Category: Marketing

Week In Review: 3-29-2020

Carl Setzer

With covid-19 disrupting so very much of life, I thought I’d take a moment to rehash what I’m working on to keep busy. My family has been home due to school closures. I have been unemployed since the February 28th.

First, I’m signed up to study web application and cloud development at Edmonds Community College starting next quarter. There are still pieces to pull together, but I’m moving forward. Classes start on April 13, so it’s coming quickly. I also need to get my math skills back up to snuff. I struggled mightily on an assessment test and was pretty made at myself. Then it hit me: the last math class I took may have been calculus, but it’s been several decades since. One of the folks at the school connected me with a website to help that along, so I’ve been working on getting those skills back up to snuff.

Also, I’ve spent time refreshing some skills. I had purchased a CompTIA training bundle last summer that I haven’t had a chance to start with yet. And I have a Adobe Creative Suite bundle as well. I’ve been carving time for each of those as I can. I also discovered IronCAD, which apparently has a free download, so I might try and squeeze some more CAD work in as well. That’s one big thing I miss from my Eagle Country Construction days.

As for entertainment, I’ve been binging on “Traveling Robert“, a YouTuber traveling the US with his trailer. I really have enjoyed the show. There’s a genuineness that’s delightful. I discovered him via YouTube’s algorithm. It dished up his trip to Seattle this past summer, which I found nice.

 

There’s plenty of other things that I’ve been working on, too. Keeping several websites up to date, as well as a couple of email communication campaigns (about the covid-19 closures and such). And I’ve helped a few folks with their WordPress sites, and with setting up Facebook business pages and trying to pull together some kind of marketing plan in the midst of the pandemic. I mean, how do you market in such a way that you’re being, well, a decent human being.

Some thoughts on Bios

Carl Setzer

I was doing some research recently into the all important bio, that “about me” section of every website. I realize that there are some key things in every bio, and then some crucial differentiating elements.

Key things everyone should have in a bio:

  1. Who you are? You know, your name
  2. Company/Brand
  3. What do you do? Current function or role
  4. Values
  5. Your experience
  6. Some accomplishments
  7. A catch phrase is always great

Differentiating Features:

  • Should you write in the first or third person: this depends on your personal brand. Are you a huggy/feely type of person? I recommend a first person bio. One that provides human warmth and connection (using “I” and “me”). Now, if you’re highly professional, very analytical, very interested in keeping that professional boundary, then I recommend a third-person bio (ie: “Carl Setzer is…”, “he believes…”, that sort of thing).

So, like this one, many websites are written about you, so a bio might seem redundant. However, it’s not. It’s a quick overview and a great introduction. Also, a well done bio can be used on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

I recommend you actually start your website efforts with your bio creation. It opens up so very much.

What have I left out? Let me know in the comments. 

An Ad That Will Challenge Your Notion Of Community

Carl Setzer

Take members of diverse groups, provide a safe space for honesty, and you, too, can create a piece like this. Danish TV2 did a brilliant job in breaking down social barriers in this short (3 minute) video.

 

Video, Shoots, and Real Estate: Thoughts on the Future

Carl Setzer

Did a video shoot today with the owner of the company I now work for. It was his first video with a videographer, so he had to work though nervousness and his desire for perfection. I was quite pleased with how things went. And that he came away with a ton of ideas of how we can make the next one better.

Preparing got today reminded me of the one below, where I am on camera. I’ve been behind the scenes many, many times. I do like being in front of the camera, I should do more of that. Maybe, once I have my real estate license back, I’ll go full on into being a YouTube agent. One of many possibilities to explore.

So, the video below is one I made with the C & K Real Estate Team. I really enjoyed making it and have thought, many times, it would be a blast to do more.

What do you think? So many options, do little time.

Watch “Marketing Strategies That Failed Spectacularly” on YouTube

Carl Setzer

Marketing is my current focus. I stumbled upon this list of terrible marketing notions. I think its great to study failures. It’s the second step to wisdom. Here’s what I mean. A wise person learns from his mistakes. The wiser person learns from other people’s mistakes. Now, the wisest person learns from others successes. I’m working on that, too.

A New Beginning

Carl Setzer1 Comment

I’ve accepted a new position with Matt Steel, a Bellevue-based broker with EXP realty, who’s a decade or two of real estate experience.  I’ll manage their digital marketing. This excites me greatly. I did this for C&K real estate team a few years ago. I loved this part of my job, even though I”m a bit rusty. My interest in digital marketing goes many years back and it aligns with my interests in web design, writing and social media.

Also, I’ll be managing this team’s transactions, which is another thing I’ve done (both for C&K, and also with Eagle Country construction). I’m excited to be continuing in the real estate and housing sector. I discovered how much I know and understand, and how much I bring to the table. As I’ll be renewing/rebooting my real estate license, I’ll dive deeper into this sector. I’m not entirely sure what I will do with this part of my career, but there are so many options, so many good ways to earn a living. I’m not sure which path is the right one. But as I’ve been listening to Gary Vee the past few days (updating my digital marketing knowledge), I see a need to experiment, take some risks, try some ideas out and see where they lead. I won’t get anywhere I want to go by seeking the easiest path, the easy way forward.

I’m excited to get back into the fray. And very excited to add the official title of “digital marketer” to my resume. And I’m really pumped to put all I’ve learned, and am learning, to work. Time to hit it hard!

Short Term Marketing Doesn’t F***ing Work

Carl Setzer

I just stumbled on Chris Chalmers (via this video, of all things). Chris was a DJ on a couple of local (Seattle) radio stations. Having helped many folks with their digital presence, I fully get what he’s talking about in this video. Short-term marketing, much less short-term thinking, doesn’t work. Not in the long run at least.

Marketing should be a well thought out and well planned element of your business. Strategic thought, analytics, and deliberate execution all play a part in building the long-term business.

I’ve seen too many folks expect a website, Twitter/Facebook/Instagram account to come in and rain money. 9 times out to 10 (99 times out of 100?) it’s not going to work. Regular focused posts, thoughtful interaction and the well timed/placed promotion are what gets you there. You should consider this to be a multi-year long initiative.