Bummer + Lazarus

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United States
Grapevine, TX
Bummer + Lazarus

Bummer & Lazarus is a digital agency specializing in content marketing for personality driven brands.

12/02/2022

You're just starting your company... What's the first marketing hire you make? No, not a coffee runner.

The most successful business owners know the value of their time and how to leverage $$$ to free up more time. More time means more $$$ which feeds to freeing up more time. This is how you build businesses instead of a job...

First you need an assistant! Get it off your plate with an entry level position to help you. Next, hire someone on the creative side (videographer or graphic designer) OR on the ad buying side (someone to run FB ads for you.)

NOW that you have those areas covered, you can hire your marketing director! Someone can own marketing for your business at this stage because you now have a small marketing department to create and manage.

12/01/2022

There may be a lot of terms you're not familiar with when you start working with a social media manager or agency. Here are a few to get you started.

SMM — social media manager.
KPI — kep performance indicator.
Copy — written words used in descriptions, graphics, websites, etc.
Channels — platforms, outlets, apps… where the people are!
Campaign — a large marketing effort for a specific goal, event, or product.

Any terms you've always wanted to ask about but were too afraid? Ask in the comments, we'll reply to all your questions!

11/30/2022

If you are lucky enough to have a social media manager on your team, here are some best practices to help set them up for success. ✅ ⚡️💁🏽‍♂️

11/26/2022

Here's some marketing terms for you.

When working on most marketing campaigns you'll hear people use the terms — paid, earned, and owned media.

Paid media means advertising, anything you pay for in your campaign.

Earned is influencer campaigns, interviews and features by other outlets, posts on other channels you don't own, people talking about you.

Owned is any channel you own and it costs nothing to publish on.

Having a healthy balance of strategy across paid, earned, and owned "buckets" will help balance your social media strategy.

11/25/2022

If you're feeling lost with social, this is for you. We remember the feeling. Waking up and thinking "I should post something on social". And you tell yourself that for weeks.

The barrier is strategy. Sitting down and coming up with a plan takes a few hours, but then your social media is UNLOCKED. Things get easier when you provide constraints. Strategy helps you come up with more ideas more quickly.

If you need help, schedule a free 30 min call with us. Visit our site and pick a time that works for you!

11/24/2022

Here's four steps to crush your social media in 2023. ⚡️

Strategize — Come up with 4 types of posts for each week. We're going to focus on Inspiration, education, engagement, and a Call to Action type post.

Brainstorm — write down 4-6 ideas for each type of post. Fill your week with a good mix.

Delegate — delegate to your team and TRUST them to take the lead

Listen — Make sure you spend time watching how people engage with your content and what they're saying back to you.

08/27/2021

It's rare that one phrase blows your mind so completely AND actually makes a difference in your life and how you act and live. The phrase, which I first heard from Andy Stanley's Leadership Podcast, is: Only do what only you can do. This principle will help you grow way beyond the busy grind of the solopreneur. Take a look at all the things you do every day in your business. Chances are, 80% of it could be done by someone else. We hang on to these things because we want them done "right". But these little tasks take us away from doing the other things that make us the most valuable in our business. When you focus on only doing what only you can do, you empower others and you double down on your strengths. Only do what only you can do, and delegate the rest. Spend some time today thinking about your business and honestly asking yourself, what is it that ONLY I can do in this business? You'll find it probably has to do with vision, voice, mission, culture, planning for the future, and making big decisions. Only do what only you can do.

08/26/2021

Up, down, left, or right? ⌨️

08/25/2021

Neat little resource you can use to learn (cough lurk) from other businesses. For example, checkout Olipop's fb ad strategy. Or Five Dollar Shave Club. Or Masterclass. This is a useful tool that comes in very handy.

08/24/2021

Studio Coffee is a brand we created because we've always wanted to be in the coffee business. Checkout drinkstudiocoffee.com to support the agency, our studio, and to support your caffeine addiction.

08/23/2021

When a client asks us how to make more social media content, we usually start with "how much time do you have and what are your strengths?" If you're great answering questions, great! Answer questions. If you're great in a IG live with another person, do that. If you're great at writing, write. If you like to talk a lot and let someone else take that content and boil it down to 3-4 paragraphs, do it that way. One of the best ways to make a ton of content on a budget is to follow the steps in this post. The BIGGEST trick is doing it live, so your CEO (or you) don't get caught in the loop of "well let me start over". The goal is to keep moving! Let us know in the comments if you've tried this. (Also descript is a magical app that we still can't believe exists.)

08/20/2021

You really want to make more content, or videos, or podcasts, or get more active with social media. But it takes you HOURS to get anything out. Then you put it off. Then it never happens. Then you go 8 months without ever doing anything. Ch'yeah. We've all been there. This is why we often recommend that people with this problem record LIVE TO TAPE. That means pressing record and just going. Think about it. You might be really nervous to talk to someone. But you can't stop and start over. Or maybe you were nervous to get on stage. But once you were up there you made it through. And if you slip up, you can always say "wait I meant to say...". And this isn't the only time you're ever going to record. People's ideas change and develop over time. We've found that most people sprint past their hangups and roadblocks after the first 30 seconds of switching into "live" mode. Try it! Let us know if it helps.

08/19/2021

Sometimes you just need the right colors in front of you to inspire you to create. 🖍

Everyone has a different creative process. Sometimes when we aren't in a creative mode, we need something to inspire us. Try surrounding yourself with color, music, or being outside in nature to spark a little creativity and watch the magic unfold.

08/18/2021

Process always wins in the long run. You can come up with the best ideas, or be the most talented person, or have the most money, or the best team. But we keep learning that if you don't have a good process, everything eventually falls apart. Work the process until the process doesn't work. Then fix your process and work it again. A working definition of how we think of process. A process is a clear outline step by step of how to accomplish a complicated task or project with a clear consistent result, in a way that is repeatable and able to be taught to others.

08/17/2021

Here are the apps we use the most currently as an agency and with clients: Asana (project management), Slack, Freshbooks (invoicing and team hour tracking), Descript (video/audio editing and transcripting, making micro content), Frame.io (video editing review), Notion (knowledge hub and meeting notes), Streamyard (live streaming and video podcasting), Google drive (files and folders and such). What tools do you use?

08/16/2021

Video is king baby. If your brand or business isn't using video already, let's talk about how to change that!

First of all, video is a powerful way to stop the scroll as people drift through a social media platform. (Make sure the first 2-3 frames are interesting!)

Video doesn't have to be expensive to produce either. Use your phone and make some videos that look native to the platform. Lot's of people winning with video on social don't have DSLR cameras and a three point light setup.

Show your audience some behind the scenes. Show your face. People are curious and want to connect with the brand in a way that isn't just some graphics and product photos.

Talk directly to your audience. Video is also powerful when running facebook ads. Video helps people see more of the product and can tell a story or convey an emotion around your product or service or brand.

Get out there and make some video happen! People are sitting around waiting for it. 💩🚽

08/14/2021

There's a phrase that changed everything about how we run businesses:
"Only do what only you can do."

The idea is to figure out the things that ONLY you can do, and delegate the rest. This is helpful because often we clutch onto tasks or projects in our business because we feel like only we can do it, or that if we let it go we wont be NEEDED.

"If I delegate all that, what would I do????"

One of the biggest obstacles stopping a lot of people from growing is wrongly hanging on to tasks that others could do better than you.

The other is not learning how to accomplish projects through and with others, instead of seperate from others. You don't need to be an expert to work with an expert. BUT the two things in your business or organization that you can NEVER delegate as the owner or CEO are: Voice and Vision.

It's your responsibility to set the course for the ship. And ultimately the one carrying the torch on the voice (read culture, messaging, tone, values) of your business or organization is you. You have to be the guardian of the voice and vision of your organization. The next question is, how much time do you actually spend working on your voice and vision?

Delegate everything else, and you'll be able to really work on getting those two things right.

08/13/2021

There's a phrase that changed everything about how we run businesses. "Only do what only you can do."

The idea is to figure out the things that ONLY you can do, and delegate the rest. This is helpful because often we clutch onto tasks or projects in our business because we feel like only we can do it, or that if we let it go we'll be UNNEEDED. "If I delegate all that, what would I do????"

One of the biggest things stopping a lot of people from growing is wrongly hanging on to tasks that others could do better than you. The other is not learning how to accomplish project through and with others, instead of seperate from others.

You don't need to be an expert to work with an expert. BUT the two things in your business or organization that you can NEVER delegate as the owner or CEO are: Voice and Vision.

It's your responsibility to set the course for the ship. And ultimately the one carrying the torch on the voice (read culture, messaging, tone, values) of your business or organization is you. You have to be the guardian of the voice and vision of your organization.

The next question is, how much time do you actually spend working on your voice and vision? Delegate everything else, and you'll be able to really work on getting those two things right.

08/11/2021

We've seen a lot of people launch new projects, social platforms, shows, brands, products, and services, and one thing everyone struggles with is going from 0 - 500 "followers", "views", or "purchases".

There's this temptation to think that if you're not "established" (whatever that means) with a certain number of customers or a certain size audience than you're not a real brand. BUT having a small audience is a really special time for your brand or organization and it comes with unique opportunities you may never have again once you grow.

First of all, you are way more connected with your audience. Your early adopters will really set the tone for the next year or two of your community. Lean into your small audience. Do things that aren't scalable and that you wont be able to do later. Answer every DM, or better, get proactive and DM all your new followers. Listen to why they joined. Lean into this community. Stalk their profiles. Experiment and ask questions. Just starting out is a really special time, we just need to reframe it and not wait until we feel like we've "made it."

08/10/2021

Let's make something beautiful today ☀️🌻

08/09/2021

I heard of a study that involved two groups of people. The first group was given the supplies for making pots and a short time limit. The goal they were given was "Make the perfect pot.”

The second group was given the same supplies and the same time limit, but their goal was "Make as many pots as possible.”

Both groups got to work and at the end of their time, the group with the goal to make the "perfect" pot had made only a few, and they weren't that great. BUT the group that focused on making lots of pots had way better pots!

The takeaway is that sometimes focusing on perfection keeps us from gaining experience. Skill in anything comes from experience. Podcasting, youtube, marketing, social media, email, ecomm. If you focus too much on perfection, it's gonna take you way longer to learn. You might put out one video a year— and hey, it will be a good video. In the meantime someone else put out 60 okay videos, but they are leaps and bounds ahead of you in terms of experience. That intuition built through experience is invaluable.

Take the shortcut to gaining skill by focusing more on consistency and volume and a little less on perfection. Especially if perfection stops you from getting a taste for what works and what doesn't. Or if perfection stops you from gaining experience. You need both.

08/06/2021

We were on a discovery call with a client recently and asked "What is the biggest challenge you've experienced working with agencies?" Her answer surprised me. "I'm less concerned with the quality of designs or what we accomplish. I just want over-communication. We've struggled with agencies not communicating enough."

In your business, or your ecomm store, or your non-profit, communication is often more important than the product or service you're offering. People want to feel like they're in the loop, and know what's going on, and that they have ACCESS to you.

We've made sure to work this into our standard weekly practices: regular weekly communication that is succinct and frequent and open communication. In your business this might look like check-in's with your customers, or replying to DM's, or replying to comments. It could also look like setting up routines that help you regularly communicate in a way that honors people's time and also helps them feel in the know.

08/05/2021

Years ago when I started a youtube channel all I cared about was views. I would upload a video and then immediately go to the metrics and hit refresh. Then I'd hit refresh again. Then I'd go do some work, and come back and hit refresh on those metrics again. Then the next day I'd do it again. The metrics would stress me out. I'd compare the video views (40 views...oh boy) to other videos of people I admire. It would deflate me. I'd stress about it. I'd think about ways to increase the views. Maybe I need to be more controversial. Maybe I need to teach more. Maybe maybe maybe.

Looking back, the metric I should have focused on was the number of videos I was uploading per month. I wasn't being consistent. I wasn't focusing on a metric I could control. If instead you focus on consistency, on showing up, on publishing, then you reframe your expectations and you get into a long term mindset over short term vanity metrics. One viral post is great. But will you still be around 2 years from now? Focus on the metrics you can control. The rest will follow.

08/04/2021

Hello! We have some new faces around here. Let us know what you're about and what you do in the comments below. Let's get connected to each other in the comments. 👇

08/03/2021

There is no "right" there's only what works for you and your audience or customer. Social media is a tool, and people use tools in all sorts of ways. Best practices are created by people who test and experiment.

Remember when everyone used to raise a stink about putting videos on instagram? Or when people didn't think you could make it on instagram without an expensive camera? Or when people thought tiktok was only for 15 year old girls?

When you find yourself making or hearing statements like "it has to be" or "it needs to be" just know that those principles are best guesses until they get broken or until they're successful. Of course we want to try to establish best practices, but we don't want to be constrained by them if they stop us from taking action, or publishing, or posting.

Test. Test. Test.

That's one of the powerful strengths of social media - you can always post again tomorrow. We're not making billboards we're having daily conversations with photos, graphics, videos, and words. What is your unique spin or take on the tools given to you to help you accomplish your mission or grow your business or serve your audience?

08/02/2021

This week Bummer + Lazarus has been in full on video production mode for a * secret * project that will be launching soon. We couldn't do it without Adrian, our scrappy videographer. ☕️

07/30/2021

Our namesake comes from two famous stray dogs. One named Bummer, who saved another dog and helped nurse him back to life. It's become something of a framework for our team to talk about the two types of people on any team.

Lazarus was a guy Jesus raised from the dead. He represents the optimist because, well, who's more optimistic than a guy who's been dead before? Every team has a Lazarus. They're the entreprenuer. They're the one saying "We can do this!" "We could do this too!" "Look at the opportunity!" "What if we...!?" Every team needs the visionary and the one building everyone up.

BUT

There are also Bummers on every team. They're practical. They say "But...." And they're VITAL to any team. Without a Bummer, the Lazarus will just dream about the future and never commit or follow through. A Bummer helps dreams come true. A Bummer helps hold Lazarus accountable. A Bummer tests ideas and pushes back and makes sure it's the BEST idea not just a possible idea.

Every team needs a Bummer and a Lazarus. Which are you?

07/29/2021

Making videos for your brand or company doesn't have to be difficult. The two crucial areas to focus on when you're first starting out - LIGHT and AUDIO. Get a room with a lot of great natural light coming from behind the camera towards your face. Then make sure you have great audio either by being close to the camera/iphone or getting an easy to use mic. Just start publishing!

07/29/2021

We're still in the early stages of social media and digital marketing! Every year it feels like we're all over it, but every year there is growth. This means that every year, businesses and organizations need to see themselves as one-part media company, not just a service or a product. Social media is about CONTENT. Whether you build homes, or sell toilet paper, or you're a non-profit, putting out content on social is a massive opportunity. Find the easiest way to make content with the time you have available and the strengths your team has, and put processes in place to do it consistently over the long haul.

07/27/2021

First you have a 💡 spark of an idea. Then you rush to get it off the ground. And pretty soon it becomes a mess of complicated tasks, deadlines, emails, slack messages, team member back and forths. You have team members that want to help, but aren't sure how they can because it's all in your head. Recently we've learned that the best way to organize your ideas or marketing campaign or projects is to organize it as if you were giving it to your mom. (stick with me)

You mom has no clue what's going on in your organization. She's not sure what the goal of your project is, what are the metrics for success, who all is involved, what is everyone's role, what are the non-negotiables, etc etc etc.

You might be tempted to think "Well we all know what's going on" and you might be right. The team might have a general idea of what you're all supposed to do TODAY. But as time goes on new members jump in and out of the project, or goals change, or the project drifts. A really strong creative brief combined with a well organized project management system can save you HUNDREDS of hours of wasted time and get you results quicker. This keeps you accountable to your goals and in 6 months when things get vague you can look back on what you all decided and stay on track.

Address

203 N Starnes
Grapevine, TX
76051

Website

http://bummerlazarus.co/

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Videos

You're just starting your company... What's the first marketing hire you make? No, not a coffee runner. The most successful business owners know the value of their time and how to leverage $$$ to free up more time. More time means more $$$ which feeds to freeing up more time. This is how you build businesses instead of a job... First you need an assistant! Get it off your plate with an entry level position to help you. Next, hire someone on the creative side (videographer or graphic designer) OR on the ad buying side (someone to run FB ads for you.) NOW that you have those areas covered, you can hire your marketing director! Someone can own marketing for your business at this stage because you now have a small marketing department to create and manage. . . . . . #marketing #digitalmarketing #creatingcontent#marketingagencylife #agencylifestyle #marketingdirector#texasmarketing #grapevinetx #grapevine #branding#content #creativeagency #podcasting