for eyeballs, for attention, for likes on a FB page, for instant gratification instead of asking and answering the hard questions.

Why do I matter to them?

Why should they like my page?

Why would they care?

You can’t expect anyone to like your story, to believe in you, until you give them something to believe in. The only way to get there is to call forth your inner child and keep asking why until you’ve made your story remarkable.

 

 

Stay Positive & Keep Going Until You Feel You’ve Reached The End

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What drives me crazy is when I hear someone ask another person who did something that cost money, “What’s the damage?”

No damage.

It was an investment, even if it was a poor one. Lesson learned, right? Right?

Don’t let those who ask you what the damage was off the hook. The only damage is the kind of attitude that blinds you from the lesson learned from the purchase.

From mountainous trips across the globe, to a new car because your current one broke down, to a heavier set of dumbbells, you have the say in whether it hurts or harms you, not anyone else.

 

Stay Positive & Invest In Yourself (Always)

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is worth more than being noticed.

That’s why we as marketers tell stories instead of show what’s new and shiny with a product or service. (At least the smart marketers do.)

Moreover, understanding the motivations of the customer helps you tell the story they’ll believe in,  easier.

What need do they want fulfilled?
What does she want to feel?
What desire does she have the drive to satisfy?
What kind of stories does she want to share with her friends?

 

Stay Positive & Tell A Story That Resonates

Day in and day out, unless I’ve felt like I’ve had my legs hanging over the edge, then I know I haven’t taken a chance at doing work that matters.

I see two parts to this picture.

There’s what’s in front: risk, fear, uncertainty, cluelessness, and, of course, a bit of excitement about what we’re doing. (It’s that excitement that defines great work.)

Then there’s what’s behind: support from those around you, the foundation you’re sitting on, the fear of conforming and upholding the status quo – all of which we so often forget when we’re looking at what’s in front of us.

Today, go to the edge, there are more people there than you think and they’re becoming more remarkable and successful by the hour. In fact, what they’re looking for is a new edge. Can you beat’m there?

 

Stay Positive & Go Dangle On The Edge Of Something Remarkable

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Strategy and tactics mean nothing unless you ask “Why?” every moment along the way.

I like to think of it this way: if someone were to write a book about everything you’ve done for a business (yours or someone else’s) would they enjoy reading it? Would it hold their attention? More importantly, will they understand it (the why!)?

 

Stay Positive & You’re In The Business Of “Why” Now