Cynthia Suarez

[casuarez1]

Mastery Reflection on the Internet Marketing Campaign Development Course

This may be my last week of graduate school but it is not the last time I will be aware of what a successful marketing campaign looks like. This brings me to my first goal of for this course, which was to learn how to create successful marketing. Throughout this entire journey to master the essence of digital marketing, I have learned that existing, exceptional marketing campaigns share several qualities in common. For example, they all share the quality of evoking a positive emotional reaction and/or action out of their audiences. They also aim to engage with their audience on a personal level using innovative marketing strategies and tactics. These type of marketing campaigns use creative and experimental marketing strategies to accomplish their SMART goals.

During week two, I accomplished my second goal of learning about different marketing campaigns. I learned that Apple, Google, MasterCard are some of the biggest businesses in the world because their marketing efforts help maintain their brand image and cultivate loyal fan bases. They each appeal to the emotional side of their audiences in their own unique ways, and their marketing campaigns tell stories that bring value to their consumers’ lives. For my third goal, I intended on studying internet marketing campaign case studies. I was able to research beelove in-depth and learn more about several other of its competitors. I discovered ways to improve beelove’s website, online social media presence, brand image, influencers, personas, paid advertising, search engine optimization, marketing campaigns, public relations, legality, and monitoring systems.

After reflecting over this course and my mastery journey altogether, I have realized that there are so many chunks of valuable information I have learned throughout. When I need to create a marketing plan of a client, I can use the knowledge I gained from this master’s program and apply it within my marketing agency. I will also know how to create a marketing pitch for the marketing plan I develop and how to best deliver it to investors and other stakeholders of a company. If I am ever required to audit a company’s social presence, then I know what weak areas to look out for such as inconsistency in posts, large gaps in postings, unclear brand message, etc.

Overall, this master’s program has taught me to think strategically when implementing marketing efforts, maintain a level of wonder and creativity in my work, resonate with one’s audience on a personal level, and never lose sight of sounding human when representing a company.

[casuarez1]

Mastery Reflection on the Internet and the Law Course

After reflecting on the Internet and the Law course, I would say that it has met all three of my original objectives. The first objective was to learn about intellectual property, copyright, domain names, trademark issues.

There was more of an emphasis on the importance of copyright, cybercrime, spam, privacy policies, and defamation in this course, but I did learn about all the concepts I intended to learn after reading The It / Digital Legal Companion and other online sources. Intellectual property is a property right that encompasses things coming from the mind, some of which include trademarks, copyrights, but also patents and trade secrets. Copyrights are legal rights given to the originator or assignee to copy, display, distribute, and perform the original work. Having these copyright ownership rights allows anyone using the original work without permission to be penalized. As for domain names, it is fairly easy to register a domain name that has not been taken. In terms of trademark issues, a business must choose a distinctive enough name when going through the trademark registration process (Landy & Mastrobattista, 2008). This process is also a slow one but once the company has a protected trademark, other businesses would be wise to do their research on that protected name. Otherwise, they may receive cease and desist letters or be in a lawsuit.

In the second goal, the intention was to study the regulatory issues concerning the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). For the third goal, I also wanted to understand the regulatory issues concerning the FTC. The second and third goal relate to each other in that they are both on the same topic. Throughout this course, I learned more about the proliferation of cybercrime. The FTC reports that identity theft and fraud were at the top of major cyber crimes. With the advent of technology and the constant urge to release the latest program/software updates, it has become harder to catch and punish cybercriminals.

I can apply what I learned from this course when I have my own business and need to create my company website. I am now aware that the website must contain a privacy policy, if it intends to collect personal information from website users. Also, the website should have a page dedicated to its terms of use. A “Terms of Use” page is necessary for users to know what conditions they are bound by and so my business will have the right sort of protection against liability in place. The tips and clarifications I received on employer-employee relationships will also be useful no matter where I work; I will know what is and is not advisable to do in a professional setting while being monitored by my employer. If I ever create a blog, I will remember what I learned during this course about defamation. This way, I do not make the mistake of posting libel and end up being liable for defamation.

Reference:

Landy, G. K., & Mastrobattista, A. J. (2008, August 13). The IT / digital legal companion. Burlington, MA: Elsevier, Inc. Available from https://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/technology-management/9781597492560

[casuarez1]

Mastery Reflection on the Web Analytics and Optimization Course

At the onset, I did not expect this course to be that interesting but I am glad my assumption was wrong. This course has met all three of my original objectives and taught me more than I would have expected to learn. Now that I know what SMART goals are, I have tried to make my case study company’s business goals more concrete, realistic, and specific. 

In term of initial goals, my first one was to learn about web analytics and web analytics optimization. With help from the assigned readings and videos, I was able to learn that web analytics is more than just dealing with quantitative and qualitative data. It is about being able to interpret what the collected data from organic, paid, referral, etc. means to create a better overall user experience and reap desired outcomes. Analytics optimizations consists of testing the performance of different added elements from distinct sources in order to reach or surpass corporate goals.

For my second goal, I planned on learning some of the basics of Google Analytics. I did not think I would be taking the Google Analytics Individual Qualification exam, much less end up being certified for a whole year. While preparing for the exam, I was informed of ways to solve different analytics situations and different actions to test for optimal website performance. Furthermore, I educated myself on the specific differences between dimensions, segments, and metrics. Dimensions act as categories that help organize data, and there can be segments in place to group or isolate users or sessions. Metrics are more commonly referred to as collected data found in analytics reports. 

While understanding more about Google Analytics, I came to achieve my third goal of knowing how to craft reporting structures. Reports are essentially key point indicators because they can help decipher whether or not one is reaching intended business objectives. Crafting reporting structures is an art because it means that one understands how to interpret the impact behind the numbers shown in reports and how to find the specific data points linking to one’s company goals.

I can apply the insights I have gained in the real world. If I work at a marketing agency and a third party company wishes to do business with me, I can use what I have learned to create a measurement and optimization plan to improve that company’s marketing strategies and user experience.

[casuarez1]

Mastery Reflection on the Strategic Internet Public Relations Course

The supplementary readings and course exercises have allowed me to meet all of my original goals. My first goal was to learn about public relations (PR) and its methods. I have learned that social media is greatly linked to public relations. Social media is a powerful tool that public relations professionals utilize to help craft and share positive, informational stories about their employer.

My second goal was to understand how a publicist can protect a company’s image. PR teams do more than just protect a company’s image. They are there to represent the business well, build rapport with consumers, and create lasting connections with the public. At times, they are part of or the reason why a company is still standing despite a crisis.

For the third goal, I meant to learn about the importance of active relationship management. To make a positive, ongoing relationship like this possible, PR professionals must create tangible goals, tactics, and measurements. They must manage their employer’s social media and media mentions using PR tools, strategically connect with the public, and establish lasting, mutually beneficial relationships.

I can apply all I have gained to my professional career, if I choose to go into the PR Department of a company. For instance, I can ensure that all the social content I create align with my employer’s code of ethics, as well as my own moral compass.

Besides equipping me professionally, this course has given me the knowledge that I can apply to my final project, Internet Marketing Plan (IMP). The internal PR will use the same communication tools to share and execute projects on time such as Slack and GoToMeeting. Once internal communication is well-established, the PR team can focus more on an effective distribution strategy that will bring in high levels of engagement and media circulation.

Beelove, my chosen case study company, needs to influence single city women of color. It can reach its target audience by consistently engaging with them on social media outlets, getting featured in publications, working with influencers they admire, and more.

The following are strategic initiatives and corresponding plans to achieve those objectives:

Create at least one newsworthy press release a month to have organic circulation.

Have quarterly internal events to keep internal teams motivated through the work year.

Contact at least ten charities that align well with beelove’s brand image and plan for them months in advance.

Have an increase in favorable customer perception by creating relatable and relevant content.

_______________________________________________________________________

Have the copywriting and PR team collaborate on each press release and use Newswire, PR Log, and other distribution channels to distribute the news to the right audience.

Set up regular reminders for all internal events, using Eventbrite, months in advance so that there will be great turnouts each time.

Have the PR team research non-profit organizations that share similar values and ethics using PR tools like Feedly, TweetReach, and Awario.

Learn more about beelove’s target audience by using consumer segmentation data and collecting consumer behavior data to gain consumer trust, create potential leads, and drive sales.

[casuarez1]

Mastery Reflection on the Advanced Search Engine Optimization Course

The first goal I listed for this course, at the onset of this program, was to learn about search engine optimization (SEO). This Advanced Search Engine Optimization course definitely went more in-depth with the many SEO strategies that a business can follow in order to create an SEO-friendly website. After taking this course, I understand the imperative roles that internal and external links play in a website’s page ranking and traffic. The second goal that this course met was to know the new trends in search engine marketing. I was made aware that pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns work hand-in-hand with SEO efforts because a website that has good SEO provides organic traffic and brand recognition to build from. PPC campaigns are different as they run with a set budget in mind and produce instant results.

The third goal that I accomplished with the help of this course was to understand effective SEO practices. Some of the SEO practices that stood out to me the most were the following: produce content catered to website visitors instead of search engines, organic link building is necessary, and avoid over-optimizing a website.

I can apply the mentioned SEO strategies if I ever work on optimizing clients’ websites. Since I am familiar with more search engine optimization tools, such as MOZ, SEMrush, SpyFu, Alexa, etc., I can use this to audit the website and determine what adjustments to make to the websites. The know-how I have gained during this course has even prepared me to implement the best practices to my own business website.

The knowledge I gained in this course can be applied to my Internet Marketing Plan as I understand what SEO practices to steer away from, like black hat techniques, in order to produce a feasible marketing plan.

[casuarez1]

Mastery Reflection on the Advanced Marketing Strategies Course

The Advanced Marketing Strategies course met some of my original objectives. However, I did learn more about many other forms of marketing that I did not originally mention.

The first goal was to learn about affiliate and email marketing, as well as each of their components. Although there was more of a focus on email marketing than affiliate marketing, I learned that small businesses like beelove definitely benefit from using email marketing strategies. Using these type of strategies would save small companies money and time because they are cost-effective and easy to use.

The second original goal was to learn about global marketing and its components. Even though are was no section that specifically covered global marketing, it can be inferred that running one’s business on an international scale will increase brand exposure, potential leads, sales, and business venture opportunities.

The third goal was to learn about SEO marketing and its components. Other courses went into a bit more detail about SEO marketing, but I have learned more about paid advertising from this course than any other one thus far. I was taught that every ad campaign must have a traffic and promotion strategy, a set of projected costs and revenue, and intended campaign goals.

One piece of knowledge I gained about my chosen company was to have a clear understanding of what beelove has to offer its customers, in particular, the problem(s) it solves for them. I was also taught that it is equally important to establish a strong sense of trust and authority between a company and its website users.

I can apply what I learned from this course into my professional career if I am ever tasked with managing different ad campaigns. Now that I am familiar with the importance of using paid advertising, I can also implement paid ad strategies when marketing my own business.

[casuarez1]

Mastery Reflection on the New Media Marketing Course

The New Media Marketing course met the original objectives I intended to learn. In my Mastery Journal Timeline, the first goal was to understand influencers in mobile and social media marketing. I discovered that sometimes an influencer campaign is a better option for a business, depending on its end goals. Influencers utilize their laptops and mobile devices to reach out to their large, loyal audience. They are great assets for a business because they expose a company’s product or service to the right audience. Along with providing brand exposure, these influencers promote a product or service for the duration of the contract agreement.

The second original objective was to learn about content marketing. Businesses create and share blog posts, online videos, podcasts, and social media posts to capture the interest of a company’s products or services. Companies produce different types of content on social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to increase things like brand awareness, customer engagement, conversions, and sales. However, they must be mindful and respect the fact that some features do not work on all social media sites.

The third goal was to understand online video and location-based technologies. I was informed that a company can track where its target audience is from and what mobile devices they use. Mobile marketing proves that more and more people rely on their mobile phones to gain quick access to information. It focuses on delivering personalized messages and ads to the customer when it is the best time to reach him or her.

I can use what I have learned once I work in the Marketing Department of a business. I can address customers with confidence, ease, and professionalism since I know how to respond to negative social media comments from disheartened customers. Similarly, I can use an excellent CRM software system, along with social media marketing tools, to help me manage my employer’s social presence and measure the return on investment of a campaign.

Every piece of knowledge I have gained on social media marketing, content marketing, mobile marketing, and email marketing has helped me complete all the New Media Marketing course assignments. For this reason, I am one step closer to successfully completing my final Internet Marketing Plan project.

[casuarez1]

Mastery Reflection on the Digital Design & Usability Course

This course has met the original objectives that I intended to learn. My first goal for this class was to understand web design in order to achieve marketing goal. I have learned that a company has to do more than just make its website look visually appealing to users. While visual cues and design are important, they only cover one component of a website. A business has to ensure that its website is also accessible, findable, usable, and intuitive.

A second goal from my original objectives was to learn user interface principles. One is that web production teams must make their interface design consistent throughout the entire site. Another being that these teams must also let the users be in control of the interface. This is something that many companies fail to implement into their design and harm their business, both financially and socially, in return. I also found myself having revelations because I became aware of the different user interface elements that I used on every website. Now, I notice elements such as menus, buttons, links, etc. because they are components that retain audiences and keep them engaged.

My final goal was to analyze web interface and usability issues, which I accomplished during week two of this course. Some of those usability issues are things that companies tend to overlook because they have become so acquainted with their own website. Usability tests are crucial to improving websites because they allow companies to pinpoint errors in their website design, usability, and findability. Companies can even save money and time by conducting their own usability tests.

[casuarez1]

Mastery Reflection on the Internet Consumer Behavior & Analysis Course

From this Internet Consumer Behavior and Analysis course, I have learned more than I originally intended to learn. My first goal was to learn the meaning of consumer behavior in the digital world. I know now that consumer behavior is more than monitoring a consumer’s online movements before and after making a purchase. It is essentially the study of how people make their purchase decisions of a product or service, based on what they need, want, and conduct. After taking this course, I am aware of Dave Chaffey’s six stages of the internet consumer decision-making process. I can apply what I learned to my own future business by using it to guide customers during their purchasing process.

The second goal was to learn about personalized marketing, which is a marketing strategy used to engage with customers on a more personal level. During week two, I realized that marketers need to connect with their consumer segments by learning details about them (their habits, interests, dislikes). They analyze demographic and psychographic information in order to cater unique, customizable content to them. To my surprise, companies who have distinct consumer segments spend less money and time on customers who show no interest in purchasing their products or services. Just like marketers, I learned to analyze the qualitative and quantitative data on my two consumer segments to boost sales for my chosen case-study company. When I work within the marketing department of a company, I will be able to conduct market research with a bit more ease.

Before this course, I did not put much thought into consumer-generated content (CGC). Now that I know more about CGC, I see that this form of content is trusted and respected more than content from an actual business. It is not only beneficial for potential customers who are looking to buy from a company. For my future business, I can use this method to build a relationship with my audiences by creating contests. campaigns. product review pages, etc. Furthermore, behavioral targeting is equally important because it is a technique used to target a user and display relevant ads tailored to the person visiting that page. The last thing I learned was how to create an email invitation to invite my future customers to complete a satisfaction survey of my business.

[casuarez1]

Mastery Reflection on the Digital Storytelling & Branding Course

The Digital Storytelling and Branding course met my original objective because I learned that a brand was not a logo or a product. I once attributed a logo as being the brand of a company but a logo is just a trademark. A true brand is the company’s aura and every person has his or her version of that aura (Neumeier, 2005, p. 01). After learning about the definition of a brand, I can describe Sweet Beginnings’ brand personality as being considerate and supportive of its employees and customers.

Until recently, I did not know how much differentiation and consistency in brand voice mattered to the success of a company brand. There is power in highlighting the differentiating factors of a company from its competitors. Brand voice is one of those brand concepts that can help distinguish one company from another company in the same industry. For instance, the average person with a family will want a safe and reliable vehicle. If Honda’s brand voice seems more family-oriented and than Ford, then those customers are more likely purchase a Honda vehicle.

Another goal for this course was to implement storytelling principles and I did that during week three of this course. Using the caregiver brand archetype, I created a brand storytelling video where I demonstrated how Beelove’s honey-infused body cream could make a adolescent feel more proud to be in her own skin. I embodied Sweet Beginnings’ brand personality by cultivating a story unique to the brand’s essence. Before this course, I did not consider how videos of myself are also technically personal brand videos because they show the type of personality I have and the values I hold. I aim to cultivate a personal brand that aligns well with my own personality and career goals. This way I can achieve a professional look in the public eye.

I have also learned more about the different strategies that brands use, depending on their target audience. From this course, I have gained more research experience while examining different industry profiles, analyst reports, and more. I can apply this to my professional career because I will have to do my own research other my employer’s competitors. I will need to know what sets us apart from them and what our weaknesses are as company.

Reference:

Neumeier, M. (2005, August 04). The brand gap. California: New Riders.

[casuarez1]

Mastery Reflection on the Internet Marketing Fundamentals Course

My original timeline goals for the Internet Marketing Fundamentals course were the following: learn the definition of internet marketing; learn how to make an organization successful; and learn different strategic marketing methods. The ample knowledge I have gained since then has exceeded my original objective.

I know now that internet marketing is the process of promoting products and/or services online through advertising and different marketing tactics, which help generate website traffic, electronic commerce sales, and website and email leads. I have also learned that it takes effort and effective communication from different departments within an organization for it to be successful. For example, a designated public relations team that responds to the public during an online crisis could be the determining factor between a company’s redemption and a company’s doom.

I have learned the difference between inbound and outbound marketing; I have come to realize that inbound marketing is used more now because consumers like content personally made for them. I have also gained knowledge of how to research specific businesses and industries for their external facts and figures through Full Sail University’s online research databases. My researching do not end there; I also researched the competitors’ websites of my chosen company and analyzed quantitative data from SEO plug-ins such as WooRank and Alexa.

In addition, I am more informed about click fraud and how it is prevalent problem for pay-per-click advertisers. During week two, I put together a keynote presentation about click fraud, with animations and a voice-over, something I never pictured myself doing. This week, I have learned about web analytics and the importance of tracking certain metrics, such as conversion rate and bounce rate within email marketing, to improve the success of one’s company. I am also more aware of the different components within marketing strategies like search engine marketing, email marketing, content marketing, etc.

I can apply the knowledge I have gained about search engine optimization by ensuring that my own business website has good performance, design, content. This way more follow the SEO guidelines to appear higher on the Google results page organically. When creating a landing page, I will be conscious of my business objectives, audience, visitor action, entry points, technical limitations, and creative brief (Unbounce, n.d.). In terms of reporting metrics and analytics for landing pages within a business, I am aware that I can use analytic software to track fundamental metrics and customer feedback with detailed data (Unbounce, n.d.). This will be beneficial to my team and me when attempting to develop better ways to improve the company’s campaigns.

Reference:

Unbounce. (n.d.). 101 landing page optimization tips: An opinionated guide to conversion. Retrieved from https://unbounce.com/101-landing-page-optimization-tips/#fundamentals

[movemequotes]

More growth quotes here: http://www.movemequotes.com/tag/growth-quotes/

[casuarez1]

I love the idea that I can change myself at any time in my life. If I do not like how negatively I respond to life situations, then I can change my thinking patterns. Just as snakes shed their old skin for further growth, I can also let go of the old habits, behaviors, negative thoughts to live better. And yet, it is common for a person to feel as though he or she has lost his or her essence.

Nonetheless, this quote provides some perspective on the matter. All of these ‘skins’ or changes are still derived from the same source; the reason for that very desire to change is still there, so that person can always trace it back.

Reference:

movemequotes. (2018, September 21). More growth quotes here... [Tumblr post]. Retrieved from http://movemequotes.tumblr.com/post/178319617126/more-growth-quotes

[casuarez1]

Mastery Journal Goals & Tactics

[casuarez1]

Mastery Journal Logo

I am currently working on a better logo to take the place of this one. For the time being, this is the one have created.

[learn-with-whiteboard]

In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. That means we have 1,440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact.

[casuarez1]

I stumbled upon this a couple of nights ago and it has not left my mind since. This is an encouraging message to start on something sooner than later because one will make errors, more than once, regardless of how careful one is; if one prolongs the starting process, then one is also choosing to carry the weight of anxiety and defeat. One must be willing to push himself or herself in order for real improvement to occur and/or for new opportunities to arise.

I was often afraid to start something and make mistakes. I would not begin art projects or start new hobbies due to the fear of messing up. Soon I realized making mistakes was another part of the improvement practice. Now, I transform this fear into excitement with the intent of pushing myself out of my comfort zone.

Reference:

brandlitic. (2018, August 27). In every day, there are 1,440 minutes... [Tumblr post]. Retrieved from https://brandlitic.tumblr.com/post/177451289720/in-every-day-there-are-1440-minutes-that-means

[casuarez1]

Personal Learning Network

Papaly Screenshot

I bookmarked the websites, software programs, and social media outlets that I use the most in categories such as Frequently Used, Productivity, and Social Media. I also created a category for Marketing, which include different forms of marketing and other marketing tips. My Papaly Board serves as a quick way to find this information whenever I need it.

Feedly Screenshot

I made a category for business, design, marketing, and news because I feel they are more relevant to the Internet Marketing program I am in. Adding publications, blogs, and newsletters from Feedly will keep me updated on current news and trends.

LinkedIn Screenshot

I previously created a LinkedIn account a couple of years ago, but I did make some adjustments to my profile. For instance, I added Full Sail University to my Education section. I also checked for any grammar and spelling errors.

LinkedIn Profile

[casuarez1]

As a perfectionist, I struggle with letting go of the idea that I must perpetually strive for perfection, symmetry, order, etc. However, I found Stephen Hawking’s perspective on imperfection to be incredibly refreshing. He offered a whimsical sense of humor of this false notion surrounding perfectionism. After all, perfect humans do not exist on this earth. Everyone makes mistakes and that is the beauty of being human. 

This quote instantly motivated me to create a new piece of writing for my online portfolio and personal blog. I saw this as a reminder that messing up and failing are smaller puzzle pieces to a bigger picture of success. Just as one cannot be human without making mistakes, one cannot be successful without failing. Based on the ideas of Hawking, it is okay to make mistakes because they demonstrate to us the beauty of struggle.

Reference:

emmy. (2018, March 13). Stephen Hawking. [Instagram post]. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/BgSiFzGAut4/?taken-by=emmy