Blogging | Seattle Online Marketing, Communications, Strategy

Life after Safeco

September 3, 2008 By Joe Hage 4 Comments

Safeco Friends,

It’s been 51 weeks since I last Safecoed with you. A lot can change in a year.

I work at Cardiac Science and really enjoy it.

(The Cardiac Science equivalent to the Safeco Playbook was my first assignment back in November.) We’re building the category and I can save a life through the sale of an AED (automated external defibrillator) or get someone back on his feet after a cardiac event.

The family is great.

Zachary started first grade and Lucas started full-day pre-kindergarten this week. They have their own blog (email me for a link). And with both kids in school Beth gets to resume her art (let us know if you have a special photo in mind).

I discovered [Read more...]

Joe, why do you keep a blog?

August 16, 2008 By Joe Hage Leave a Comment

I get this question surprisingly often.

“I don’t get it,” they start. “Why do you keep a blog? I thought you liked your job.”

“I do. Very much. I’m not looking.”

“Then why do you keep a blog?”

Why I blog

I blog for lots of reasons. [Read more...]

Blogging LIVE!

July 10, 2008 By Joe Hage 2 Comments

I’m sitting in the audience at BizJam Seattle 08. Armed with my computer and a Wi-Fi connection, I can share what’s going on and what I’m learning — real time.

Why take notes in WORD when you can show your readers how your mind works. Isn’t that what you would want to know about someone you hire? You can decide … here is Joe Hage thinking out loud. Would his style “work for you” if he were here in the room strategizing with you right now?

Kind of a free sample, really. Now go and do the same. Show your prospects how you think and what’s going on with you.

I’m thinking my brother-in-law John Greer would have a lot to say that would fascinate his clients. He specializes in Business Continuity management, control, automation, and reporting software. Sounds important, but what does it mean?

John picks up my blog on an RSS feed. John, you online today? Leave a comment. And love to Carolyn + the kids!

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SEO, social media, and a full-time job

July 9, 2008 By Joe Hage 1 Comment

There is SO much to learn about search engine optimization (SEO) and social media. It’s a full-time job!

I met a host of prolific bloggers at BizJam Seattle 08 today. I heard as many points of view of “what works” as speakers who took the stage. I understood DL Byron of Textura Design say that blogging monthly makes you irrelevant; and weekly, passable. It’s not until you blog five times a day that you really break through.

Jason Swihart, also from Textura, said that your business blog should be all about your business and your products. Aliza Sherman, named by NEWSWEEK as one of the “Top 50 People Who Matter Most on the Internet,” disagreed.

She said that if people only wanted to read about your product, they could look at your website or a brochure. “Make it interesting, reveal part of yourself,” she said. “Humanize yourself and your company.” Then she went on to share dozens and dozens of social media sites including Utterz — you phone a number, leave a message, and it gets uploaded to your sites — and Hellotxt.com, “the one site to remember if you only remember one today.”

Matthew Haughey, who writes for the New York Times Technology section, said that SEO “consultants” pretty much waste their clients’ money. Five percent of what they teach is good: Flash doesn’t work in search, basics of wireframes and tags, but 95 percent of it is trickery and “Google changes its algorithm all the time,” so most of the tricks will be irrelevant in a few months.

They did agree on one thing:

Blogging is vital to your business.

Blogging is vital to your business. Your website serves a function: it showcases your products and services. Your blog enables you to reach out to your customers and demonstrate your expertise.

They also said that your blogs — my blogs — don’t have to be perfect. They don’t have to all wrap up with a pretty bow at the end. You don’t have to be clever all the time. Just let the readers know what you’re learning, doing, and why they might care. And invite them to comment.

And so, Readers, any comments? Are you blogging yet? How are you using it?

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Chris Brogan blogger, social media expert