COM0014 – Blog #2: What I learned About Communication Styles

By Marc Badr

Ever since the Christmas of 2014 when my parents gave me a new phone for the first time, I learned that new types of stories could be found on social media platforms, with Snap Chat and Vine being my first introduction to personal stories being shared by my friends and strangers alike.

Eventually, I started to experiment on those two apps with their own unique features that would allow me to customize the way I want to share my story moments, whether I would film them at my house or in a public place. The reason I did this is so I could get used to posting content regularly to my friends and family, and to fit in with people in high school since they kept telling me about these new apps, and the amazing things I could do with them.

As I continued to study for this course, I started to realize there is a lot more to telling a story right with certain communication styles than I initially thought, with emphasis on making the audience engaged with a piece of storytelling content. For starters, I recently discovered that there are four phases to readership whenever they read an article or a book, which are the following in this particular order; Elementary, Inspectional, Analytical, and Syntopical. (Clark, B. September 21, 2020).

I have also learned that there are two kinds of voices in regards to how an article is written, the passive voice and active voice being the two main styles. For example, writing a sentence in a passive voice would make it seem like the subject in question is being influenced by something or someone, whereas writing in an active voice would make the subject be in control of the action. (Ontario Learn/Gibbs, S. 2020).

On the subject of storytelling, I have come to understand the importance of the inverted triangle method. By starting any story with the most crucial info at the beginning, a post containing some kind of a story in a blog or video would naturally make the audience be more curious, thus putting in more effort to absorb and dissect every information possible.

Based on all my times watching videos on YouTube and Instagram, I have learned that in order to encourage more people to have discussions about a new post, asking the audience more questions related to a particular subject at the end of each piece of content would entice them to share their own thoughts and opinions on a particular subject. This would keep the discourse going long after a new post has been uploaded to the web and shared amongst the audience’s own network of friends and followers on social media.

References:

(Clark, B. September 21, 2020). Retrieved from https://copyblogger.com/how-to-read/

(Ontario Learn/Gibbs, S. 2020.). Retrieved from https://ontariolearn.desire2learn.com/d2l/le/content/36136/viewContent/1748748/View

COM0014 – Blog #3: Target Audience For Video Games

By Marc Badr

I am a 26 year old man who finds himself being engaged when playing the newest video games on the PlayStation 4 or mobile game applications. It turns out I am part of one of the target audience for video games, specifically the 25-27 age range.

There are several different age range groups for video game players, with the most important belonging in the 18-24 age group at 16.3%, due to them being the most likely to make video game purchases. Meanwhile, the percentages for other applicants that would make game purchases are as follows: 14% of applicants come from the ages of 25-27, 12.2% for 28-30 year old’s, 10.5% for 31-34 year old’s, 8.6% in the 35-40 age range, and finally, 9.4% for those aged 41 and up.

Possibly due to the fact that they most likely have kids of their own in their 40s, this last category has a slightly noticeable increase in applicants who would invest in video games, with the second highest percentage rate aside from the 18-24 age range.

Among the categories pertaining to different levels of education, those who would be the most inclined to make video game transactions would naturally be from students enrolled in high-school, with 18.5% being the highest percentage in the education category. The next two biggest percentages come from students with an Associate degree at 16.9%, while graduates with a Bachelor’s degree come at 14.7%.

Out of all the students with advanced diplomas, 11.6% of gamers belong in the Ph.D category, and players with a J.D. (Juris Doctor) make up 10.1%. The least likely group of educated students to make video game purchases of any kind would be dentists, as only 5.8% of the gaming population belong in that category. (Morris Pairitz, C. May 13, 2020).

The tools that I think would be effective at communicating to a young audience would be through an RSS reader like Feedly and Google Analytics. This would be effective for searching up things like hashtags related to the video game industry, which would then lead me to find plenty of young content creators from YouTube and Twitch who specialize in game content.

References:

Llc, E. O. (2020, May 13). Video Game Demographics – How Many People Play Video Games? – Earnest. Retrieved from https://www.earnest.com/blog/the-demographics-of-video-gaming/

Video Game Demographics

COM0014 – Blog #7: Personal Reflection, What I Have Learned In Class.

By Marc Badr

As I wrap up my studies for this online course, I would like to share the important lessons and concepts I have learned from reading and understanding all the course modules to date, and how they will help me understand the importance of storytelling for my content, the way my posts would be guided by a story structure, as well as the kinds of stories I would tell for my audience.

Since the public is pretty familiar by now with standard storytelling methods that are used across traditional media (Film, TV, Radio, etc.), it only makes sense the storytelling model should be applied to various digital content for popular social media channels. If an audience discovers a new content creator on any platform through a post that tells some kind of a story in a video or blog, those potential new subscribers would be inclined to know more about what the creator/brand has planned in the long term for their content output.

Any time I would create content on WordPress, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc., I always have to keep in mind to tell stories with a clear beginning, middle and end. For this reason, I would use the inverted triangle approach, where I would state all the most essential facts at the beginning of a blog or video. All subsequent information from there would be elaborated through evidence, argument, a link to an online source, and any other information that would contribute to a piece of content that is easy enough to comprehend and enjoy without unnecessary filler that would otherwise drag the quality of a post downwards. (Ontario Learn/Gibbs, S. 2020).

The kinds of stories I would tell would be inspired by my passion and personal experiences related to video games. For example, I could make a series of posts on retrospectives for every noteworthy video game titles I have played throughout my lifetime. I would use the inverted triangle approach so that I can talk about the most important information related to a development history of a game I played.

At the beginning of every post, I would talk about who created a certain game, for what genre and console they are made for, where they made them from, when the game development began and ended, how they created it (tools, software, game engines and all other technical aspects), and why certain events pertaining to development happened the way they did. Through that structure, my audience would be sucked in right away to fascinating stories of a famous development period for big-budget triple AAA titles.

References:

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://ontariolearn.desire2learn.com/d2l/le/content/36136/viewContent/1748748/View

COM0014 – Blog #1: My Last Vacation

By Marc Badr

Photo by Jo Kassis on Pexels.com

The last time I went to vacation was in the summer of 2019 from the first week of July until the first week of September. I went with my sister and mom to Lebanon to go visit our extended relatives in different villages and cities. While the majority of our family was staying with the relatives in the rural areas, me and my 2 other cousins were staying at a chalet that faced towards the restaurant and pool sections of the resort.

In between staying in for the majority of the vacation at this one chalet in the middle of a downtown area in Beirut, the three of us usually end up going back and forth between visiting our relatives in different parts of the country every week, as well as visiting different clubs, various shopping malls, and restaurants with either a cab, or one of our uncles driving us to different places.

Photo by Nate Hovee on Pexels.com

One of the most memorable experiences I have had was attending a huge birthday party outdoors in a mansion for one of my cousin’s rich relatives. It turns out they are the family that owns and manages a Lebanese fast food chicken franchise called “Hawa Chicken”, which specialize in homemade chicken dishes that is halal and non-artificial.

This party had everything one could dream of, from decors and furniture that are mostly covered in gold and silk, to a DJ in charge of the music, as well as a huge buffet with their own personal chefs cooking everything from scratch. They even had water fountains, ice cream stations, giant cakes, and an alcohol bar with bartenders. It was a birthday party unlike anything I have seen in my lifetime, and the 70+ people there were having a blast.

Photo by Jo Kassis on Pexels.com

And last but not least, me and the rest of my cousins and siblings went to the “Sky Bar” in Beirut twice during our visit. The club was outdoors, and an elevator actually takes you to the upper floor of the building, which is where all the excitement was happening. It was so packed, that we actually had trouble moving from one spot to another at times, there were that many people. A huge bar was situated in the middle of the dancefloor, complete with a panoramic-esque view of the Beirut waterfront, and VIP sections in the upper area of the club. I can say without a doubt this was the best club we have ever been to, and it was unlike any party I have experienced.

Tell me what was the last vacation you have been to, and share any unique experiences you may have had by leaving a comment.

COM0014: Blog #6: Do People Know My Story?

By Marc Badr

My name is Marc, and I am currently studying for the online social media program at Algonquin College. As of this writing, I am currently working as a social media specialist for Mario Uomo Italy, a high-end men’s fashion retail store located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. My job requires me to keep track of existing clients and potential new ones that buy our clothing for events such as weddings, work conferences, job interviews, formal occasions, etc.

I use an email marketing tool called Mailchimp, which allows me to create folders for specific purposes, such as a wedding email folder which would help me to keep in touch with clients that buy wedding suits for each season. That way, in case they have any questions or concerns like suit alterations, they want to exchange for another type of suit due to improper fitting, or whatever other issues they may have, I keep a list of every email addresses and their phone numbers (with their consent of course) so that we can communicate with each other about business deals.

Every once in a while, me and my brother Mario (who owns and manages the store) collaborate on marketing plans like hiring photographers for photo sessions showcasing our newest items, in conjunction with promoting discount sales for some of our older merchandise as well on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. To show that we are presented exactly as advertised, I post excerpts from real google customer reviews with quotation marks and their usernames on our social media pages with nothing but praise for our products and services.

COM0014 – Blog #5: My Personal Brand

By Marc Badr

When talking about my personal branding, there are no single keywords that would describe who I am in a nutshell. Most people I am close with would say that I am intelligent, compassionate, laidback and fun to be around. My work colleagues and my boss would think of me as a hard-working guy who takes his job seriously (maybe a bit too seriously at times), and that I am always inquisitive about things like how to do certain tasks the right away so that I could do my job more efficiently.

During my spare time, I like to unwind myself by either playing games on the PlayStation with friends or watching sports with them. Those same group of friends also used to play in high-school and college basketball teams, and even they would be impressed that I happened to have so much knowledge about things like the fundamentals of basketball, knowing the biggest superstar players with their statistics and playstyles, etc. Since I am a bit older than them, I never really got a chance to play in the same team as them, but every now and then, I would find time to play scrimmage matches with them in the nearest outdoor courts from my house.

One thing I did recently that would make me standout from the others is being able to achieve a new-scoring record during a basketball match with my friends against an opposing team of strangers. I made 20 points in each of the 3 games I played with them while the rest of my teammates got below 10 points, leading them on a 3-0 winning streak. My teammates/friends see me as a determined basketball player who wants to improve and perfect the craft of the game, with my recent performance inspiring them to be better themselves.

COM0014 – Blog #4: How Nike Connects With Sneakerheads On Social Media

By Marc Badr

Nowadays, there are various brands dedicated to making shoes (for both casual wear and sports wear), but none are as prominent and influential in the shoe market as Nike. Aside from just creating shoes for sports, mainly with the Air Jordan brand (their most well known items by far), they also sell apparels and equipment’s designed for sporting activities as well. (referenceforbusiness. 2020.).

The brand has a huge presence on all major social media platforms due to their innovative and creative strategies, such as signing the biggest athletes in the sports world for their numerous product endorsements, and interacting with people on social media. However, the two specific platforms I will cover for Nike are their Facebook and Instagram profiles.

When analyzing the quality of Nike’s interactions on Facebook, it seems to me that Nike almost never (if at all) responds to customers complaining about order delays for its products, the customer service agents being either rude or ignorant to customer satisfaction, technical difficulties on their web sites, and a whole range of other issues related to the brand. I think the way they are handling those issues is simply wrong as by ignoring what people are saying about them, it makes Nike look like they only care about their profits and not the fans that helped make the brand what it is today. (Facebook/Nike. 2020.).

Whereas Nike’s Facebook page also tends to be behind when it comes to interacting with customers and posting new content (the last upload on their page was from 2018), their Instagram account is a different story. From touching upon the black lives matter movement by posting their statement about supporting and standing by for black athletes and the community in general, to highlighting lesser known and underappreciated figures in sports from different cultures, religions, etc., Nike does put a lot more effort in giving others a chance at being recognized for their own accomplishments in the sports world on Instagram, as well as uploading content more frequently on that platform. (Instagram/Nike. 2020.).

References:

Encyclopedia of Small Business, Business Biographies, Business Plans, and Encyclopedia of American Industries. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/

Nike. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/nike/?ref=page_internal

Nike. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/nike/

My Personal Brand

I would consider myself as a sympathetic, intelligent, and funny person. I am not the type that would judge someone else’s flaws and imperfections, but I do not think that I am better than anyone despite my positive characteristics. When I am around my friends and family, I do not mind having thoughtful discussions that relates to current events. At the same time though, I like to brighten up other people’s spirits by telling a joke or giving words of encouragement concerning their passions in life and what-not.

If there is one thing that I have been doing lately that makes me standout from others, it is that I choose to still partake in physical activities to improve my health during the pandemic. One thing that I like to do the most is walking outside during the day for at least 30 minutes a day. Of course when I go in the outdoors, I obviously engage in social distancing as much as possible while walking so as not to catch the virus via close contact. I like to listen to music on my phone while doing grocery shopping or other errands for the house, which makes me feel that I did something productive during the day.

My colleagues would say that I am a open-minded person who likes to discover new hobbies and interests, due to me being someone that is young-at heart no matter my age. They notice that I can be a spontaneous person who would almost never say no to any opportunity that is presented to me and taking advantage of it. This applies to my personal life and my career, as I do not see myself being comfortable with one strict schedule every day, but instead continuing to discover new things in life.

How Starbucks Is Taking Advantage of Social Media

Aside from Tim Horton’s and maybe Second Cup, the Starbucks coffee chain always manages to stay relevant in the eyes of Canadian youth for a long time now, and I believe they are here to stay for a good while longer. Other than the fact that they simply make delicious blends of hot coffee, iced coffee, and frappuccinos among other items, the company logo is one of the most iconic in all of franchise chains, and that can be attributed to its presence across all major social media platforms.

Starbucks’ official Facebook page has amassed 36.4 million likes, and their Twitter account is not any less impressive either with 11.7 million followers to date. The company keeps churning out content on a daily basis via social media. However in this case, they do not sacrifice quality over quantity as they are able to deliver on both fronts, and still manage to get people talking with every new post.

Photo taken from https://www.meetsoci.com/blog/starbucks-social-media/

The company has a great reputation for interacting with their customers regularly whenever they create a post on their social media accounts. This can range from products they are trying to sell as shown in the image above, to inspirational stories that can tug on anyone’s heartstrings. This content strategy shows that Starbucks has managed to reach the mainstream public aside from their loyal customer base of coffee lovers.

Photo taken from https://www.meetsoci.com/blog/starbucks-social-media/

The video above has accumulated 4 million views, 104 thousand members have reacted to it, and the video has been shared 58 thousand times across social media. I believe the two images above are great examples of a company like Starbucks going above and beyond to satisfy different groups of people in order to have as broad of an audience as possible.

References: https://www.meetsoci.com/blog/starbucks-social-media/

Are There Consequences of 15 Minutes Of Fame On Social Media?

In the age of social media, there is more opportunity than ever before to get people to notice you online. Whether that means building up an online presence by creating a personal brand for people to follow and latch onto, attracting more customers for your business company through social media platforms, or doing something as simple as sending out friend requests, literally everyone in the world from all walks of life now have a chance to become noticed on some level through the use of social media alone.

Photo Courtesy of Pexels

But every so often, there’s a video that pops up on something like Instagram for example, that will go viral on the internet for reasons that can be less than flattering. These can range from death-defying stunts, to people committing property damage, acts of violence towards those unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of it, animal cruelty, racist rants, the list goes on. These kinds of videos occur regularly online to the point of it being considered normal to the public, but do they come with consequences that can actually impact their real-lives? Well, that depends on the content in question.

One example of karma catching up to people who seek 15 minutes of fame online, comes in the form of a viral video that surfaced not too long ago in which a young woman threw a chair from a high rise balcony onto the busy streets of Toronto, resulting in her receiving a lot of attention online because of it. In the aftermath of that particular video though, she got kicked out of her dental school due to her actions, and was given multiple charges by the Toronto Police related to the incident.

If people seek to get famous in the online world, it would probably be advisable not to do it for the wrong reasons, as it can most likely result in a video receiving public backlash, thus potentially ruining the reputation of the up loader or the subject(s) of said videos in more ways than one.

Are there any other recent instances of videos going viral for the sake of gaining attention on social media? Let me know in the comment section