COM0015: Blog Post 4: Thinking Outside of the Box

When it came to new applications in using social media, and learning new ways to do things for me it felt like this was an easier way to do things! I was excited to get started on the new chapter of my social media journey with these new applications. I remember when the program told me about tweetdeck, I loved it because I could schedule tweets for all my accounts in one place. I could make it a part of my schedule to dedicate an hour of my time to do that for all accounts and be good for a week. I wouldn’t have to stop doing what I was doing during the week to tweet a saved draft (that’s what I used to do before tweetdeck, stockpile on tweets and save them in drafts so I could just go back and post them).

Then came in Pocket, I really like using Pocket to read all my articles and to also keep up to date with my favourite bloggers and to only read what I wanted to enjoy reading. I also use Pocket to make a list of videos I eventually want to watch. A lot of the videos I want to watch are longer like the Shane Dawson series and many documentaries catch my eyes as well so I save them for later in Pocket. I really like having Pocket there to catch everything into one place for me to go back to. I always have gone back to YouTube’s watch later section, where I would put those videos before but when it came to blog posts from my favourite bloggers or articles that catch my eye I never had a place to put them together to then read at a later time. So Pocket is a great application for me. I really enjoy it.

COM0015: Blog Post #3: Networking Now & In the Future

What is your parent strategy for developing your professional network online and in person? What activities and commitments are you making in the next 6-12 months to continue the development of your networks?

My parent strategy for developing my professional network online and in person is to use google alerts to tell me about ‘Ottawa social media events’ and about ‘networking in Ottawa’. I have found an event that happens once a month it’s called ‘awesome-preneurs’ . The event is to network small businesses or freelancers together to make new relationships.

In the next 12 months I will be continuing going to ‘awesome-preneurs’. They have a yearly membership fee so I do not have to pay the $20 every event. it will be $100 for a yearly fee. I liked how everyone was welcoming and comforting. This event just started a few months ago, so a few people were there the first night I went to. They want to venture out and find more people so I will be putting them out there on my own social media, and tell people about it. It will be a great way to meet new people and start my social media business to help others businesses out. Other than ‘awesome-preneurs’ I will be looking out for specific networking events as well for social media online, by checking out facebook and google events for that title. It will be a great way for online networking events to be a part of my schedule.

COM0015: Blog #2: Strong and Weak Organizations (Tattoo Shop Edition)

To be strong with a social media strategy is to plain simply put it, have a strategy. Doesn’t have to be complicated, doesn’t have to be detailed and very specific. To just have a strategy to know what you are doing every day is vital to have a strong social media account.  To not have any strategy, you are blind. As a business you should have some type of strategy in place and if not, it will show. I have found a business that could definitely do better, and one that to me is going very strong. I chose two businesses that are in the same genre so we can see that it is on you and so we can see a contrast between the two businesses.  

 

I will be doing Ink and Water (tattoo shop) as the strong company/business. A brief summary of Ink and Water is that they are a Toronto based tattoo shop, their element is fine lines and details within tattoos. They now own a few locations across Toronto and have special guests now coming in every month or two now to do special promos. Ink and Water has a Facebook business page, business Instagram account and a website where you can book appointments and such.  

Ink and Water have a strong social media strategy because they take their time with posting, they know when their followers are online, they don’t post too much or too little. They plan for their story content on Instagram (you can tell from flash tattoo drops, to their templates to other websites and how they show it all off). I can just tell and see that they think it all through, and how it is strategically done by the timing of the posts, to the way they show off each tattoo. Every artist there has their own style but the whole shop has the whole fine lines and faded look, they have a strong personal brand which I personally can see.  

 

I will be doing Sorry Mum (tattoo shop) as the weak company/business. A brief summary of Sorry Mum is that they are based in Ottawa, and they do anything and everything for tattoos. Every artist is different. At Sorry Mum they own an Instagram account, and a business Facebook page.  

Sorry Mum have a weak social media strategy, their social media accounts are flawed in a sense of, seeing the same photo a few times. When I went through their Facebook page, I saw the same tattoo twice, and to me seeing it once is all I need to assess if this is a business, I want to get a tattoo done with. Sorry Mum does post when they see fits well, the timing is not bad, but they do limit themselves. They only post once a day, and even then, they rely on stories to do so. You can post more than once a day, but you want to be strategic about it. To do it when people are online are a good way to do that. Sorry Mum should take that into consideration, and they should also consider having the same backdrop for each tattoo. They seem to alternate and having a designated spot for photos for their social medias would make them have a better personal branding. They need to make a unified voice because right now I can see that many people run the accounts, which is completely normal and fine but you want a universal voice to have for the business.  

 

All in all, for business like a tattoo shop, hair salon, etc you want to have a good personal branding. It is all about the unified but unique voice. To all have something to bring you all together. The way that Ink and Water has it set up, is great. I have been and gotten a tattoo done by them, and I have been currently looking into getting another one and Sorry Mum was one of my top choices in Ottawa. It was nice to compare and contrast the two, both these tattoo shops do great work and I can’t wait to get another tattoo in the near future. Sorry Mum will really benefit from a social media strategy so they can become the Ink and Water but in Ottawa version. I do see a future for Sorry Mum though, they have potential.  

COMM14 -Blog #7: Reflecting

Story telling is the premise of social media. You are telling a quick story in a tweet, you are showing a story in a YouTube video, it is story telling no matter where you go.

Photo by Fancycrave.com on Pexels.com

Let’s take the YouTube video as an example. I am a beauty guru basically. I have fun with my videos though, I will say most are not tutorials but some are. A tutorial is showing how something is done. Yes, that is a story. Take a hairstyles video. I compile my new styles together. I begin by telling people what the end result is, I then start the look. I tell them the tools needed, and how to do it. And I give tips and tricks along the way as well to make it easier if you are doing it on yourself, and tips if you are the one doing it for others. I then end it with telling them the final steps and showing how it looks. That is a story.

My content in the past has just been ‘trendy’. I did not have much story to it. I just made something and put it up. I was not proud of my content for a while. I have now learned that my content needs to have a story. It needs to showcase something. Entertainment or educational. That’s how I see my own YouTube channel now, how I see my instagram stories, how I view my tweets. Everything is a story. Everything needs a why and a how.

The stories I want to tell are how I got to where I am. How I got to be who I am, and why I am the way I am. To explain things in a way to story telling way is very compelling to me. I love it, and I am hoping to have more stories to tell.

Thank you so much for reading, and leave a comment if you have a story to tell; what’s your story?

COM0014 – Blog #6: Your Story is Important, as Much as You Are

When people look at businesses, or even nowadays influencers they want to know how they got to where they are. Or why they are doing what they are doing. The story behind you and your business is an important story. And no it is not your birth, and how you became this person. That does play a role, but not the main story.

Photo by Dids on Pexels.com

For me I could say me getting bullied for making YouTube videos is a part of my story, and yes it is but the factor I should say is that ‘ I love doing other people’s hair because I know how it feels to be low, to be belittled so to make someones day better with great hair at the end of the day makes my day’.

When you take factors like that, it makes it personal. That’s what people want. They want to know who you are.

“What is your greatest achievement/disappointment?”

Greatest disappointment for me would be me leaving the industry for 9 months. And even more since I was considering leaving the hair industry all together by that point. I forgot what it was like doing hair, and I was going to let it stop me all together. But it didn’t. I rose above it, got the job that was my final try.

Greatest achievement? That is a harder one to answer, for me at least. To have an achievement is to say you’re good at something. While I do think I have talent in hair my achievement is more so my computer and people skills. I can talk to anyone about anything. I am also amazing at fixing computers, internally and externally. To communicate with people brings me joy, to make someone smile makes me incredibly happy. It makes me feel good, and I do think that’s an achievement because we all have our bad times, so getting someone to smile and be happy for a moment is an achievement at that moment.

What about you, do you have any achievements/disappointments? Let me know in the comments below. I want to hear your story as well!

COM0014 – Blog #5: Personal Branding aka You!

In my industry, a YouTuber and a hairstylist you need to set yourself apart from everyone else. Why should someone come to me for hairstyling? My co-workers do amazing work as well, so why should someone see me? For my YouTube channel I should ask myself what makes me different from my favourite YouTubers? Why should someone watch my video?

My personal branding is my optimism for everyone and anyone. I will give you hope and love, even if we just met. No one will be discriminated in my salon and no one will feel bad in my presence. I will remove negativity, fear, etc.

As an Aries I would say I am also very leader-like. Being fearless is who I am. I wouldn’t know who I am without it. I am confident with my abilities as a hairstylist. I am always learning, but I am confident in my skills to make someone look and feel great. My pride is in my confidence, and in my independence. When I am in the zone with someone, I am with them fully.

I am also very ‘extra’ in the way of my personality and the way I do things. I like going all out, I am never half in. I have to be fully interested someone, or I am invested with you and your time with me in my chair, I want to always show that when I am with someone, I am with them and no one else. I’m also extra by my clothes and how I style myself, but that’s how my extra personality goes into my work.

I am always determined to be there for someone because I know how it is without someone. I have anxiety and yes it dampers me sometimes, but it grounds me to be there for others. I have been able to push past mine for the most part. I love being there for someone and offering advice.

That’s my personal branding, whats yours like?

COM0014 – Blog #4: Fenty Beauty Kit

Fenty Beauty is as huge as Kim Kardashian’s butt. It’s in every Sephora and their wide range of complexions is very inclusive and warming to everyone.

Photo by Anderson Guerra on Pexels.com

Fenty beauty’s approach is very friendly online. They retweet photos of looks with their makeup being used in, they get on the trends with current memes and even current TV shows like Game of Thrones.

They encourage interaction by having call to actions on almost every tweet, facebook post, etc. Their instagram is shop-able from the Instagram app so they make it accessible to buy products if you can’t get to a store.

They want you to get their product, but they are going about it in a friendly way, making you feel like they care about you. And they do, to an extent. They want customers to come back, show what they have done with their products, and to expand their customer base by word of mouth.

“What is on your lips? Love the colour!”

“Fenty Beauty lip gloss”

A company that goes by word of mouth can go so far, fenty beauty a makeup company can go even farther because of how they started their brand with a full line of inclusivity shades/colours for foundations. They added more products over time, they made it a huge announcement to have that many shades within a certain product.

I will say Fenty beauty is doing it very well. They have a huge following online and in the stores for all their products. Their photos, words, posts are all on brand for them. They have a unique voice and it is being perceived very well.

Their inclusive line is empowering to women, do you feel empowered when you wear makeup?

COM0014 – Blog #3: Audiences

As a YouTuber, a beauty guru of all I have always thought I have known my audience. But boy was I wrong, but also right in some aspects…let’s just say things change over time.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

As I read the lesson for week 3, I did the exercise to know my audience.

1. What gender? For me, any gender nowadays, ask 16 year old me, I would say females only. Now as an open minded person I will say all genders are welcome to my YouTube channel. Whether you are female, male, transgender, any gender is welcome to my little part of the internet!
2. What is the education level of your audience? Now, I would say college/university level; people around my age 20s-30s. Before, again around my age but you can see it was a bit more childish content and the way it was made was to appeal to young girls.
3. What is the martial status and family type of your target audience? I mean single and married people can enjoy my content! As for who do I curate for? Most likely single people then, especially the stuff I have in the works currently.
4. What are the ethnic and/or religious backgrounds of the people using your products and services? I will say again, anyone can enjoy my content. I do celebrate the traditional holidays as my dad and his family was catholic. My parents never claimed a religion for our family to uphold to. We just did what my dad’s parents did.

So, all in conclusion it just depends where you are to know your audience. Mine has changed, and yours may change over time as well. Everyone grows as a person, so taste and how we perceive things changes over time. It makes us all a better person!

Have you changed your audience and who they are, since you started making content or after making your business? Let me know below in the comments!

COMM0014- Blog Post #2 – What I learned

The inverted pyramid style of writing was new to me! As a video blogger (youtuber) I lately learned of speaking clearly and concise but writing is still new to me. Nevertheless though I learned about it and it has made a huge impact. I’m always up for learning new things everyday no matter what the day is.

Inverted pyramid writing is really interesting to me. Once it got introduced to me, I realized that many articles and stories I have previously read have used it. Even though I would say I don’t skim articles, I am either not interested or I am and read it all. I never roughly go through a piece of written material.

I have always thought of what I want people to take from my videos. Whether it be just a form of entertainment, so just sharing the video, or it be informative and want them to incorporate their own information/comment below the post to bring more attention to the topic. A question is my usual way to end a post or video, it lets them know I want their help or opinion on something.

Grammar and punctuation is my own favourite thing to do, it is so interesting to me to see how we can say things but they can be retorted in many ways! Active vs passive writing/talking is how I like to view things as well. I like seeing it in both ways first, before I then decide how I want to go about it. Active is the most popular and loved but I believe there is a time and place for both.

All in all, the inverted pyramid was new to me, and I really enjoy it now and see it everywhere currently! The outcome of every post is important, what you want to come from it is crucial. As always as well the way we write (grammar and punctuation) is a way of writing and in general important to make sense.

Let me know what you took away from the past week’s lesson! And if you don’t have access to it (to other students or someone else reading the Algonquin college social media wordpress) let me know what your opinions are on the matter down below.

COMM0014- Blog Post #1 – The Not So Cuba Sun

Cuba, what a destination, beautiful sun, beaches, and the food is okay. All is good, all is great and – wait no that is Dominican Republic. Cuba has okay beaches, no sun and food is terrible.

At least for me that is how it was.

I went to Varadero, Cuba for a week in 2018. I have a lengthy video showing how it was on my youtube channel. Through that experience I have learned to not go to Cuba in January. It is how I described earlier, no sun, beaches were okay, and the food sucked, other than this barbecue guy actually he was a good chef but he only did hamburgers and hotdogs.

My parents bought that vacation for me as a gift, at the time I was an assistant for a salon where I worked every hour the salon was open. It was mentally very taxing and I remember when my parents told me that they got the vacation as a gift and only told me so I can take the time off and let my bosses know very early. So I told them, they denied it and with that, and it being very taxing on me I left the salon with my two week notice in place. My two-week notice ended the same day I left for Cuba. It just felt good to go away, Cuba is not the best with wifi so I never bothered. A week away from social media back then felt so good, I still remember it.

It may have not been the best weather while we were down in Cuba, but as my parents said ,” It’s much better than back home though.” That was very true, we missed a snowstorm in Ontario that week we were away.

The vacation itself was fun, we went into the town of Varadero and ate good food in town, went to the Beatles bar, and it was honestly great. I also bought a fun trip into Havana for a day. At the time too the song Havana by Camilla Cabello was very popular so I knew for my video I would get the instrumental to just play in the background while I was there. Havana was fun, had a blast touring the city on my own for a bit and the tour guide knew where to take photos and had great historic background to everywhere we went.

The city is great, resorts are okay, just do not go to Cuba in January and you will be fine. My parents and I learned this the hard way, learn from us! I seriously wished my parents looked up an okay time to go, because I just googled ‘when to go to Cuba’ and found many forums talking about this. I found a few of my favourites though so here is Tripadvisor, and Audleytravel.

Have fun on your next vacation, wishing you that it’s not like mine! Safe travels and wishing you good weather! Where are you headed next? Let me know down below!