April 21, 2022 by sarahcopoc

COM0014 Digital Communication Post 7 – Personal Reflection

Photo Credit: thinkingpathways.weebly.com

Why is storytelling important to creating great digital content?

Story telling style is super important and can be chosen upon reflecting on your target audience or demographic. Knowing your audience is the first step to knowing how to tell your story effectively. The more you can tailor your story telling style toward what your target audience enjoys, the more engagement, KPIs and mentions you receive. The more engagement, KPIs and mentions you get, the further your reach will go. The further your reach, the more brand awareness you raise.

How will your content be guided by the story?

My story topics will be all about the world of real estate, our company and everything that effects those 2 things. The purpose of our content will be to inform the audience, help them and entertain them all at the same time. I will also be posting a lot of content that is relevant to the city and county that we live in. Everything I write will involve one of those things.

What kind of stories do you want to tell?

I will be telling stories about the housing market, client experiences, our agents, interest rates and where the market is predicted to go. I will also be posting all of our listings and their corresponding videos.

One of the main functions of our social media is to highlight our listings but listings alone are boring so we will be posting holiday greetings, agent birthdays, draws and giveaways and housing information that the general public may not otherwise know about.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to take this course. I’ve learned a lot of useful information that will certainly guild me toward social media management success.

April 14, 2022 by sarahcopoc

COM0014 Digital Communication Do People Know Your Story?

Question: What challenges have I overcome to arrive at this point?

Let me tell you about some of the challenges that I have overcome to arrive at this point. When I was a small child, in about grade 1, my mother was getting notes from my teachers complaining that I never sat at my desk and was always wandering around the classroom. I never caused trouble, broke any rules or became disrespectful but over the next several years my teachers aired similar concerns. I always felt like I was different from the other kids and not accepted by them. I struggled to fit in.

When I was 11 years old my mother’s co-worker’s son was diagnosed with something she’d never heard of before, ADHD. My mother promptly took me to a special psychiatrist in London and I was diagnosed with ADHD as well. What’s’ next? Why medication of course! Within 4 days of starting Ritalin I attempted suicide by swallowing a bottle of extra strength Tylenol. I ended up getting my stomach pumped and survived.

The stigma I carried from class to class, year to year, teacher to teacher, of being a “bad kid”, despite trying my absolute hardest to be good, took a toll on me. My best was never enough and teachers and students never had a problem letting me know that they didn’t like me. The kids started bullying me at school to the point that I had to leave the school. Moving forward my mother put me on a plethora of depression and anxiety medications as advised by my doctors.

My childhood was not an overly happy or easy one. I continue to battle anxiety and depression from time to time. But despite battling mental health most of my life I am still a wife of 16 years, a mother of 4 sons, a foster parent and a career woman.

April 12, 2022 by sarahcopoc

COM0015 Applied Social Media Assignment #5 Event Participation

On April 12 at noon I attended a zoom meeting for a local professional networking group called BWNG, Brant Womens Networking Group.

NETWORKING WITH WOMEN FOR WOMEN!

“Brant Women Networking Group is a progressive women’s organization that supports women in achieving business, financial and personal success. Learning through speakers, workshops and networking” – BWNG

The meeting went great. Everyone was very friendly and supportive and made me feel welcome. It was an hour long and was hosted by the current president, my coworker, Amy Henderson, Realtor. We spent the first 45 minutes with introductions. There were 13 women in attendance including myself and we spent approximately 3 minutes each introducing ourselves and explaining our businesses and our roles.

Amy chose the topic of the meeting to be “plating seeds”. In other words how do you plant seeds for your business that grow into conversions? At the 45 minute mark we were parted into breakout rooms in smaller groups so we could discuss the topic further. I found the topic very helpful and the conversations were engaging. I met several new people but notably Sue Coleman, a life coach and Susan Herrnnan, a professional organizer and newly licensed property stager.

Sara McLennan, General Manager, Enterprise Brant told a lovely story about how she procured a business loan for a man for $15,000 and within 5 years his business was worth over $1.6 million and employed over 60 people. “It was so gratifying plating that seed and watching it grow.” – Sara McLennan

Even though I have an arrangement with my boss that he will be my only client, I will most definitely be attending more networking groups like this in the future even just to get fresh perspectives and ideas and make new contacts and connections with successful, driven people.

Resources:

https://www.facebook.com/brantwng

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87931912087?pwd=UnlpVExNUWhhQVlRamgrdC9tSzI0dz09

April 12, 2022 by sarahcopoc

COM0014 Assignment No. 1, Blog Post # 5 Personal Brand

I am a very humble person. I never like to brag and I find people that do off putting so for me to list my best assets is a difficult task. But here goes. My personal brand would be best described by my most notable traits.

No. 1 would be my sense of humour. I use humour as a remedy for all that ails you. Bored? Tell a joke. Depressed: Tell a joke. Awkward silence? Tell a joke. I often break down barriers with my clients and co-workers with humour. So far this strategy has never done me wrong.

No. 2 of my most notable traits would be my self-sacrifice. I am a “yes” girl. If you ask something of me 99% of the time I will do or give you what you want. (Shhhhh, I don’t want this information to get into the wrong hands.) Once I received a call from my boss that a client wanted to see a property and I had to get up and leave in the middle of my son’s birthday party to make it happen. I know what you’re thinking, What about my poor son? Well he had 20 people there to keep him busy and I got back in time for cake.

No. 3, in my business you need to be able to bear the brunt of people’s frustrations and you have to handle it with grace and poise. Now this skill took some honing but it pays off in dividends. I’ve had clients tell me right off, f shot and everything. I always remain calm, I tell them that I’m very sorry they feel that way and I remain empathetic. One lady I cold called called me back 3 months later and told me that she wanted to list her house with us because she was so impressed with the way that I stayed calm when she told me where to go.

April 11, 2022 by sarahcopoc

COM0015 ASSIGNMENT #1 Blog Post #3 – Professional Networking Now and in the Future

When you work in the real estate field there are many, many networking possibilities. Although you have to be very careful because real estate is a very cutthroat industry and full of sharks ready to eat you alive at the first chance they can get. There are always meetings being held that offer open invitations everyone that belongs to the local real estate association.

I work at a brokerage with over 40 agents in 4 different teams so I network with the other teams in our brokerage quite often and I plan to meet with the social media manager of the largest team in our brokerage once I step into the new role July 1, 2022. It is much safer to network with agents that have a professional tie with you, the chances of getting stabbed in the back are much lower that way.

There are 4 people on my team that belong to networking groups that meet regularly. I myself don’t have a need for monthly networking because I myself am not an agent but I do tag along with my team members to their networking groups from time to time. It’s always nice to meet with and converse with business minded people and make connections with other successful and motivated people.

Because of the nature of my work, my large family and my schedule, I don’t nor do I plan to do an over abundance of networking, in person or otherwise. I already have my forever job and it just doesn’t apply to me. However, I am a member of several Facebook Groups focused on social media marketing, content creation and graphic design and I pay close attention to the posts so I can stay current. I am also on a Whats app group with 30 agents called the Gold miners that sends out pre listings to each other and try to strike up a deal before the property hits the market.

As an in-house Social Media Manager and a Client Coordinator I already have a steady stream of leads coming from our website but it never hurts to get out and connect once in a while.

April 10, 2022 by sarahcopoc

The Reality of Social Media Addiction

Something that I’ve noticed lately and especially since starting the social media marketing courses is that I am spending an obscene amount of time on social media. I often use Facebook, Instagram and TikTok as distractions from my busy life, my anxieties and my many, many obligations when I need a break.

As addictions go, one could have chosen a more debilitating substance than social media, however, that doesn’t mean that our lives aren’t also impacted by the affliction. I often wonder how many other things I could be doing with my time; more quality time with my children or husband, more cleaning, anything more productive than staring at a screen essentially drooling and blindly scrolling.

So what does one do when they find themselves stricken with this particular ailment? Well they say that admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery right? Being that I rely heavily on social media for work purposes, I’ve decided to give myself some grace and try not to beat myself up about it, that would only have made my predicament even worse. I have decided to limit my personal social media use and ergo increase my productivity and improve my time management.

I have an Iphone XR and because real estate never sleeps my phone never leaves my side. After a quick Google search I discovered that in the Iphone settings you can limit certain app types for a predetermined amount of time each day. I tend to use my phone to scroll through my personal social media so I set my limit to 1 hour a day. I use my laptop for work so I will be not be counting the time I’m working on social media for professional reasons. I feel like this is more than enough time to waste drifting in cyber space when there’s work, blogs, assignments, cleaning, etc. to do. I’m struggling to stick to my commitment but as the days pass I’m finding it easier and easier to ignore the siren’s call each each day. I know that this conscious decision will only enhance the quality of life of myself and my family.

Have you ever thought about the amount of time you spend on social media each day? Has the thought ever crossed your mind that you may be addicted to it? I encourage you to give it a think over and decide whether you would benefit from restricting your usage in a similar way that I am. Let me know in the comments how you are fairing with your commitment to reduce your daily social media use.

Facebook: I am aware of the irony but if you find that you or a loved one is spending too much time on social media, check out my blog post.

Twitter: Are you struggling with time management and wasting time on social media? You are not alone. Check out my blog.

April 5, 2022 by sarahcopoc

Social Media Game on Point

I know they’ve been mentioned several times throughout our courses, but for good reason. In my opinion, Dove comes out on top by leaps and bounds for their social media game. They picked a cause to back that is relatable the world over to billions of people and have stuck with it. Their ongoing campaign gets a facelift and a fresh angle from time to time to keep it fresh and engaging.

Sure, they’ve made a few mistakes here and there, but who hasn’t? Nobody is perfect, we just learn from our mistakes, right?

“For more than 15 years, we’ve been helping parents, mentors, teachers and youth leaders deliver self-esteem education that’s reached more than 60 million young people so far. Join us to help reach even more.”

– Dove

I absolutely think that their efforts have not gone unrewarded. The brand has an astronomical 27 MILLION followers on Facebook and an admirable 709K followers on instagram. They are a household name and have garnered the trust and respect of the masses, for the most part. I have yet to find another brand with a marketing campaign as impressive as theirs. Not only do they promote raising self-esteem and self-love but they also show their support for all of the current social injustices and ensure equal representation no matter age, race or sexual preference. I’ve gotta say that their marketing team has knocked it out of the park and if I can perform even a fracture as well as they do then I’ll do alright.

References:

https://www.dove.com/ca/en/dove-self-esteem-project.html

April 4, 2022 by sarahcopoc

The Perils of Online Scammers

We all agree that social media is an incredible tool with endless possibilities. With that said, it has endless positive possibilities AND endless negative possibilities. And one of those negative possibilities is being a breeding ground for online scammers.

They are always there, lurking around every corner. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been approached on Facebook, Instagram and What’s App by men from across the globe that just want to “be friends.”

99% of the time these accounts present as men, who knows their actual gender, and if you look at their account they usually have 4-5 pictures and were all uploaded today.

I’ll never forget the first scammer to message me, it was about 6 years ago, I was working at the office and got a message on Facebook messenger. He was a jacked soldier on leave in the US. I noticed right away how few pictures he had on his page and that it had been opened that day. He started by saying I was beautiful and that it looked by my profile that I was not married. Funny because my profile picture was of me and my children and my info says married. I tried to be polite, incase he was legit but after telling him I was happily married with children he persisted. I blocked him before it could go any further.

I could see through him right away, but what if they finally sink their hooks into someone that doesn’t know better? Someone vulnerable, a senior, someone with special needs, etc. It happens.

A few years ago I met a client at a restaurant, she was in her early 60s, a cancer survivor and a divorcée. She said she was purchasing a property for herself and her boyfriend. After listening to her speak it was quite apparent that her “boyfriend “ was a scammer. She’d never met him, he lived in “Alaska” and they don’t “have internet there” to make video calls. I gently probed her and she was quite sure he was the real deal. She had given him all of her bank and credit card information. I always wondered if anyone ever fell for the tricks. Question answered.

The client never ended up buying a house but I did keep in touch with her. Six months later she said she realized he was a fraud and a week later she was “back together “ with him. She never met the man but they were “together “ for over a year. Thousands of dollars were swindled from her. I’ve always wondered why the scammers behave this way. I’ve realized the answer is because people actually do fall for their ruse. There is money to be stolen and people out there lonely enough to send it.

Please help raise awareness and have a talk with kids and vulnerable people to watch out for predators and to never give private information or money to people you’ve never met.

Facebook: Protect your loved ones by having this discussion with them. Read my blog: https://algonquincollegesocialmedia.wordpress.com/2022/04/04/the-perils-of-online-scammers/

Twitter: Do you know a vulnerable person or child that’s online? Read my blog and help protect them

March 29, 2022 by sarahcopoc

Strong & Weak Organizations

When tasked to discuss strong and weak brands on social media I thought to myself, surely in 2022 all the best brands have it figured out by now, right? I must confess that I personally don’t follow any major corporate brands and if I am I am paying 0 attention to them. So obviously some research was in order for this one. One brand that does stand out to me to have a very strong social media presence, which was also mentioned in the module content, is Dove. I myself have noticed their campaign on tv and the internet in the past, one I think we all can admire, calling for women to love their bodies. It’s a very commendable and much needed message.

“The ‘Real Beauty’ campaign has been refreshed multiple times since it first launched in 2004. It’s not been without its controversies, but in 2020, Dove once again highlighted the core message, going far beyond surface aesthetic to focus on the beauty of real human values.” – Nikki Gilliland, Econsultancy

Dove is bringing awareness to a problem that plagues millions all over the world, therefore creating a highly relatable message that approximately half the population can get behind. The company has so many campaigns that I can hardly keep up, but they stay consistent with their repeated calls to action. Their current campaign is “Have the Selfie Talk. #NoDigitalDistortion movement to help young people build self-confidence and positive body image on social media. This is a representation of how far retouching apps can distort beauty. #NoDigitalDistortion is our longstanding movement to help young people build self confidence on social media. Get our Confidence Kit and have the Selfie Talk with a young person in your life. Let’s reverse the negative effects of social media and build resilience. The Dove Self-Esteem Project can show you how.” – Dove.ca. The website provides a downloadable pdf guid for parents and teachers to broach the subject with youth. I LOVE THIS! This is a topic that I expressed deep concern about in a previous blog post.

With regard to a brand with a weak social media campaign I was drawing a blank but lucky for me inspiration struck when I least expected it. I was cooking in my kitchen and looked over at the big box of Ritz Mini Sandwiches that I put in my kids’ lunches and thought Ritz is a big brand, I’ll check out their Facebook page. Just as I suspected the postings were sparse and not very impressive. Ritz would benefit greatly from a campaign with a call to action and judging by how much my children love Ritz, I would target the campaign towards kids. Maybe like back in the day “How do you eat your Ritz Mini Sandwiches?” or “Which Flavour Ritz Mini Sandwiches is Best?”, OR they could come up with 3-5 new flavours to manufacture and ask for a nationwide vote on which flavour is best. These types of campaigns have proven very successful for other brands like Oreos and Lays and could definitely make a big impact for the brand and help to put them back on the map and get a buzz going.

References:

http://www.econsultancy.com/30-brands-with-excellent-social-media-strategies/

https://www.dove.com/ca/en/stories/campaigns/theselfietalk.html

Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program

The best group blog Algonquin College social media students have ever written

Author: sarahcopoc

COM0014 Digital Communication Post 7 – Personal Reflection

COM0014 Digital Communication Do People Know Your Story?

COM0014 Assignment No. 1, Blog Post # 5 Personal Brand

Social Media Game on Point