PPB February 2020

am suggesting that tone matters. Consider it. On the other hand, you really should be authentic. You should not just change your personality to fit what people want. I don’t think you should, and I am not suggesting that. If you want to post political rants, that’s your call. What I am saying is you should be intentional. Most people just sort of randomly post and share without any real thought as to how they are perceived by the outside world. I do think you should be intentional about it. And, if you want to stand out and make a difference and create a personal brand that people want to follow in the give-first economy, I think you should consider intentionally being joyful. Where To Start If you like the idea of pushing out more joy but are wondering where to start, here are a few ideas. Use these as a jumping off point and run with it. Share Joyful News: This doesn’t have to just be about the highlight reel of your life. Seek out good things in your community and share them. Look for good things in your organization or relationships and give them a shout out. It will not only be a great and joyful noise coming from you, but it will make them feel good, too. Create Uplifting Content: If you are so inclined, write blogs that help to uplift. Create Instagram posts designed to admire. Edit a video together where you interview people doing good in your industry. Shining a light on the good in the world can always be a great place to start. Give Compliments: Make it a point to give people praise. Smile: Want a funny exercise? The next time you drop your kid off at school (or drive to any public place), take the time to look at the faces of the other drivers. Wow! You will see a lot of grumpy faces. Take the time to give people your smile. It’s funny—you will see people give it back. But first, let’s meet Casey Niestat. Niestat is one of the world’s most famous vloggers. He created a daily vlog that provided entertainment, advice and inspiration for millions on YouTube. And when I say, “for millions,” that is not an exaggeration. As a matter of fact, with over 10 million subscribers to his channel, I am probably under-selling his influence. Niestat is well known for his high-quality videos and his creativity in the storytelling style of vlogging. As a matter of fact, I believe he is one of the true pioneers who made the art more mainstream. One of Niestat’s more famous (or infamous) videos came when he got a ticket in New York City for not riding his bike in the bike lane. His problem with the ticket, as he tried to explain, is that there are often things in the bike lane. So, it’s actually safer for everyone (especially the biker) if they don’t ride there. Instead of just complaining, Niestat made a video. He shot a video of himself riding in the bike lane and repeatedly running into things that are in the way sending him crashing off his bike. Spoiler alert: The video ends with him riding in the bike lane and running into his final obstacle: a police car. (At the time I am writing this, this video has nearly 22 million views!) Niestat started a daily vlog several years ago. That’s right. Niestat, in addition to having a family and other business interests, created a high-quality, fun and creative video on his YouTube channel—every day. Sometimes he would create an inspirational video (giving). Sometimes he would review new technology (providing value). And sometimes the videos would show his travel adventures. In each video, Niestat gave insight into his opinions, his personality and his life. Niestat is a true pioneer in the give-first economy. Want to learn more? Head to YouTube and search for him. Kirby Hasseman is the owner of distributor Hasseman Marketing & Communications in Coshocton, Ohio. He is also author of Delivering Marketing Joy, a frequent speaker at industry events, produces a monthly industry podcast by the same name and most recently created Start & Stop videos that focus on maximizing productivity. Reach him at kirby@hassemanmarketing.com . Kirby Hasseman’s new book, The Give First Economy , is available through Amazon and Audible. The fact is, when seemingly everything we see in the world is negative, a positive person (or brand) can be a shining light. It stands out. 72 | FEBRUARY 2020 | THINK