COMM0014- Blog Post #7- Time After Time

Today marks the final assignment I have to complete to earn my social media certificate from Algonquin College! It has been a long road and I am so proud of the hard work I put in to get here. I can say without a doubt this course has been one of my favourites to complete.

There is something about storytelling that is primal. Everything we do is rooted in storytelling. Teaching, conversing, watching, all comes back to the oral language. Learning how to better communicate through various mediums, was fascinating. The crucial takeaway for me, was the importance of psychographics.

As I am a newer creator, demographics has always been an area of peak interest. Focusing on psychographics takes it to the next level. My writing style and the way I creatively communicate has improved largely. My content was previously often directed to a close friend. After the completion of this course, I communicate with groups of people in mind. All of them are diverse and have variegated backgrounds.

By changing the way I communicate, my writing has expanded to creative bounds, I never could have imagined. Progressing forward, I want my content to reflect my new perspective on written literature. I now appreciate the ability and strength it takes to tell stories and communicate thoughts, more than ever. I am ever so grateful for the concepts I’ve learned and will continue to grow and let my writing progress also.

 

COMM0015- Blog Post #4- Media & ‘Hype’ Personas

The media market has never been more saturated than it is now. Everywhere you look there is promotional content, vlogs, blog posts and content posted, for millions to see. Never before could you rise to fame for singing a song about ‘A Day of the Week‘ or talking to no one about your ‘Everyday Makeup Routine‘. The idea of becoming “Internet Famous” truthfully only cropped into mainstream media in 2010. When fellow Canadian Justin Bieber rose to fame. This notion of ” instant fame for doing nothing extraordinary” makes it effortless to get caught in the game of numbers. It is important as a creator to value your brand at face value. Recognizing the value of posting qualitative content must remain at the forefront for a long lasting career.

A perfect example of this theory is through Beauty Guru, James Charles. The popular Youtuber lost over 3 million subscribers, due to a scandal involving his brand. During the social media takedown, I saw many online users defame ‘James Charles‘. Decoupling the brand and person behind it is tricky, but of high importance. Another large-scale example is through daughter of actress Laurie Loughlin, Olivia Jade Giannulli. The young persona was caught in an education-buying scandal, involving the terms of her enrolment at USC. Giannulli is a popular lifestyle creator and lost many brand partnerships, along with her mother being dropped from her television network.

Unfortunately for the young creators, many consumers fail to separate and recognize the difference in corporate and personal branding. In this example, their brands would be under fire versus their identities. As such the release of their sponsorships, was justified, as the companies will just pick another latest popular influencer with whom to market their products. As new scandals arise and pass it is interesting as a consumer and fellow creator to watch, how company’s and creators disassociate due to scandal. It seems as easy as it is to skyrocket to fame, it is to crumble.

COMM0015- Blog Post #3- Digital Progression

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Honesty is the best policy. Along those lines, I must admit I don’t have a solid social media strategy in place. What I do have is a positive mindset and desire to grow. As an upcoming creator, my goal is to publish quality pieces and get my name out.

When I was younger, my parents warned me about the safety of the internet. Speaking to strangers online was strongly prohibited, let alone sharing my own experiences. Although I grew up with limited knowledge, once I came of age I knew what I wanted. Watching various YouTubers and reading lifestyle blogs, I became obsessed. The medium of communication shouted at me, and I couldn’t deny it.

Finding your voice isn’t easy though. It took me about three tries before I landed on a blog I wanted to commit to. Using my personal account to share my content, eventually lead to a branded account. My family and circle of friends couldn’t be prouder and eager to share my content. They also have circles of friends who found my online persona and began to follow my digital journey. These new connections may lead my brand somewhere I had no idea about, when I began.

Although “Friends of Friends” is a great way to expand your network, real life is better. Having people meet the face behind the block of text is important to me! I share a lot of personal and funny content and the idea of them knowing who I am in ‘real life’ is just as important. As such, you must be who you are truthfully. As an upcoming creator, I’ve never been recognized. Despite the above,  I’d hope I would come across as humble, kind and my brand reflects such.

Networking as a concept is everywhere. It could be the aesthetician who did your nails, the new hire in your sisters office or the intern who’s uncle works in your field. It could be the event you attended on someone’s behalf, or someone you met through a friend. To assist my growing network, here are some strategies I’d like to try.

1. Social media clear out and Detox

– As I previously mentioned, I am still figuring out my brand. As such I want to ensure the content I publish properly represents me. This could be through past blog posts, or in my personal life. Facets such as inactive online friendships, irrelevant posts, and ____  don’t belong. This allows for people to see what I want them to, and my branding to become uncluttered.

2. Bumble Business

– This is something that I’ve always wanted to try. The app connects you professionally to events and people who share the same motivational goals. I have seen various videos, sponsored posts and articles published about the success of this app. I can positively say that I am very intrigued to learn more about this form of digital to real life networking process.

3. Facebook Groups/ Events

– On a similar note, Facebook suggests many free events you can attend. Although I often click “interested” I’d like to “attend” more so.  Pushing myself to go out, enjoy my time and mingle with various professionals will allow greater exposure for my brand. There are also millions of groups to join and communicate in! People from all over can help grow and expand your business circles! As the saying goes “Don’t knock it until you try it!”.

COMM0014-Blog Post #6- Who I am

When I was younger I was a bit of strange child. I wasn’t popular by any means but I got along, just fine. Similar to many, I enjoyed playing on the playground, laughing until I peed a little and making memories with my friends. The moment that I truly cherish in my career is a little different.

For as long as I can remember, as a little girl you’re always supposed to have a best friend. Someone who you share all your close secrets with and mature alongside. As hard as I tried- and believe me I did- nothing ever came to fruition. I had many friends, but there was always that magic spark missing from my relationships.

This memory- although somewhat strange- has shaped me into the individual I am today. In the work force, especially in the field of media having a tough skin is vital. Viewing negativity on published content is something that many creators deal with, and eventually learn to manage. In my opinion my childhood 100 percent prepared me for this journey.

To refer back to my friend analogy, I was never an outsider but sometimes I did feel like one. Thanks to my mom’s constant words of encouragement, I often stepped outside my comfort zone, alone. This desire to better myself without a hand to hold onto, shaped me into someone who demonstrates potential fearlessness. In my blogging journey, I always put-forth content I am proud of. If I couldn’t see my teen self gravitating towards the article, I always know there is room for further editing and refinement. It is a constant reminder that I personally value Quality vs Quantity. This idea is seen more commonly within the last decade, with many persona’s coming out publicly stating their distress with the work they publish. This anxiety was presented through main stream media outlets including popular American Business magazine, Forbes. I personally have even struggled with this concept, but I always am reminded of a saying my mom once said.

“Not everything comes easy, but if you want it enough the mountain is climbable”.

COMM0015-Blog Post #2- Strong and Weak Organizations

From a young age I have been heavily influenced by arts and culture. As such, I was enrolled in various arts extracurriculars. The only one that was tide and true was dance. Once I became old enough I began to follow many dancers on social media. During a recent clear out I realized I had many unfamiliar users on my list, and began an unfollow spree. This was simply due to poor social media strategies.

Minimal Social Media Strategy

One of my favourite things to do online is discover new talent. Finding a hidden gem in a saturated business always makes me feel a little special inside. When I found @SimDancer I hoped to watch her flourish online. Unfortunately there was little in terms of content and behind the scenes posts. A few steps the artist could use to update her social media strategy would be posting clips of a new routine/dance related image monthly. This would ensure at minimum 12 new posts each year. Another way she could better her social media strategy would be to post exclusive snippets of upcoming projects. This would allow followers to understand sporadic posting, as new content is coming. Doing these few easy steps would encourage fans to engage more on their posts and increase interaction. Posting live stories would also give fans updates on disclosed projects and brand deals.

Impressive social media strategy

On the opposite side, a woman who has an impressive social media strategy is Autumn Miller. The 17 year old is a part of the dance studio KMBTalent, and is commonly featured on their instagram. Not only does she have impressive talent and modelling career, but she lets her personality shine through. Miller frequently posts dance clips on her instagram, mixed with personal images. This allows fans to not only follow her dance style but her personal life as well. Miller also effectively uses Instagram Stories to promote her Youtube Channel, Modelling career and Travel ventures. Something unique about Miller’s video’s is the tone. Many dancers on the rise strictly post professionally filmed videos, but Miller opposes that by letting her iPhone videos showcase her talent. This shows her youthful vibe and relatability to young aspiring dancers.

On the same note, another dancer with a solid social media strategy is Victoria Baldessara. The Canadian dancer got her big break acting on a Toronto based show ‘The Next Step’. From there, the dancer was able to tour with the show and continue to launch her career. Baldessara now has her own headlining tour and often posts fashion related content. She commonly promotes upcoming projects through Instagram stories and is always eager to interact with her followers. I even found an online boutique through her sponsored content and used her promotion code to get a discounted rate! Baldessara has a great understanding of how to space her paid content in with her personal photos. I also enjoy how she interacts with all her followers positively, instead of blocking or muting comments. Whereas many persona’s may mute comments to ignore negative comments or spam.

I can personally attest to the difficulty of upholding a solid social media strategy. So kudos to those who can uphold theirs, on top of a primary job!

COMM0014- Blog Post #5- This is Me.

About Me:

Concluding on a cohesive narrative for your online presence can be overwhelming for an upcoming creator. Once this step is complete the following can be be described as more complex. Analyzing the data is important but I place more value in the heart. For myself the foremost element of blogging is not quantitative. Feeling content and proud of the literature you produce is how I measure success.

About My Style: 

Finding my voice as a creator took time and effort. I ran through about four fake blogs before I found my final sound. Just That Internet Girl is a space where I publish light hearted and relatable content. It’s a space where readers feel more like friends than fans. I am largely inspired by women in power who are also able to show vulnerability. As a young girl I longed for a “celebrity” who genuinely understood what it was like to “grow up”. Through acne, boy drama, friendship struggles and more, I never found one. By targeting my content to these people, I hope to fill a niche market, I never had. Some of my favourite posts include, music reviews, “letter series”, popular culture editorials and funny anecdotes.

This is Me:

When asked to describe myself, I say something that makes my friends laugh. “I am the second best piece of cheese”. Although funny, hear out my analogy. I definitely wouldn’t describe myself as weird or unfriendly. I quite enjoy meeting new people and mingling in a group. In my opinion, I don’t posses that star quality that makes me first picked. This theory is what inspired my blog. I craved a place where I could reach out to young girls. A space where I could reaffirm that girls ARE ENOUGH being uniquely themselves. At the end of the day I love creating. From art, music, memories, and more you name it. Something that I feel makes me stand out is my uniqueness. I am unafraid to be myself and feel more women and men should embrace such. This is me.

COMM0014- Blog Post #4- Aerie Real

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When I was younger I always wanted to fit in with the cool kids. Unfortunately due to my heritage, I am on the shorter side. Meaning as a fifth grader I still fit into clothes from the Gap Kids section. As all my friends shopped at teen stores such as American Eagle and Garage, I sat back and watched. So once I grew a few inches, you bet the first place on my shopping list was American Eagle. Over time I became a loyal customer and was intrigued when the store announced their sister shop.

Aerie- a lingerie and lifestyle shop- opened in the late 2000’s and was an instant success. They sell a variety of clothing options for women of all sizes. Their stock includes, bras, bralettes, leggings, loungewear, sweaters, swimwear and bodysuits. The brands message of body positivity makes the brand’s B2C relations extremely successful. 

https://www.ae.com/us/en/c/aerie/cat4840006

Aerie’s main marketing strategy is to promote body positivity and bring in sales. This demonstrated through various marketing and media promotions. Their mission statement promotes uplifting women through inclusive sizing, and model representation. The company’s social media presence is lighthearted and targeted towards young adults. They capture online attention through ‘click to purchase‘ and ‘swipe up to browse’ links. Aerie also is active on Instagram, frequently engaging with their online audience. The “AerieReal” hashtag promotes women to share unedited photos of themselves. Women also leave positive comments on sticky notes surrounding the dressing room mirror. This continuous branding has proven Aerie much success.  According to a survey conducted by Piper Jaffray “The brand is currently the second most popular clothing brand for teens” (Business Insider 1). The survey observed 8600 teenagers to analyze their spending habits. This analytic information is crucial as their target demographic can be identified as the rapidly expanding millennial population.

https://www.onlinesalesguidetip.com/instagram-ad-tips-for-small-business-owners-who-want-to-see-results/

The problem with the Aerie campaign is that it is too pushy before, after and during the B2C interaction. Aerie is the sister brand of business conglomerate American Eagle Outfitters. Make no mistake that the pop up “Asking if it’s okay to use cookies?” is serious business for the brand. By accepting the terms of this annoyance, the company is able to further track your online spending habits. For example if searching for a summer dress, and browsing through 4-5 options, cookies saves the data entries for the website. As such, Aerie  is able to track which items perform better, head from browse to cart and more. From this my email inbox and facebook recommended ads are always items I’ve previously seen. This often entices the user to go back and reassess the item. Although it’s a great marketing ploy, I am do not want to be a returning customer even though the product is fantastic!

Citations:

Instagram.com/explore/tags/#AerieReal/

Hanbury, M. (2017, October 11). These are the 10 clothing brands teens are obsessed with right now | Markets Insider. Retrieved June 06, 2019, from https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/nike-american-eagle-adidas-teens-favorite-clothing-brands-2018-10-1027639860

AEO Reports Record Fourth Quarter and Annual Revenue; Fourth Quarter EPS of $0.43; Annual EPS of $1.47 30%. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2019, from http://investors.ae.com/news-releases/news-releases-details/2019/AEO-Reports-Record-Fourth-Quarter-and-Annual-Revenue-Fourth-Quarter-EPS-of-043-Annual-EPS-of-147-30/default.aspx

 

 

COMM 0014- Blog Post #3- Fan-damonium

From a young age, I was never good at activities involving balls. I never understand the tick that made people go crazy over a final buzzer point. This was all true until I started watching games regularly with my family. Although I’ve never attended an official NHL game, I do think I’m an expert people watcher. Besides the thrill of the game, people watching during gameplay is interesting. You see many different people in the stands. Everyone from families, couples, super fans to an odd celebrity or two, cheering loud.

If I were to create a blog for the avid NHL enthusiast, I would divide my audience in different categories. Young children (8-13), teenagers (14-20), and adults (20+). By doing so I could then create more individualized or cohesive content for each ‘age group. After analyzing who and where your audience derive from, the next step is thinking about ‘who they are’. According to a report by The Globe and Mail, “the average age of NHL fans is 42.1” (May 2018). This indicates that most of hockey fans may be apart of generation X.

McKinsey & Company conducted a survey, that analyzed the consumption of sports. Between millennials and generation X, the survey revealed the latter consumes more content. The study also proved the sustained popularity isn’t due to age, but the relation to family life.

According to the McKinsey & Company “Forty percent of generation X are committed sports fans, versus thirty eight percent of millennials” (October 2017). This information portrays that younger fans may be shown through their parents viewing activity. Something else to keep in mind is the cost of cable. Many young adults now choose to stream their content versus watching televised events. All in all this can conclude the importance of togetherness in sports is key.

Keeping the above in mind, a large psychographic trait for loyal fans is connection. The thrill of supporting a team with others is exhilarating. After researching my audience I found they enjoy related activities, involving quality time. I also discovered there are millions of fan forums and communities to join and explore. I noticed some trends and pre-game events to attend and wouldn’t mind seeing what they’re about. This would allow me to first hand observe the trends and likes of these fans. Two related organizations that sparked my interest are “Girls and Women In Hockey” and “The Tim Hortons Foundation“.

Citations: 

Hockey Agency, 2122. “League Ranking.” League Ranking , 2122 Hockey Agency , 2112hockeyagency.com/league-rankings/.

Krashinsky, Susan. “Just Who Is Watching NHL Games in Canada?” The Globe and Mail, The Globe and Mail , 12 May 2018, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/just-who-is-watching-nhl-games-in-canada/article17598817/.

“Northstar Studies NHL Fan Engagement.” Cision, North Research Partners , 26 Dec. 2018, http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/northstar-studies-nhl-fan-engagement-510351651.html.

Notte, Jason. “The Sports with the Oldest – and Youngest – TV Audiences.” The Sports with the Oldest– and Youngest TV Audiences, Market Watch , 30 June 2017, http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-sports-with-the-oldest-and-youngest-tv-audiences-2017-06-30.

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=CA&q=NHL%20hockey

Singer, Dan. “We Are Wrong about Millennial Sports Fans.” McKinsey & Company Media and Entertainment, McKinsey & Company, 10 Oct. 2017, http://www.mckinsey.com/industries/media-and-entertainment/our-insights/we-are-wrong-about-millennial-sports-fans.

COMM0014- Blog Post #2- Conveying a Story

Since the beginning of time humans have had the desire to share stories. Regardless of the content, communicating thoughts and ideas has been a constant. The only thing that has changed is the way they’re communicated.

This weeks lesson has pushed me both as a writer and creator, to express myself through written word. The key points I took away and will be using to further advance my writing are as follows.

Attention Grabbing:

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Communication is presented in various mediums in today’s society. Learning how to alter information for each format, will enhance the reader’s overall experience. According to online source Digital Information World, “The average human attention span has fallen from twelve seconds in 2000, to eight seconds today” (2018, September 10). This theory presents itself in online culture through ‘clickbait’. Defined as advertising content to gain more clicks, views or responses, the marketing ploy is becoming a part of media culture. If a headline is able to spark interest, the reader will read onwards to gain more information; on the story. 

Structure:

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Having a structure is essential when telling any story, regardless of the content. As we all learned in elementary, each one contains a beginning, middle and end. When speaking about content creation, there are three stages: inspectional, analytical and synoptical.

As each phase develops, so does the readers interest and desire to learn more. It’s in last phase that the reader is able to create their own informed opinions on the content. Having a set plot will help eliminate any irrelevant information, and make your storytelling more concise. With humans getting shorter attention spans, the faster you get to the point, the better.

Purpose:

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Finding the answer to why is of utmost importance, when story telling. Figuring out why you’re inclined to present the story should be at the top of the list. Asking thought provoking questions such as: Why am I writing? Who am I writing to? and What impression do I want to leave? will affect not only the article but the readers comprehension. A helpful task I like to do is to physically map out my thoughts before writing a preliminary draft.

Finding Your Voice:

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The most important part of storytelling for me is finding my sound. Maintaining a narrative in all my work is essential in my career, moving forward. To improve my work long term, the best routine is to practice, practice, practice. Although releasing consistent content may result in fewer views, my writing will improve.

Conclusion: 

This week I became exhilarated as an upcoming broadcaster and future creator. The desire to continue to learn how to express my thoughts and convey stories is one I wish to carry through. Although the path definitely isn’t easy, I am willing to take on the challenge and push myself as a creator.

Citations:

Desk, W. (2018, September 10). The Human Attention Span [INFOGRAPHIC]. Retrieved May 22, 2019, from https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2018/09/the-human-attention-span-infographic.html

COMM0015- Blog Post #1-Tools and Sources

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As an upcoming creator and younger millennial two of my personal favourite social media trend listening/ monitoring tools are maintaining a clean RSS feed and demographic analytics.

With social media growing and the amount of active users expanding faster each day, having a focal point to dissect various analytics is very useful for newer creators such as myself. Having a ‘social media dashboard’ of sorts allows for more clear and in depth monitoring of my online content.

The second tool I find useful in my online journey is demographic analytics. As a creator of any sort of medium, it is very easy to get caught up in quantitative data. Scrutinizing over how many likes, views or shares the work gets is often the cause of  many’s demises. As a beginner content creator it is the qualitative data I pull from my site, which affects me the most. Truly gaining an understanding of which posts gain more responsive and meaningful replies is where I find a base for future content. Although having physical proof of success is great, in my own opinion if the clicks/ views aren’t deriving from active or loyal audience members, I feel it isn’t as truthfully meaningful. 

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As for where I personally go to for news and lifestyle content updates, I gravitate between Twitter and various reliable news sites. What began as a network to share 140 character  status updates has blown into a multi-media conglomerate for many business and companies and public figures. Although Twitter began as a social network, it has transformed into a faceted platform for presenting various types of content. According to the Digital Marketing Community “Millennials are spending about 2 hours and 38 minutes on social media each day” (Global 2018). With this information at hand, companies should realize the overarching message that social media marketing will only aid their own performance in the future.

One of the additional reasons why I find the platform a captivating source for news is due to its functionality. The site not only works as a place to share content within seconds but also as a centre for linking third party content. Relating the two sources together, I do often find myself leaving the site/ app after finding a link to a reliable news source; which has more information. As a broadcaster trusting and recognizing a reliable source of media is imperative. Having faith in the website or source you are pulling your information from comes down to journalistic ethics. Recognizing sites such as ‘CBC’ or ‘Global News over sites which have numerous pop up ads, strange site addresses or few to no cited quotes, could be red flags for another search.

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I prefer the tools aforementioned over others as they provide an immediacy factor, I feel is forthcoming in our society. Due to societies relation to media becoming closer every day, the demand for content is almost instantaneous.  This can especially be seen in the field of broadcasting, from entertainment to news style programming. When learning about broadcasting, having an understanding of how to navigate these tools are a great place to start. When paired with an understanding for broadcast standards conveying stories across multi media platforms, becomes much easier. Many people believe that ‘reading the news’ is an easy position. Alas, knowing how to correctly craft and present the story is only half the battle. Having a thorough comprehension on the tools needed to convey the piece is just as vital. In broadcasting, fully grasping the technology used to present the story in a timely manner is just as important and as the saying goes “early is on time and on time is late”.

Citations:

https://www.digitalmarketingcommunity.com/indicators/social-networks-millennials-usage-2018/