COM0015- Blog 4; Eye opener- New trends

Can’t believe I am at last Blog for my course. This course has opened my thinking about social media and how to be effective on social media. It is fine to show your personal side while writing blogs as audience appreciates and connects with you more when you are more authentic. Also, when writing blogs or pieces for social media, it is wise to write in form of storytelling.

Few applications were also introduced during this journey and two that I enjoyed and started using are Hootsuite and Buffer. Hootsuite is one of many tools referred to as a “Social Media Management System” or tool. It helps you keep track and manage your many social network channels. It can enable you to monitor what people are saying about your brand and help you respond instantly. You can view streams from multiple networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+ and post updates or reply directly. With so many networks for businesses to manage, and with limited time constraints, it’s no doubt Social Media Management tools have become so popular and relied upon by many companies today.

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Augmented Realty and Virtual reality will be taking more over social media. Augmented reality is often confused with virtual reality, but the two are quite different technologies. While sure, there are certain similarities, virtual reality implies creating a whole new world from scratch – a simulation of the real and the imagined world, whether it’s going back in time to walk with dinosaurs in realistic landscapes, or travelling to an imagined future where nothing feels familiar.

Augmented reality on the other hand, takes the real world and projects virtual, computer-generated augmentations to it, in order to enhance our experiences. While many still see augmented reality as a means for harmless fun, whether it’s a cute little game or an exciting photo filter, the potential for this technology is absolutely amazing – it’s already disrupting numerous industries, including healthcare, education, navigation, manufacturing, marketing and so many more. And, of course, it will continue to do so at a very rapid rate as the technology evolves and it becomes more accessible.

With changing demographics, preferences and means of contacting companies, Chatbots

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are gaining popularity over social media platforms. According to Blog on Brand24, “Consumers are increasingly migrating from conventional social networks to messaging apps like WeChat, Slack, Apple iMessage, and of course, Facebook Messenger. The burgeoning growth of these messaging platforms surpasses that of the four biggest social networks in existence. It’s a win-win situation for both consumers and businesses, which are finding it easier to navigate their way through reduced ad fatigue and competition as well as increased monetization, resulting in better ROI.” These Chatbots can offer personalized service and help 24 hours and 7 days a week.

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References:

https://iag.me/socialmedia/reviews/7-reasons-why-you-should-use-hootsuite/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lilachbullock/2018/11/16/ar-and-social-media-is-augmented-reality-the-future-of-social-media/#7bd8a184e141

https://brand24.com/blog/how-to-use-chatbots-bots-in-your-social-media-marketing-mix/

COM0015- Blog 3; Networking

According to author, Andrew Hennigan, “Networking is a deliberate activity to build, reinforce and maintain relationships of trust with other people to further your goals. Professional networking is simply networking focused on professional goals.”

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Usually, many people get confused and bit of overwhelmed with professional networking as many links it with sales process like prospecting or cold calling to find new leads. Do you get overwhelmed when you are asked to go to a networking event? How comfortable do you feel? It can be bit overwhelming to go to an event and forcing yourself to get out of your comfort zone and introducing yourself to others that you perhaps would have never met.

However, people trust and prefer to associate or work with people they know already either directly or through another trusted person. In those instances, gaining trust with new people is much easier when you have a stronger network and wider window of opportunity opens. In other words, building network by getting to know more people, building trust with them and telling them what you are looking for.

According to Investopedia, “Professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn provide

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an online location for people to engage with other professionals, join groups, post blogs, and share information. And, of course, they provide a place to post a resume that can be seen by prospective employers, to search for jobs, or to identify job candidates. These days, a business-to-business customer pipeline can be developed almost entirely using a social networking site. Online networking forum allows professionals to demonstrate their knowledge and connect with like-minded people.”

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At the present time, I do have a LinkedIn account as I believe that is a great source for networking in an online platform. In this era with advancement of technology, it has become much easier to network digitally and connect with people of similar interest. However, I am not saying that one should not go to a networking event, but these events don’t happen every day and perhaps it is easier to connect and network with others digitally from the comfort of your space. I would say that I am more of a passive user on LinkedIn and my goal for next few months would be to get active, start a new blog and post updates often on that platform. I plan on increasing my engagement on LinkedIn and following some more groups and participating actively so I am seen more on that platform. I am not looking for a career change or a new job at moment but perhaps would like to have my goal as more engagement and building my network of similar minded professionals. I also plan on increasing my visibility and engagement on Instagram and Twitter. I believe those channels can be of a great advantage for finding like-minded individuals that I could network and establish professional connections. The search can be done on through #hashtags. I will be doing some postings on these platforms and will use #hashtags. However, my focus for next 6-12 months will be on working and improving my engagement on LinkedIn.

Are you on LinkedIn? Let’s get connected! See you there 🙂 

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COM0015 Blog 2: Strong and Weak Organizations

Social media has gained a lot of popularity and many businesses have adapted it quickly. In order to be effective with social media, it is crucial that these accounts are managed properly. Now just reflect on yourself and see how many times you check your social media accounts? I won’t lie but I am on them often and as

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soon as I have downtime, whether waiting in a line at grocery store or waiting for someone, mindlessly scrolling for updates.  

From my own experience, when it comes to a company that is doing well managing social media is Air Canada. Air Canada has strong presence on all social media channels and through these channels of communication they can engage with the audience and build trust. They do update their social media accounts constant and remind their audience about special news, events and promotions. According to news article on Calgary Herald, “The mean response time for Air Canada and WestJet were nine minutes, one second, and 10 minutes, 47 seconds i.e. 95% of time, Air Canada manages to issue responses to its audience under an hour. With the use of messaging and social media skyrocketing, combining them with travel’s time-sensitivity is making efficient response even more crucial. Issues with travel are often in the moment; therefore, a response must be in real time in order to serve the fast-paced demands of the traveler.”  

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In order to build trust with your audience, it is imperative to response in real time and social media teams can provide both a seamless, yet fast service. Air Canada has social media team 24X7 available, which makes it easier for them to response to issues, compliments and complaints. 

On several occasions, I have been super impressed with response time of Air Canada where at times it has been faster to get hold of someone through social media account vs. being on hold over the phone for over 45 minutes. Once, I was at the Ottawa airport and was flying internationally on business class and the agent was not helpful and was not aware of perks of flying business class as that agent was relieving another agent while they were on break. However, I was frustrated that I had to tell her and due to frustration, I sent a Tweet to Air Canada. I got a response within three minutes, to which I was very impressed.  

When organizations are creating social media campaigns, it’s always advisable not to offend or crossing the line into being insensitive towards a wider audience. According to article on Globe and mail, in order to build trust with the audience and for a company who is doing well with social media, these are few things that organizations should do to excel in social media strategy:  

• Listen well and often: In this era where there are ample tools available, it is easy for companies to monitor the conversations and respond in timely fashion.  
• Reach out to individual: Whether it is a compliment or complaint, I believe a company should respond to every individual in a timely fashion.  
• Provide regular updates: Company should provide regular updates to its audience and in case of a bigger issue an update with anticipated time-frame as when the issue will be resolved. No one likes to be in dark or play the waiting game.  
• Keep the conversation going: It is important that every organization carries on the conversation. For example: If there was an issue, after the issue is resolved, the company should provide an update as to how the issue happened and what measures have been put into place so that it does not happen again. The audience will forgive the company and will trust that corrective actions have been taken as its best to be transparent with the audience.  

From my own experience and by following Air Canada’s all social media accounts, I think Air Canada is following all the above listed points and hence, they are doing well with their social media accounts.  

However, I believe that every organization is joining the band wagon of having presence on social media. Again, from my own personal experience, I believe that organizations that are not managing their social media account well are Milestones restaurant and Pier 1. Pier 1 store does not have a Canadian account as they manage one account for US and Canada. When I have tried to interact with them on social media, I have had no response and I un-followed them on social media. From the points, I have listed above neither of companies I mentioned are doing well with engaging with the audience.  

 

 

COM0015- Blog #1 Tools and Updates

Listening and monitoring are two important components of social media. For companies to establish their brand identity, build trust and awareness it is crucial that they monitor the conversations. Though, I have not had much experience in maintaining social media accounts for businesses but over the years, two tools that I have used and found them useful are: 

Hootsuite  : 

I have used this platform as a dashboard for maintaining all social media networks. It gives a bird’s eye view of what’s happening in those social accounts. The users can schedule posts, respond to messages, comments and mentions through same dashboard. It is convenient for companies to manage their accounts and tack performances. Companies can spend some time and schedule posts and adhere to their social media calendar to ensure that postings and conversations are responded in timely fashion.  

Keyhole 

This tool provides real-time dashboard that is useful for tracking and monitoring hashtags, along with number of retweets, likes and impressions that campaign is generating. It also lets you track outside your network when customers are mentioning about hashtags which enables the organizations to find influences and promote their company. This tool also helps you to find about your competition and what are customers talking about it, which might enable you to come with new products and services to combat the competition.  

News & Updates: 

The tool that I have used to track news is Google Alerts. I have found this very beneficial as you are able to set an alert and you can receive an email of any new results for alert that shows in in Google search. This way, I am unable to miss on any new information as it lands in my inbox. For capturing news, I follow different news channels on social media accounts; Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as this way everything is on one platform. I follow different companies on different platforms, for example on Twitter I follow industry related topics on media, education and on LinkedIn I follow industry related companies, competition to get all updates. On all platforms I follow major media channels like CBC, CTV, weather network.  

 

COM0014 Blog #7: Personal reflection

There were lot of new things that I learned from this course. When engaging with the audience, it is fine to show your personal side. Once you start sharing your personal story, the audience appreciates and connects with you more.  

In digital communication, storytelling is an art and key piece for successful engagement. It is a strong foundation to engage and build trust with your audience. Audience would be interested in your content if it is delivered as a story. Identifying your audience and presenting them with information that interests them is an important factor for building trust and network. No one can appeal to everyone, hence segmenting market based on age, demographics, gender, lifestyle and income level is key for successful digital campaigns. Once you have identified your audience, using appropriate communication style to that market is crucial for a successful campaign.  

Consistency in posting is also an important key factor. Though when I saw this course outline at the beginning, I was bit overwhelmed with many assignments and blogs, but I have thoroughly enjoyed doing regular blog posting. Thus, by having a schedule of blog posting and sticking to it, is an important factor as your audience gets constantly reminded about you and your company. It is crucial to remember the goals of social media and working towards building trust and awareness, finding interactive ways of engaging with audience and always reminding them to take an action.  

Moving forward, my storytelling pieces will include bit of personal content to connect with my audience. I will connect my own personal experiences with storytelling.  I will use of simple language and active voice as that comes across as being authentic and wouldn’t feel bragging about myself!

Overall, I truly enjoyed this course and I would like to thank Sonia Gibbs for being an amazing facilitator for this course!  

COM0014- Blog 6: What excites me to get out of bed every morning?

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For me waking up every morning is a blessing. First thing I look forward to is my cup of cappuccino and an opportunity to add value to something throughout my day. I enjoy my work and I like to be able to make a difference, measure the outcome and analyze the result of my decision both personally and professionally. For those who know me, will always comment that I am a person who likes to be on the go! I cannot sit idle for an extended period. My colleagues would also comment stating that I get impatient during long meetings and will find every possible excuse to get out of all-day meeting.  I am a lifelong learner and always keen on learning new and improving my skills. I look for new opportunities in my day and making a difference in someone’s life in a tangible manner.  

In some previous jobs I’ve had, I have worked under a manager whose leadership style was a micro manager. I don’t enjoy when a manager micromanages me as I feel that I am unable to perform to my full potential. I try every day to avoid that and when I believe in mentoring someone, allowing them shine and grow to their fullest potential. My experience has been in field of hospitality where I have had the ability to touch other people’s lives and enhancing their experience and where rarely two days are alike, each day has its own challenge. Making a difference in someone’s life motivates me to wake up every morning.  

COM0014- Blog#5; Personal Brand

According to Leadquizzes.com, “Personal Brand is an image you’ve created around your own professional self. It should represent a combination of skills and experiences that are unique to you (and not your company or product)” We often get confused as to how you can brand ourselves and not sure about you, but I find it very hard to reflect upon myself and write about it. If you don’t believe me, close your eyes and write down few lines on some unique skills you have or what your coworkers will say about your top skills? Hard isn’t it?  

I am an influential leader, a great planner and listener.  I like to plan in a way where I think as to how my decisions today will affect me in future. I enjoy working and have strong work ethic. I perform well under pressure and always get my projects done on time and within budget. I don’t enjoy sitting in long unproductive meetings or in traffic as I feel my time could be used in something more productive. I am type of a person who is always on the go!  

I am always keen and interested in improving my skills and knowledge. After I finished my MBA from University of Guelph in 2014, I have been thinking as to what to do next. Currently, I am taking part time online course on social media as I believe social media is new form of marketing in today’s world. I do know how to use social media for personal use but perhaps not from a business perspective. I am always interested in taking a lead on new projects at work, where I will gain more knowledge in areas where I have limited experience. I am always keen on learning new skills both practical and academic. I consider myself as a life-long learner.  

I highly believe in teamwork and team spirit and enjoy building strong relationships, where I enjoy going out of way to help others. I believe my colleagues would say that I am reliable with strong work ethic and a great sense of humor. I get along with everyone and when working under tight deadline and pressure, I am an asset to have on the team. I also believe in empowering my team and letting them make decisions that will affect their work.  

What are your skills? Can you talk about yourself in public about amazing skills you have or in other words, can you brag about yourself?  

COM0014- Blog #4; B2C social media platforms

According to Investopedia.com, “The term business-to-consumer (B2C) refers to the process of selling products and services directly between consumers who are the end-users of its products or services. Most companies that sell directly to consumers can be referred to as B2C companies. 

B2C became immensely popular during the dotcom boom of the late 1990s when it was mainly used to refer to online retailers who sold products and services to consumers through the Internet”  

In this ERA of Digital world, many consumers prefer to shop online vs. going through traditional mall shopping. Do you buy products online? If so, why? Is it because it is cheaper, convenient or any other reason? How do you know about special promotions?  

Companies that rely heavily on B2C model need to maintain a healthy relationship with their customers. With invention of social media platforms, it has become much easier for companies to connect with their customers and gently remind them about promotions and new products. How many times have you seen pop up ads on these social media platforms? I bet you will answer, “many times!” 

One company that stands out to me is Air Canada. I highly believe that they are connecting and targeting their audience well. They are regularly monitoring their social media platforms and building trust by responding in a timely fashion. They are beautifully showcasing their destinations, airplanes, food and experiences of other travelers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They also use these platforms for telling their audience about special promotions to various destinations. At times, on these platforms they also showcase their employees- flight attendants and pilots and ground staff. 

From a personal point of view, I have had great interactions on Social media platforms with Air Canada. I remember once I was checking into a flight and I was flying business class from Ottawa Airport. The check-in agent was not friendly nor was aware of perks of flying business class as she was replacing someone who went on break. I tweeted Air Canada while agent was checking me with my frustration and disappointment and while I made to security in less than 5 minutes, I had a reply from Air Canada. On other occasion, I have also got hold of someone faster on social media than being on hold for over 30 minutes. I think Air Canada has been maintaining their social media platforms well and many other organizations should learn them now. Have you ever had an experience with Air Canada through Social Media? If so, were you satisfied? 

 

(Source of photos: http://www.canva.com) 

COM0014- Blog 3; Product or Target Audience? What comes first?

When it comes to marketing and advertising, in order to ensure that your business is getting the right exposure through your efforts, it’s important that you know who your “target audience” is and how and where to reach them. Before developing any new products or services, it is vital to understand who your client is.

Now close your eyes and think about designing a new product or service without getting any specific information about target market, you will find it hard, Wouldn’t you? You might come with a product that appeals to your age group but perhaps might not appeal to clientele of the business because your age, preferences and taste differ. Hence, if you do not want to waste your dollars for advertising, it is vital that you breakdown your target market. 

I have worked in Retirement homes and I always wondered who is their target audience to get them through the doors? Yes, I would agree with your thought process that it would be senior itself as they will be living in such a facility. But how about children of parents that will need to find an appropriate place when their parent(s) are unable to live at home by themselves. In my experience, a very small percentage of seniors would make this decision on own to change their living arrangements as it is hard and extremely emotional to sell the home that they have lived and is full of memories.

When was the last time you opened a magazine or whitepages directory? When I started working in the industry, there was lot of focus on print ads and fast forward few years we stopped advertising in print and had everything digital. We had a lot of success in targeting our market through Google AdWords as majority of us like to go to Google to search for everything!

Our target audience for home was children of seniors in their 50s-60s both male and female with higher education and higher income level. The senior itself was anyone after age of 65 both male and female of any ethnic race, single, married or divorced; with high income level (private savings or higher pension) to be able to afford private care and enjoy the social environment. 

In conclusion, I would ask you, what comes first product or target audience? Can you design products before knowing your target audience or you design a product and then go find target audience matching your product?

COM0014- Blog 2: Is your story getting lost?

Have you ever wondered why your story isn’t getting much attention? Why it is not gaining popularity, then perhaps you are doing something not right!

In this competitive world of digital age, it is easy for your story to get lost in clutter. Storytelling is an art and if done corrective, it can be very effective in gaining interest and popularity.

This week’s lesson was a bit of an eye opener. The main point from this week’s reading was philosophy of inverted triangle i.e. putting important information first so that you can grab reader’s attention as quickly as possible vs. potentially losing them.  It is best to layout your story before writing in the most clear and concise way by ensuring that the story has clear beginning, middle and end. It is always a great idea to consider what kind of experience you want your audience to have.

While writing your content, the part that we all are aware and seldom forget or overlook is grammar, spelling and punctuation. When we get into mode of writing, we forget these elements which from a reader’s perspective looks unprofessional. It is always a good idea to get your story proofread by someone else as I believe fresh pair of eyes are always better to catch errors.

Use of active vs. passive voice is also an integral part of telling your story. Using a passive voice is one of the most common mistakes in writing. The story only gets lots of attention and interest when you can ask questions to your readers and when they can relate to the story.

To summarize, take away from this week’s reading is to begin writing with the end in the mind with deciding what kind of experience you want your audience to have and how to engage with them.

(Source of photos: http://www.canva.com)