My view of Social Media has changed in that it is so much more prevalent than I even suspected. I knew that it was the up and coming way to advertise and communicate, but there is much more data and analytics behind the scenes than what I thought. There are ways to track and analyze who is liking, following and interacting with all of the different sites. And what is effective and what is not, even down to the time of day to do posting or ads.
Tracking everyone's moves on-line is very controversial. People can be traced by whatever sites the look at or click or engage in, and then that information can be used to further target them for an ad or marketing campaign. Some people love this, some people feel it's too intrusive. They even can GPS track you based on your location. For instance I was in a hotel in New York and the next think I know I had an ad review that was from that hotel and nearby sites to visit. I felt a little uneasy that this had occurred because it just shows how even our physical location is not private or anonymous anymore. Beacons in stores track your location within a store and target you for things you may be interested in or ads of what you are looking at.
Also, there is the trend for the younger users moving towards the shorter posts and quicker, faster forms of sites that don't have as much information and sometimes don't even stay posted for very long. It just shows how much technology has sped up society even more. Taking the time to read longer posts and even more wordy ads is less and less.
I love Social Media, that's why I chose this as an emphasis to get my Certificate in. It provides a way to stay in touch with friends, family, professional affiliations, job hunting and just getting information etc. And there is so much more information on anything that you want to know... you can just "search it" or ask friends or sites for input.
But I do think it has affected people's communication and communication skills. People are so tied to their technology that face-to-face communication is getting to be less and less. People don't visit or call as much, they text. Even emailing is getting less and less because it is more wordy and more time consuming. This is one of the reasons that Sales Rep jobs and retail stores are closing. People are buying on-line so much more it is putting companies and people out of business and jobs.
But it is here and growing and is not going away. If anything it is growing faster than most people can keep up. New sites pop up every day for everything you can think of wanting or needing. It has created gaps between the different generations that are very significant. And is shaping and molding the younger generations in new ways that the older generations did not have. They have been raised with technology and the speed of doing things, and this has affected everything including their expectations and work ethic. So it's something that all generations need to be aware of and stay on top of or get left behind.
Businesses that are not on some form of successful Social Media Platform will more than likely not do as well as those that are. And because it is interactive now, vs. one-way communication, there is so much more that people can do and learn from it. It is useful and exciting and fun, but there does need to be some sort of balance between using Social Media and the "old school" way of doing things, like meeting someone face-to-face instead of just a video chat or conference call. We need not lose perspective of real life person-to-person interaction and relationships.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Week 15: Optimising Yourself & Data Analysis Part 2
Regarding Facebook Analytics I don't have more than 30 Likes for this week, but the data that I can see is that everything has increased. Page Views, Likes, Engagements and Followers have gone up, but just by a few. So it skews the percentages, but it looks like a lot of growth %, but it is only a small number of people. Except for Reach which went down. This is a fictional business, so I don't have a lot of people following that are actually buying product. But if I was really selling I would definitely try Boosting or creating Ads that would Reach more people.
Monday, December 4, 2017
Week 15 Optimising Yourself & Data Analysis Part 1
Regarding Data Analytics what I am most concerned with right now is building awareness and interest in my different sites. So I am looking to build the number of people who see and like the same types of pages and follow them. Animal, in particular dogs and ridgebacks are my focus. So building rapport and a relationship is the most important goal at this stage. I want to have people that return to see fun stuff that's been posted and with some relationship and some loyalty then they would want to purchase their pet supplies through my sites. This is more important to me than just posting a lot of "selling" posts of product pictures and brands. Except that we carry a little bit of unique stuff. Size of pads that's not easy to find, paw prints on the pick-up bags etc. But the nature of just product pictures is not too exciting, so posting the ones that are photos of dogs doing funny stuff, or dogs out and about walking, hiking, riding in cars, staying in hotels, puppy training in the house, is much more effective with those photos or videos. It shows the products in use and potential situations where they will need to use and buy these products.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Week 14: Creating Your Own Ads
I created an ad for Facebook and Instagram, and one for Twitter that contains 2 tweets. They are both photos of the products in use with dogs in them. Photos have been shown to be the most effective way to grab people's attention. And there is a call to action mentioning the usage of the products and that we have them on our website with a "Call To Action Button" to our website for the Facebook and Instagram sites. The Twitter ad is to create awareness and reach more tweets.
These are commonly used products that can be purchased many places, but when they go to the website they will see the Frequent Buyer Offer, Buy 10, Get 1 FREE, that is posted and encourage them to continuously re-order from there.
These are commonly used products that can be purchased many places, but when they go to the website they will see the Frequent Buyer Offer, Buy 10, Get 1 FREE, that is posted and encourage them to continuously re-order from there.
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Week 13 Part 2 Researching Advertising
Facebook ads are really solicited on my business page. They bombard me with trying to Boost an Ad and according to the video, she recommended to not do the Boost. But to place an ad. Whether it's in the line daily feed or a side bar ad. I do agree that it is creepy when there are tracking ads that pop up of something you may have been shopping for on another website, then it pops up on your Facebook page! Not sure I like that. I do agree that Buy Now ads create urgency, because sometimes they disappear? I also agree that the exponential benefit of the likes and follows creates a mass target audience at no extra cost of hundreds or thousands of people. The app installation ads are probably becoming the way to go based on the # of downloads they are reporting. and how much is done on mobile now days. But likeablity and attention getting is the most important part of ANY ad.
Twitter ads are targeted to people using keywords. They work to drive people to your website or apps or for email lead generation. So it would be pretty targeted if people are searching for something specifically.
I think if I were to opt for an ad, I woudd go to Facebook and Instagram because it can cover both sites. And I think people spend more time on those sites when they're on them. My type of products, dog pet supplies, are not glamorous, so I'd need something more attention getting. Some of the photos I've chosen to post recently that would make good ads are of cartoon dogs throwing away their own poop bags in the trash can, the signs that say "It's required by law to pick up after your dog," and people actually in the act of picking up using bags with dogs in the pictures. These would be more attention getting than just showing a picture of my products. I also have a loyalty program that's posted, but not in a paid ad for a buy 10, get 1 free."
Twitter ads are targeted to people using keywords. They work to drive people to your website or apps or for email lead generation. So it would be pretty targeted if people are searching for something specifically.
I think if I were to opt for an ad, I woudd go to Facebook and Instagram because it can cover both sites. And I think people spend more time on those sites when they're on them. My type of products, dog pet supplies, are not glamorous, so I'd need something more attention getting. Some of the photos I've chosen to post recently that would make good ads are of cartoon dogs throwing away their own poop bags in the trash can, the signs that say "It's required by law to pick up after your dog," and people actually in the act of picking up using bags with dogs in the pictures. These would be more attention getting than just showing a picture of my products. I also have a loyalty program that's posted, but not in a paid ad for a buy 10, get 1 free."
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Week 13 Part 1 Researching Advertising
When looking at advertising on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram from similar companies to mine, I find that the posts or ads are very similar to mine. They have the same concept. Mine is for re-orderable products like poop waste bags and potty training pads. They may have those items or they may have collars or harnesses or kennels etc. But they are using photos of the products and some of theirs are modeled on dogs, but then they are just doing dog photos or videos as I am. Some choose different breeds, one is using dachshunds another is using a bulldog cartoon. Mine is Ridgebacks. The types of products we are selling aren't as glamorous as some other products, so it is hard to make them look fancy or pretty. So the appeal is to the dog owner and lover. I use other breeds in my posts too so as to not just pigeon-hole myself with just one breed. And I do use other posts of interesting items that are non-competing but that dog lovers would like or need. Or new innovations like a video of a new car that is totally built and focused on dogs needs. Product photos are necessary and I use mine to show the design on the bags and the sizes of pads. Because x-lg are harder to find in this size. The other "fun" photos of dogs playing or doing funny things are entertaining and people tend to love looking at them. But they don't sell the product, they just get them to keep coming back to your site. A couple of large companies have paid ads on Facebook that pop up with the pads for instance, and have a CTA button to "shop now" at their website. Some even include pricing, or claims of being the best deal or least expensive. So they are more selling ads, not so much to build relationship.
I think Social Media ads are very effective because of the masses of people that are constantly on it, as long as the posts and ads are targeted and not just random products that have nothing to do with you. There are definitely times when things have caught my eye, maybe from a sports team I like for example and I'll take a look at their website to see what new t-shirts they have. Or other new products that you can click on and they'll give you an "infomercial" but the great thing is you can click off of it at any time. You can't do that with TV, except to change the channel. Otherwise you are stuck waiting for the ad to finish. TV I believe is one of the only as good or better forms of advertising that is effective. They have the benefit of moving pictures, videos, stills, text etc. whatever they want to use to get their message passed on. And people are clocked at watching hours of TV a day. Even if it's just on as background noise people are still hearing it and getting the message. Social Media is more focused attention, although most people are on it probably more hours a day now, they are quicker to scroll through and pass over ads in mere seconds. With TV, unless you can fast forward through ads with a DVR and many On Demand shows don't allow that anymore, you are stuck continuing through the whole ad. TV is also more mass marketed, although they can pick shows, dates and times to air, Social Media you can target much more closely to the exact audience you are looking to impress. I think magazines, newspapers and particularly direct mail are all declining and not as effective and not a great spend. Unless it is in a "dog" magazine, I wouldn't even consider it. And I also have been hit with the masses of emails you get when companies do email advertising and I always opt out of getting them. Because no matter how many they say they are going to send they end up sending way more than I want to receive. So I would stick with the appropriate Social Media sites and if I could afford targeted TV I would do that as well.
I think Social Media ads are very effective because of the masses of people that are constantly on it, as long as the posts and ads are targeted and not just random products that have nothing to do with you. There are definitely times when things have caught my eye, maybe from a sports team I like for example and I'll take a look at their website to see what new t-shirts they have. Or other new products that you can click on and they'll give you an "infomercial" but the great thing is you can click off of it at any time. You can't do that with TV, except to change the channel. Otherwise you are stuck waiting for the ad to finish. TV I believe is one of the only as good or better forms of advertising that is effective. They have the benefit of moving pictures, videos, stills, text etc. whatever they want to use to get their message passed on. And people are clocked at watching hours of TV a day. Even if it's just on as background noise people are still hearing it and getting the message. Social Media is more focused attention, although most people are on it probably more hours a day now, they are quicker to scroll through and pass over ads in mere seconds. With TV, unless you can fast forward through ads with a DVR and many On Demand shows don't allow that anymore, you are stuck continuing through the whole ad. TV is also more mass marketed, although they can pick shows, dates and times to air, Social Media you can target much more closely to the exact audience you are looking to impress. I think magazines, newspapers and particularly direct mail are all declining and not as effective and not a great spend. Unless it is in a "dog" magazine, I wouldn't even consider it. And I also have been hit with the masses of emails you get when companies do email advertising and I always opt out of getting them. Because no matter how many they say they are going to send they end up sending way more than I want to receive. So I would stick with the appropriate Social Media sites and if I could afford targeted TV I would do that as well.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Week 12 Using Other Social Media Tools
Some of the other social media tools may not be as helpful to me because my business is selling a few select products to a specific market. And because it is online only, I would not use Google Maps. I do think LinkedIn would be beneficial because there are dog groups and breeders and different breed lovers that are listed. And sometimes they overlap. Also, other vendors that sell other or similar products to compare to. My focus is on the Rhodesian Ridgeback and there are groups that follow them like the RR Club of the US. And the AKC is important too. A lot of the Facebook pages that I've liked I would also include on LinkedIn. I would like to be on Yelp and that is a good way for people that are searching for the top vendors would be able to find the website, email or whatever site that was listed. But I think Groupon and LivingSocial would be the most beneficial to get exposure. I have used both of those many times and have been exposed to some great new restaurants and a great place to go horseback riding, both that I've gone back to many times. For my online business I would present some kind of an offer, like the one I've posted on the website of "Buy 10, get 1 Free" of products. That would create awareness, exposure and repeat business. And maybe even new followers, but for sure new users. The only downfall that might be created is the date range and tracking of the purchases. So even doing a straight $% off of their purchase would be a great way to start. Personally I had a situation that I wanted to report a bad experience with a company on Yelp, but they wanted me to fill out a whole profile of information and sign up. Which I didn't want to do. So many people may not want to do all of that to do a positive review, which are less frequent to begin with. Usually people are more inclined to post negative. But for my businesses that I like I do "like" their pages and posts and follow them and make comments because I appreciate them and how they are doing business.
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Week 11 Email Newsletters
Email Newsletters are great for the following purposes according to "Get Up To Speed With Online Marketing", pg. 55
1) Building a relationship with current customers
2) Encouraging repeat business
3) Acquiring new customers
4) Persuading people to buy something (or to take an action)
The response rates for these direct mails is very high and the action to "opt in", "sign up", "read more" or take other action like "go to website" are very high compared to other forms of marketing. Other forms of marketing like social media are great, but not everyone is involved with the different ones like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. And even if they are, it may not be on a daily basis. But it seems that most people do keep on top of opening their emails daily. So the reach rate for emails is much greater.
But it must be very concise, and segmented as to what is published. And it must be aesthetically pleasing and easy to maneuver through. It can not be too cumbersome and too much information at first glance. There should be "read more" options on longer articles or if there is a lot of information segments on the email newsletter.
It also should be pertinent information to your business or related to your readers interests or industry.
There needs to be an "opt out" or "unsubscribe" button for people that choose to not get the emails any longer. I support many animal welfare organizations and for many of them they require an email sign up box. But then they overwhelm me with all of these emails sometimes daily or weekly that I don't want to get. So even though I support the organization, I opt out of the daily or weekly activities of the emails. It is recommended to have a third-party service provider for this and for other reasons, as opposed to using your own email address. They offer other link options and analytics that will help to track and identify what is working and what is not.
There are many ways to build an email list, but it should be done with permission so that it is not considered spam. Adding a sign up form to the website is the best way to get the action taken. Creating a sign up form, links to other social media accounts or incentive offers are good to do.
The campaign can include a quick announcement, a welcome letter, a survey a press release, a special offer or a discount. The newsletter form needs to contain pertinent information about your industry your specialty, expertise or key benefits you offer, latest news, subscriber benefits like discounts, new products. And I love to post upcoming events that people would be interested in attending, like dog meet ups or dog festival or street fair events.
The specifics as to write the email are From (a person's name that is recognized), the attention grabbing Subject (without spam words like "free"), To (that is to a person's name), Body (with the most important information at the top and not too long), Call to Action (with only one per newsletter which could be to "take a survey" or "buy now"), and the Footer (to include all of your contact information required and the "unsubscribe" or "opt out" buttons.
Managing the email newsletter includes having a consistent theme and staying focused on fresh ideas that are relatable to the reader.
And measuring your results using the analytics mentioned above can help you to know who, what, when, where and why people opened, read or proceeded with action to the newsletter.
It doesn't need to be a lot of work if you jot notes of ideas as they come and use them later or re-post things from other sites that relate. It can be a growing tool of your client base and of sales!
For my business Go Virtual Products (pet products) I would not use a newsletter more than once a month or once a quarter. I would include upcoming events that are going to happen for that time period and a subscriber discount on products purchased, or a give away within a certain date range to include pictures of the 2 products that I sell. I would also include an article or photos of pertinent dog activities that I may also post on my social media. My dog is a Rhodesian Ridgeback, so I am partial to them. So I might post the photo and information of the first RR that was a winner in the AKC back from years ago. Or other dog products that are coming out (even if I'm not selling them), like the paw print Christmas tree bulbs that a page that I like on Facebook "The Animal Rescue Site" is selling as a courtesy to keep the readers up to date and coming back for more tips. It also gets them interested in this new site and gets them connected. Mine would be a more relationship building newsletter platform and theme and would help to connect them to my other social media accounts!
Comments to: Tiffany, Savannah and Abduls
1) Building a relationship with current customers
2) Encouraging repeat business
3) Acquiring new customers
4) Persuading people to buy something (or to take an action)
The response rates for these direct mails is very high and the action to "opt in", "sign up", "read more" or take other action like "go to website" are very high compared to other forms of marketing. Other forms of marketing like social media are great, but not everyone is involved with the different ones like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. And even if they are, it may not be on a daily basis. But it seems that most people do keep on top of opening their emails daily. So the reach rate for emails is much greater.
But it must be very concise, and segmented as to what is published. And it must be aesthetically pleasing and easy to maneuver through. It can not be too cumbersome and too much information at first glance. There should be "read more" options on longer articles or if there is a lot of information segments on the email newsletter.
It also should be pertinent information to your business or related to your readers interests or industry.
There needs to be an "opt out" or "unsubscribe" button for people that choose to not get the emails any longer. I support many animal welfare organizations and for many of them they require an email sign up box. But then they overwhelm me with all of these emails sometimes daily or weekly that I don't want to get. So even though I support the organization, I opt out of the daily or weekly activities of the emails. It is recommended to have a third-party service provider for this and for other reasons, as opposed to using your own email address. They offer other link options and analytics that will help to track and identify what is working and what is not.
There are many ways to build an email list, but it should be done with permission so that it is not considered spam. Adding a sign up form to the website is the best way to get the action taken. Creating a sign up form, links to other social media accounts or incentive offers are good to do.
The campaign can include a quick announcement, a welcome letter, a survey a press release, a special offer or a discount. The newsletter form needs to contain pertinent information about your industry your specialty, expertise or key benefits you offer, latest news, subscriber benefits like discounts, new products. And I love to post upcoming events that people would be interested in attending, like dog meet ups or dog festival or street fair events.
The specifics as to write the email are From (a person's name that is recognized), the attention grabbing Subject (without spam words like "free"), To (that is to a person's name), Body (with the most important information at the top and not too long), Call to Action (with only one per newsletter which could be to "take a survey" or "buy now"), and the Footer (to include all of your contact information required and the "unsubscribe" or "opt out" buttons.
Managing the email newsletter includes having a consistent theme and staying focused on fresh ideas that are relatable to the reader.
And measuring your results using the analytics mentioned above can help you to know who, what, when, where and why people opened, read or proceeded with action to the newsletter.
It doesn't need to be a lot of work if you jot notes of ideas as they come and use them later or re-post things from other sites that relate. It can be a growing tool of your client base and of sales!
For my business Go Virtual Products (pet products) I would not use a newsletter more than once a month or once a quarter. I would include upcoming events that are going to happen for that time period and a subscriber discount on products purchased, or a give away within a certain date range to include pictures of the 2 products that I sell. I would also include an article or photos of pertinent dog activities that I may also post on my social media. My dog is a Rhodesian Ridgeback, so I am partial to them. So I might post the photo and information of the first RR that was a winner in the AKC back from years ago. Or other dog products that are coming out (even if I'm not selling them), like the paw print Christmas tree bulbs that a page that I like on Facebook "The Animal Rescue Site" is selling as a courtesy to keep the readers up to date and coming back for more tips. It also gets them interested in this new site and gets them connected. Mine would be a more relationship building newsletter platform and theme and would help to connect them to my other social media accounts!
Comments to: Tiffany, Savannah and Abduls
Monday, October 30, 2017
Week 10 Part 2 Blogging for Business
Blogging categories that help people to find your blog are supposed to be as simple and as minimal as possible. I read from WPromote.com that 3-4 is sufficient, I also read on another blog to not do more than 8. It says that using the words intitle:"query" will give you all of the sites that contain the word that is being searched for. For example for my blog I would use intitle: "dog interests" or intitle: "dog events" or intitle: "pet supplies" to be searchable. It said to not make it so basic like just the word "dog" because it is too broad and readers won't know what it is that you're focusing on. This is what makes it easier to reach my target market. When they find a category that is relatable to them.
This can help to grow business because people will be attracted to say "dog events" to see if there is anything they would like to participate in, and would show that I am keeping the blog current with upcoming events. This is using the right SEO strategies. And having guest bloggers from different pages I follow on Facebook for example from the AKC or Ridgeback Club would be of interest. It makes it easier for readers to search and see if they're interested and want to comment or follow.
In regards to categories within my site, I would use the categories of "product users" and "product influencers" and "dog events" and "dog product ideas" and "guest bloggers" and just "site followers."
The categories can help to make it more easily searchable and also keep it more organized.
I commented on: Krong N, Karen D, Tiffany D.
This can help to grow business because people will be attracted to say "dog events" to see if there is anything they would like to participate in, and would show that I am keeping the blog current with upcoming events. This is using the right SEO strategies. And having guest bloggers from different pages I follow on Facebook for example from the AKC or Ridgeback Club would be of interest. It makes it easier for readers to search and see if they're interested and want to comment or follow.
In regards to categories within my site, I would use the categories of "product users" and "product influencers" and "dog events" and "dog product ideas" and "guest bloggers" and just "site followers."
The categories can help to make it more easily searchable and also keep it more organized.
I commented on: Krong N, Karen D, Tiffany D.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Week 10 Part 1 Blogging for Business
Adding human interest to blog posts can help to build a relationship with the customer and the company. It brings it down to a more personal level and helps build a relationship. There may be similar interests, different events that you'd both be interested in, different articles or authors, other sites you have in common. It can build trust and drive business to your site without actually doing a sales pitch or asking for the sale. And could even build loyalty.
There are definitely different times and products or services that would be appropriate or not to get personal with. Some businesses need to stay strictly professional or direct to the point. Where others are more casual or there are services where you need to build a relationship based on your service your selling,.
My business falls under the casual category where it is appropriate to get personal. Selling doggy supplies to pet parents, some take it very personally as their dogs as their kids. I even use my own personal photos of my dog and her friends as my profile or cover photos on different sites. I also personalize local events that are going on in my area. And I relate to the Rhodesian Ridgeback community since that's what Roxy is. And I re-post things that I get from them. So it is OK for my business to get personal and get to know my followers, and them me, because I sell products that can be bought in a million other places, so to get the loyalty, it is important to build that connection and relationship.
There are definitely different times and products or services that would be appropriate or not to get personal with. Some businesses need to stay strictly professional or direct to the point. Where others are more casual or there are services where you need to build a relationship based on your service your selling,.
My business falls under the casual category where it is appropriate to get personal. Selling doggy supplies to pet parents, some take it very personally as their dogs as their kids. I even use my own personal photos of my dog and her friends as my profile or cover photos on different sites. I also personalize local events that are going on in my area. And I relate to the Rhodesian Ridgeback community since that's what Roxy is. And I re-post things that I get from them. So it is OK for my business to get personal and get to know my followers, and them me, because I sell products that can be bought in a million other places, so to get the loyalty, it is important to build that connection and relationship.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Week 9 - Twitter
For my new Twitter site I created two lists using the word "dog" as my search. And I added some celebrities on a search that I know are "dog friendly or dog related." I also searched some sites that I know are dog related organizations.
I created an influencers list that includes: Ellen Degeneres, Cesar Milan, The Animal Rescue Site and Rachel Ray. They all have either dog activities or non-competing dog products or services they provide for dogs and are all high profile about it.
The other list I created is product users who includes the Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue, RR Club, Humane Society of the US and the ASPCA. They are all influencers as well, but could be product users based on the fact that they are all hands-on helping and rescuing and transporting animals on a daily basis. So as they use the products, they could also tweet and recommend them.
Creating the lists adds some focus on specific members that could be helpful for the business. And following them may have some impact on the number of people that may search and find my site. It also gives interesting and relatable content to the people who will see my site.
My site has only been up for 4 days, but already has 76 impressions according to the analytics data, and I have 4 followers, from just 3 tweets.
I created an influencers list that includes: Ellen Degeneres, Cesar Milan, The Animal Rescue Site and Rachel Ray. They all have either dog activities or non-competing dog products or services they provide for dogs and are all high profile about it.
The other list I created is product users who includes the Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue, RR Club, Humane Society of the US and the ASPCA. They are all influencers as well, but could be product users based on the fact that they are all hands-on helping and rescuing and transporting animals on a daily basis. So as they use the products, they could also tweet and recommend them.
Creating the lists adds some focus on specific members that could be helpful for the business. And following them may have some impact on the number of people that may search and find my site. It also gives interesting and relatable content to the people who will see my site.
My site has only been up for 4 days, but already has 76 impressions according to the analytics data, and I have 4 followers, from just 3 tweets.
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Week 8 - Get Visual
There are eight major social media sites available that all have 100's of millions of users. They are all good for different reasons, but the most popular are Facebook and YouTube.
For my business, Go Virtual Products, or a.k.a. Go.Pet.Products on Facebook and Instagram, I feel like these are the best two to choose from along with my website and email pages.
It seems like most people are on Facebook with 1.4 billion users! And having a page on there has brought me likes and comments from people I don't even know!
{Keep in mind, this is a fictitious company, and I am not actually selling products on it, yet.}
I just set up an Instagram account today and already have five followers!
What seems to be the best advertising and marketing for my products; waste poop scoop bags and training pee pads for dogs, are pictures, not videos. But what I've learned is to not JUST SELL the products, but to post other related things that are of interests to my followers. For instance other sites to follow, events that are going on in the area, interesting dog related news and my personal favorite because of my own dog... anything to do with Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
YouTube does not seem to be a place that would be beneficial to post for my business because of the nature of my products. People probably don't want to see these products actually in use!
But photos are OK, so any one of the sites to post photos would be good. I chose Instagram because that is more known for photos than say Twitter. But Twitter also does photos, videos and ads now too. I have not set up accounts for Twitter or the other four sites I'm going to mention. Snapchat has a lot of good content, but does not stay posted for very long. Pinterest I think is good for unique postings that you are trying to get attention to. But for my products, they are not the kind of fancy or "pretty" images that would be effective there. Tumblr seems to be more about the blogging content and a platform for the latest trending events. And lastly Google+, I am considering, because of the number of users, and if I can get MY pictures posted on the shopping section, it could link to my Google website for people to order directly from me, if I set up an online store.
So all in all, the more visibility the better when it comes to social media now days. Because there are more users than ever on all of the sites, and the younger generations live and die by their phones, tablets and social media accounts! But older users are now the fastest growing segment on social media. Not all sites work for all businesses, so it depends on your end goal. Mine is just consistent relationship building and product visibility, and links to all of my different sites, so I've started with the four and will continue to add in time. My goal is to get people to like to come to the site to see the new event and information posts, and buy their products from my site out of loyalty and relating to what content I share with them.
For my business, Go Virtual Products, or a.k.a. Go.Pet.Products on Facebook and Instagram, I feel like these are the best two to choose from along with my website and email pages.
It seems like most people are on Facebook with 1.4 billion users! And having a page on there has brought me likes and comments from people I don't even know!
{Keep in mind, this is a fictitious company, and I am not actually selling products on it, yet.}
I just set up an Instagram account today and already have five followers!
What seems to be the best advertising and marketing for my products; waste poop scoop bags and training pee pads for dogs, are pictures, not videos. But what I've learned is to not JUST SELL the products, but to post other related things that are of interests to my followers. For instance other sites to follow, events that are going on in the area, interesting dog related news and my personal favorite because of my own dog... anything to do with Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
YouTube does not seem to be a place that would be beneficial to post for my business because of the nature of my products. People probably don't want to see these products actually in use!
But photos are OK, so any one of the sites to post photos would be good. I chose Instagram because that is more known for photos than say Twitter. But Twitter also does photos, videos and ads now too. I have not set up accounts for Twitter or the other four sites I'm going to mention. Snapchat has a lot of good content, but does not stay posted for very long. Pinterest I think is good for unique postings that you are trying to get attention to. But for my products, they are not the kind of fancy or "pretty" images that would be effective there. Tumblr seems to be more about the blogging content and a platform for the latest trending events. And lastly Google+, I am considering, because of the number of users, and if I can get MY pictures posted on the shopping section, it could link to my Google website for people to order directly from me, if I set up an online store.
So all in all, the more visibility the better when it comes to social media now days. Because there are more users than ever on all of the sites, and the younger generations live and die by their phones, tablets and social media accounts! But older users are now the fastest growing segment on social media. Not all sites work for all businesses, so it depends on your end goal. Mine is just consistent relationship building and product visibility, and links to all of my different sites, so I've started with the four and will continue to add in time. My goal is to get people to like to come to the site to see the new event and information posts, and buy their products from my site out of loyalty and relating to what content I share with them.
Friday, October 6, 2017
Week 7 Facebook Page Likes
I have different pages that I have liked on my business page Go Virtual Products, Facebook.com/go.pet.products/
They are all dog related which are all going to be of interest to anyone that is interested in my page. But they are not just "selling" sites, they are beneficial in different ways with information and resources for dog owners. The pet industry has been in a constant growth phase for many years now, and is not slowing down. Many dog parents consider their dogs as part of their family and many as their kids! The amount of money and time spent with their dogs is increasing. And people are as active as ever with their dogs, taking them with them wherever they go; on vacation, hotels and camping, to the store, restaurants, hikes and beaches, the list goes on!
The 5 that I have chosen to be featured pages are:
1.) The Animal Rescue Site - this page has a feature that you can click on every day and they will donate a bowl of food to a shelter for every click. Also, they have an online store to buy all kinds of things and there is more food that is donated based on the amount of money that is spent. Many items have paw prints or animal related themes which dog owners love to buy. There are even buy one, give one free items that can be purchased. There are also links to other sites like The Rainforest Site and The Greater Good Site that are of the same premise of clicking and them giving donations to the different causes.
2.) FIDO (Fiesta Island Dog Owners) - Fiesta Island is one of the few off leash parks on Mission Bay in San Diego, or beach, that are left in San Diego. There is a proposition that is trying to get passed to clear the park and build a mobile home parking lot on it. There are many people that use this dog park and do not want it to be taken away. There are "meetup groups", like the "Ridgeback meetup group" that will get together on the weekends for all of our dogs to play together and be off-leash. They love it. Last weekend I took my dog Roxy and there were 20 or more Ridgebacks that she got to play with! FIDO also organizes clean up days for people to go clean up the park of dog waste and trash to keep the park nice and clean.
3.) Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue, CA Division - many times people do want a specific pure bred or mix breed dog, but don't want to, or can't afford a pure bred from a breeder. Or that may just prefer to rescue a dog in need or an older dog. Breeders usually sell puppies. This group does rescues from dogs that have either been in bad situations or that have been relinquished for different reasons. People can use this site to see if they can find a dog that is a good fit for their family to adopt.
4.) Kamp Kanine Dog Care - they have 8 different off-leash yards for dogs to go for the day and hang out with other dogs and play, have fun and burn off energy. Depending on the dog's size and demeanor, they place them in different yards where they'll be most comfortable for the day. Roxy goes one or two days a week to the big dog yard. They also offer hikes that they take the dogs on trails throughout the city to spend a couple of hours hiking or jogging. Roxy usually goes every other week on a hike. It is great fun for the dogs, and also good training of how to walk on a leash, walk in a dog pack and learn from the other dogs the do's and don't's of how to behave while hiking on a leash. The dogs teach each other dog manners while in public. The kamp also has trainers that offer classes for obedience, agility, Canine Good Citizen (for therapy dog training), etc. It is a wonderful business and Roxy loves it! The trainers and care givers are all SO professional and ALL know Roxy and me by name and her friends there that she likes to hang out with.
5.) AKC (American Kennel Club) - there are so many different breeds of dogs. So how do you find a breed that is compatible with your lifestyle and living situation? The AKC is an organization that maintains information and events that deal with every dog breed that is recognized. Dogs also can be registered to the AKC if they are of certain lineages and breeding. They offer information about different breeds, like Roxy is original derived from South Africa as a hunting dog. They tell all about their temperament and attributes. They also show different events that are taking place and now have a calendar of events. You can search by breed for events, like showing conformation or agility or whatever you are interested to participate in. It is a great resource site to learn about your dog, or future dog, and learn their history and characteristics about them before or after you adopt your new friend!
So find a new friend, or family member, if you have not done so already, or add another dog to your family and enjoy their loyalty and companionship. They give unconditional love and fun and will forever be "man's best friend."
They are all dog related which are all going to be of interest to anyone that is interested in my page. But they are not just "selling" sites, they are beneficial in different ways with information and resources for dog owners. The pet industry has been in a constant growth phase for many years now, and is not slowing down. Many dog parents consider their dogs as part of their family and many as their kids! The amount of money and time spent with their dogs is increasing. And people are as active as ever with their dogs, taking them with them wherever they go; on vacation, hotels and camping, to the store, restaurants, hikes and beaches, the list goes on!
The 5 that I have chosen to be featured pages are:
1.) The Animal Rescue Site - this page has a feature that you can click on every day and they will donate a bowl of food to a shelter for every click. Also, they have an online store to buy all kinds of things and there is more food that is donated based on the amount of money that is spent. Many items have paw prints or animal related themes which dog owners love to buy. There are even buy one, give one free items that can be purchased. There are also links to other sites like The Rainforest Site and The Greater Good Site that are of the same premise of clicking and them giving donations to the different causes.
2.) FIDO (Fiesta Island Dog Owners) - Fiesta Island is one of the few off leash parks on Mission Bay in San Diego, or beach, that are left in San Diego. There is a proposition that is trying to get passed to clear the park and build a mobile home parking lot on it. There are many people that use this dog park and do not want it to be taken away. There are "meetup groups", like the "Ridgeback meetup group" that will get together on the weekends for all of our dogs to play together and be off-leash. They love it. Last weekend I took my dog Roxy and there were 20 or more Ridgebacks that she got to play with! FIDO also organizes clean up days for people to go clean up the park of dog waste and trash to keep the park nice and clean.
3.) Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue, CA Division - many times people do want a specific pure bred or mix breed dog, but don't want to, or can't afford a pure bred from a breeder. Or that may just prefer to rescue a dog in need or an older dog. Breeders usually sell puppies. This group does rescues from dogs that have either been in bad situations or that have been relinquished for different reasons. People can use this site to see if they can find a dog that is a good fit for their family to adopt.
4.) Kamp Kanine Dog Care - they have 8 different off-leash yards for dogs to go for the day and hang out with other dogs and play, have fun and burn off energy. Depending on the dog's size and demeanor, they place them in different yards where they'll be most comfortable for the day. Roxy goes one or two days a week to the big dog yard. They also offer hikes that they take the dogs on trails throughout the city to spend a couple of hours hiking or jogging. Roxy usually goes every other week on a hike. It is great fun for the dogs, and also good training of how to walk on a leash, walk in a dog pack and learn from the other dogs the do's and don't's of how to behave while hiking on a leash. The dogs teach each other dog manners while in public. The kamp also has trainers that offer classes for obedience, agility, Canine Good Citizen (for therapy dog training), etc. It is a wonderful business and Roxy loves it! The trainers and care givers are all SO professional and ALL know Roxy and me by name and her friends there that she likes to hang out with.
5.) AKC (American Kennel Club) - there are so many different breeds of dogs. So how do you find a breed that is compatible with your lifestyle and living situation? The AKC is an organization that maintains information and events that deal with every dog breed that is recognized. Dogs also can be registered to the AKC if they are of certain lineages and breeding. They offer information about different breeds, like Roxy is original derived from South Africa as a hunting dog. They tell all about their temperament and attributes. They also show different events that are taking place and now have a calendar of events. You can search by breed for events, like showing conformation or agility or whatever you are interested to participate in. It is a great resource site to learn about your dog, or future dog, and learn their history and characteristics about them before or after you adopt your new friend!
So find a new friend, or family member, if you have not done so already, or add another dog to your family and enjoy their loyalty and companionship. They give unconditional love and fun and will forever be "man's best friend."
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Week 6 Facebook Business Page
This is my first time to create a Facebook business page. The online company is called Go Virtual Products and can be reached at: https://Facebook.com/go.pet.products/
This is a business I was considering starting, but have not done so yet, so it is fictitious.
The post "reach" is defined by Facebook as the number of people that saw my page posts as I have made them. This could be my cover or profile pictures, my notes, my posts, my photos etc. This can be with or without doing any paid advertising, which they term "organic." I have 3 people on my page that I have reached since I set up the page on September 28th.
The post "engagement" is defined as the total number of actions that people take involving the posts. This shows the relevance that the posts or ads have with the different people that view it. They could comment, like, follow the page, share the page etc. It is however they interact with what they've seen. On my page I have 51 post engagements, 29 views, 14 likes and 14 followers. I am surprised to have so many so far... for a new, fictitious business page! And many of the names that are likes or followers I am not familiar with. So my page is reaching many people!
Knowing the difference between post reach and post engagement is important because the reach is just the people that posts were served to. The engagement is anyone else that has seen the page or posts and have taken some action, even just by viewing it or liking it.
Using the Facebook Insights page is useful because it is great tracking information as to what is working or not working that is grabbing people's attention, or calling them to take some sort of action. It breaks down how many people have just viewed the page, how many have liked it or commented, followed it or taken action. And it is tracking on a daily basis for about a months period of time. So when it is tracking what is being received well by people you can make decisions to do further posts that are similar, or that will attract them to view and take action again, like share the page with all of their friends! Which is the ideal way of getting the word out and marketing is to get people to share with as many people they know and then maybe their friends will continue to share it. This is the ultimate goal... positive word of mouth and referrals are the best form of marketing and advertising!
This is a business I was considering starting, but have not done so yet, so it is fictitious.
The post "reach" is defined by Facebook as the number of people that saw my page posts as I have made them. This could be my cover or profile pictures, my notes, my posts, my photos etc. This can be with or without doing any paid advertising, which they term "organic." I have 3 people on my page that I have reached since I set up the page on September 28th.
The post "engagement" is defined as the total number of actions that people take involving the posts. This shows the relevance that the posts or ads have with the different people that view it. They could comment, like, follow the page, share the page etc. It is however they interact with what they've seen. On my page I have 51 post engagements, 29 views, 14 likes and 14 followers. I am surprised to have so many so far... for a new, fictitious business page! And many of the names that are likes or followers I am not familiar with. So my page is reaching many people!
Knowing the difference between post reach and post engagement is important because the reach is just the people that posts were served to. The engagement is anyone else that has seen the page or posts and have taken some action, even just by viewing it or liking it.
Using the Facebook Insights page is useful because it is great tracking information as to what is working or not working that is grabbing people's attention, or calling them to take some sort of action. It breaks down how many people have just viewed the page, how many have liked it or commented, followed it or taken action. And it is tracking on a daily basis for about a months period of time. So when it is tracking what is being received well by people you can make decisions to do further posts that are similar, or that will attract them to view and take action again, like share the page with all of their friends! Which is the ideal way of getting the word out and marketing is to get people to share with as many people they know and then maybe their friends will continue to share it. This is the ultimate goal... positive word of mouth and referrals are the best form of marketing and advertising!
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Week 5 Part 2 My Target Market
This is pertinent information to the demographics and target market for my on-line business
GoVirtualProducts.com - disposable dog poop-scoop bags and pee-pee training pads.
About 84.6 million households owns a pet, 54% a dog and 43% a cat. In 2016 almost $67 billion was spent on pets and pet products and care. That's over double what sales were in 2003. And since I've been in the veterinary and pet industries for over 30 years, I've seen year after year of profitable growth.
The American Pet Products Association found that now 35% of the pet owners are now Mellennials (ages 14-34), and Baby Boomers (ages 50-68) 32%. What appeals to these two groups is very different. So target marketing and how to reach them successfully will be very different. A survey they did of pet owners showed that nearly one half of their purchases were done on-line.
Demographics:
Men owning a dog 40%, while women 39%.
45% of caucasion households own a dog, while 1 in 5 african-american and 1 in 4 hispanic households.
Making less than $30K a year is less likely to own a dog, earning over $100K more likely to own 2 or more.
Rural vs urban are more likely to own a dog.
The majority of dog owners think of their dog as a member of the family, but 91% of adults with no children think of their dog as a child. 94% of owners feel they have a relationship with their dog.
78% of dog owners own their own homes, due to rental properties not always allowing for pets.
Behavioral:
With so many people including their dogs as family members there are so many opportunities for dogs to be out and about with their people. That is more opportunity for selling my products for car rides, walks, parks, hotel stays, work visits, restaurants etc. that are becoming more and more pet friendly. About 50% of people are including their pets on their vacations with them. Dogs have truly ingrained themselves into so many aspects of our lives. They even to do hospital visits, senior home visits, school children visits, therapy dogs, working dogs, K9 cops and military dogs etc. etc. etc.
So when it comes to spending money on their dogs whether for necessities, higher quality foods and treats, toys, specialty products, grooming and vet care the industry is constantly growing and not slowing down.
Personally with my 110 lb. Rhodesian Ridgeback Roxy and my 2 cats, they get the best that I can afford for them. Not having a large yard, my dog goes hiking one day a week with her Kamp Kanine friends and does off-leash yard play at the Kamp another day or two a week just to get her the exercise and socialization that dogs need. She's only 2 1/2 so she needs it a lot! I happen to be a Baby Boomer woman with no kids, so I fit right into the demographics as feeling like they are my children and treat them that way!
GoVirtualProducts.com - disposable dog poop-scoop bags and pee-pee training pads.
About 84.6 million households owns a pet, 54% a dog and 43% a cat. In 2016 almost $67 billion was spent on pets and pet products and care. That's over double what sales were in 2003. And since I've been in the veterinary and pet industries for over 30 years, I've seen year after year of profitable growth.
The American Pet Products Association found that now 35% of the pet owners are now Mellennials (ages 14-34), and Baby Boomers (ages 50-68) 32%. What appeals to these two groups is very different. So target marketing and how to reach them successfully will be very different. A survey they did of pet owners showed that nearly one half of their purchases were done on-line.
Demographics:
Men owning a dog 40%, while women 39%.
45% of caucasion households own a dog, while 1 in 5 african-american and 1 in 4 hispanic households.
Making less than $30K a year is less likely to own a dog, earning over $100K more likely to own 2 or more.
Rural vs urban are more likely to own a dog.
The majority of dog owners think of their dog as a member of the family, but 91% of adults with no children think of their dog as a child. 94% of owners feel they have a relationship with their dog.
78% of dog owners own their own homes, due to rental properties not always allowing for pets.
Behavioral:
With so many people including their dogs as family members there are so many opportunities for dogs to be out and about with their people. That is more opportunity for selling my products for car rides, walks, parks, hotel stays, work visits, restaurants etc. that are becoming more and more pet friendly. About 50% of people are including their pets on their vacations with them. Dogs have truly ingrained themselves into so many aspects of our lives. They even to do hospital visits, senior home visits, school children visits, therapy dogs, working dogs, K9 cops and military dogs etc. etc. etc.
So when it comes to spending money on their dogs whether for necessities, higher quality foods and treats, toys, specialty products, grooming and vet care the industry is constantly growing and not slowing down.
Personally with my 110 lb. Rhodesian Ridgeback Roxy and my 2 cats, they get the best that I can afford for them. Not having a large yard, my dog goes hiking one day a week with her Kamp Kanine friends and does off-leash yard play at the Kamp another day or two a week just to get her the exercise and socialization that dogs need. She's only 2 1/2 so she needs it a lot! I happen to be a Baby Boomer woman with no kids, so I fit right into the demographics as feeling like they are my children and treat them that way!
Week 5 Part 1 Target Market Websites
www.econonbum.com
This company is very complex in it's many messages, all which I think are positive about their company and diapers. They are a family owned company that maintains manufacturing in the USA, which is important to a lot of people. They also seem to be very "green friendly" and "ecofriendly." They talk about saving waste and conservation. They also do charitable contributions and give back to charity. They have different price points and products for different target markets from economy to artistic. They have grown to be a designer, manufacturer and distributor and have started a retail chain to go alongside their on-line business. Their tagline "Simple, Very Affordable" signifies quality, but at a good price, but not with the connotation of being cheap. They feature reviews and awards and ethical practices which signifies quality.
www.justcheapdiapers.com
This website, based in the Phillipines, seems to just be a cheap way to buy a diaper that they claim to be a quality diaper based on personal trial and error from the founding mother of four. It is a very basic, generic website that is no frills, so it projects an inexpensive image, as does the name. Theybuy in bulk directly from the manufacturer and therefore sell as a wholesaler. Info about the resellers and manufacturer was not there even though they set up a page for them, as well as the monthly special said "information coming soon." They seem to be a distributor/ wholesaler, but also seems they would sell direct to consumer?
This company is very complex in it's many messages, all which I think are positive about their company and diapers. They are a family owned company that maintains manufacturing in the USA, which is important to a lot of people. They also seem to be very "green friendly" and "ecofriendly." They talk about saving waste and conservation. They also do charitable contributions and give back to charity. They have different price points and products for different target markets from economy to artistic. They have grown to be a designer, manufacturer and distributor and have started a retail chain to go alongside their on-line business. Their tagline "Simple, Very Affordable" signifies quality, but at a good price, but not with the connotation of being cheap. They feature reviews and awards and ethical practices which signifies quality.
www.justcheapdiapers.com
This website, based in the Phillipines, seems to just be a cheap way to buy a diaper that they claim to be a quality diaper based on personal trial and error from the founding mother of four. It is a very basic, generic website that is no frills, so it projects an inexpensive image, as does the name. Theybuy in bulk directly from the manufacturer and therefore sell as a wholesaler. Info about the resellers and manufacturer was not there even though they set up a page for them, as well as the monthly special said "information coming soon." They seem to be a distributor/ wholesaler, but also seems they would sell direct to consumer?
Monday, September 18, 2017
Week 4 Part 2 Two great websites
I commented on Marie Terrell and Carissa
www.amazon.com
1. It is effective because they contain ALL of the content that is required for a good website. And are as user friendly as you can get.
2. They are used for shopping mostly, but also information gathering and comparing and reviews. They are very thorough and have buyer's customer reviews which are fantastic to have when there are so many choices and options in order to make a good decision. They have all kinds of links to get to anywhere you want to go including contacting the original sellers. They have kick back emails to responses and will text and email you to track orders and shipments. They even have a one button click to buy feature. And wish lists. Gives suggestions of what may interest you based on your previous orders and searches.
3. I'm very satisfied with using them. They also have perks like coupon discounts, re-peat order discounts, a Visa that gives you rewards points right back on to the site, which is like free money! I almost always find what I am looking for, even if it's something that I originally found on another site. So I am a Prime member and get other perks likes books and movies free, and free shipping.
4. I don't see how they could improve it, because it has everything that you need. I've been to a seminar to actually become an Amazon seller and they pride themselves on the perfection of their site and the standards they hold their sellers to. If ratings, that are checked constantly with MANY algorithms are not met, they will suspend a seller and not let them be on the website if they are not up to par.
www.SDCCU.com
1. This is my credit union bank. It is very user friendly and has all of the content needed to do all of your banking. It is very easy to maneuver and find links.
2. You can go to any account or link that you need to check statements, account balances etc. But the best feature is their Bill Payer Plus which is their on-line banking. You can schedule bills to be paid on AutoPay and they will be paid on the date scheduled. If it happens to fall on a day that it can't go out, it automatically re-schedules for the first previous date that it can be sent out. It gives constant balances of what needs to be paid, or you can set up to pay directly through the biller. There are links to get info on different loans or to transfer money to different accounts, etc. And you don't have to have their app to do it. Which I don't like to have direct app links on my phone for protection safety reasons. I just go through the website. They have an inbox for messages, or you can message them with questions and feedback. They offer a free FICO score check money tracking and statement reviews and printing. Visa info is also on the same site for convenience. You can check rates for all kinds of loans etc.
3. I keep using this site because of the ease and the feeling of security that I have that my information is protected. It is live info so I don't have to wait for info to be updated. It is so much easier than hand paying paper bills and writing checks and envelopes and stamps and mail time etc.
4. I like everything about the site. I know it's a safety feature, but they do have a session time out after a period of time, but instead of shutting it down they've since improved it to give the option button to continue session.
www.amazon.com
1. It is effective because they contain ALL of the content that is required for a good website. And are as user friendly as you can get.
2. They are used for shopping mostly, but also information gathering and comparing and reviews. They are very thorough and have buyer's customer reviews which are fantastic to have when there are so many choices and options in order to make a good decision. They have all kinds of links to get to anywhere you want to go including contacting the original sellers. They have kick back emails to responses and will text and email you to track orders and shipments. They even have a one button click to buy feature. And wish lists. Gives suggestions of what may interest you based on your previous orders and searches.
3. I'm very satisfied with using them. They also have perks like coupon discounts, re-peat order discounts, a Visa that gives you rewards points right back on to the site, which is like free money! I almost always find what I am looking for, even if it's something that I originally found on another site. So I am a Prime member and get other perks likes books and movies free, and free shipping.
4. I don't see how they could improve it, because it has everything that you need. I've been to a seminar to actually become an Amazon seller and they pride themselves on the perfection of their site and the standards they hold their sellers to. If ratings, that are checked constantly with MANY algorithms are not met, they will suspend a seller and not let them be on the website if they are not up to par.
www.SDCCU.com
1. This is my credit union bank. It is very user friendly and has all of the content needed to do all of your banking. It is very easy to maneuver and find links.
2. You can go to any account or link that you need to check statements, account balances etc. But the best feature is their Bill Payer Plus which is their on-line banking. You can schedule bills to be paid on AutoPay and they will be paid on the date scheduled. If it happens to fall on a day that it can't go out, it automatically re-schedules for the first previous date that it can be sent out. It gives constant balances of what needs to be paid, or you can set up to pay directly through the biller. There are links to get info on different loans or to transfer money to different accounts, etc. And you don't have to have their app to do it. Which I don't like to have direct app links on my phone for protection safety reasons. I just go through the website. They have an inbox for messages, or you can message them with questions and feedback. They offer a free FICO score check money tracking and statement reviews and printing. Visa info is also on the same site for convenience. You can check rates for all kinds of loans etc.
3. I keep using this site because of the ease and the feeling of security that I have that my information is protected. It is live info so I don't have to wait for info to be updated. It is so much easier than hand paying paper bills and writing checks and envelopes and stamps and mail time etc.
4. I like everything about the site. I know it's a safety feature, but they do have a session time out after a period of time, but instead of shutting it down they've since improved it to give the option button to continue session.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Week 4 Part 1 Aesthetics, Design, Branding Websites
www.gatesnfence.com was SO BUSY and had so much content it was overwhelming and cluttered! Aesthetically I did not care for it. It had too many colors and buttons and options etc... Design did not look very professional. It did contain all of the content that it should except for testimonials, press, events and a blog. So it was pretty complete. But from the home page I could not find how to get to the shopping cart? It would give you a button to view cart if you added something to the cart. I had to add a product to the cart and then remove it if I wanted to see the cart. So if you went back to shop and didn't want anything else, you were stuck. But there didn't seem to be a button to get you there from the shopping pages or home pages? Branding was confusing because there was so many products on there and it seems they are a distributor for so many.
www.headhunterhairstyling.com was nice and had a pleasant style about it, but was a little boring and plain. It was more of just a PR site that showed their services. The design was good because it looked professional and artistic. They did have most of the content, but no search, no shopping to buy products from them for instance, no event, no FAQs, press or testimonials. It did have a photo gallery, but no reviews. But there were links to sites, but not much activity on them. That would be a benefit to have people's reviews of how happy they are with the salon and their hair. It had a services and pricing page, but a calendar and scheduler would be nice to book an appointment. Branding was good because it was very clear they were a professional, upscale salon.
www.apple.com was very nice and clean and easy to maneuver through even though they had a lot of information/ products to present. It was well organized by category. Design was accurate for their image that they project of simplicity. They had all of the content except for social media links. But there was a link to "communities" for asking questions and get answers from other apple users, so that kind of is a way of completing the site with live testimonials and reviews. They did a good job on the site. But the only problem was when I went to shop and picked out several products, they were all currently unavailable. Branding was good because they seem to be very stylish and create products that are easy to use and simple. Their repetition of contents and headings was good and accessible.
www.toyota.com was very good and presented the cars very well. They had all of the content that made the site complete. Design was good and very upbeat looking and colorful. Looking at all the cars was not boring, instead was fun seeing them. They had ways to "build" the car exactly the way you wanted and would give all of the options and pricing and where to find the dealer nearby to buy it... It even showed a blog on one that I looked for that was discontinued when I searched for it. It didn't have an event calendar, but did have social media links that were very current and actives. Overall it was very good and informative and looked professional, clean and clear. It was very easy to maneuver through it and get the information that I was looking for. Branding was good because they had their complete product line under the one umbrella, and showed style and new trends. They are showing that they are progressive with their new designs in cars. They had access to the headings and repetition of the pages content too.
www.headhunterhairstyling.com was nice and had a pleasant style about it, but was a little boring and plain. It was more of just a PR site that showed their services. The design was good because it looked professional and artistic. They did have most of the content, but no search, no shopping to buy products from them for instance, no event, no FAQs, press or testimonials. It did have a photo gallery, but no reviews. But there were links to sites, but not much activity on them. That would be a benefit to have people's reviews of how happy they are with the salon and their hair. It had a services and pricing page, but a calendar and scheduler would be nice to book an appointment. Branding was good because it was very clear they were a professional, upscale salon.
www.apple.com was very nice and clean and easy to maneuver through even though they had a lot of information/ products to present. It was well organized by category. Design was accurate for their image that they project of simplicity. They had all of the content except for social media links. But there was a link to "communities" for asking questions and get answers from other apple users, so that kind of is a way of completing the site with live testimonials and reviews. They did a good job on the site. But the only problem was when I went to shop and picked out several products, they were all currently unavailable. Branding was good because they seem to be very stylish and create products that are easy to use and simple. Their repetition of contents and headings was good and accessible.
www.toyota.com was very good and presented the cars very well. They had all of the content that made the site complete. Design was good and very upbeat looking and colorful. Looking at all the cars was not boring, instead was fun seeing them. They had ways to "build" the car exactly the way you wanted and would give all of the options and pricing and where to find the dealer nearby to buy it... It even showed a blog on one that I looked for that was discontinued when I searched for it. It didn't have an event calendar, but did have social media links that were very current and actives. Overall it was very good and informative and looked professional, clean and clear. It was very easy to maneuver through it and get the information that I was looking for. Branding was good because they had their complete product line under the one umbrella, and showed style and new trends. They are showing that they are progressive with their new designs in cars. They had access to the headings and repetition of the pages content too.
Monday, September 11, 2017
Week 3 Part 2 Business websites
1. Marinha, U-Safe remote control life preserver
2. Norasperformance.com
3. Website, Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin
4. This is new out to the market but it is getting attention. It also gets reviews from other companies that play their video to review or advertise it. I saw it on Facebook. Also, it is a Portugese company, so there may be international sites that I have not seen.
5. FB Sept 2017, YT Feb 2017, IN ? date
6. Newly out, they are introducing it and showing the features and benefits. The best way for them to do this is to show it in action in the wavy ocean waters and how it maneuvers to get to the person in the water by remote control. They are doing this very well.
1. Timberland, Boots with thread made of recycled plastic bottles from Haiti
2. Timberland.com/markmakers/thread.html
3. They all look used and updated frequently and currently with consistent images and message.
4. Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, Pintrest
5. T Sept 2017, FB Sept 2017, I ?, T, ? YT Feb 2017, P ?
6. I think they are doing well with marketing. This is not the only product they use recycled materials for, so they also have their message with other product lines that cross over. They do have a lot of followers and views.
1. Kamp Kanine, Dog kamp and training
2. Kampkanine.com
3. Website, Facebook, Instagram, Google +, Shutterfly
4. They are very good sites with lots of pictures and activities updates. A very good interactive website with all of the options of doing online booking and class sign ups etc.
5. FB Sept 2017, I Sept 2017, G+, SF Sept 2017
6. They do a great job with social media and keeping things current. And the personal touch of adding the dogs pictures shows they are happy at the kamp and hiking etc. Nice for Shutterfly to get pics of your own dog if you want to.
1. The Animal Rescue Site
2. Theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com
3. Website, Facebook, Google +
4. They do a lot of good ads on FB and a lot of PR stories and PSAs about animal rescues and success stories. Co-op with other companies news stories to promote. Not just ads.
5. FB 2017
6. They have an intermingled website with the Greater Good and other charities that you can click on to have companies donate to help. They also have an online store for each of the 10 sites. They match some items if you buy one, they donate one. Ship internationally. Have email reminders to "click" every day to donate, but don't bog you down with lots of emails.
1. The Pet Care Card, Home alone ID tags etc.
2. Thepetcarecard.com
3. Website, Facebook, Instagram, Pintrest, Newsletter
4. See a lot of ads on FB, but have not signed up for their newsletter.
5. FB Sept 2017, I Sept 2017, P ?, newsletter, not sure how often.
6. They do frequent ads on FB and I don't go to Instagram, so not sure how often they are on there. But they seem to be a fairly new company on their site it referenced 2015-2017. But regarding FB they have me targeted because I have so many animal companies that I follow.
Question 7.
I have not followed all of the different social media sites, so I have only been exposed to some of them. Facebook and Linkedin are the 2 main ones that I follow. And I get a lot of exposure from those to many companies of my interests and that I choose to follow. I do buy things from FB ads that I see, or I use that as a reference to buy elsewhere too if I find elsewhere for a better price.
The websites alone I think are crucial to social media for ease of use, easy to find contact info, ease to shop online, easy FAQs, overall appearance and image, easy links and added benefits like ease of scheduling appointments or like Kamp Kanine van pickup and drop off days or hiking. Then they shoot you back a confirmation email right away. And that's very important too. Fast response time for feedback to customers.
It is important for the repetition of using social media too. Because we are so bombarded with SO MUCH that one ad or posting can easily get lost in the shuffle. So multiple platforms, multiple ads and postings, easy links and the right timing are all important in deciding how to come up with your marketing plan.
I replied to Marie G, Terrel and Poetry's posts.
2. Norasperformance.com
3. Website, Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin
4. This is new out to the market but it is getting attention. It also gets reviews from other companies that play their video to review or advertise it. I saw it on Facebook. Also, it is a Portugese company, so there may be international sites that I have not seen.
5. FB Sept 2017, YT Feb 2017, IN ? date
6. Newly out, they are introducing it and showing the features and benefits. The best way for them to do this is to show it in action in the wavy ocean waters and how it maneuvers to get to the person in the water by remote control. They are doing this very well.
1. Timberland, Boots with thread made of recycled plastic bottles from Haiti
2. Timberland.com/markmakers/thread.html
3. They all look used and updated frequently and currently with consistent images and message.
4. Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, Pintrest
5. T Sept 2017, FB Sept 2017, I ?, T, ? YT Feb 2017, P ?
6. I think they are doing well with marketing. This is not the only product they use recycled materials for, so they also have their message with other product lines that cross over. They do have a lot of followers and views.
1. Kamp Kanine, Dog kamp and training
2. Kampkanine.com
3. Website, Facebook, Instagram, Google +, Shutterfly
4. They are very good sites with lots of pictures and activities updates. A very good interactive website with all of the options of doing online booking and class sign ups etc.
5. FB Sept 2017, I Sept 2017, G+, SF Sept 2017
6. They do a great job with social media and keeping things current. And the personal touch of adding the dogs pictures shows they are happy at the kamp and hiking etc. Nice for Shutterfly to get pics of your own dog if you want to.
1. The Animal Rescue Site
2. Theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com
3. Website, Facebook, Google +
4. They do a lot of good ads on FB and a lot of PR stories and PSAs about animal rescues and success stories. Co-op with other companies news stories to promote. Not just ads.
5. FB 2017
6. They have an intermingled website with the Greater Good and other charities that you can click on to have companies donate to help. They also have an online store for each of the 10 sites. They match some items if you buy one, they donate one. Ship internationally. Have email reminders to "click" every day to donate, but don't bog you down with lots of emails.
1. The Pet Care Card, Home alone ID tags etc.
2. Thepetcarecard.com
3. Website, Facebook, Instagram, Pintrest, Newsletter
4. See a lot of ads on FB, but have not signed up for their newsletter.
5. FB Sept 2017, I Sept 2017, P ?, newsletter, not sure how often.
6. They do frequent ads on FB and I don't go to Instagram, so not sure how often they are on there. But they seem to be a fairly new company on their site it referenced 2015-2017. But regarding FB they have me targeted because I have so many animal companies that I follow.
Question 7.
I have not followed all of the different social media sites, so I have only been exposed to some of them. Facebook and Linkedin are the 2 main ones that I follow. And I get a lot of exposure from those to many companies of my interests and that I choose to follow. I do buy things from FB ads that I see, or I use that as a reference to buy elsewhere too if I find elsewhere for a better price.
The websites alone I think are crucial to social media for ease of use, easy to find contact info, ease to shop online, easy FAQs, overall appearance and image, easy links and added benefits like ease of scheduling appointments or like Kamp Kanine van pickup and drop off days or hiking. Then they shoot you back a confirmation email right away. And that's very important too. Fast response time for feedback to customers.
It is important for the repetition of using social media too. Because we are so bombarded with SO MUCH that one ad or posting can easily get lost in the shuffle. So multiple platforms, multiple ads and postings, easy links and the right timing are all important in deciding how to come up with your marketing plan.
I replied to Marie G, Terrel and Poetry's posts.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Week 3 Part 1 Communication- Business & Consumer
I have had difficulty when communicating with certain companies that I have bought things on-line. There was a Porsche cell phone case that I bought that was not printed quite correctly and the coloring was not right. I reached out to the company that I received it from (the return address) and they said they were not the right company??? So I googled the company the confirmation email came from and found that their phone # was international, so I didn't call. I looked up reviews on Facebook about the company and they said they had good customer service... but could not reach them. So replied to the shipping company via email to see if I'd get a response. I finally did get a response and did get a positive reply, but they made it very difficult to find them and get resolved.
Social media does help to get noticed and get problems resolved. Companies are now realizing the breadth and depth that social media now has and how a bad product, service or situation can go viral very quickly online as well as a good experience! I think the savvy companies follow social media and are responsive and proactive.
My car was just rear ended with a lot of damage, that fortunately was not my fault and was all paid for by the guys insurance. The body shop I took it too was very good at keeping me informed by email of the progress and what was happening. And they sent me a satisfaction survey via text to fill out after work was complete. They did a great job. I've been to the shop before and have always had good service and work, so being able to share that and also since my insurance company recommends them, I think it's important to be involved in the feedback.
I would be VERY responsive to all social media sites even if I wasn't using them for marketing. Because you could be talked about by customers or followers in a positive or negative way. And you could take the lead and respond and reply to the situation. People want to be heard and customer service is more important than ever now, because it's been shown that for instance if you're selling online and someone has a bad experience, it's likely they'll go to other sites and not buy from your site anymore.
Social media does help to get noticed and get problems resolved. Companies are now realizing the breadth and depth that social media now has and how a bad product, service or situation can go viral very quickly online as well as a good experience! I think the savvy companies follow social media and are responsive and proactive.
My car was just rear ended with a lot of damage, that fortunately was not my fault and was all paid for by the guys insurance. The body shop I took it too was very good at keeping me informed by email of the progress and what was happening. And they sent me a satisfaction survey via text to fill out after work was complete. They did a great job. I've been to the shop before and have always had good service and work, so being able to share that and also since my insurance company recommends them, I think it's important to be involved in the feedback.
I would be VERY responsive to all social media sites even if I wasn't using them for marketing. Because you could be talked about by customers or followers in a positive or negative way. And you could take the lead and respond and reply to the situation. People want to be heard and customer service is more important than ever now, because it's been shown that for instance if you're selling online and someone has a bad experience, it's likely they'll go to other sites and not buy from your site anymore.
Friday, September 1, 2017
Week 2 Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Pintrest, Instagram, blogging all seem to be geared more towards personal use. Whether to share what's going on in ones life, pictures, videos, how-to's, and blogging. Some people love to post what's going on in their life all the time. I have facebook friends that love to put pics of their kids, what they're eating, check in wherever they go, etc. Personally I don't like to do that... or see that all the time either. I like it for the other interesting things people post and current events and following pages that I think are important.
I haven't used some of the platforms before, so am not as familiar with them. But I know Facebook ads are effective with me because they target some of my interests. Linkedin is pretty much all professional and great for networking, etc. Twitter seems to be a fast word of mouth whether good or bad. YouTube is great for online "TV" ads/ videos, how-to's. Google shopping seems to be one of the most popular ways to search for a product or service you're looking for.And pintrest for ideas and sharing. And tumbler and bloggers if used correctly can build company image and relatability by blogging.
There is crossover for several of them, and some of them have seperate "sections or pages" that you can use, or run specific business ads on. What I got from the reading is that hard selling a product is not the way to go about using social media. That for business using it to build relationships with the right target audiences and business images and product/ brand images is what's important. Getting the word of mouth passed on to hundreds or thousands of people is the best form of advertising. So to tap into people's interests and to not "sell" them your product, but maybe relate to their need or interest is most effective. And using several or more types of media is effective, because they all work in different ways and probably have different audiences. So there is no one right way to use ALL of the social media that is out there now. It is up to the user to decide which one will work best for what they are trying to accomplish. But staying consistent with all of it is crucial. So try to not do too many at once. See what works, evaluate it after a time period, and stick with it or try something different.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Week 1 My Template
Hello,
I've created this new blog and chosen the template with the cat because I am a huge animal lover. And this cat looks like one that I have had in the past named Daphne.
I have always had pets and I have 2 cats and a dog currently. One cat, Bridget, is siamese/calico and the other, Zoe, a tortie. My dog, Roxy, is a 110# rhodesian ridgeback that is 2 1/2 years old. She loves going to her camp and hikes a couple of times a week to hang out with her dog friends!
My background is in sales in the veterinary and pet industries. So this is appropriate for me to choose this template!
I've created this new blog and chosen the template with the cat because I am a huge animal lover. And this cat looks like one that I have had in the past named Daphne.
I have always had pets and I have 2 cats and a dog currently. One cat, Bridget, is siamese/calico and the other, Zoe, a tortie. My dog, Roxy, is a 110# rhodesian ridgeback that is 2 1/2 years old. She loves going to her camp and hikes a couple of times a week to hang out with her dog friends!
My background is in sales in the veterinary and pet industries. So this is appropriate for me to choose this template!
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