Author: Gaye Janzen

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COM0015 – Out of the Box

Have your followers gotten tired of the same old things you’re posting on your social media? Maybe its time to start thinking out-of-the-box. What could you provide your followers that would bring them back to happily learn about you over again in a different entertaining way?

Facebook Live – would one way to help your followers learn more about your company and what you do. It is described as on (www.live.fb.com) “a fun, powerful way to connect with your followers and create new ones along the way.” Facebook Live Group or Event can also be used to enhance your followers’ experience. This application allows you through your phone to broadcast live the event.

This application can be used to broadcast a live seminar, a corporate event or even a personal birthday party. This application would allow you to be personal with your followers without actually being there in person. It has endless possibilities. It can be used for something serious or something fun.

The application allows followers to express a Live Reaction – they can select Love, Haha, Wow, Sad or Angry, and the reactions will scroll live across the screen. Live Video is truly interactive and the broadcasters can interact with followers and respond to comments and suggestions.

Facebook Live will enhance the followers’ experience when a company has something exciting or special to tell their followers – interaction is a prime reason for using this feature. You can get real-time reaction to what you are telling your followers.

Another important aspect of social media is video. Video importance grew in 2017 and in 2018 it will be an even more important element of a company’s content strategy.

Videos on social media achieve 1,200% more shares than text and images combined. Viewers can retain 95% of the message you are trying to tell them when they see it on video – only 10% is retained through text. It is estimated by 2019 video will be 80% of internet traffic.1

In Hootsuite’s 2018 social media trends survey it was identified that 46% of survey takers said they are currently creating video and another 26% identified that they would be adding it to their social media strategy in the next year. To enable you to easily create these social media videos – there is a must use app – Adobe Premiere Clip. This free video app includes such features as editing, soundtrack support and custom light and aesthetic options. It is an industry standard for mobile video production.2

Just a couple of trends to look for in 2018.

Will you be adding video?

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Professional Networking

Going into the future – I will be checking out www.meeting.com and seeing what will come up in the new year. Right now, there isn’t anything that I would attend. I am a member of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce and I have attended a couple networking sessions they’ve held in the past. Going forward I will be checking out their offerings – they have several events a month throughout the year. As for online, I will be checking out events and maybe attending something online.

I also have a Fred Pryor/Career Track membership until September 2018 where I can attend one seminar – also a great place to network with people of like mind from very diverse businesses. These seminars a very specific to certain topics. They are Professional Development seminars that help people with the jobs that they do.

Online will take a little bit more investigation – I have never networked online so it will be a time-consuming exercise in trying to find out where they are and how to go about networking online. I’m not sure that I would get the same benefits from online as I would in person. It’s always worth a try to see how it works out.

I believe that you need to have outside influences in your business that can help you see things from a different perspective – especially if you need a new point of view. It’s all about people helping people. To learn from someone is always enlightening and helping to teach someone something they didn’t know before is always rewarding.

I’m looking forward to networking, are you?

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COMM0015 – Tools & Sources

Google Analytics and Facebook Insights are the go-to monitoring tools that I have been using to follow both my current job social media platforms and the personal sites that I have a hand in promoting. These two tools give me the most information at a glance – sometimes it’s enough to know what is happening and other times we would need to dig deeper into the stats. We also use Facebook Insights and Social Mention for up to the minute information about who’s talking about us.

The more that I get into these courses the more information there is to absorb and reflect upon – I’m looking forward to learning more about how we can utilize these tools in our everyday monitoring of our website and social media platforms. To be able to know your audience inside out and to be able to write content towards their thoughts, concerns and interests become the ultimate challenge and these tools should make that process just a little bit easier.

Implementing a social media listening strategy will allow you to track, analyze and respond to anyone who has mentioned your brand or industry. The actionable part of social media listening is what actually differentiates it from just monitoring. Analyzing these mentions will allow you to identify the actionable items that could be anything from talking to a customer or maybe even changing your whole brand positioning strategy.

All businesses who engage in social media should be doing some social media listening; if you’re not then your strategy is being developed with blindfolds on. If you don’t monitor your social media then you’re not taking advantage of all the insights you get from real people talking about your company. If you don’t care about social listening, you don’t really care about your customer, and that’s just bad business.1

These monitoring apps are easy to use and are very insightful. They allow you to drill down on the statistics in Google Analytics and Facebook Insights. For now, these will work to enlighten us as to what is being read, seen and commented on but as the program progresses I hope to revisit this blog and make sure that I have learned more and implemented different strategies to monitor our social media platforms.

1        NEWBERRY, Christina. June-13-2017  “Social Listening: What it is, Why You Should Care, and
          How to Do It Well.”
          https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-listening-business/

 

 

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COM0014 – Personal Reflection

Of all the courses I have taken in this Certificate program – I feel that this course was the one that I felt was possibly the most difficult. For those of us who are not writers, it was sometimes a nightmare to try and write a blog post.

I am a business person and I write business letters, thanks for your business, please send your payment and a referral would be beneficial for both of us. This is the writing I have done for many, many years. To try and write something that is unfamiliar was often times difficult.

I tried to be funny, I tried to be serious and I tried to be the kind of writer I thought everyone would want to read – but reflecting back now on those times I struggled with writing the “right” words or saying something witty was somewhat uncomfortable.  Now,  I can honestly say that the times when writing felt the best was when I was writing like ME! I don’t want to be someone else and I’m sure they wouldn’t want to be me. This course has opened my eyes that maybe being a “perfect” writer might not always be what’s required.

The diversity in our audiences can help make this storytelling as diverse as them. What I will take away from this course is that I can write (somewhat) and that I just need to have our audience tell us what they want through connecting with them in an effective way. You will know when it’s not right – they just leave and not come back. So it’s OK to experiment with how you approach and educate your audience.  We will tell a story to them through our actions, sharing and communicating with the right communications tools. However, it may be by trial and error but through compelling storytelling we want our audience to feel emotion when they see our “brand” and hopefully, our stories will motivate them, evoke some emotion and possibly they will take some sort of action – we will know when our audience approves.

My last blog !!!!

(in this course . . . )

 

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COM0014 – Blog No. 6 – Too Much Has Changed!

Ten years ago, who would have thought we’d be here today? Only. Ten. Years. Ago! Wow, there has been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears over the last ten years. There has been so much happen here especially with the people who have come and gone. Stories told and re-told, losing some of the panache along the way.  Where will we be in the next ten years?

Too much has changed; the people, the technology, and the way that people consume our product. We used to be the only source where people could get our product. With the years that have past, so many changes – the biggest change – Social Media. My heart aches for the people who come after us. So much has changed.

How do you get your news? We had our popular day in the sun when dinosaurs roamed the earth or so it seems. It’s hard to believe that within the last ten years the student newspaper here at Brock University has almost become extinct.  I fear that within the next few years it will go by the way of the dinosaur – extinct – never to be revived.

With the introduction of social media and the way that people consume it every day; is it any wonder that people have opted for a faster, easier, up to the minute way of getting their news. Students, faculty, staff and just everyday consumers of news will turn to their smartphones, iPads or computers to get it. We are in a transition period – how do keep up with our social media neighbours?  Not an easy task these days. We are trying to re-invent who we are! We want to have people be excited about getting their news from us again.

Students don’t seem to have any time for anything other than a headline, although that doesn’t always tell the story. We want people to slow down, pick up a paper and read about what’s happening here – right where you are!  Students are hungry for knowledge and have a thirst for up to date information and yet the student newspaper sits on the racks untouched.  It’s not too hard to handle, it’s not too big to hold and it’s not too complicated to read but no one wants it.

The fear is what happens next! Where do we go from here? How do we let people know that we don’t want to become extinct – we want to live!. We want to be the first choice in news on campus once again!

Would you drop by and read a paper with us?

 

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Let Them Live Longer

What does one say about one’s self? How does one talk about themselves without sounding like a narcissist? Everyone knows in their heart what they’re good at or better yet – what they’re not so good at. So, just to break the ice I think that some of my personal qualities that would set me apart are the fact that I am extremely organized, a person who thrives on details and depending on what we’re talking about I can be quite knowledgeable. Now, you’re saying everyone could also have all of these characteristics. I think though, that I can say that I am just a little bit better.

I have had a couple of personal standouts over the last few months. I took on the position of Editor of the newsletter for the Canadian Bernese Mountain Dog Club. I have been doing this for almost a year now and I am constantly getting compliments that I am doing a great job. This helps with the confidence levels when people are encouraging from behind the scenes. The last issue that was sent out including a collection of photos I had taken at the recent National Club Show in Quebec.  The previous Editor had never used any of her photos. I think these photos allowed the newsletter to be reviewed a little differently. The compliments just flew around for days. This is an ego booster, for sure.  Having my photos used – let me and the newsletter stand out just a little!

Whether I’m working with colleagues in my workplace or with the Bernese Mountain Dog Club and the Blood Collection Project (which I talked about in previous assignments), they would all truly describe me as dedicated. This is one of the best attributes I have. This is something that I have worked a very long time to recognized for – being reviewed as someone who is worthy of working there and to know that they have a person who can be counted on.

My constant drive is to complete every task with enthusiasm and be distinguished from the rest because I know that to do something – is to do it right and complete. This would be a remarkable and measurable trait.  Bragging rights have to go to my involvement in starting the Blood Collection Project – my heart project is to see our Berners living without these horrible diseases that keep taking them way too soon. When we finally get this project off the ground (in the next couple months) we’re all hoping that people will participate and maybe – just maybe this could be the life-changing breakthrough that the researchers need to help our Berners live longer!

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COM0014 – Blog No. 4 – Life Without Dogs . . .

A B2C Social Media analysis. This blog will be somewhat a self-critique. The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of South Western Ontario is dedicated to the promotion of the breed standard, the working heritage of the breed, and protecting the interests of the breed all in a fun, friendly and active environment enabling its members to enjoy their Berner friends and family members.

I am a part of the social media team for this club. I am able to make changes to our website and make Facebook posts on a fairly regular basis when we have upcoming events and news releases.

When I first became active in the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of South Western Ontario their social media presence was barely visible – they had 308 followers on Facebook (which was about 18 months ago). Today, they are approaching 775. This has been a victory to earn more followers. The efforts have consisted of posts that included pictures/graphics and text – this seemed to attract more people to stop and have a look at what was happening at the time of the post.  The website is consistent with the Facebook posts, many of the visuals used on the Facebook page are also being used on the website. Updates are done simultaneously.

Most of the events that are promoted are for dog shows and fun activities. People will go to this club’s social media to find out more information about these events, such as when and where.

The critique comes from not providing enough information on the breed and where people can go to find out where to locate a respectable breeder, suggestions for feeding, fun activities to do with your Berner, etc. I would like to provide this information on all social media and to find out maybe if Twitter might be an avenue to explore, especially leading up to the events that are being advertised on other social media platforms and possibly start a Blog, although people can comment on the Facebook page.  I feel that there can be more social media activities done for this club. Learning about the social media possibilities makes you want to try some of them out and see what responses you get and if something can help promote this Club more.

Who could have a Life Without Dogs . . .

 

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COM0014 – Blog No. 3 – Young or Old, They’re Good as Gold

Target Audience

Young or Old, They’re Good as Gold

My hobby is an extremely niche one – Bernese Mountain Dogs. In researching for a target audience many different search words were used in Google Trends and Twitter Search. I realized at some point through this exercise just how niche it is. Twitter search came up with probably hundreds of individuals who own a Bernese Mountain Dog and maybe just a few groups or clubs relating to Berners. The searches (e.g. #berners, #bernese, #bmds, to name a few) would be a good place to follow like-minded people.

The Google Trends search turned up a little more information than Twitter on the demographics of this particular Bernese Mountain Dog search. It was able to give me information on the Interest By Region, some Related Topics and Related Queries see examples below (top 5).

Interest By Region

Canada                                              100

Ireland                                               85

United States                                    69

Australia                                            57

New Zealand                                     52

Related Topics

Breed – Bernese Mountain            100

Dog – Animal                                    100

Mountain Dog – Topic                     30

Puppy – Animal                                25

Breed-Organism Classification      5

Related Queries

Puppies                                             100

Puppy – BMD                                    95

BMD – Puppy                                    80

Dogs                                                   80

Bernese Mountain Dog                  55

There are several clubs that maintain Facebook Pages – this is where I would start listening to clues about my audience and to get to know their communities as they are throughout Canada and the United States. I currently follow most if not all North American Bernese Mountain Dog Facebook Group Pages. My heart project – the Blood Collection Project for Bernese Mountain Dogs that I spoke about in my Assignment 2 this is a Canada wide project to get blood samples from Berners across the country to be used for research into diseases that affect this breed – this is where news would travel the quickest and where I would go to get the word out. As well as directing professionals (vets, members of Berner-Garde, and MSU) to follow our communities to learn more about our Berners and the ailments that are affecting them. The owner of these big beautiful “bears” talk about all things good and the horrible things that we experience. This breed only has an average lifespan of only 7-9 years – not long enough for any us.

I would use the data from Facebook as an indication whether or not people were talking about this project, if they are sharing the information and if they are inquiring about the project. The people who scour social media about this breed are from all different age groups, ethnic backgrounds and have differing reasons for doing so, pet owner or breeder. We have fun in our local Facebook Group and hopefully, every other Group does as well. It takes all kinds of people.

Young or old, they’re good as gold – all the people who make up the Berner world.

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COM0014 – Blog No.2 – The Importance of Getting It Right

A ton of reading and digesting information has led to a more confusing mind then when I first opened this lesson on Digital Storytelling. Through all of it though there is the importance of getting it right. There are several ways to do the same thing and it has led me to believe that you can tell a story in a thousand different ways. One way has stood out for me. Through further reading and in an article on blog.bufferapp.com/storytelling-formulas “11 Storytelling Formulas to Supercharge Your Social Media Marketing” by Alfred Lua – he quoted from J.D. Schramm via Harvard Business Review:

Parachute in, don’t preamble. The best storytellers draw us immediately into the action. They capture our attention and set the tone for a unique audience experience. Avoid opening with “I’d like to tell you a story about a time when I learned . . .” Instead, drop us into the action and draw the lesson out later.1

This communication style can be used to grab your audience’s attention so that you don’t lose them or have them just skip on by your story altogether. Once you’ve determined your style and you begin to tell your story – tell it in an active voice. This style is normally more clear and inviting to your readers. Once you start to write always remember to be your own copy-editor. Diligently look for correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar all the while staying within your style. Remember practice, practice, practice . . . will make you a better writer.

Always be aware of what you are hoping your audience gets out of your story and as you go through future story ideas you should always keep your audience in mind. Writing a great article doesn’t always mean that it will be read – be mindful of how you can encourage people to read, absorb and interact with your content. You should also be considerate of the experience you want your audience to have. Social media should be a two-way conversation and if so, you will need to coax your audience to take some sort of action. Before you start to post your content know what action you want it to be. Some actions you could have your audience do is share a message, leave a comment or ask a question. Some successful content writers will end their story by asking a question.

And finally, give your audience easy ways to share your content. Persuade your audience through great content to want to share your stuff.

 

  1. SCHRAMM, J.D., October 8, 2014. “A Refresher On Storytelling 101” Harvard Business Review  hbr.org/2014/10/a-refresh-on-storytelling-101