I'm Erika

Sometimes in adversity we find our life purpose.

[erika-amelia]

Hootsuite 2.0

Hootsuite University

            At the beginning Hootsuite was a giant obstacle for me; for one I had never even heard of it so there was that mystery and two they my email was incorrect so I could not log in till that got sorted out.  Now once that got sorted out; I did not find it difficult to complete to actual certification; it was absorbing all information that was tough.  I could take the exams and pass them after two maybe three because I could remember what I got wrong but I would have to go back and watch the videos multiple times because there was so much information within each one of them. 

            Each video contained so much valuable information; some of it seemed like common knowledge for example the Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media but everyone needs to be reminded of the “rules of the road” sometimes. Other topics like the exact doings of Google+; Google+ is still so new. If I am being completely honest, Google Hangouts are still something that was completely foreign to me till I started this course. There are so many aspects of social media that I am actually embarrassed to say were totally brand new to me till I took this course; like Hootsuite (which thankfully I was not alone). 

            Now diving more into the navigating the Hootsuite; I enjoy it. I am honestly a little put off by businesses who say it’s too complex; I think it is ideal for large companies (small companies, no).  The power it possesses is limitless; you can put as much or as little as you would like into it, it can manage as many profiles and apps as you would like it to. Everything from Facebook and Twitter to YouTube and Instagram.  If you pay attention during the certification it is simple to navigate; the dashboard is user friendly, the icons are fairly self-explanatory and the new feeds are easy to add and easy to, not only, monitor but also to delegate to so others in your organization can monitor them for you.

            Now this assignment was homework, yes, but the way it is assigned is to complete at your own pace.  Given the whole semester; you have time to actually enjoy parts of the assignment.  One of the videos that was my favorite was the Do’s and Don’ts: Social Media Etiquette as I had mentioned briefly earlier, I enjoyed this thoroughly just because it resonated a lot of lessons that we had learned throughout the class, for example “thinking before you post or tweet.” They put their rules into six different categories but they resonate back to just being smart and thinking first; you have the potential to double even triple your influence if you just manage your tweets and posts in a proper manner.

            Another post I really took a lot from was further down; I was not positive if it was part of our required viewing but I went ahead and watched videos from the other sections of My Courses and in Section 5 Industry Specific Education there was video entitled Social Media 101 for Nonprofits: Building a Thriving Community. In the future, I have a strong desire to work for a non-profit called the International Essential Tremor Foundation (IETF) which is in severe need for help with their social media.  I knew this video would beneficial. This 30 minute video goes into much detail about how crucial it is especially for non-profits to utilize their social media and be not only their own advocate but to utilize their supporters and their community. It is so important to understand how to engage your desired audience to gain social media awareness.  

            Moving on from topics I enjoyed; topics that I simply wish were covered were not an issue. My only issue would be topics that I would want to be covered in more detail; for example: other platforms that are not as widely used as Facebook or Twitter.  LinkedIn is such a vital tool and Google applications are becoming much more popular; having more in depth video on those topics could have been beneficial.  

All of videos prior to the exams were enjoyable, they were engaging.  For this to be an assignment, it did not seem like homework. I thoroughly enjoyed Hootsuite and like I have said throughout this course, Social Media is a class I will recommend to many other students for the sheer fact that regardless if they plan to have a career in Social Media or not; they will learn something and they will take the lessons and tools they gain from this course and utilize them in their future.  Not many students can say that about their other courses.  

            I cannot wait to type the words “Hootsuite Certified” on my resume.  Honestly having come into this class never even knowing Hootsuite was and now leaving completely certified and feeling confident in this social media management system I hope to get utilize this program to its full potential.   If not this program, seeing as it is a paid program and I am a large company or in charge of social media for large company (yet, who knows where I’ll end up) I plan to use all of the lessons I have gained.  From the Do’s and Don’ts to the skills of Social selling to the knowledge of how to gain of non-profit through Social Media.  I hope to carry out all of these lessons through the continuation of my blog, my twitter account, my Facebook page, and my new Instagram.  

[erika-amelia]

Instagram.

From Wikipedia the definition of Instagram is "Instagram is an online photo-sharing, video-sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos, apply digital filters to them, and share them on a variety of social networking services, such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr."

Before this class, I had the app and an account, username erikaag1.  On this account I had a total of a whopping 2 pictures! Well now I am up to a total of ten pictures.  Instagram is an app that I want to grow into, its an app I know I would enjoy and there are so many accompanying apps that you can use along with Instagram. I am visual and creative person; I take a lot pictures therefore Instagram is an app I plan to use more. 

Now researching more into Instagram, I found some insights that have come out about Instagram.  The big debate that most recently came out was the Vine versus Instagram debacle. 

Vine already has a solid user base of video-sharing addicts. They craved snackable video-sharing before an app like Instagram could give it to them. The limits placed upon them by Twitter’s disposition towards brevity makes Vines that much more creative, and the looping aspect. 

http://tcrn.ch/1eXLj6e

With that being said, Instagram video will surely slow Vine’s growth to an extent. Instagram built a video-sharing product for the masses. There’s plenty of time to shoot a video, you can make it pretty with a filter, and they’ll even help you with a steady hand. But Instagram video’s mass market appeal only makes Vine’s niche, creative-focused breed of video-sharing that much more niche, and creative-focused.

The Washington Post published an article with the Top five differences between Instagram and Vine.  The top five were length, shooting, editing, looping, and convenience.  "Instagram (and Facebook) threw down against Vine (and Twitter) this week, after debuting a new video mode for its network. But while they look and operate in much the same manner, there are plenty of key differences to set these two products apart." http://wapo.st/1kvbEvr

Overall, with the addition of being able to take video with Instagram I think in battle between Instagram VS. Vine; Instagram takes the win by far!

http://bit.ly/1ouiMOR

[erika-amelia]

#Freberg14

http://bit.ly/1scnQXh

My experience in this course reminded a lot of my internship in Disney World.  It was pretty much just one giant rollercoaster but definitely one that when I got off at the end all I said was "Let's do it again!".

http://bit.ly/1fzHwz3

I think that almost every student that has been in some kind of college curriculum can agree with me when I say that half of the classes we take we wonder how in the world will I ever use this again?!

This question is primarily one of the main reasons why I changed my major in the first place.  It was as if the minute I took my first Communication (Public Speaking, a gen-Ed every student at the university is required to take) course; I felt like "Wow, this something I know I am going to need for my future."  After that I took a course titled Desktop Publishing where students created brochures, flyers, advertisements etc.... Then I took courses like Strategic communication and strategic communication writing where we took time to create press releases, infographics, briefs etc....

The purpose of this background is to explain that taking a course like this one, Social Media, was not just a whim. It was planned.  This course is difficult; very complex not just anyone can take this course; it is not an easy A; well not in my opinion.  I do acknowledge that levels of difficulty come very differently to certain people.  However, this course requires more than class attendance (which is important), your also constantly working in teams which can go either way depending your team. 

Along with that your writing blogs every week and tweeting which again for those who are not accustomed to blogging or tweeting that could instill fear for them).  Now despite all the work,  the in class experience is great. Having the opportunity to work with a real client like Joey Wagner who I knew before the course is an experience.  Along with the amount of guest speakers and interaction we get with professor Freberg is amazing. 

http://bit.ly/Ppwr9Y

Who knows maybe one day I'll make millions with my Social Media skills??

[erika-amelia]

Social Media Careers

 http://bit.ly/1pbKGvT

Multi-Media Communications Specialist

Online Content Coordinator

Social Media Account Executive

Social Media Analyst

Social Media Assistant

Social Media Associate

Social Media Coordinator

Social Media Designer

Social Media Editor

Social Media Executive

Social Media Marketing Coordinator

Social Media Manager

Social Media Producer

Social Media Specialist

Social Media Strategist

The list is endless.  But honestly the career I heard of most recently, surprised was a Social Media Concierge. I'd never heard of this but it's a genius idea, its useful.  The specific ad put out by W Hotels was for a Social Media Wedding Concierge but really this idea can be spread to any spread to any and all events. For example: baptisms, graduations, elections, birthdays parties, work functions or anniversaries.   

http://bit.ly/1hWblYT

"The package also includes a social media recap, so you can always remember exactly what your friends were doing on their phones during your special day. The concierge will even help you plan your honeymoon on Pinterest—a honeymoon you can definitely afford after spending $3,000 on a hashtag."

http://bit.ly/1myLPjf

Overall this idea is one to be expanded on, its something that almost any teenager who can manage twitter account and a Pinterest board could handle and make up $3,000 per event! Now that a pretty great side-business! 

Some of the comments on this blog where I found this job ad were #justburiedgrandpa #everyonecryin #freehold" and "Births! #hercervixis4cmdilated #crowning #somuchblood.". So in these particularly cases they were clearly seeing this idea as utterly ridiculously; maybe the idea of paying someone to do a service that initially free could be seen as bit unnecessary but in my opinion when it comes to all the little things that it takes to put on a memorable picture perfect wedding or event it maybe wise to actually have someone to take one this responsibility so the bride and groom have one less thing to worry about on their big day; or maybe that's just me.  Who knows?   

[erika-amelia]

The Rivalry

http://bit.ly/1ixO4P3

The teams first played each other in 1912 in football and then in 1913 in basketball.  The Kentucky-Louisville basketball rivalry has been ranked the 3rd best rivalry in all of college sports by Basketball Hall of Fame contributor Dick Vitale. It is no obvious secret that the rivalry was fueled by when Rick Pitino when he was hired as Louisville's head men's basketball coach in 2001, as he had served the same role with Kentucky from 1989-1997.  Well I think that is enough of a history lesson.  In the past three years  we (Louisville, yes I am Louisville fan) have beaten Kentucky in Football but when it comes to Basketball we fallen short except for one time in the past four years.

http://cbsprt.co/1hnV0dW

My father has coached along side Rick Pitino, Denny Crum, and Howard Schnellenberger.  I have been a card fan since birth, and yes because of this job I get perks like free season tickets to Basketball and Football games, and tournament tickets. This Friday I will be traveling up to Indianapolis to hopefully witness the Louisville Cardinals rack up another W and advance on to the Elite 8.  March Madness is a crazy time for my family and I think I have a different perspective of the game then other people.  I having a family member invested in it makes the game more emotional, he works day and night literally to take these cardinals to a championship and it finally paid off last year. 

http://bit.ly/1fYIHUA

My father was a football coach all his life and when he came to Louisville with Schnellenberger, the new coach came in and he got transferred to Basketball with Crum then eventually Pitino.  He is the Strength and Conditioning Coach.  March Madness is often the time period that my mother refers to as the time when she "doesn't have husband."  I never actually noticed it till I got college and realized how little time he had for my mom. 

 There's another side to March Madness,  the UK and U of L rivalry is something I don't touch.  Yes I dislike Kentucky, but when it comes down its like what my mother says if my dad had gotten a job at Kentucky 30 years ago I'd be a Wildcats fan, but knowing what I know now I am sure glad he didn't.  And with that "Go Cards!"

http://bit.ly/1p1LeUV

http://bit.ly/1rwaqoU

[erika-amelia]

Social Entertainment

http://bit.ly/1lPuqi4

Social entertainment combines interactive content including live streaming, video chat communications, multi-player gaming, music and video streaming, with social network sites that can provide reviews, ratings and geo-locations.  It is the foundation for a more immersive, interactive, enriching and engaging content. Social entertainment is distinct from social network sites in that the former is based fundamentally on engaging experiences with functionality, content and people, while the latter is based primarily on building and maintaining relationships with other users. Typically, social entertainment is defined by the individual sites dedicated to a particular type of entertainment experience incorporating basic social networking services.

"Within the realm of social entertainment, online content is tightly intertwined with social features. These interactions around the content create a highly personalized experience for users which, in turn, drives a virtuous cycle of ongoing consumer engagement for service providers. In this sense, social entertainment refines the paradigm established by social networks, in which interactions with others are central and reasons for interacting with them are secondary."

http://visual.ly/ted-prize

Social entertainment include sites like TED talk which is an ever growing and ever evolving website of speeches given  by influential people  all over the world on varying topics. Almost every topic you could imagine, there has probably been a TED given on. Their slogan is "Ideas worth sharing" and that is exactly the goal that  was conceived by architect and graphic designer Richard Saul Wurman.  His simple concept has become a global phenomenon.  TED Talks was created in 1984 but as of 2012 TED Talks and with the creation of TED Talks online had been watched one billion times worldwide clearly reflecting a still growing global audience.

http://bit.ly/1ov4wSw

[erika-amelia]

The perfect diet.

I have the 100% never fail, best way to lose weight in absolutely way possible in the absolutely most miserable manner ever.  It apparently all started with a little thing called evolution, I recently learned. 

"Anthropologists believe wisdom teeth, or the third set of molars, were the evolutionary answer to our ancestor’s early diet of coarse, rough food – like leaves, roots, nuts and meats – which required more chewing power and resulted in excessive wear of the teeth. The modern diet with its softer foods, along with marvels of modern technologies such as forks, spoons and knives, has made the need for wisdom teeth nonexistent. As a result, evolutionary biologists now classify wisdom teeth as vestigial organs, or body parts that have become functionless due to evolution."

Well along with lovely evolution comes the great removal of wisdom teeth which results in this amazing diet (DISCLAIMER: not recommend by any physician).  When you get your teeth extracted they do a panoramic x-ray which shows you if your teeth are impacted or erupted; mine were all impacted.  The surgery is cake; the recovery is what began the treachery.  I do not think I saw daylight for about a week.  The combination of pain meds and dry sockets kept in asleep in bed for a solid week.  I lived off a diet of water, macaroni and cheese, Jell-O pudding, protein shakes and chicken broth (weird I know).  Total I lost 15 pounds, now for the record I did not want to lose 15 pounds and I do endorse this method it is very unhealthy and painful but hey if you want to opt for a surgery (if you haven't had it yet) and deal with the painful consequences you too could look slimmer in just under two weeks.  True story. 

"Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?" » Scienceline. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.

                 I wish. 

[erika-amelia]

I am a Communication Major.

I am so sick of people demeaning my major; I lie to people.  I used to be marketing major and a Spanish minor then I became a communication BS (Bachelor of Science) and Spanish minor and now I am just a communication BS major.  First of all, I dropped my Spanish minor because I am Cuban I know from personal experience that if I am going to learn Spanish completely fluently it will not be in a classroom. Feel free to argue me on that one but I am not budging on that one.

Now I am going to tell you what lie I tell and why I tell it.  Students constantly get asked what they studying in college always say Marketing and communication.  I do that because of the stigma that comes along with the idea of student majoring communication.  Its as if we couldn't find anything we were good at so we just picked something out of hat.  I love my major and I chose it because I love; the professors care and the course apply to real life. I can still remember my first communication course thinking wow I am finally learning something that I know I will actually use someday. 

I knew from the get go, I did not have the stomach for anything medical, the patience to teach. the brains to be a scientist (I'll be the first to admit that) but I do have the people skills to communicate, organize, and put on a flawless, upbeat event, radio show, or broadcast.  Its why I was drawn to companies like Walt Disney Company, ABC, and Radio Disney.  According to the Princeton Review, a communication degree in within the 10 most successful degrees to have a rewarding an fulfilling career.   I am communication major and I am proud to say so. 

http://www.princetonreview.com/college/top-ten-majors.aspx

[erika-amelia]

A future in Social Media

Social analytics are the key to getting into the social media world in my opinion.  Its the stepping stone that every young professional needs to take if they truly want be successful in social media.  Knowing HTML, how to build a website form the ground up, being Hootsuite certified and proficient in Final Cut, iMovie, and Photoshop, which costs oh about few hundred bucks (but wait we get a student discount of about a whole 10%); those are the things you want on your resume when you  graduate college.  Oh and you cannot forget the 5 million internships. 

Now I know I making that seem completely impossible and dismissing this as a real possibility but the fact is to be in any kind of technology based industry career you have to be so flexible and so dedicated.  You have to understand that the cut-throat aspect of this industry; people just assume that its just sending a posting a status or tweeting a tweet or a funny picture. 

There so much more to with it and its called analytics.  It is one of the most complex aspects of industry and if you can master it your set.  Social media is an exhilarating, exciting, upbeat and constantly changing field;  if you cannot keep up you'll get lost.  Social media analytics is a powerful tool for uncovering customers' opinions across countless online sources. The analytics allow marketers and various companies to identify feelings and identify trends in order to make judgements to cater to the customer better in the e everyone wins based on social analytics. 

[erika-amelia]

Social Media and Non-Profits

Its amazing how fast Facebook grew when first was invented back in 2006, over the years it grew into various ways of multiple different forms of communication.  Not just catching with old friends from way back when or creating groups for class projects it also grew into a way to create social awareness. I cannot tell you how many people i have come in contact with through Facebook that Essential Tremors. Yes having a support group in Louisville is an outlet but it only reaches a demographic in Louisville, having an outlet like the one social media can provide is unbelievably helpful. 

Below is a great image I found for a book all about tactics for nonprofits wanting to up their engagement on social media, you can find this on Amazon. 

If you go to the Essential Tremor Awareness Group (Not IETF sponsored) page, yes it has over 5,000 member but there are over 10 million people affected with ET in this country.

https://www.facebook.com/InternationalEssentialTremorFoundation

It is a daily struggle to create awareness about this condition the International Essential Tremor Foundation (IETF) is non-profit organization that unfortunately does not in my opinion utilize their social media to best of its potential.  If the foundation got someone in their headquarters that could re-vamp their social media methods with a structured social media campaign they could have great success with gaining more awareness. I think social media is one of the best outlets that non-profits can benefit from just for the sheer fact that non-profits are non-profit and social media is free advertisement and its used correctly, efficiently and timely could be a great tool.

This below is a great Infographic about how helpful social media can be when used properly with non-profit organizations. 

Below is a great Link to a Blog I found the Importance of Social Media for Non-Profits; I strongly agree with the blog and feel that if anyone has any interest in a non-profit or involvement  with a non-profit they really need to look into their social media and see how they can improve because it can help. 

http://bit.ly/1cylyLq

[erika-amelia]

Infographics

There are pro’s and con’s galore when it comes to the millions of infographics out there.  Main purpose of an infographic is to put a decent amount of information into a snack-able, creative and visual manner.  For the most part that is what every infographic out there does, now whether it is done well or not is the issue.  I think if an infographic is done properly it can be one of the best tools a company can use to promote their product or service.  Google is a perfect example of a company who uses infographics to best potential but what else can you expect from a huge technology corporation. The following is an example of an infographic.

Many companies use infographics in a useful ways but others not so much, lots of companies try too hard in my opinion they make their infographics too wordy, too busy, too many colors and just too much overall.  I believe this infographic's level of efficiency speaks for itself, its awful, completely confusing and cluttered. I cannot even follow it or figure out its point, I have no idea where to even begin let along where to end.  The point of an infographic is to keep it short and sweet, you want it to be simple; this is clearly not simple. 

There is a confusing aspect to this graphic that unfortunately I have noticed with a lot of companies.  I think infographics are a tool that companies underutilized; if they are used properly they can be a tool to teach consumers or advise on a crucial decision that could possibly benefit their companies.  There are many sites out there that can assist individuals in creating infographics or monitoring their infographics.

 These are just some sites to help with Infographics: Visual.ly, Piktochart, Info.gram, Easel.ly

[erika-amelia]

I can't stop shaking

Everyday its a battle, I shake I can't help it.  It gets worse and worse it seems. I just came back form a semester long internship at Disney World and usually big events, changes in my life trigger my tremors.  My time in Disney bettered my tremors and then I come home. 

Coming home changed everything, all of a sudden it went from concentrating on one thing: work; to a million things: school, sorority, work, my health, and so much more.  That was a trigger.  My tremors have never been more worse than they are in my life right now.  I have learned a life lesson in the last week though; its better to be amazing at a few things than sloppy at a bunch of things. 

Its a mature choice to have to ability to say, no.  It I something I have had to learn especially over the past couple days.  I have picked my battles so I could win my war.  Yes, it is cheesy but it is true.  I have experienced a lot with my diagnosis of tremors.  I am in the process of switching medication, getting an MRI, and going to physical therapy; its a lot to handle but I know everyday that my condition makes me unique and that I am going to work to create more awareness through my support group and other outlets in hopes of finding some sort of cure and help other on the way.

[erika-amelia]

Hootsuite

I had never even heard of a tool like Hootsuite till this social media course but I think this social media management system is a brilliant idea.  This site is a site of convenience in my opinion, instead of having to open up a window and sign into every social media site or having to remember a million and one passwords now it is all on one site.    

Being Hootsuite certified is invaluable in this day and age.  Technology is a necessity in our society today; being able to manage various social media sites is a skill every employer expects their future employees to have.  Hootsuite is a complex site to figure out to navigate but the certification process is a concise step by step instructional guide. Hootsuite is an amazing invention in itself it incorporates every single imaginable social media that I could even think of. I mean everything: the basics like Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace. Others like LinkedIn, Foursquare, Google+, Instagram, Tumbler, and YouTube.  It is remarkable to me that all these sites can now be monitored on one single site. 

[erika-amelia]

Blogging...

Dun Dun Dun!! Blogging can be scary. The idea of sharing your personal thoughts, emotions and points of views online can be intimidating. Blogging is something I have always wanted to do but never felt like I had a purpose or like my posts would matter.  This blog is my opportunity to start my online thoughts, I think blogs is my way to share parts of my story and I think that is the point.  It also helps me grow my reputation on social media which is very crucial to my future career.

There are certain aspects that are necessary for creating an impressive blog. For example: having a catchy title, being honest throughout your blog, being consistent with your posts and other aspects like linking your blog to other blogs and websites.  Having components like the ability to share or comment on your blogs is another way to boost your blog views and get people interested. 

Employers in today's world look highly on social media interaction, ability to blog professionally and properly along with being on social networks using analytics and scheduler to time posts knowing how your demographic will react to your blog, posts or tweets.  A way to improve on this is to view other blogs and other social media pages of various people or companies. 

  People can get careers through blogging  There have been movies and televisions shows created from and about blogging.  This is an article all about 10 of the most popular female bloggers in the US and they all started out as regular females writing blogs about everyday things. 

http://bit.ly/LzuANz

[erika-amelia]

Super Bowl

I think we can all agree the super bowl was boring.  The actual game was the definition of a blow-out.  I keep hearing and reading mix reviews about the super bowl commercials though.  Mainly that all of the commercials were awful compared to past years.  I actually thought they were hit and miss, some were good and some, in my opinion wasted their super bowl slot.

Now seeing as I am a female and am really only interested in commercials even though I do enjoy a good football (which this was not).  There were plenty of car advertisements, but in my opinion the Budweiser and Cheerios.  I think the Super Bowl is a perfect outlet for these companies that shell out all of this money to utilize this primetime television spot for advertising. 

That is why I feel like it is such a shame for some of these companies to not take advantage of this opportunity.  Audi’s “Doberhuahua", Budweiser's "Puppy Love" and even Heine's Ketchup commercials were a great example of utilizing their time during the social media. The Super Bowl is a great opportunity to push the social media outlet. 

  http://bit.ly/1fF2Thc

[erika-amelia]

Oh Catholic School

I grew up my entire life going to catholic school all of childhood years till I was 17 were spent on the same campus. Part of that experience was going to an all girls catholic high school, Sacred Heart Academy.  One of my best and favorite experiences from my senior year of high school was my Senior Retreat.  It involved a lot of soul searching, a lot of God, and a ton of tears. 

If you know what I am talking about, I think you'll agree and say it was nothing short of an experience.  Every year since I have graduated from my high school I have had the chance the lead a senior retreat.  Well this week I led my fourth an every retreat I've led have all been very different but also very similar.  I think you would have to understand a "catholic senior retreat" to know what I am talking.  Each one of these amazing girls come on retreat mainly because there are secrets, traditions, and day excused from school but each of these girls have no idea what is in store for them when they go on retreat and each of them leave a different person. 

Every leader gives a speech and is assigned a group of about 7 to 8 seniors to lead.  My speech is always the same but this time I changed portions mainly to be more relatable to my life but also my girls.  The portion I added was about my daily struggles with Tremors.  The fact that I am only 21 with chronic neck and back pain, 21 with injections of Botox in my neck veins to stop my head from tremor, 21 with an inability to draw a straight or hold/pour a cup of water.  My point for then is that everyone has a burden, a cross to carry.  If I could anything to this article it would senior retreats, but everything on this sums up an all-girls catholic high school experience. 

http://bit.ly/1dbxyyi

[erika-amelia]

This process is confusing, there are a lot of steps to be taken when creating a Social Media Campaign. A major part of creating a strategic is conducting research and there are many different ways to conduct research. Surveys, focus groups, questionnaires, interviews; its pretty overwhelming....