COMM0014 – Assignment 1 Blog #7 – Personal Reflection: Storytelling

Photo by Startup Stock Photos from Pexels

Not only did we learn that storytelling can capture an audience but we learned that storytelling is everything you do. From the tweets you write, to the blog you compose, to the presentation you give – each has a different element of storytelling that crafts the story of your brand.

A social media managers we have an important duty to create a story of the brands we represent and streamline that story through all our conversations. I appreciate the fact that this course has rejuvenated my interest in writing. For a bit, writing was beginning to feel boring but I was just writing I wasn’t telling a story, and now it’s exciting to think about all the stories I can tell.

This course has allowed me to develop my storytelling ability by breaking down this such as target audience and communication styles. From trying to get all my thoughts down to a couple of hundred words, to learning to write about myself – I learn so many key elements of storytelling

I look forward to continuing to tell stories through my work and develop my writing ability, I also look forward to continuing to tell stories that represent my personal brand.

Until next time,

Courtney

COMM0014 – Assignment 1, Blog #6 – Travelling 6,900 miles to find myself

It took me becoming more comfortable in Vienna, Austria in five months than I had been in three years Halifax, Nova Scotia to truly understand myself. I was completely more comfortable living in a place where I struggled to communicate with people than I was a few provinces over in my home country. Why? I had to truly reflect on this when I returned to Canada on the person I was.

I’ve come to realize that in Vienna, I appreciated it was okay to ask for help and admit I needed support occasionally.  The distance from home taught me how to truly live alone. When I was in Halifax I relied on travelling home to Ontario when I was in a tough spot, but in Vienna, I had to work my way through. Living abroad taught me how strong I could be, and how I could strive living in a challenging situation.

Although I had travelled before and learned a lot about myself, it wasn’t until I was functioning away from my support system that I learned who I was on my own. I love my family dearly, but I needed this space to transition into my own adult.

My transition back to Canada was much smoother than initially I thought it would be. I was now seen as a world-travelling adult rather than an adventurous university student, and that identity sat better with me and aided in my learning to ask for help when needed upon returning to Halifax.

It’s weird to say that distance from my day-to-day life helped, but it did. And I am grateful I got the space when I needed it.

Until next time,

Courtney

COMM0014 – Assignment 1 Blog #5 – What is my Personal Brand?

Courtney Goldie travelling abroad. Photo by Nicoletta Gallagher.

Perfection. Thought-provoking. Authentic. Creative. Family. Travel.

Those are the pillars of my personal brand and for me, my personal brand overlaps between my personal and professional life. I would describe my personal brand as professional, responsible and well-done. Especially in a work setting, I strive to have the most complete, educated, and skilled work possible. I carry myself in a mature and dependable manner and always commit to something 100 percent.

I value personal growth, close relationships, and trust. I live through my values and hold others accountable to them.

I am on a constant journey of self-improvement – in my spare time I enjoy taking courses to improve my work. I also work with a counsellor monthly to make sure I am mentally as sharp as I can be. I try to push my mental boundaries for growth and development.

Another way I describe my personal brand is through my Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as I find this to be a comprehensive way to understand myself and relate to others. My MBTI is Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging (ISTJ). To me and others who know me closely this is a simple way to define me. It was obvious to me before taking the MBTI test in university what my attributes would be.

Until next time,

Courtney

COMM0014 – Assignment 1, Blog #4 – Sustainability through Social Media

I chose a brand that is well known for its sustainability and corporate values. Patagonia. In the specific case below, Patagonia is using social media to engage with customers in a way that exudes strong corporate values and promotes sustainability.  

The brand is a great example of social media engagement with customers. With the increasing trend of overbuying and retail waste due to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Patagonia realized this did not align with their values. And so, it has led the brand to not participate in the holiday deals/promotions. Rather they encourage customers to do good with gently used products and donate them.

The interaction below with a customer shows that they execute their work based on their mission and values. This proves that their mission and values are not just words on a wall but rather a guiding principle.

Although for the purpose of customer service, the quality of their interactions is genuine and ethical. For Patagonia, the approach is working – they are the go-to brand when people think of sustainability and social responsibility.

Overall, brands can learn from Patagonia because they are leading in a realistic manner. People want to know there are good humans behind brands and Patagonia shows that. Good social media doesn’t have to be wild or revolutionary, it just has to be honest, timely and consistent.

Until next time,

Courtney

Resources:

Twitter. (n.d.). Twitter. Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://twitter.com/patagonia/with_replies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1068561738302464000%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.hootsuite.com%2Frisky-brand-comebacks-social-media%2F.

10 brands that Excel at the art of the comeback on social media. (2019, January 29). Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard. https://blog.hootsuite.com/risky-brand-comebacks-social-media/

COMM0014 – Blog #3: Writing for a target audience

Image sourced from Pexels – Kaboompics.com

Company: Sway Advertising (Advertising Agency)

Target Audience: Prospective Clients (Businesses)

When dealing with a Business-to-Business environment it can be hard to pinpoint the specific people you are targeting. Our company practice is to use research to determine possible job titles are desired audience may have and write to them.

Demographics and psychographics are a way we can identify our company’s target audiences.

I like to structure these elements as audience personas when compiling my research. I find this to be a useful technique to remind me to use all demographic and psychographic information I can come up with. Creating a fictional persona based on real customer data allows you to picture whom your messaging is reaching and how to better address them. If you understand whom you are talking to, you can develop stories around things that they can connect to.

Below, I developed a sample fictional audience persona for an advertising agency targeting new businesses to partner with based on the target audience research I completed:

Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels

Toby Franklin is an avid golfer and a start-up owner of a golf club fitting app. He is well versed in his 32 years and is happily married to his wife Karen who is expecting their first child. Toby is educated with a general business degree. In his spare time, he enjoys biking, travelling and camping. With some disposable income, he is eager to grow his business out of Kitchener across Canada. Driving a Honda CRV, Toby is slowly adapting to life back in the office after two years of attempting to work remotely.

Until next time!

Courtney

COMM0014 – Blog #2: A story leaves so much to discover.

Pexels – Moose Photos

In stories, we find strength, connection and emotion that can unite or divide us. When you are writing on behalf of a business you want to write in a style that connects people to the story you are trying to tell. Communication that is not written as a story can be boring and hard to connect to. That is why it is best practice to weave your messages into a story.

Any topic can be written as a story. And a story can be interpreted in many ways. Whether you are writing a formal document or a casual social media post – it’s a part of the story of your brand. Stories can take many formats. For example, if you are a non-profit sharing the successes you recently accomplished, your story could be shared by: a long-form annual report sharing the work of the organization or a 10-second Instagram video thanking a donor for their support.

Every aspect of someone’s writing is a choice, from the language used to the communications style used. That choice will reflect on the person or brand who wrote that piece. It’s also important to remember that although you have a target audience in mind, other people will read your message – so keep it digestible for a wide variety of people.

Until next time!

Courtney

COM0014 – Blog #1: Summer Trip in Kelowna, BC

Before Covid-19 hit, I took travelling for granted. I grew up with camping trips to the US, my grandparents had a condo in Florida we often visited, I travelled back and forth to university in Halifax, and I spent five months studying abroad and travelling Europe. It’s not to say I wasn’t grateful for these trips, but I grew up thinking travel was normal. Now that travel has been restricted for nearly two years, it’s been odd being in one place for so long. But reminiscing and planning for a trip when it’s safe to do so makes it all better.

So what did I do on my last vacation? Simple, I spent it visiting family, and lucky I did because who could have known how long it would be until we could visit again.

Back in the summer of 2019, when my sister decided to take a summer job in Kelowna, BC I knew I had to go visit. We had distant family out West that welcome her into their home and I wanted to see visit her and them. So I used half of my vacation time from work and took a cross-country trip. I flew from Halifax to Kelowna via Toronto and Calgary – meeting my parent in Toronto to join me on this vacation.

Kelowna is beautiful, as is the surrounding Okanagan. While my sister worked during the mornings we ventured to goat cheese farms, cherry orchards, lavender farms, kangaroo farms and wineries – so many wineries.

After busy mornings touring around, it was so wonderful to meet up with our now not-so-distant family. They welcomed us with open arms, and we spent afternoons on their deck catching up, eating, and of course, sipping local wines.

Our week out West went by too quickly. Before we knew it we were packing up and heading home. If you haven’t been to Kelowna, I highly recommend a trip out West – it seems there is something for everyone from the adventurers to the leisure travellers.

For me it is simple, I know when the time comes and it is safe to do so I will travel again, and specifically visit Kelowna. My family is hoping to go back to Kelowna in late 2022 for a family wedding if the pandemic allows.

Until next time!

Courtney