My Musings

Senior Mass Communications major at Georgia College & State University. This blog was created purely for academic purposes.

[cassidyphilo-blog1]

My Reconciliation with Twitter

I don’t know about you, but Twitter for me has been a thing of the past for a while now. About 4 years ago, when i was still in high school, it was by far my #1 social media app that I used, and I was constantly using it and scrolling through my feed. When I got to college, I began not caring for it as much, which turned into me deleting my account forever. Fast forward 3 years and Web for Mass Communications has got be on it!

Before using it again, I didn’t even know how or why people used it anymore. I’ve now come to realize that over those 3 years that I was absent from the Twitter world, it has turned into one of the best and most used platforms for Social Media Marketing! Here are some strategies I developed over the past month of how to be successful on twitter, moving forward:

#1 Quality over Quantity. Obviously this doesn’t mean to limit the amount of tweets you make, but when deciding what to tweet about make sure you are choosing to tweet high-quality content that is helpful to your followers. Putting out content with no added value in it won’t attract many followers.  

#2 With that being said, Engage with your audience. Through out the past month, one thing I noticed immensely was how often successful brands interacted with their followers. Using polls and asking questions is a great way to do this, while also getting customer feedback at the same time!                   

#3 Use Visual Content. Using attention grabbing graphics, GIFs, and videos is a very important strategy to use on Twitter because it attracts more people. Statistics have shown that using visuals in your tweets attracts up to 5 times the amount of views as a tweet with text only. Visual content is what the up and coming generation appeal to, rather tan just plane old copy text. 

#4 Share relevant content from other brands pages. Sharing content that is relevant to your page is important because it shows how active you are on Twitter and also strengthen’s your credibility. Furthermore, tagging the content source will most likely increase shares, retweets, and favorites because it will attract that companies audience to your tweet. 

Overall, I feel that I have really gotten back into the swing of things with Twitter. I have seen the business side to it and think its a great platform for companies to use in their marketing. I’m grateful to have learned more about it now since I am close to being in the business/marketing world! What is your favorite thing to use Twitter for?

If you have any other tips on how to be successful on Twitter I’d love to hear them! I am always open to learning something new. Here are some tips I found useful on how to be successful on Twitter (for beginners)! https://sproutsocial.com/insights/twitter-tips/

[mbanks0805]

Cassidy, I had quit Twitter too and had no intentions of returning...and then I was forced, haha. But, similarly, I learned the value of it and came to appreciate it as a platform!

I love that you wrote this in a brief list format! It makes the points so easy to keep up with and makes the blog look neat and clean, and I’m a sucker for neat, organized blogging. I don’t think I have a favorite point you brought up, because all four are so important and so relevant. They’re all things I came to realize and appreciate as well.

I’m not sure what my favorite usage of Twitter overall is, but for the past four weeks, even though I’m often kinda quiet...I’ve loved being able to communicate with my classmates. In person I’m naturally quiet and reserved so I never talk much in class. It was wonderful being able to discuss the content with my peers so openly! I think it helped with retaining the information we were learning, too.

-@miyabee0805

[cassidyphilo-blog1]

Nuts About Southwest

An airplane company blogging? How interesting could that possibly get? I know, I know…I asked the same question when I saw that Southwest Airlines had jumped into the blogosphere! Interestingly enough, they have one of the best airline blogs today and my personal favorite airline blog that I’ve seen so far! It’s not only entertaining, but it provides customers with a platform to go to for answers to any questions or concerns they may have. 

Southwest airlines have a lot of things going for their blog. The biggest and most important thing they are achieving in my opinion is building relationships. The Nuts About Southwest blog is precisely using that platform as a way to build relationships between the brand and their consumers. They use their blog to comment and interact with their customers, which they are very successful at doing.

Southwest also is successful at mixing up the media they use. Southwest doesn’t just use plane old text in their blogs. They make sure to incorporate videos, pictures, polls, articles, etc. which makes it that much more appealing and fun to read. By using articles, they incorporate a “news” section to their blog which makes their content more well rounded and interesting. By using polls, they are playing into the interacting role that every company should be doing. This is also a great way for them to get feedback.  

Another great thing they do on their blog is allow their consumers to make their own content. The way they do this is they allow their consumers to create an account on their website where they can then customize their own profile, and interact with fellow Southwest consumers. This was a very innovative thing for Southwest to do in my opinion because it gives consumers a way to connect with their brand on a deeper level.

One thing I adore about this blog is the title of it, “Nuts about Southwest”. Southwest is known (sometimes negatively) for the fact that it gives out peanuts   on the airplane. One things Southwest does is make light of the jokes about “peanuts being cheap” and the backlash they have got about it in the past. I love that they are incorporating that same humor on their blog! As far as the design of the blog goes, it honestly isn’t my favorite. But it definitely has an “airplane” feeling to it, if that makes sense. I normally appeal to blogs that are a little “trendier” looking with a minimalistic vibe. But I think they are one of the first of its kind to have a blog like this, so they are doing successful in that! What do you think about the look? Do you think they are meaning for it to be plane or do you think they could spruce it up a little? 

Check out their blog today! www.blogsouthwest.com

[mbanks0805]

I had no idea Southwest had a blog! I think it’s an interesting step for them though, and perhaps mandator if they want to tread down a path of success in today’s world. I think it’s great they they allow their customers to sign up and communicate with each other, too--it’s a cool, real world example of letting the groundswell support itself. Personally, I’ve never even flown with them, but knowing that they’re at least trying to tap the groundswell is interesting, and though I may never fly with them, (I heard it was dangerous and bad...says the person who has flown with Spirit! I’m a world-class hypocrite, I know) I’m proud of their efforts.

Personally I don’t like the design of the webpage though. It’s bland, boring, and makes me feel like they’re trying to sell me insurance for some reason...

-@miyabee0805

[mbanks0805]

Blog Review: Direct2Dell

When we read Groundswell, I was so taken by Dell’s messy transition into groundswell thinking that I decided to check out its corporate blog for myself.

When I ran a search for “dell’s corporate blog,” one of the first hits led me to a page that displayed four possibly categories I could read into, all for separate purposes. I chose Direct2Dell, because it seemed to be the most generalized category and I wasn’t looking to get wildly specific.

Direct2Dell instantly lost some points from me for its layout. While it isn’t user-unfriendly, it doesn’t strike my brain as neat and clean. Here’s what the page looks like as of today, July 5, 2018:

My brain’s need for organization was bothered by the variously sized articles. They are at least sized consistently though, which makes it still visually pleasing. The bar across the top follows users as they scroll down, making it impossible to lose. That’s not such a bad thing, though I prefer when bars are static at the top of the screen. It was a nice touch, however, to color the Subscribe button differently than anything else on the page, making it stand out amongst the clutter of articles.

The articles above are highlights from the previous month, and when you scroll down, the most recent posts are visible.

After I was done criticizing its layout, I looked into an article to see the content Dell’s bloggers write. Naturally, I clicked the biggest one: Annual Update on Dell’s 2020 Legacy of Good. It’s a well-written blog about Dell’s progress and plans for their project “Legacy of Good,” which lends the aid of technology and education to impoverished countries. It was well thought out and definitely something that, if I were a Dell user, I’d want to know about. Even as a Mac-user, I was delighted to see what Dell has been up to and the progress it has made!

I skimmed a few other articles and found topics ranging from Pride Month, to Environmental Revolution, to Feminism. All interesting, conversational topics, though some didn’t seem very Dell-related. But they were intriguing and well-organized.

Overall, Dell’s corporate blogging might have pulled them out of Dell Hell, and some of them may be interesting...but they don’t strike my personal fancy. It’s undeniable fact that their blogging is what pulled them forward as a company though, so clearly, it has an audience that enjoys it, and that’s what matters.

Here’s my breakdown: Layout: 5/10. It’s not good, nor is it bad. The white bar labelled “Direct2Dell” follows you no matter where you scroll, and when you click on a blog, a smaller bar appears below the white one with options to share. Invasive and distracting, did not encourage me to share. 4 of my 5 points though go to the fact Dell made its biggest story the biggest thing on the page, which automatically drove me to click it. Well played, Dell. Content: 8/10. Some of it seemed unrelated, but it was fairly interesting. Information: 7/10. There wasn’t much product-related information on the first page, but there were a tabs on the white bar that led to information (e.g. Products tab; Solutions and Services). Business Skill: 7/10. There wasn’t enough pertaining to business in my opinion--there was some, but not enough. Engagement: 7/10. Not the most engaging, but definitely not the least. The blogs are interesting enough in some cases that I would even think about sharing them for the content alone. Eloquence: 9/10. The blogs were well-written!

What do you guys think? Do you agree or disagree? If you have a kinder opinion, please share it! I’m open to have my opinion of Dell’s blogs softened!

Is there a corporate blog you follow that you enjoy? Tell me what it is in the comments below!

Until next time,

-miyabee0805

Follow me on Twitter! Check out my other Blogs! Talk to me!

[mbanks0805]

Twitter Review

I’m not gonna lie, I used to hate Twitter. I hated it when it first came out. I hated it still when I revisited years later. I hated it even still when I revisited for academic purposes in 2016. And I hated it at the beginning of this class.

At first I was miffed that I was being made to use a platform I despised, but I sucked it up because it was part of the class. Soon I found that it was actually kind of helpful...I was interacting more with my classmates on Twitter than I would have in a face-to-face class. I was voicing my thoughts and ideas about the content we read. I was sharing things relevant to our class. It was helping me to process and solidify the ideas presented in our readings.

By week 3, my heart was completely softened. I no longer hated Twitter, but had come to appreciate and even enjoy it. Throughout the class I learned it has more features than I thought, and that they were helpful. I learned that I can interact not only with my classmates, but with brands I like. Sometimes brands even respond! For example, I tweeted a picture of my Platform Training certificate from Hootsuite Academy, tagged Hootsuite, and they responded!

How cool is that?!

Thus, my opinion of Twitter has transformed. No longer is it an annoying, seemingly useless platform. Now I see how it’s unique, incredibly useful, and even fun! Needless to say, it’s likely I’ll maintain my Twitter account now.

Did anyone else dislike Twitter before and change their mind? Did you not change your mind, and if so, why? Tell me in the comments below!

Thanks as always, sunshines, and happy Thursday!

Until next time!

-miyabee0805

Follow me on Twitter! Check out my other Blogs! Talk to me!

[mbanks0805]

Chapter Review: Practical Value

Last week my teammates and I read Jonah Berger’s book “Contagious: Why Things Catch On.” The book describes in six chapters how and why certain media content goes viral.

The chapter I covered was chapter five, titled “Practical Value.” It begins with the example of Ken Craig, an 86-year-old farmer *whose video about shucking corn quickly and easily went viral. Berger used this example because Craig is not a typical candidate for creating viral content. So why did his video take off? Because it had practical value.

Practical value is found in any content that shares useful information, or otherwise improves a person’s quality of life.

Here are my three highlights from this chapter:

1. Practical value is easy to find. Saving people time or money, improving their health or happiness, or educating them on a topic all counts as practical value. It’s everywhere! That’s the catch; when sharing your own content with practical value, it’s important to make it stand out in a sea of similar information. Give people a reason to share your idea or product with their friends!

2. Phrasing is important. In marketing, understanding how to frame a deal can make or break it. For example, is it better to present customers with a relative discount (percentages) or an absolute discount (definite dollar amount)? It all depends on the size of the original price! Consider these two examples:

20% off $25 sounds like a better deal than $5 off $25.

$200 off $2000 sounds like a better deal than 10% off $2000.

Wording is very important in making a money-saving deal stand out. If the phrasing is poor, then the deal won’t reach its potential sales. Good deals are not only about giving customers the best price break, but knowing how to highlight just how much of a break they’re getting.

3. Everyone’s reference point is different. Reference points are relative to age, location, and other economic factors. The elderly think $11 movie tickets are way too expensive because they remember when tickets only cost 40 cents. Paying 50 cents for coffee in New York City is awesome and would sell, but 50 cents for coffee in rural India would be outrageous and would never sell. Different people have different reference points, so a deal that looks good to one person may not look good to the next. The reference point in sales is a products market value, but if a deal goes on for too long, people’s reference points shift to the sale price and it’s likely they will no longer think they’re getting a deal at all. The sale price can become the norm, because it, rather than market value, can become the reference point.

--

The whole book is full of excellent advice about making your idea or product stand out from the crowd. There are examples of how others have done it and how effective (or ineffective) their strategies were, and Berger makes a slightly boring topic fun and interesting to read about. If you’re interested in marketing, I would recommend this book.

What are your thoughts? Do you have experiences similar to what I’ve discussed? Have you ever seen content that went viral and wondered why it was viral? Tell me in your comments!

Until next time!

-miyabee0805

Follow me on Twitter! Check out my other Blogs! Talk to me!

[mbanks0805]

ITE: Streaming Music on Spotify

If you listen to music, you’re probably no stranger to music streaming services.

Spotify is one of the most popular, polished platforms for music streaming. It can be used for free, but users have the option to upgrade to Spotify Premium for $10 a month so that there are no disruptive ads, and unlimited skips--just to name two features that make it worth your hard-earned cash.

If you’re not up to speed with music streaming services, that’s perfectly fine. In this article, I’ll walk you through the technology and how to use it.

What is Music Streaming? Well, some said it’s the future of music. Others said it’s not the future of music. Wherever you stand on that fence, music streaming has gained a lot of popularity and momentum since its debut in, roughly, 2005, with the release of Pandora. Business Insider released an article in 2017 stating that more people were paying for music streaming services than Netflix. According to them, a whopping 100 million people worldwide were paying for music streaming services. That’s a lot of people!

But what it is, exactly? The first hit on a quick Google search can summarize quite nicely:

“Streaming music, or more accurately streaming audio, is a way of delivering sound—including music—without requiring you to download files from the internet. Music services like Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music use this method to provide songs that can be enjoyed on all types of devices.”

In simpler terms, streaming music is pulling the audio directly from a source (like Spotify), and has to be done with an Internet connection--or at least the data on your phone. It’s a way of listening to music without buying a physical copy and worrying about scratched CDs. Or, if you buy digital albums, streaming the album instead can save you storage space on your computer or device, because the audio is coming over an Internet connection.

The Music Industry How does the industry feel about streaming? The industry doesn’t mind since it boosts their revenue. Individual artists are a bit more put off by it though, and understandably so; unless you’re Taylor Swift, then it can be difficult to profit in the music industry, especially in light of streaming services. This chart will show you why:

Yeah. It’s a little bleak, honestly. These numbers have changed, slightly, but not enough to make a huge difference in the pockets of lesser-known musicians. One who notably discusses the challenges of the music industry is Abney Park’s “Captain Robert,” or Robert Brown. Captain Robert is something of a niche artist, with most of his music catering to the steampunk community. His band is very popular among steampunks, but not as known to the masses. Perhaps the biggest exposure to the masses the band has ever experienced was when their song “Sleep Isabella” played in an episode of True Blood. Brown maintains a Facebook where fans can friend him, and there he talks about his day-to-day life as an artist and a father. He has on numerous occasions discussed streaming and how it affects his career. The introduction of music streaming helped for exposure and gaining a larger audience, but unfortunately, also reduced Brown’s cash sales.

Although not the most profitable, it’s not all bad, either. Up and coming YouTube artists often put their music on Spotify for streaming. Let’s take Jonathan Young as an example. Although it isn’t much, Young does have the opportunity to generate revenue from streaming, and he uses YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music alongside his BandCamp, where listeners can buy his work.

So Spotify... I’m a bit biased. Spotify is my favorite music streaming service for its user-friendly interface and easy navigation. But there are numerous other streaming services: Apple Music, Google Play Music, Pandora...the list continues, but those are some of the top hits. Choosing your streaming service depends largely on where you want to stream from (your phone? your laptop?) and the manufacturer of your device. For example, if you have a Google phone, you probably don’t want to stream from Apple Music. It could work, but not well. I recommend sticking to what you know is compatible, and using Apple services with Apple products. Similarly, use Google services with Google products. Spotify is not affiliated with either Apple or Google, and I have found it to work well on devices from both manufacturers. But in the end it’s up to you, and you learn by trial and error. Don’t be afraid to try multiple services and then settle on one. It’s all for our amusement as music consumers anyway, so experiment and have fun!

--

What is your favorite music streaming service? Do you have more than one, and if so, why? Comment below and tell me what you think about this article and about streaming music! I’m interested in your opinions!

Signing off for the evening!

-miyabanks0805

Follow me on Twitter! Check out my other Blogs! Talk to me!

[mbanks0805]

Reflection on “Groundswell”

(Image: Promotional picture from Surf Canaries Surf School)

Throughout this week’s reading of Groundswell, I started to imagine the groundswell movement like an ocean. It’s organic and it moves when and how it pleases, granted, movement is influenced by environmental factors. It’s not a tamable beast...but, as all oceans, it has waves, and waves can be ridden by those courageous enough to try.

That’s how I visualize the groundswell movement. If businesses want to succeed, they have to be brave enough to ride the waves--and by that, I mean tap into the groundswell.

Before we started this book, I had no idea what the groundswell was. I participated as a member of it everyday and had no idea what I was doing; the brands I know and love reached out and tapped the groundswell in their various ways, and while I recognized a new way of doing business, I couldn’t put my finger on what exactly was happening. Having read over half of Groundswell, I see now what’s going on.

Having no idea what it was, I can’t rightly say my opinion of the groundswell has changed. I can say that I’ve learned about a topic completely new to me, and it has broadened my understanding of why many businesses now operate the way they do--and why some are failing.

So far, my favorite parts of the book are where the authors break down the methods of tapping into the groundswell. They expertly provide tips, advice, and support from case studies that can help companies understand how to harness the power of the groundswell.

Although there is a place for all methods, my favorite is listening. Chapter five is all about listening to the groundswell. As a consumer, I can’t express enough how much I value when companies reach out and listen to their customers; what are we, the customers saying? How is it affecting the brand? How can this information be used to improve the brand? Granted, this isn’t as direct as, say, embracing the groundswell. It’s direct enough for me for customer opinions to be heard and taken into consideration so that, hopefully, the product is improved.

What have been your biggest takeaways so far? What is your favorite method for tapping the groundswell as a consumer? What about as a businessman? Or, let’s get hypothetical: If you were to market a product, what would it be and how would you tap the groundswell?

Let me know in the comments, and please, add your own observations! Tell me what you think of the book so far.

Signing off for the evening!

-miyabanks0805

Follow me on Twitter! Check out my other Blogs! Talk to me!

[jonesak47-blog]

KD: top athlete, top vlogger

Hard to believe, but I find quite a bit of entertainment by watching popular vlog channels on YouTube. What is so bad is that they are not very informational or promote my overall education. The vlogs that I find enjoyable are just normal individuals who try to get their viewers to laugh or do normal everyday activities. However, I enjoy them. I like looking into others lives. 

Possibly my favorite vlog to watch is Kevin Durant’s. Contradictory to my first thought, Kevin Durant is not a normal individual living a normal life. Being the sports fanatic that I am, I am drawn to the inner lives of athletes and what they do off the playing platform. With that being said, Durant is my favorite basketball player and has been since 2007. He started his vlog about a year ago, giving insight to his house, cars, what he does when he isn’t playing basketball. He has vlogs with his teammates in the parking lot of Oracle Arena after games. He even gives fans a chance to send him questions and he answers.

What I love about KD’s vlogs is that the evolution of digital media has allowed him to directly talk to his fans that tune into his YouTube channel. One-to-many. Rather than speculate the activities he likes to do, he shows us. He plays video games, eats junk food, goes to Chance the Rapper concerts. He does things even we like to do, and although he is an extraordinary athlete with multiple world championships, the vlogs make him human. 

When the new Nike KD 11 basketball shoes came out, he was able to show us the shoe and talk about what he liked and how his influence over the design shaped the overall cosmetic and tech of the shoe. I think that helps the fans see how KD shaped his product and fans tend to like the shoe more, because it is the way that Durant wanted it. They feel more inclined to purchase the product since it is the way he wanted it. 

I know not a lot of people find sports as thrilling as I do, or care enough to spend time seeing what athletes do off the competition field but I find it exciting. There are numerous athletes who vlog and if you find KD as polarizing and exceptional as I do here is a link to his YouTube channel! 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB_4C2Gl7Zfg4uBXk_AcWwA/videos

[mbanks0805]

That’s very interesting! It may be because I hardly watch or know anything about sports, but I hadn’t considered that popular players might vlog and share their lives with fans, and I think that’s really cool! It’s amazing how, these days, we can actually reach out and maybe even talk to people like him. I think it also builds a strange sense of false familiarity, sometimes, and I say that not because I watch his vlogs, but from the others I watch--we, as viewers, start to feel more like we know the person, when in truth we’ve never met and we’re only seeing whatever they show us, which is definitely not the full picture. To be fair, no one can capture the full picture...life is too complex for that. But still, we’re seeing them however they choose to frame themselves, and no matter how “real” a vlogger is...there’s no way we as the viewers know every aspect of their lives. (e.g. A vlogger I watch, Stef Sanjati, who is a trans woman documenting her transition...I had no idea she struggled with an eating disorder, or that she had seasonal depression, until she told her viewers in a video. Otherwise though, her vlogs and Instagram posts never even alluded to it.)

Have you ever experienced the false sense of familiarity before? Or something similar?

-@miyabanks0805

#GCWeb18

[jonesak47-blog]

Socialnomics Reflection

Erik Qualman’s book, Socialnomics, is a fabulous book orchestrated and categorized together to help readers understand and utilize the tools to transform the way business is conducted with the incredible use of internet and social media. The book is not intended to be read in any sort of order, but instead put together in a way that readers can jump from chapter to chapter using the one that they need or intrigues them. Since I read it in order, I was able to think critically and discuss each aspect of the book in and out with fellow peers.

One thing I found interesting occurred in the first chapter. The World of Mouth concept is the basis of how the power of social media has transformed the way we use it. Businesses, brands, and personal users are able to take one idea and exclaim it to the world with one press of a button. The ability to share a thought or product to the entire world through the form of social media has progressed the culture into vast amounts of exposure to things we might have never heard of if it had not been for the power of the internet.

On top of being able to just share the products, consumers are able to make “review” blogs, vlogs, and statements about what they purchase. Rather than hoping the product is good that you are buying, a person is able to watch videos, read reviews and relate experiences with the product to determine if it is right for them. The power of social media allows others to look at a consumer who has already purchased the product and compare their lifestyles, personalities, and alikeness as to whether a certain product is right for them, rather than shooting in the dark and hoping for the best. The World of Mouth concept has transformed and progressed the convenience of the economy far beyond the old Word of Mouth action.

Another term that was in this book early was Braggadocian behavior. Before reading it, I had no idea that the ability to “flex on the gram” (a way to appear cool via social media) actually had a definite name. In the world today, people exhibit braggadocian behavior consistently. Even I do. The pursuit to get more likes than someone else, show off where you are or what you have done for shares, likes, and the ability to go viral is happening millions of times a day. There are so many individuals today who are “insta-famous” and that term is used so often everyone knows what it means. Braggadocian behavior lives and fuels everyone of us to “flex” in social media each day.

These were just a couple terms I found intriguing throughout this book, but more helpful tips include business to business strategies, ways to promote the use of social media, and even helpful blogging tips. If you as a reader are looking for a helpful book to boost your social media presence and searching for tools in a way to utilize your social media then I strongly suggest giving this book a read.

[mbanks0805]

Your reflection on the book was interesting, Alex!

Do you think it’s most beneficial to read the book in order, like we did? I personally think so, because it gives us more information; without some background, I feel like I would have gotten significantly less out of it than I did. After all, I paid for the whole book! Well...for a rental of it, anyway. To boot, I feel there are rarely “unnecessary” chapters in books. Even when they’re skippable...they’re there for a reason, and I think they should be read. That’s just what I think though!

I thought the term braggadocian behavior was interesting as well, and had observed the behavior without knowing a name for it...I feel almost hyper-sensitive to now, both in my own online presence and in that of other’s. It’s a very interesting phenomena, and I think social media has made it easier for us to brag and “flex on the gram.” We can pick and choose what people see, which can definitely make us seem more interesting than we really are. (e.g. at one point, I was doing either ballet or hot yoga everyday. I remember telling a friend that and she thought it was the coolest thing ever! Very unintentionally, I had left out the part that I was still a full time student with a part time job...with a 90 minute, daily commute. I left out a lot of the boring stuff and didn’t even realize it.)

-@miyabanks0805

#GCWeb18

[mbanks0805]

Socialnomics Book Review

Now at the end of our two-week journey through Erik Qualman’s Socialnomics, I must say, my perspective on social media has changed drastically.

I never knew the sheer amount of tools available! Chapter 13 was full of things I’d never even heard of, and will remember to reference in the future.

Originally, I didn’t realize there was much...tactic, to social media. I believe my original thought was, “oh, you just go at it and promote yourself!” I seemed to think it was easy. Little did I know there’s actually a lot of strategy involved!

My biggest takeaways were: 1) Social analytics are your friend, and it’s very important to know how to use it to your advantage. 2) One should not create content with the intentions of “going viral.” One should create for the audience, make it quality, and attempt to fill a niche that hasn’t yet been filled. Never, ever set out with the intentions of “going viral” though, because you’re sure to fail. 3) Odd numbers! If you’re writing a blog with a list, go with strange numbers other people don’t frequently use! 5 and 10 are extremely common; [almost] everyone lists 5 or 10 things. Go with something like 7, or 11. Few people use those. 4) Surprise your good customers! Don’t just focus on fixing items of complaint; do nice things for your customers who haven’t complained, out of the blue. The more unexpected the better! 5) Deliver one message to your audience. Keep it simple, keep it understandable...and keep it singular! Don’t overload them with information. 6) Always always ALWAYS engage your audience! Reach out! Don’t be afraid to get creative and do something that really grabs their attention! Whatever you do, don’t have a one-sided conversation. Encourage interaction.

Erik Qualman truly did a wonderful job with this book; it’s easy to understand and tells you exactly how to apply the knowledge he shares. I would recommend it to anyone who intends to go into social media management, or just wants to learn more about socialnomics! Qualman is a frequent tweeter (@equalman) and maintains a YouTube Channel--just to name two of his platforms. Both outlets are worth following.

I sign off with this: never brush something off as simple...or as absurd. I admittedly thought socialnomics was kind of ridiculous to study until I started reading. Never brush things off as stupid--educate yourself and then make an educated guess of whether or not the thing in question is stupid.

Because I stand entirely corrected.

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So what were your biggest takeaways? What did you expect this book to be, and did it surprise you or meet your expectations? Please, tell me in the comments!

Until next time, friends!

-miyabanks0805

[mbanks0805]

Blog Review: Lucy Williams Global

Found right here on tumblr.com, @lucywilliamsglobal is a travel blogger who provides her audience with traveling tips, and photos from her travels with related stories in the description.

I found her blog to be a fun reading and viewing experience! From Tumblr I was able to find her website, lucywilliamsglobal.com, which was easy to navigate and quite interactive. Although it has the same content as her Tumblr blog, it had more information about the blogger herself, and links leading to her Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, just to name a few. Overall, I think the organization of her website was neat and user-friendly.

The specific blog entry that caught my eye was a recent one; 5 Tips How to Buy & Pack A Capsule Wardrobe. Being a person who enjoys travel myself, I thought I could pick up a few helpful tips, and indeed, I was correct. Firstly, I had never known the term for a capsule wardrobe, only the concept, so I learned new terminology today. I also learned some great tips about color-coordination (not that my wardrobe strays far from all black, with an occasional flash of color, to be honest) and keeping my wardrobe interesting, but minimal for travel’s sake.

Williams provided links to her previous, related blog posts as well as clothing brands, and it was done in a non-disruptive fashion. There were a few Amazon ads as well that were borderline obtrusive, but they didn’t take over the screen, so overall they weren’t horribly distracting; they did pertain to what was being said, so they were actually rather helpful. It was a wise business move for Williams, in my opinion, to have links going back to her other posts so that she could promote her own brand; whether or not she was sponsored by the clothing brands or simply mentioning them was unclear, but I believe she was not sponsored. Still, it boosts recognition for their brands as well, which could lead more online traffic in their direction.

Her ending was well done. She leaves room for responses, asking her readers if they have more tips to share, encouraging conversation. She also encourages readers to share the post on their own social media platforms, which could not only be helpful to readers’ friends and family, but will boost Williams’ exposure and the online traffic to her website. It’s a simple, but effective method; and she did it politely!

Overall: Lucy Williams maintains a user-friendly blog with very helpful information for new or learning travelers, and I like it. I’ll break down my ratings into sections...

Layout: 10/10 Content: 7/10 Information: 10/10 Business Skill: 10/10 Engagement: 6/10 Eloquence: 10/10 To comment on the lower scores, I only rated the content a 7 out of 10 because although there’s a lot and it’s largely helpful if that’s the sort of help you’re looking for, it does become slightly redundant. Her audience engagement is present, but not...grabbing. It’s average. It’s there though, so although it doesn’t encourage introverts like me to participate, some of the audience will still respond.

And, to comment on what I meant by eloquence, I mean that she words her posts well, and she does it concisely. It’s easy to read and understand, which is very valuable!

What do you guys think? Do you agree with my assessment, or have anything to add? Let me know!

[mbanks0805]

Supercalifragilistic...Extra-Braggadocious!

So far our journey through Erik Qualman’s Socialnomics has been an interesting one. I think my favorite term I’ve picked up on is “braggadocian behavior” from chapter three, because now that I realize it’s a thing...I see it everywhere, easily, and it’s weirdly comical to me, watching the unspoken competition of “most interesting post” unfold on my Facebook feed.

The most astonishing thing though is the realization of the era I live in, and just how accessible knowledge is. It’s literally at my fingertips, whereas in my grandparents’ generation, they had to go to the library and hope for the best. I get my news on my phone; the phones they had in their time were not only stationary objects, but entire neighborhoods were on the same line and could tap into each other’s conversations. I now have a small, mobile phone that has more technology packed into it than the first spaceship, and I can Google anything I please on a whim! I know what’s going on on a global scale, because news is pushed to me. My grandparents had to read Time Magazine to keep up with global events. It wasn’t real time for them. This is something I’ve always known, but it’s never truly struck me until now. It’s fascinating.

Something else I found striking is the realization that Barack Obama won the 2008 Presidential Race through social media! I was young and uninterested in politics at the time, so I had no idea. I did know that his staff maintained a Tumblr in the 2012 election, because I was on Tumblr at the time. It was interesting to me then that I could type my questions and concerns and send them straight to Obama’s [staff’s] inbox...and get a reply! I never acted on it, but I watched it happen with others and was amazed by it.

So far our text has been an interesting read, and I look forward to learning more from it. For now though, I sign off on this note: there’s such a concern over fake news (and Facebook is rampant with it) that there has been a decline in usage of social media as a news source in some regions.