A Day in the Life

 While our textbook and the in-person classes did teach me a lot about the inner workings of each different social media platform the Simternship taught me about the application of those ideas. It also taught me a lot about strategizing and just how effective paid advertising and influencer marketing can be.  Over the course of the semester, we were supposed to complete 12 "weeks" of the Simternship, spacing them out and adjusting our strategy as we moved through the book. While I started off doing one week at a time, I found that strategy extremely difficult and time consuming. Yes, it was nice that I didn't have to sit down and do everything all at once, but I did find myself struggling to remember my previous strategies and what my goals were. Eventually the deadline approached, and I was forced to complete the rest of the modules all at once. Oddly enough, this made the process a lot easier as I could remember what I had done and more effectively adjust my strategy. A...

 Looking back at everything I've learned over the course of this class I can definitely say that this was one of the books worth buying. While there were a couple of issues that I had with the book I think that it definitely did its job with explaining the foundation of leveraging social media as a marketing tool and how to do so with each prominent platform. I liked that the book gave an in depth look into the demographics of the users for each platform. While I don't remember every piece of information from those sections but being able to get an overview of who is on each platform was very insightful. I also liked how it went through how to navigate the marketing and advertising options on each platform and explained and gave examples on how best to utilize them. While the book was very informative it was also repetitive, and I sometimes found myself getting quickly bored with the chapter because it was so similar to the previous ones. While the information was good it was h...

 While many social media channels are focused on promoting entertainment material, LinkedIn focuses on connecting professionals and providing a platform for networking and development. Even though this is the primary purpose of LinkedIn it doesn't diminish the marketing opportunities that are available to businesses. In addition to gaining sales leads LinkedIn can also build substantial relationships with both employees and customers.  Because of the professional nature of the platform many see it as a credible source of information amongst the sea of fake news. This is in part because of how closely involved it is with the Wall Street Journal and Forbes. This is just one of the many uses that LinkedIn offers. Many say that in additional to being educational and informative it is inspiring, and assists will skill development.  To properly use LinkedIn to your advantage you can utilize one or several different types of pages. A company page is where users will learn about ...

 I have definitely done these chapter blog posts out of order but seeing as I've already created a post about X I'm going to write this one about Pinterest. I personally prefer to use Pinterest to collect aesthetics and create mood boards rather than look for specific products or connect with brands. However, after reading the chapter over Pinterest and completing our Pinterest assignment I found that the platform has not only become increasingly beneficial for businesses but also for shoppers. I really appreciate the unique angle that Pinterest offers for its users when determining what products to buy. I think that the ability to imagine certain products in different aesthetics and environments is a huge factor as to why Pinterest can be such a lucrative platform. I know that I've scrolled through Pinterest and seen multiple different pins of the same product but have only saved the one that fit the aesthetic that I was looking for.  I think it is slightly absurd how many...

Many users use Snapchat as a form of communication and to stay up to date with friends. While this sounds like most other social media platforms there are some substantial differences. Snapchat users mainly communicate by sending pictures or short videos to each other or by posting to their stories. On a larger scale users can post to location stories or create Snapchat Reels if they want to share experiences with more people. Because communication on Snapchat is more personal companies have found creative ways to market. Companies can create their own stories that users can subscribe to for entertainment or insights. This is a great way to engage both current and potential audiences as Snapchat's algorithm will suggest your content to users with similar interests.  Another way that companies have promoted their brand or products is through AR filters through Snapchat's camera function. Besides just being able to add a filter users can also try on products such as lipstick, gla...

 Not having X myself, I was interested to learn how effective the platform when it comes to marketing. I think one of the biggest things that sets X apart from other platforms is the customer relations aspect that it carries. X provides multiple different ways for businesses to connect with their customers in both lighthearted and professional ways.  1. Questions and Polls     A quick and easy way to get feedback from your customers, polls provide an easy platform to ask questions. When posting a poll,  you are offering multiple options for your followers to vote for and getting their responses in real time. To boost engagements with your poll you can always add a humorous component but be aware that this could blur your data.  2. X Chats     To host an X chat you just choose a specific time and day as well as a pre-defined hashtag that will then link posts together in a thread. This is an excellent opportunity for brands to show that they are exp...

 Instagram is an extremely popular social media platform that has become a great marketing tool for many businesses. Approximately 71% of businesses in the United States utilize Instagram for the benefit of their business. Additionally, 90% of Instagram users follow a business and a majority look on Instagram for their online purchases. But besides the amount of reach that Instagram can provide what other benefits can come from an Instagram business account? 1. Instagram Professional Dashboard     The Instagram Professional Dashboard offers a plethora of tools that can help you manage and promote your business account. After adding information such as your business hours, location and contact information you can then utilize features such as Instagram Shopping, Branded Content features and promotions. Experimenting with these features will help you find the most effective mix for your business. 2. Post Versatility     Instagram offers a variety of post type...

     While many of us are already on Facebook with our own personal accounts there is still so much to learn! The vast tools and tricks are only amplified when dealing with a business Facebook account. If you deal with any level of social media marketing, whether you rely on organic reach or pay for target ads, then you need to know how to fully utilize Facebook as an advertising platform.      Why is Facebook so important? Besides being the most popular social media platform Facebook has an average of 2.9 billion users every month and generates an ad revenue of $48.68 billion. The platform offers wide access to consumers with 70% of users visiting the platform once a day and 49% of users visiting multiple times a day. Those numbers don't include how long users spend on the Facebook each time they visit. Because there is so much opportunity for reach Facebook is a must-have in your social media marketing mix. Below are a couple of things that you can do to ...

 I never thought that I would be participating in a simulation internship for a grade but here I am! Honestly, I've enjoyed it a lot more than I expected but I know that I could definitely be doing better. After seeing the results from the first round I was a little discouraged, but I took my performance into consideration and have identified three things that I can do better continuing in this Simternship.  1. Post, Post, Post! The first round I did not post nearly enough! There is enough content to keep those posts flowing across multiple different platforms. In addition, once you've purchased specific content you have access to it for future posts. Posting multiple times a day or week across multiple platforms will increase your engagement and overall revenue.  2. Analyze Post Success Not Just Platform Success While it is important to keep track of which platforms generate the greatest return on investment you also need to keep track of which posts are performing the b...

 Social media has become the bread and butter of the marketing world. With so many users and demographics that are reachable on social media it seems almost impossible to ignore the potential that these platforms hold. But just posting on social media isn't enough. Companies spend billions of dollars every year on social media marketing and advertising to push their products to consumers.  To do this effectively companies develop social media marketing plans that are contrived from several different methods and strategies. Often, the marketing tactics will change for each platform, but a consistent tone is often established for the brand across all platforms. If you're not sure where to start when it comes to developing a social media marketing plan there are two acronyms that can help you get started. The first is S.W.O.T. and the second is S.M.A.R.T. S.W.O.T. stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Many businesses use this acronym in determining both t...