MKTG 347/Week 14: 3 Things To Consider Before Posting to Social Media

In order to get the most value out of using social media, there are different elements that need to be considered. Posting random content at randoms times will not be effective. So, take the time to decide who your target audience will be, what kind of content you will be posting, and how much time you will spend on creating or curating content for the week. Once you have a plan, your social media campaign will be much more effective.

Target Audience/Industry: One of the first elements to consider is who your target audience is. Depending on your product or service, you might have one target audience, or you might have a few. It all depends on a few characteristics.

Take the time to define the buyer personas in the industry. For instance, if you are trying to get the word out about a new brand name makeup store, one of your obvious target markets would be young women, who have a steady income so that they can splurge on makeup purchases. Once you define your target audience, you can determine the best site to use to reach them and know what content to use to get the best results.

Type of Content:  Having a lot of content with no feedback or interaction will not help you have a successful social media campaign. You want to post content that your target audience will find interesting and interact with. It is essential to have a variety of content to see what your audience interacts with the best. Instead of posting about your blog article every week, share a video or an image, or share an interesting article written by someone else. It takes time to plan the content in order to get the best results.

How Much Time to Spend: The amount of time that you need to spend planning your social media posts varies from company to company, but there are a few models that you can follow. A marketing company called Pardot, outlines a way to complete what you need to through social media in just 30 minutes a day. With this outline, you would spend 10 minutes on Twitter, six on Facebook and LinkedIn, four on Pinterest, and two on Google+ and Instagram. While you are on these sites, use the time to respond to direct tweets or comments and engage with the company page.

In order to get the most out of a social media campaign, it is helpful to take the time to plan. Thinking about your  target audience, the content you post, and the amount of time you should spend each day on these social media sites, will help your brand have a successful social media presence.

MKTG 347/Week 13: Scheduling Posts using Hootsuite

Whether you're in college, work a full time job, or maybe even do both, it can be hard to find the time to do everything that needs to be done throughout the day. Remembering to stay up to date with social media accounts is just another task added to the many that need to be completed. Hootsuite makes the issue of not having the time to sit, create, and post content to social media accounts disappear.

By scheduling posts you can save time and are able to think about the content you are posting ahead of time, which will only help to improve your social media presence.

Scheduling posts using Hootsuie is simple, but if you have never had any experience  with this tool before, it could be confusing at first. Below are some basics so that you can get started with scheduling your content to multiple social media platforms.

Compose Message: 

When you first login to Hootsuite, you will see something like the picture shown above. In order to start the process of scheduling your first post, drag your mouse over where it says "compose message" and this screen will appear:

Choose a Network: 

Once you see an image like the one above, you can start to compose your message. After you add the text you want everyone to see, you can look over to the left and choose which networks you want the post to be published to. You can schedule the same posts to multiple networks. If you want the same message to be posted to your Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, that can easily be accomplished. 

Set the Time and Date: 

After choosing the networks you want to post to, you need to schedule the time at which you want the content to be posted. 

Once you have set a date and time, you have the option to receive an email when the message is set, and you can also double check the date by looking at the date in publisher. 

After entering all of the information above, simply click save and your post will be ready to be uploaded!

MKTG 347/Week 12: Hootsuite Basics

Most companies today have a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other accounts to keep up with their social media presence. While it is great to have multiple accounts, it can become a hassle to keep posting new content on a continuous basis. This is where Hootsuite is extremely useful.

What is it? 

Hootsuite is a website that allows you to post content to multiple social media sites. Not only can you post to more than one site, but you can also schedule the time and dates of when you want the content to be posted. So, Hootsuite is a time saver. Within just a few hours you can have a months worth of content planned out and ready to be posted.

How to Get started:
Getting started is very easy. If you are just using Hootsuite to gain some experience, I would suggest registering for the free account. Once you create an account, you will go through the process of adding social media networks. Even if you do not have official accounts you can practice with your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts.

Using Hootsuite: 
After adding your social media sites, Hootsuite gives you the option to add streams and go through steps to get you started. If you have never used Hootsuite before this can be helpful to watch and it doesn't hurt to go through because you can exit the wizard set up process at any time.

If you are not sure where to start, Hootsuite University could be a helpful tool for you. This online section allows you to explore Hootsuite a little more and become more comfortable with the process of uploading content. You can view videos, webinars, and even on demand webinars through this section.

If you are trying to manage multiple social media platforms, you should take the time to become familiar with Hootsuite. Through this site, you are able to post scheduled content on a regular basis to multiple social media sites, which will save you time and help increase your ROI.

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.

MKTG 347/Week 8: 4 Things to Remember During an Interview

After sending out hundreds of resumes you finally get a call back for a interview. Maybe you're excited, or maybe you're a nervous wreck. Whether you think you have the interview in the bag, or are too nervous to function properly, there are some tips you should remember before diving into the interview.

Do research: Don't just wing it and think that you'll just figure out it when you get there. Before going to the interview do some research on the company and position you have applied for. Simply Google them for some background information and take the time to read the About Us section on their website. Doing research will allow you to throw out some facts about the company that interest you and that will impress the employer.

Be prepared for Questions: Whether you have ever been to an interview before or not, there are some common questions that you should be able to answer. Some of these questions include:
"Tell me about yourself?"
"Why are you applying for this job?"
"What is your greatest weakness?"
"What are your strengths?"

Preparing before will help you easily answer common questions and not get caught with nothing to say or a rambling answer.

It is also important to ask the person interviewing you questions. If you say you don't have any questions at the end of the interview it may come across like you do not care to know more about the company or what the job entails. So, some common questions for you to ask employers include:
"What are some of the company values?"
"What future changes do you see in the work here?"
"What characterizes a successful employee at this company?"

Be aware of the small things: Not all employers are going to like you, and it could be for a reason as simple as you wore too much perfume to the interview. So, it is important to look out for the small things that could affect your chances of getting called back for another interview. Some things to be aware of include:
-Your appearance
-Lack of self-confidence
-Nervous mannerisms
-Your values

Know the skills: Be aware of the skills that employer is looking for in a job candidate. Most are looking for someone who is:
-Punctual
-Dependable
-Has a good attitude
-Energetic/enthusiastic/driven
-Able to use language effectively
-Committed
-Flexible

Your resume is what landed you the interview, and the interview is where you need to sell yourself. In order to make the interviewing process successful, you should remember and practice some of the tips mentioned above.