MKTG 347/Week 7: Social Media Personal Branding

When attempting to find a job, personal branding plays a major factor. Throughout the job hunt you are trying to showcase your best qualities so that potential employers will take an interest in you. Many of us already practice selling ourselves by making our resumes as professional and impressive as possible, and try our best to make a lasting impression if an interview is granted, but there are other ways to promote yourself and this starts with personal branding through social media.

Have a Clean Social Media Presence:Employers can easily search the web and be able to check out applicants social media accounts. According to a social media recruitment study done by CareerBuilder, in 2015, 52 percent of employers used the social media platforms to research their applicants. Many employers come across bad mouthing other employees, inappropriate language and pictures, bad grammar, and discriminatory remarks, which causes the employee to no longer be consider. So, it is important to make sure you have a clean social media presence on sites such as Facebook and Twitter. 

Once you have a clean social media presences, there are ways to utilize social media platforms to create your personal brand. The way to do this is through LinkedIn. Currently, LinkedIn has 350 million users from over 200 countries, so it is a great way to make connections and get your name out to the field you are interested in.

In order to properly build your personal brand, there are a few steps you should follow.

Fill out the entire profile: This includes things as simple as uploading a picture and providing background information about yourself. LinkedIn allows you to post a summary, showcase your skills, and even receive endorsements from others. The more information you have filled out, the better. 

Build connections: Unlike Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn is more of a professional networking platform. There are millions of users from countries around the world that you have the ability to connect with by a simple click of a button. In order to find connections, all you need to do is go to "people you may know" tab, or you can run an advanced search and connect with alumni, co-workers, and friends. You can also join groups that you are interested in and make connections through there. 

Be Active: Even if you have a profile that is completely filled in and over 300 connections, that does nothing if you are not active. Like any other social media platform, posting content is expected. So, use your profile to showcase your work, share a blog post, or just start a discussion over a topic that you have an interest in. Read through what others have to say, and comment on their posts to help build your online presence. 

Social media platforms are a great way to build your personal brand, if you use them correctly. So, remember to keep your social media presence clean, and use LinkedIn to showcase your work and stay connected with others. 

MKTG 347/Week 6: The Essence of the Job Hunt

Even as the behavior of job hunting always changes, the essence of job hunting tends to stay the same. In one of my first posts, I mentioned that after the recession in 2008, the job hunting process has changed dramatically. While this is true, it is also true that one aspect has stayed constant, and this is human nature.

During the job hunting process you are trying to get the employers to like you and you decide if you like them. When one lead doesn't workout, you simply move on to the next one. You should keep in mind that the job hunting process is a two way conversation.

"Do you like me?" Even if the answer is yes, that does not mean you should automatically accept the job offer. You must answer the question "Do I like you?" The reason you need to answer this question before you start is because you don't want to be answering it years later when you're thinking about quitting.

Now, you might be thinking, "I'm just trying to get a job, whether I like it or not", but it is important to remember that you are not powerless throughout the job hunting process. Many people have the misconception that they have to take the first job they are offered because there aren't many out there, but there are jobs available.

In the December of 2014, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report known as Job Openings and Labor Turnout Survey(JOLTS). This report showed that during the month of December 5,148,000 people were able to find work. There were also 5,028,00  vacancies that remained unfilled.

So, even though the behavior of job hunting is constantly changing the essence of the hunt tends to stay the same. There are open positions available and as long as you stay aware that the process is a two way conversation, you will eventually find your desired job.

MKTG 347/Week 5: Facebook Pages

By now, most people are aware of Facebook and how it works. Some use the site for personal uses while others use it as a marketing tool. Facebook is one of the many ways to market your business and there are different approaches that you can take.  For instance, you can pay for an ad campaign, or you can create a promotional page.

It is fairly simple to create a Facebook page for your business, and unlike the ad campaign, it is free. There are pre-designed templates to choose from based on different categories. For instance, when you get started, Facebook will ask if your page is for a business, company, brand, artist, entertainment, or a cause.

Once you pick the template you want for your page, you are asked to fill in other information such as the name of your company or brand, uploading a profile picture, and what your page is about. You can also customize your page reach to certain demographics. So, if you want people from the United States and Canada who are in their mid twenties to see your page, you can add that in.

After you have your page up and running, you should be posting and  sharing content on a regular basis. Just for the experience, I made a Facebook page to promote my marketing blog. After setting up the page and placing a direct link to my blog, I shared one of my blog posts and asked people to go check it out.

Even though it was free to create the page, Facebook offers ways to promote the page by getting more likes. This is called a boost and the price starts at $5. So, it is important to be aware that even though the page was free, additional marketing techniques do cost money.

Facebook is an inexpensive way to promote your company and gain some exposure through social media. Although some features do entail a fee, there are many free features, such as creating a Facebook page, that you can utilize.

MKTG 347/Week 4: Content Skills

When you want to know a little about tea cup piglets, you turn to Google to find some helpful articles, pictures, and information, but did you ever stop to think where that information, or content as we will call it, came from? Some of the content is from professional websites, but others are from personal blogs. When it comes to social media content, there are three types of content that are important to familiarize yourself with include curation, creation, and collaboration.

Whether you are generating your own content, or sharing what you find interesting, it is important to have some type of content to boost your social media presence. In order to develop social media marketing as a skill, there are a few steps to take to get started.

Start a Blog: An easy way to create a blog is to make one using blogger.com. All you need is a Gmail account and you can get started. Even if writing isn't your strong suit, try it out. It is important to remember to blog on a regular basis. After writing a new post, share the link on social media sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn so that people become aware of the content you are producing.

Create a Website: If you are working for a company, trying to show off your portfolio, or starting a new project, having a website would be useful. There are a number of websites that allow you to create your own webpage. Wordpress and Google Site are two of the websites that offer free versions with various templates to get started. So, even if you don't have technical skills it is still possible to create your own site to display your work.

Make/Edit Video: Even if you have never had any prior experience with creating or editing videos, it is fairly simple to get started. All you need is an iPhone, iPod, or any smart phone with video capabilities to begin. Great content can be created even with a simple device. Once you have some videos, you can add them to YouTube where you can experiment with some simple edits to gain some experience.

When it comes to social media marketing, content is extremely important. Whether you share someone else's content or create your own, there are multiple ways to get that content out to others and expand your social media presence and skills.

MKTG 347/Week 3: Resume Tips

The way job hunters should send out their resumes has changes. Now, everything is online. Within seconds a potential employer can type your name into Google and see the good and the bad. , Google is your new resume, so it is important to be cautious and aware of the information you put out there.

Having Google as your resume can be a great tool, but if you do not know how to utilize it properly, it can harm your chances of landing a job.

Before spamming the internet with your actually resume, make sure to:
-Edit the information already out there
-Fill-In sites such as LinkedIn
-Expand your presence(blogging would be a great way to start)
-Add your resume to the online world

When you send out your resume you want it to be the best it can possibly be. So before adding your resume online for everyone to see, take the time to think about your skills and experiences that will make your resume stand out from the others.

Some categories to think about and mention include:

• Education
• Volunteer Experience
• Computer Skills
• Management
• Responsibility
• Memberships
• Published/Presented work

Once you have your resume perfected, think about where you want to post it because that does make a difference.Most employers don't want to go through more resumes than they need to, but when they post vacancies online hundreds of people can respond.

For instance, a typical employer has to look through 219 resumes if they post the vacancy on a job-board like CareerBuilder.com. On LinkedIn employees usually go through 116 resumes, so you have a better chance at getting looked at on LinkedIn than some job-boards.

Being aware of where your posting information and what you are posting will help you throughout the job hunting process. Having a solid resume is essential, but it is just as important to have a clean and updated online presence when employers search for you on Google.

MKTG 347/Week 2: 4 Ways the Job Hunt has Changed

It's no surprise that as time goes on things change. The job hunting process is one of those many things that constantly changes. The major turning point was in 2008 when the great recession hit and affected many Americans. Even though the recession occurred about 8 years ago, the job market is still recovering and the way that job hunting process behaves is different from the past. The book titled, What Color is Your Parachute gives some great insight as to how the job market and how to make your job search run smoothly.

Today it seems difficult to find a job, even with a college degree and experience. Many of you might be wondering why it is a challenge, so below you will find some of the aspects of the job hunt that have changed.

Employers Changed:
Employers adapt to the times, while most job hunters stick to the same process. For example, job hunters will always turn in resumes, but depending on the time, job hunters will not always read them. When times are good, employers are looking to fill open positions, read through resumes and post vacancies, but when times are tough, and there are a number of people unemployed, they have more applicants to choose from. Since there is more to choose from, employers stop reading resumes and posting vacancies, but job hunters don't switch tactics.
Also, many employers tend to over-screen and be more selective with who they hire than in the past.

The Length of the Hunt Increased:
Today 22-30% of all unemployed people are spending more than a year to find work. Between the years of 1994 and 2008, about half of all unemployed people actively looking for a job, found work within five weeks, Spending over a year unsuccessfully looking for a job is both time consuming and frustrating, so many people are staying away from the labor force altogether for the time being.

Job Hunting has Moved Online:
Before the internet, job seekers would go to newspapers to find job openings, but now there are thousands of job boards online.  NetStart Inc. and Monster Board were two of the earliest job boards that started in 1994, but today there thousands of job boards that serve different purposes.
For instance, there are search engines which are used to locate job openings. There are also mega job-boards, niche job-boards, company job-boards, and job-boards for certain ages. In addition to job boards, social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are commonly used throughout the job hunting process.

We Speak Two Different Languages:
The job hunting system was built by employers for employers. Because job hunters and employers are so different, there are usually some contrasts which make finding a job even more difficult.
For example, as job hunters we see the process of finding a job to be a hiring game, but the employer sees it as an elimination game.

Also, we want  the employer to hunt for us the same way we are hunting for them, but that does not happen. This is because as job hunters, our main concern is time, but an employer's main concern is risk.

Even though the job hunting process has changed drastically since 2008, it is important to remember that there are jobs our there, It might be more challenging to land a job at this point in time, but it is possible.

MKTG 347/ Week 1: Social Media Basics

Today I have checked Facebook about three times, scrolled through my Twitter feed and of course took the time to check what's going on through Instagram. While many of us tend to use social media for personal reasons, such as keeping up on who's dating who this week, social media is a powerful tool when it comes to the world of marketing.

According to LinkedIn, social media marketing skills was one of the top skills that helped job seekers get hired in 2013. Most of us have been exposed to some form of social media, but there are a few key points to look out for when using social media sites to reach your market.

Know the ROI: Having Facebook ad campaigns and paid advertisments on other social media sites is a great way to get your product out there, but it is important to know the return on investment.This just means to be aware of  impact your social media marketing is making compared to the the money spent in order to accomplish that goal.

Consider the Target Market; One of the first steps in the process of social media marketing should be to determine if you are trying to market to consumers or other businesses. Business to business marketing will have a different approach than business to consumer marketing. The content will vary. For instance, a fun and catchy ad posted on Facebook would be useful for business to consumer marketing, whereas an informational article posted on LinkedIn would be more suitable for business to business.

Create Awareness: The purpose of digital marketing is to engage your audience through social media by means of promotions, videos, contests, etc. Once people are aware of your product and/or service, they can share what they know by word of mouth through their own social media channels.

In addition to using social media to spread the word, you ca also use them to listen. When people dislike something, chances are they will share their experience with others through sites such as Facebook or Twitter. So, instead of just using it to spread awareness, you can use these sites to listen to potential customers and improve.

Know the Channels: Two of the most common websites used to create awareness through social media are Facebook and Twitter, but there are others as well which include:
YouTube
Google+
Yahoo! Answers
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Instagram
Tumblr
Tagged

If you haven't heard of these websites. it is important to take the time to become familiar with them so that you can improve your online presence.

Experience with social media marketing is an important skill to have when entering the marketing field today. Even if it is completely unknown territory, simply becoming familiar with the websites above will get you started on the right track.