Week 17: Wrapping It Up

I have really enjoyed this class and did learn alot of what I was hoping I’d learn for my business, as well as just knowing marketing and social media better. I also enjoyed the book that was assigned and learned alot of good tips from that as well.

My use of social media has expanded over the semester. I previously used only my personal facebook page to promote and now I have a business Facebook page, Instagram page, and Twitter profile. I post pretty consistently on my Facebook and Instagram business pages, more than my Twitter. And I even got a couple new page likes this week!

I have a new audience for my business than I did before because I never advertised on Instagram before, so that opened up a different age group who seem to be more on Instagram than Facebook. Also, the Facebook page has an ability to reach different people than my personal page does, and I can advertise just by commenting from that account because my logo and business name are represented now!

My viewpoint of social media has changed for sure, as I now see it more from a perspective of “contribute to the conversation and provide value” than a strictly advertising standpoint. I think the book had some great examples of that and how to accomplish that goal. I have more tools now to be able to develop a business than I did before, as well, thanks to this class and the exercises we had to do.

I will be re-reading parts of the book and getting more ideas by going over my notes from this class in order to make sure I take advantage of all the things I learned that I have perhaps not put into practice yet. I really look forward to trying Facebook lives or short videos for Instagram for my business, as well as continuing to follow my competitors to see how they are doing things and get ideas from others. I would also like to learn what hashtags are best to use and how many, when to change them up, etc. I’ve heard that if you use the same ones over and over, your post won’t show up in the algorithms anymore. It’s so fluid, that it’s definitely something to keep updated on!

Thank you for the time you put into this class and the exercises you had us do. I’m really happy that I was made to start business pages on social media and had some training through the process. It definitely gave me confidence as I did something new!

Week 16, Post 2: Comments to Classmates Posts

https://csit155-fa19-stephanied.blogspot.com/2019/12/week-15-part-2.html?showComment=1575918196001#c1257046846737095844



https://csit155-fa19-ashleym.blogspot.com/2019/12/week-16-part-1.html?showComment=1575918727402#c1487950619981348233





https://katchinupwithkatesaxecsit155fa19cf.blogspot.com/2019/12/week-16-planning-your-future-strategy.html?showComment=1575919149238#c5915930018705708467

Week 16, Post 1: Planning Future Strategy

Thinking about all the social media platforms we’ve worked on this semester, I’d say I’ve enjoyed Facebook and Instagram the most. I think these also integrate best with the type of business I have.

The tools I think I’ll implement most is the Facebook business page with data analytics as well as the post scheduling. Also, I’ll take the advice offered in the book and make sure I’m offering value and contributing better to the conversation on social media. I think these tools will help me to be consistent and personable online and will allow more engagement.

For my business, perhaps a few hours per week creating content and scheduling posts, and then about 30 minutes per day responding and interacting on social media or gathering info for future posts.

I’ve heard that the posts we make should be ⅓ personal, ⅓ educational or a link to info outside of my particular business, and ⅓ directly advertising, for a total of 3 posts per day. With that in mind, I’d post morning before 8am, mid afternoon, and around 7pm each day. I’d use motivational quotes, personal pictures, before and after pictures with encouraging stories of people who have successfully used my program, and links to helpful information or newsworthy articles that are consistent with my business.

I think that will help because consistency is so important and adding value and being authentic is what gets people to come back and like, share, or interact with the posts.

Week 15: Post 2 Facebook Analytics

I only have 20 likes on my page so far, so there’s not enough data to see some of the data. What is there to see is pretty interesting and helpful, though. I can see at a glance which post, what time it was posted, and what the reach and engagement was. Based on that, the earlier in the morning I post, the more chance it will have better reach and better engagement.

Looking at your data, it’s amazing to see how much more reach you can get with paid or sponsored posts compared to organic. I also like how it shows total likes and followers as well as net so you can see how many have unsubscribed or unfollowed your page. The analytics is really helpful for assessing what does well and what needs to be tweaked and is very helpful for a business promoting on Facebook, especially if you’re paying for ads there!

Week 15, Post 1: Google Analytics

Google Analytics really helps when you have a business website or blog. It can allow you to have a deeper understanding of your customers and what interests them and encourages them to take the step to purchase from or visit your business. It can also give you detailed reports and the results of various ads so you can see which ones worked best and help you tailor your advertising better.

The features I would use most would be reports because you can see where your users came from and what they did after they arrived at your site. This would help me make changes to where I put buttons to learn more, or buy now. I would also check consistently the time of day my users visited because that would help me to know when is the best time to make a new post.

Week 13, Post 2 Online Advertising/Analysis of the Marketplace

Some ways I can design and use ads for social media for my business are making sure I’m using a good photo to test ratio, use some video since that seems to be viewed more often, and choose my font and timing well.


One thing I thought was interesting and stuck with me is to have a theme or color scheme or music theme in mind so all of your ads, no matter how different they are from one another, have the same look or sound to them so people know it’s the same business putting them out.


I think using the Facebook ads that cost very little but go out daily and get the most amount of views would probably be what works best for my budget and business size right now. At some point, I’d like to get some ads on Instagram, too. I think there are some people who are on Instagram that aren’t on Facebook, so I’d want to cover both. So far I don’t care much for Twitter, or maybe I just haven’t given it a fair try. 

Week 13: Online Advertising Pt 1

The social advertising that businesses use is effective when they use simple font, a large photo and not too much text. When they have lots of text, a small photo, and loud calls to action, or calls to action right up front, it doesn’t seem effective.

The advertising on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram that draws my attention are the ones with good images, well put together font, not too crowded, and nice color schemes. Also, if they don’t advertise too much. Most of them use images, but it’s minimalistic. The ads that are annoying are the ones with lots of text, too small or too flowery font, or lots of bold, bright fonts. It’s also annoying when you see the same one over and over.

I think the impact of traditional advertising is more on the older generation who aren’t on social media or online alot at all. It depends on the demographic of your potential customer which method would be more effective. So many people are on social media these days that I think over all, that is the most effective way to advertise. Also because you can target specific groups of people and advertise to a group of people more likely to be interested in your product or service, it seems like a better way than just putting an add in print and hoping the right person will see it.

Week 12: Using Other Online Tools

I think LinkedIn groups could be beneficial to the growth of my business. I have heard of people who are self employed who have used LinedIn to promote their online business and have received leads that way. It’s also a great way to stay connected and continue to learn how to do business within my field as well as keep apprised as to what’s new with social media and online business.

I also use a private Facebook group to add prospective customers as a way for them to learn more about the products I’m selling. That seems to be helpful because only people who have shown interest are added to the group and it’s a great resource of health tips, recipes, as well as promoting the products.

Meet Up groups are a great idea. I checked our area and there are meetups for local entrepreneurs as well as groups that meet to discuss health and wellness. It’s a great way to connect with the community, network, and keep up on the latest in our area for my field.

Week 11: Comments

I commented on:

Shade SMLS
Anthony's Blog
American Tee

Week 11: Email Marketing Post 1

I love the idea of capturing potential customers' email addresses so I can send information to people who have voluntarily said they're interested in learning more. I would probably send out a newsletter about once per month. 

The type of information I would include in a enewsletter would be: health news, recipes for simple healthy meals, articles on the importance of healthy choices and how it affects our metal and emotional health, as well as highlighting products I promote that can help people make sure they're getting the nutrition they need, and also some fitness tips for families.

Week 10, Post 2, Catagories Post

The catagories I would use are:

Information to educate: Links to health articles that educate my reader on general nutrition

Recipes: Pictures and instructions for healthy recipes

Personal stories: before and after pictures of people who have successfully accomplished health goals

Lifestyle: photos and posts on fitness, time with family, enjoying the outdoors, showing what you have to gain when you get your health back



The blogs I commented on were:

https://csit155-fa19reckhardt.blogspot.com/2019/10/week-10-blogging-for-business-post-1.html?showComment=1572486541981#c7588799290671388809

https://csit155-fa19-ashleym.blogspot.com/2019/10/week-10.html?showComment=1572486666997#c8863734902986796241

https://csit155-fa19-sadeghr.blogspot.com/2019/10/week-10-blog-post-1-adding-human.html?showComment=1572486790802#c5320395883864993222

Week 10 Post 1

Using personal stories can add a human touch to your blog posts because it allows others to empathize and relate with the person describing their story. In the case of a real estate broker telling the story of a couple who just purchased their first home and how he or she was able to offer outstanding service and guidance, this could strike a cord with someone about to purchase their first home and feeling they need an experienced agent. 

In my business, personal touch is used alot because I want others suffering with health issues to know they're not alone and I want people find a connection with someone else who was dealing with similar issues and saw amazing results and freedom from their health issues using the products and coaching I offer. Alot of what I share on social media is before and after pictures of someone before and after they've been introduced to the great nutrition. Also their story about how they're feeling is a great testimony that can't be seen in a photo.

I'm sure there are times when adding a personal touch is not the best plan, but I'm struggling to think of an example. 

Week 8, Part 2

Here are some businesses that are in the same field of business as mine and what I found out about their use of their social media platforms:

Weight Watchers: Yes, using visual media. They’re on FB, IG,Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn. They posted on FB & IG today, recipes mostly, getting lots of likes. They also quotes, pictures of desserts and before and afters weight loss pictures. They have over a million followers. Using hashtags such as #quoteoftheday #weightloss 

Arbonne: Yes, using visual media. They’re on FB, IG, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn. Posted on FB today, alot of images of their products, not much interaction or likes; IG posted today, several thousand likes. Using hashtags like #veganskincare #vegan #arbonne

The Vitamin Shoppe: Yes they use visual media and are on IG, Twitter, FB, Pinterest, LinkedIn. They have 249K followers, last time they posted was today They don’t have much interaction on FB, about 140 likes and 2 comments on current post at IG, only 1 hashtag, not amazing photos on IG.

Beachbody: FB, IG, twitter. Over a million followers on FB, over 800K on IG, most recent post was today, They get alot of interaction on their posts. They post things like workout routines, weight loss picutres, and pictures of healthy recipes. Their hastags were using their company name and others like “transformation Tuesday.”

Most of them post daily or a couple times per day. The content that gets the most likes seems to be recipes or pictures of food (which is funny for a diet site). They all seem to receive a very small amount of engagement except for Weight Watchers, but that is the largest and oldest company. Some of the things they’re doing that could improve my use of the same platform is post more often and better quality images. It’s interesting to think of posts from a “what would my viewer like to see” rather than “what do I want my viewer to see.”

Week 8, Part 1

Instagram and Facebook are going to work the best for my business. Both are very visual and have the ability to upload pictures as well as video. My business is half visual, half educational/informational, so good quality pictures with captions are going to be what I want to communicate with. My business inspires people with before and after pictures, which show outward appearances, but it’s hard to take a picture of how someone feels from the inside! That’s where the image with some information or educating people on the nutrition aspect of things. There are so many other nutrition businesses on both Facebook and Instagram, so the challenge will be finding my style and being authentic and engaging well with my followers so they are part of the conversation.

Week 7, Post 2: Scheduled FB Posts

I have scheduled a few posts so that every morning, there is new content. I think image quotes are good because they get a message across quickly, images grab peoples’ attention well, and the message is health-related, which is the topic of my page.

The before and after pictures show the results some people have had when they changed their diet and added some high quality nutrition. Pictures of people who have had success can encourage others that it’s possible for them, and they see how healthy the person looks now and they want that for themselves, too.

Week 7, Post 1: 7 Business Pages Liked

As a business, I found it helpful to follow these 7 businesses:

-Muscle & Fitness
-Oceanside Gymnastics
-EOS Fitness, Oceanside
-The Gym, Vista
-Healthy Food Recipes
-Clean Eating Online
-Healthy Holistic Living

I chose to like the fitness pages because people who are interested in working out, building muscle, getting healthy, or losing weight, are my potential customers. What I sell is of interest to anyone who wants better health. This may be a way to join the communities and learn what concerns or pain points people have so I can offer a well-fitted solution. It’s also a great way for me to learn some fitness tips and have things to share with my followers.

The healthy eating pages offer some good tips and recipes that I can share and a community with things in common that I can connect with. Because my products are a supplement to a healthy diet, this is a great way to offer a “fill in the gaps of your diet” with people who understand and a resource to share with those who still need to be educated about healthy eating.

Week 6: Facebook Business

Post reach is how many people have scrolled through when your post was on their feed, and potentially had an opportunity to see what you posted. Post engagement is when someone likes, comments, or in some way interacts with your post. Knowing the difference is important when deciding what the best method of advertising is for the money. Usually you’re paying per reach or per engagement. A business on Facebook can use Facebook Insights to better serve their customers by tracking what your audience is interested in and so they can post more content that receives better feedback. 

Week 5, Post 2: Target Market

My target market is geared toward all adults who have realized they either need to make a change in their health/have health problems, want to promote healthy aging, need to lose weight, or are very active and would like to maximize their endurance levels.

It takes realizing you need the right fuel for your body to understand the need for the nutrition I promote, so educating people on health and nutrition is a large part of what I will be doing and offering, which comes in the way of health coaching.

Any age, gender, or demographic would potentially be my target audience, however I have found that when we begin feeling the effects of age, extra weight, or haven’t kept up our bodies the way we should have, people begin to look for help and answers. This usually comes after age 45.

My kids even use the nutrition, but it’s going to be their parents who make those decisions, so mainly I would be targeting the decision makers (parents), people who need help with their diet choices, or athletic people who want more effective workouts and support for pre and post workout drinks.

Week 5, Post 1

Although both Armstrong Gardens and Myrtle Creek Botanical Gardens are both selling plants and offer classes and events that are garden related, their websites are different in several ways.

Armstrong seems to appeal to the homeowner, offering landscape design and installation. Their website appears to be more professional, using bold and bright colors and photographs, and they seem more like a well established franchise. They are more of a retail store that also offers contractor services. The overall tone and message of Armstrong is helping home owners have a manicured and well designed landscape for their yard.

Myrtle Creek Botanical Gardens website is more simple and looks as if it’s a family owned, quaint, one of a kind place. They are more of a botanical garden to come and enjoy lunch, coffee, or a tour of the grounds. They seem to appeal to families since they have baby goats and garden activities for children. The overall tone and message of Myrtle Creek is a relaxing place to get away from the city and enjoy a day in the country.

Week 4: Pt 2: Two Websites I Frequently Use

Two websites I use frequently are Carlsbad City Library www.carlsbadca.gov and Ebay www.ebay.com I think each is effective in different ways. 

Carlsbad library website employs good design by their alignment of text and buttons, neutral colors, and a focal point that displays their upcoming events. Their goal is to educate and enrich and the website communicates that well.

Ebay is not as well designed, in my opinion. Their homepage is very bright, colorful, and flashy, with moving pictures and large images. Lots of marketing front and center. But the main part, the search bar, is front and center and easy to find.

I come back to each because neither has a good competitor and I like what each site offers. I have to use Carlsbad Library to renew books I’ve checked out, but I can also borrow ebooks or takes classes online through their site. Ebay is great when I’m looking for a great deal on something I found in the store that I want, but don’t want to spend that much money on it.

Carlsbad Library’s page could be improved by making it easier to find the correct resource. There have been times that I’m looking for a certain class and I can’t remember which resource it’s under, so having descriptions by the tab would be helpful.

Ebay could be improved by better alignment of their images and smaller pictures, maybe only some with bright colors so you can decide what to look at when you first land on their page. I guess what they’re doing is working though, since it seems to be a successful company.

Week 4 Post 1: Aesthetics, Design, and Branding

http://jamilin.com/
http://gatesnfences.com/

Both of these sites are so crowded with text and multiple pictures that it’s hard to know where to look first. Neither communicates professionalism and the jamilin.com screams “scam.” Both of these don’t direct the reader to the most important information and have way too many links which leads to confusion. So, based on the lecture notes, these both lack Contrast, Proximity, and Alignment, to name a few.

Some things that could be improved on these websites are the font type and size, the text and photo alignment, and the color contrast. The font can help readers read the info on the website better and find the important information quickly. The alignment also can make finding key info easier and tends to communicate order and professionalism. The color contrast can be easier on the eyes and subconsciously allow readers to stay on the site longer.


https://www.headhunterhairstyling.com/
http://artcenter.org/

Both of these websites have a focal point, a menu that’s easy to find, and images that are easy on the eyes. They also have aligned their text and photos in a pleasing way and the key information is easy to find.

Good design and aesthetics makes me want to stay on the site and click around a bit. Beautiful photos capture my attention, and a font and branding that are well done are pleasing to the eyes and communicate attention to detail, which could lead a customer to trust the brand.

Week 3: Social Media Use by Businesses

Kennedy Brothers Window Washing

http://kennedy-bros.com/

Facebook, Google+

Facebook said this page was not found, Google+ is no more. They have a nice website, but looks like they are not utilizing social media at this time. It is a local business and it looks like they advertise through word of mouth, Yelp, Thumb Tack, and NextDoor. 

Succulent Cafe, Carlsbad

No website, but searches bring them up being talked about on community pages

Instagram, Facebook

Facebook last post unknown, but people tag them in photos frequently. Instagram last post was July 15.

Looks like they don’t keep up on social media, but they would do well to use Instagram more, since they have a beautiful place! It would also be good for them to have a website or blog.

Salon Amour

https://salonamourcarlsbad.com/

No links to their social media on website, but a search found them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Facebook last post was June 22, 2019; Instagram August 21, 2019; Twitter June 9, 2014

LinkedIn didn’t have much info and their company website link didn’t work

They would do well to use Instagram and/or Facebook more often with before and after pictures. As it is, they are not very active on social media, but seem to use Yelp and Groupon to advertise.

Fahrenheit 451 Bookstore

No website found

Not on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. They are on Instagram with the most recent post being November 2018.

It seems to follow, being a used bookstore, that they wouldn’t be online much. However, we need to keep used bookstores alive and one way they could make known that they are there, is by posting on Instagram. It’s a great place for cool pictures. It would also be really good for them to have a website or blog for their business.

Nektar Juice Bar

https://locations.nekterjuicebar.com/ll/US/CA/Carlsbad/2525-El-Camino-Real

Facebook, yesterday at 10am; Instagram 3 days ago; Twitter Sept 2, 2019; LinkedIn 3wks ago.

I think they are using the social media platforms that will serve their customers best and doing it well.

Analysis

I chose to compare smaller or more local businesses (excepting Nektar) to see how they use social media. I found that they really don’t use it much at all and was surprised to see that. I assume they don’t have the funds to hire a social media marketer and that they succeed more by word of mouth recommendations. No surprise, but Nektar was the one that used more platforms and most consistently compared to the other businesses I chose to look at. I do think that using Facebook or Instagram can be a huge benefit and it really doesn’t take too long to post a picture or deal of the day and could really boost their business, ensuring they stay open and profitable longer.

LinkedIn and Twitter were the least used, Instagram most commonly used. I think Instagram makes most sense because photos are eye catching and memorable and for the one posting, it’s easy because you don’t have to come up with written content. 

Several of the businesses didn’t even have a website, which I think is the most basic thing a business should have just so they’re searchable and can explain who they are and what they offer. Then social media can be used to promote and market. 

Comments

--I commented on Christina Brady’s, Stephanie DeSouza’s, and Allison Vincent’s posts.--

Week 3: Part 1 Communicating with Businesses

Sometimes communicating with a business is an ordeal: you call and are transferred to multiple departments and wait on hold for half an hour, only to be disconnected or rerouted to another person who still can’t answer your questions. I have had this problem, especially when dealing with certain Health Insurance companies. I have often felt like giving up and that so much time was wasted, that I don’t want to try again. Thankfully, there’s a way to get questions answered or bounce ideas off others who have gone through something similar, on the business’s social media site or even your own Twitter or Facebook profile!

I haven’t really used social media yet to communicate with businesses, but after reading the first chapter in the book we were assigned, I definitely am going to start doing that.

If I had a business on social media, I would want to know what negative or positive comments were going on about my business so I could resolve them, make changes, or address concerns. Social media almost breaks chains and gives freedom to consumers, where we had no recourse before, except to write in to the local paper and hope our letter got published, or just tell all our friends by word of mouth. Now we have a quick, effective way to communicate with the business, or let others know to either go check them out, or warn them to stay away.

Week 2, Part 2: Blogs I commented on

Anthony's blog: https://csit155-fa19-apagatpatan.blogspot.com/2019/08/week-2a-social-media-for-personal-or.html?showComment=1567629112548#c5884374241436495017

Allison's blog: https://csit155-fa19allisonv.blogspot.com/2019/08/week-2-part-1.html?showComment=1567629339491#c7168826535105629508

Darius R's blog: https://csit-fa19-dariusr.blogspot.com/2019/08/social-media-and-marketing-making.html?showComment=1567629571333#c8131801888354061753

Week 2, Part 1

The main social media platforms that seem to me to be geared more towards personal use, are Instagram and Facebook because you can control who sees your posts, you can create friend or family groups (on Facebook), and they are image driven for sharing photos and keeping up with people and what’s going on in their lives.

LinkedIn in particular seems to work better for business, seeing as it has been set up with that in mind. There are no personal images or posts there, and it exists to connect businesses and individuals for business purposes. It’s a great place for networking or looking for your next job, seeing where others work, and viewing ratings for employers.

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram seem to work well for both business and personal. Facebook is great for having business pages that consumers can “like” or “follow” as well as groups for team building or connecting employees. Instagram is great for posting pictures or videos as marketing, or polls to get people to interact with your brand, suggest changes, or gauge interest in a particular product. Twitter is much more public compared to either Facebook or Instagram, and because of this it can be a great customer service tool, or a place to follow the latest comments on a current or sporting event from people all over the world.

Week One B: Blogs I Commented On

Ashley at Clipper Junkies https://csit155-fa19-ashleym.blogspot.com

Anthony at Anthony's Blog https://csit155-fa19-apagatpatan.blogspot.com

Lindsey at Leather and Lilacs https://csit155-fa19-lindsayw.blogspot.com

Week One A: Template Choice

Hi everyone! I chose this template for my blog because I think the color scheme communicates a peaceful feeling and what my business is all about it bringing physical, financial, and emotional health and well being. The muted shapes show movement, but they seem to be moving slowly and and with grace.

My business is a Simple Solution for Amplified Health. Our process is simple and easy to follow and includes high quality nutrition, so I think this template communicates simplicity and relaxation, and even has some hints of nature, which makes me think of being outside and being able to enjoy it because of the results of better health.

Another reason I chose this one, is I think it's soothing on the eyes for someone looking at it, because it light-colored and there's less of a contrast between the background color and the font. I think it will also fit well with the images I want to add.