MKTG 347/Week11: Facebook Insights

If you have read any of my previous posts, you should be at least somewhat aware of a few social media platforms and how they are used to enhance social media marketing across the web. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are some of the major platforms that allow social media marketers the chance to reach various audiences across the world. It is fairly simple to set up an account or page, and even start a marketing advertisement or campaign, but it is essential to know how to track your results and what they mean.

Facebook Insights is a free tool, that allows you to track user interactions on a Facebook page. After looking at the insights page, you will be able to better understand your audiences. As a result, you will known what content users respond best to, and when to post that content to get the highest levels of interaction possible.

I tried looking at the insights through the Facebook page I created during week 3, but I was unable to do so. After scanning the page looking for insights several times, I turned to Google for some help. I found that in order for insights to appear, 30 people must like your page and it can take several hours to show up. So, after receiving 30 likes for your page, here are a few metrics insights can help you track.

Likes: If you click on the "like" tab under the insights page, you will be able to see the different demographics of people who have liked the content posted on your page. You will be able to see if more women like your page then men and adjust accordingly. Insights also lets you see where the traffic is coming from. In addition, you can see unlike and even search by new likes. All of this information will help you build personas of your target audience and adjust your content accordingly.

Virality of Content: You can be posting content on a regular basis, but it is helpful to know how successful that content actually is. Insights allows you to check the virailty of whatever you post whether it may be photos, videos, links, posts, or questions. From looking at this information you will become aware of how many users engaged with a post and how the word was spread about that particular post.

Reach: Who your content is actually reaching is an important factor to know when participating in social media marketing. The reach area allows you to see what channels are the most effective to get people to view your content. You can see what searches were organic, paid, and viral which will help you determine which area needs to be increased to maintain a better reach.

Getting your content out to the public and knowing who responds to that content is essential for effective social media marketing. Facebook insights is a free and helpful tool that provides useful information about demographics and who your content is reaching, so that you can determine what changed need to be made to your online strategy.

MKTG 347/Week 10: Twitter Basics

In my previous posts I have talked about Facebook and LinkedIn, but I have still not touched on discussing Twitter, which is another major social media platform used for marketing purposes. Just like Facebook, anyone can create an account on Twitter. Whether its for a company, non-profit, or just a person, Twitter allows people to stay connected and interact on an instantaneous basis from around the globe.

At first you might not think a tweet of 140 characters or less would have much of a marketing impact, but it does. Here are some basic about Twitter and why it is beneficial to use.

Two-Way Conversations: Twitter is an interactive social media platform that facilitates conversations. When someone has an issue, or is unsatisfied with a product or service, they tend to turn to social media to voice their concerns. With a twitter account, brands and companies can respond to these concerns quickly.

Hashtags and Trending Topics: Today, most companies have a Twitter account.With the use of hashtags and trending topics, it is simple to see what people are saying about your company. It also allows other customers to communicate to each other any concerns or problems they encounter, because more often than not, more than one person under-go's the same issue.  Even if you aren't using Twitter to run ads, you can still use it to re-tweet customers and address their concerns. The faster a concern is addressed, the better it is for your company.

ROI: You might have seen the term ROI mentioned briefly throughout my other posts, but if not ROI stands for return on investment. In order for social media to be an effective and efficient use of funds, the ROI needs to be greater than the money spent running campaigns. Just like on Facebook, Twitter can be used to include promotions, offers, and coupons. 

One way to track the ROI from twitter is by using a tool called Argyle social. This tools lets you link your social media accounts to the site and then report on the results. So, you are able to see how many sales resulted from Twitter ads and campaigns. 

Twitter is a social media platform that can be a great marketing tool for companies and brands if utilized correctly. The two way conversations, use of hashtags, and the capability to track ROI are just some of the many reasons Twitter is social media platform worth looking into.  

MKTG 347/Week 9: Let's Talk Money

Salary negotiation is a process that is intimidating to a number of job hunters. Some worry about mentioning a number too soon, others worry about stating a figure that's too low, while others high ball based on their desired salary. Even though discussing salary might seem like a tricky process, it should always be discussed before accepting a job offer.

Here are some points to remember to make the salary negotiation process run smoothly.

Wait till the end: Asking about salary too early in the interviewing process is not a mistake that you want to make. Salary should be brought up when you are certain that the company wants to hire you for that position. You are wondering how much they are going to pay you, but they are asking the question of how much you are going to cost them. So, timing plays a major role when discussing starting salaries.

Avoid stating a number to early: Sometimes employers will bring up salary sooner than you expect, but there are ways to avoid stating a number. If a potential employer asks you what kind of salary you are looking for two minutes into the interview, you don't have to provide an answer. You could say something along the lines of, "I'd be happy to answer that, but could you first tell me a little more about the position."

If an employer keeps asking you to give a figure, you don't have to stick with one number. Mentioning a range would be perfectly fine. For instance, you could say that you are looking for a salary that pays between 40,000 to 50,000 dollars a year.

Do research: Research is an important part of the job hunting process, and that includes researching the average salary for the position you are applying. Conducting this research is fairly simple and can be done a number of ways. You can do some research online, or just talk to people who are already in a  related field. Doing the research before discussing salary will help you determine if the employer is offering you a fair starting salary or you could do better elsewhere.

Even though salary negotiation might seem like an intimidating process, it is something that must be done before accepting a job offer. If you have the right timing and do your research, you have a better chance of receiving the most an employer is willing to pay for your position.