Blog Post #2 – Strong and Weak Organizations

In this post I will discuss social media strategy for a strong organization which is Emirates Airline and an organization that needs to adopt a social media strategy which is Farley Mowat Public School (FMPS).

Emirates Airline on social media

Emirates airline knows how to make social media work for its benefits. They have an impressive social media plan within their marketing strategy. Some of the marketing campaigns that had high echo across all social media: #BeingThere campaign which was transmitted on different social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Below I will explain how Emirates Airline was able to grow awareness about their network, inspire travellers, and engage people with their social media channels.

#BeingThere campaign

Emirates Airline had chosen 7 Globalista (travel is their passion) to travel to different cities, capturing shots & videos and post it on the social media platforms. I will highlight 2 social media tools that have been used successfully in promoting for the campaign.

Facebook:

• Facebook was powerful at this campaign as it helped to reach higher targeted people and video view volumes and greater interaction.
• 120 Million people reached on Facebook
• Over 60 Million Video views on Facebook and YouTube

Twitter:

• Emirates partnered up with many traveller bloggers, who shared Emirates content with their followers allowing Emirates airline message to reach out for more people on Twitter.
• High amount of positive tweets on #beingthere @Emirates
• Globalistas posted daily tweets about their trip and engaged people by asking them where do you think our next trip will be?
• Varieties of contents were posted on twitter to encourage people who are passionate about travelling to like, comment and share.
• Over 50 Million impressions on Twitter

In my opinion Emirates #BeThere campaign was victorious in all standards, their Goals & visions were clear, the media efforts was appropriate to the targeted audience, and they have chosen multiple social media channels that go well with their campaign.

Farley Mowat Public School (FMPS)

I believe Farley Mowat Public School can establish a professional presence that allows them to capitalize on this social space in many important ways. Facebook Page is an excellent opportunity for schools to supplement their web presence, although FMPS has a Facebook page but it’s not active.

If FMPS is consistent in keeping the information updated and accurate, students and families will likely come to rely on the Facebook Page as a resource to find information about what’s going on at the school.

Successful presence on social media provides an opportunity to showcase the unique culture of the school and promote the academic development of the students.

Also if the school is active on social media, it will be easier for community members to get involved and share their opinions on a variety of fronts.

First steps into the world of social media

• Understand the audience, where they are? What platform they use? What they like to read about. Most popular social media platforms are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
• How often to post and when
  • Facebook: school can post once or twice every weekday
  • Twitter: 2- 3 times a day
  • Instagram: 1 photo per day or many photos if there is an event or school trip.
• Timing: it is important to determine the best time to post. Most people are consistently checking in before they begin their day or after school/work.
• Well-constructed posts are essential to attract the audience’s attention and make them engaged.

References:

• “Emirates Be There Campaign.” Shorty Awards, http://shortyawards.com/8th/emirates-be-there-campaign
• Hersh, Fadi. “Emirates Airlines And Social Media Marketing.”Waterloo,19,June.2017, https://smbp.uwaterloo.ca/2017/06/emirates-case-study/
• “Be There with Emirates.” CREAM Inspiring Innovation , Havas Media, http://www.creamglobal.com/case-studies/latest/17798/37670/be-there-with-emirates/
• https://mashable.com/2011/04/26/facebook-for-schools/
• https://www.schoolwebmasters.com/Blog_Articles?entityid=233110

COM00014 Blog 7 – Personal Reflection

We’ve learned in this course that storytelling is a great tool to capture audience’s attention and make them engaged if done accurately. Carolanne Mangles in her post Storytelling is the future of Content Marketing strategy in 2018

Wrote “The power of telling your audience a story is a technique that must not be overlooked, because when done correctly with strategic planning – knowing who your audience is, where they are and what story they want to know – will provide great engagement with your content and brand.“

Also we’ve learned how to create messages that are appropriate to the brand of an organization or individual and this is explained perfectly in Carolanne Mangles’ post, she gave an example about National Geographic while they are masters at engaging their followers on social media platforms following great techniques such as posting high quality, colourful and unique visual content, using interesting, unusual, shocking, or emotional engaging first sentence to grip the audience, and writing texts that are full of detail and rich with every description of the subject of the image, their reason for being there / why they are important and descriptions of their surroundings.

retrieved from:http://yoursmallbusinessgrowth.com

The story that I would share with others about the challenges that I had faced when I decided to move away from family, friends & places where I grew up and came to live in Ottawa, new city, new people, new environment, how I had to start to learn new language, and earn a new certificate to work and blend into society.

 References:

Storytelling is the future of Content Marketing strategy in 2018

image :http://yoursmallbusinessgrowth.com/3-ways-personal-reflection-can-help-you-grow-your-business/

Personal Brand

I was born and raised in Dubai, an advanced, luxurious, and the multicultural city that shaped my feelings and personality. Living in Dubai made me proud of my Identity as a Muslim woman who is wearing veil, speaks Arabic and English fluently, and believes in diversity and multiculturalism.

It gave me the skills and the strength to move and live in another city that shares almost the same values which is Ottawa Ontario in Canada.

In Ottawa, I easily built relationships with many people who speak different languages, have different backgrounds, religions, and skin colors. Living in two different cities: one in the east and another in the west played a critical role in defining my values and who I am. This is one of my characteristic that sets me apart from others

Another characteristic is, I like to be perceived by others as highly educated person who is always learning something new. I have finished my Master degree in Human Resources Management, studied French language and now I’m pursuing a social media certificate. I’m also a reader interested in reading books about human development and emotional intelligence.

Retrieved from:http://www.mongolia-travel-and-tours.com/horseback-horse-riding-tours-mongolia.html

 

I am an athlete, which is my third characteristic that makes me different from others. I enjoy different type of sports and every year I add a new sport to my list. When I was younger, I‘ve been always one of the top 3 winners in Bing Bong (Table Tennis), swimming and running races. I played Karate for 10 years and I have the brown belt. Since two years I’ve started learning Back horse riding and my next sport is learning kickboxing.

Voluntarism is my last characteristic. I learned voluntarism here in Ottawa. I found joyfulness in engaging with people from different places and contributing to the community I Live in. Right now I’m volunteering with Blood Canada and in the future I would like to volunteer with Food Bank here in Ottawa.

 

Reference:

http://www.mongolia-travel-and-tours.com/horseback-horse-riding-tours-mongolia.html

B2C-Emirates Airline

retrieved from Emirates.com

Emirates Airlines

Emirates Airlines are one of the leading airlines in the world. Its a brand to youth, innovation and adventures. In order to reinforce this image, the airlines are engaging proactively with its customers 24/7 by developing a high quality campaigns resulting in a strong presence on social media platforms.

Emirates Airline on social media

Emirates airlines know how to make social media work for its benefits. Some of the marketing campaigns that had high echo across all social media: #BeingThere campaign which was transmitted on different social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Below I will explain how Emirates Airlines were able to grow awareness about their network, inspire travellers, and engage people with their social media channels.

#BeingThere campaign

Emirates Airlines had chosen 7 Globalista (travel is their passion) to travel to different cities, capturing shots & videos and post it on the social media platforms.

I will highlight 2 social media tools that have been used successfully in promoting for the campaign.

Facebook:

• Facebook was powerful at this campaign as it helped to reach higher targeted people and video view volumes and greater interaction.
• 120 Million people reached on Facebook
• Over 60 Million Video views on Facebook and YouTube

Twitter:

• Emirates partnered up with many traveller bloggers, who shared Emirates content with their followers allowing Emirates airline message to reach out for more people on Twitter.

• High amount of positive tweets on #beingthere @Emirates
• Globalista posted daily tweets about their trip and engaged people by asking them where do you think our next trip will be?

• Varieties of contents were posted on twitter to encourage people who are passionate about travelling to like, comment and share.
• Over 50 Million impressions on Twitter

 

In my opinion Emirates #BeThere campaign was victorious in all standards, their Goals & visions were clear, the media efforts was appropriate to the targeted audience, and they have chosen multiple social media channels that go well with their campaign.

 

References:

1. “Emirates Be There Campaign.” Shorty Awards, http://shortyawards.com/8th/emirates-be-there-campaign

2. Hersh, Fadi. “Emirates Airlines And Social Media Marketing.”Waterloo,19,June.2017, https://smbp.uwaterloo.ca/2017/06/emirates-case-study/

3. “Be There with Emirates.” CREAM Inspiring Innovation , Havas Media, http://www.creamglobal.com/case-studies/latest/17798/37670/be-there-with-emirates/

4. picture: https://binged.it/2yjRUKD

Analyzing your Audience

There are different methods to analyzing our audience on social media as mentioned in lesson #4; below are guidelines that I have used to analyze the audience for motherhood and parenting blog.

Analyzing the audience:

• Identify the target audience: Who the audience are? Where are they communicating? What are they discussing? For example, my blog is about motherhood and parenting, my targeted audience are parents, psychologist and educators. After identifying my audience, I have set a Google alert to notify me when articles are being posted that contain keywords such as: children and parenting, raising children, how to be a great mom. On twitter I followed influencers in my area of interest, these influencers post on regular basis. On Facebook I have chosen to join Facebook pages that has a high number of members to learn what type of topics that engage them and who are the active members on these pages. On Instagram i have kept my eye on the most active hashtags that discusses childhood & family topics. Implanting this detailed research guided me to have a great understanding what are the topics that interest people to talk about it in my blog.
• Understanding the industry: using specific keywords search related to childhood & family in Twitter search, Google alert, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram helped me to understand clearly my industry, how tough it is? What topics engaged followers more than others? This understanding played a great role in the way I choose my contents.
• Learn about my competitor: by doing quick search on the same social media tools mentioned above, I was able to identify my competitors, how they are perceived by their audience and what tools they are using. This step was very beneficial as I was able to determine my competitor’s weaknesses in order to use it for my advantage.

Successful online campaign:

#worldstoughestjob: A campaign that went viral in 2014, when a American Greetings Card store and Mullen made an uplifting video ad for Mother’s Day that offered a fake job. They posted it online, printed it in newspapers, and then held real interviews with a dozen unsuspecting people looking to take the position of Director of Operations. What made this job so interesting? Unlimited hours, no breaks, no time off, and no pay were just a few of the crazy requirements for the job. By the end of the video, the interviewees realize the job they are applying for is what many people feel is the most important job – being a Mom. In the last few seconds of the video, it reaches out to the audience saying, “This Mother’s Day, you might want to make her a card.” Steps For Viral Campaign Success: #WorldsToughestJob Videos (2014, June 12). Retrieved from http://www.pagemodo.com/blog/3-steps-viral-campaign-success-worldstoughestjob-videos/

 

References:

https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-create-a-social-media-marketing-plan/

http://ccol.algonquincollege.com/com0014/lesson-3/lesson-content/\

http://www.pagemodo.com/blog/3-steps-viral-campaign-success-worldstoughestjob-videos/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_3941651401&feature=iv&src_vid=MWcJZ210AaM&v=NDmHcTLdKGk

Blog 2: How to stand out

(Image via Bronco Round Up)

 

This week, I learned that writing is a great way to express feelings and in order to engage people with our stories, our writing style should hook the reader and make them excited to come back to the blog and even leave a comment or a like.

In the past, I used to think that I’m not a good writer and that’s why making a phone call has been easier for me than sending an E-mail. However, since I have written many blogs I feel more confident and I realized that being a good writer is not as difficult as I thought as long as I follow the right steps to reach out. The first step is to define my gaol, which means I should understand what I need the the reader to do; for example if I’m writing in my blog, my expected action from thereader could be to click “like”, leave a comment, or even share my blog. Second step, I need to understand clearly who my audience are and how to interest them to stick around. Third step is my writing should be clear and concise and this comes only if I have a clear understanding for the topic and I have the ability to simplify my thoughts, discuss, and engage with my audience. Fourth step is using active voice instead of passive voice. There are different points of view about writing in passive or active voice. Some advice that writing in a passive voice is more professional , While others advice writing in active tone is clearer and make readers more interacted. Personally, I’m interested in reading topics written in active voice and this is what I prefer while writing my blogs. Finally, Checking spelling and grammar is very important while writing an article or a blog. Reading a piece with many spelling and grammar mistakes show lack of credibility and professionalism.

 

Referances:

https://inspiredm.com/persuasive-writing/

 

Darwin-et awards

 

In 1985, the Darwin awards were created to honour those whose moronic behavior got themselves killed. Named after Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection, the award is given, posthumously, to an individual who ends his or her life in dramatic, idiotic fashion.
Past winners include: Karmic Valentine Schadenfreude, who pushed his girlfriend into an icy river, then jumped in to kill her. Problem was she could swim and he could not. She swam to shore while Valentine drowned. A man named Anthony G died while driving around safety cones, placed around downed hydro wires, ignoring screams from passing pedestrian.

And then we have the story of Nguyen of Vietnam. While drinking with his friends, he got into a heated argument over whether the old detonator he found could explode or not. Nguyen assured his friends that it was too old and rusty to work. They disagreed. To prove to them that he was right, he put the detonator in his mouth and told his pals to connect the wires. He died on the way to hospital.

 

It’s not a stretch to suggest a Darwin award, which I like to call the Darwin-et award, to someone who is moronic, idiotic, whose ill advised tweets or posts gets them in hot genepool water. ( click )Twitter has become the go-to media for anyone who wants to chime in on the topic of the day.  To vent their displeasure on the goings on is society, it has become the soap box, on which anyone can impart their, sometimes ridiculous, dogma.

Now not everyone who joins Twitter does so with the sole purpose of espousing their misguided lunacy on the rest of us. According to the (Click) Huffpost, there are 10 types of twitter users: the egg, the lurker, the contester, the retwitter, the Bot, the #Teamfolloback, the Celebrity, the Guru, Business, and a whole bunch of normal people that don’t fit into the above categories. But for the purpose of blog, let’s focus on the moron. The celebrity moron.

There have been alot of celebrity mistweets in the past.(Click) Buzzfeed has a list of their top twenty five mistweets. And they are funny. But the best, and this year’s winner of the Darwin-et awards goes to: Roseanne.  Roseanne, an actress with a hit sitcom, flamed out in the most moronic, the Donald Trump of moronic, way with her tweet about Valarie Jarret, a black woman and  former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, looking like a monkey. Within hours of the tweet, ABC, the network that carried the program, cancelled her show. Thus ended her career.

 

C’mon down Roseanne Barr — you’re this year’s winner of the Darwin-et award!

If anyone wants to nominate next years winner, feel free. (Donald Trump is too obvious.)

Roseanne Barr

 

 

#celebrity tweets

 

 

Social Media- A Modern Addiction

How many “likes” are you earning a day? How many “followers” do you have? A race to be famous…

My friend…he was having an accident before an hour, broken his legs and had numerous fractures; seems not concerned about his health but his cell phone. He hungrily wants his phone back. Busy in watching the posts on Instagram and emerging into such fantasies. He now feels his existence as he was online. He might not believe but he was addicted to social media.

Never before have had the habits penetrated the unprecedented speed of the proliferation of social media around the world. Using the social media has been an inseparable part of our lives. Years ago, there were cigarettes, now it’s the fame on social media by getting “likes”. As the people are engaged with such stuff, much the data is uploaded and leaked, more the time is wasted. Same like in the gambling business, social media companies use intermittent variable compensation to hook their users.

I completely agree that social media has several benefits and advantages: from skill learning to skill showing, making contacts to making big companies and enterprises; only by using certain functionalities of social media and modern technology. But according to various experts, there is a major impact of social media on our mental health. “Everyone who has scrolled through Facebook knows how, instead of imparting wisdom, the system dishes out compulsive stuff that tends to reinforce people’s biases” has been stated in The Economist with their issue “Social media’s threat to democracy”.

One does not exist until it is recognized in social networks. The evidence is clearly in front of our eyes – like not leaving a phone while doing any damn easy thing. People are now decreasing the use of their minds and are moving further to be dependent on machines; which are remarkably increased after the introduction to the field of Artificial Intelligence. Although every technology has its pros and cons, one is here to use it in some better deeds. Nowadays, it is acting least as media for news but has more dumps of images and information that is not much relevant and reflects the stupidity of one’s thought.

I just wonder; would there be special seats for social media addicts in a movie theater or on the bus? Does large consumption of social media cause social cancer?

Twitter: Social Media … A Modern Addiction

Facebook: Social Media … A Modern Addiction

3 Reasons: Facebook should be integrated into High School Classrooms

High school students procrastinate more than six hours a day on Facebook (Tsukayama, 2015). For some students, it ends up costly toward their final grades. Facebook has become part of their daily life. It is almost impossible to stop them from using it. High schools can change the use of Facebook for these students by making it part of the curriculum- make it more positive. Therefore, Facebook should be integrated into the high school classroom because of following reasonable reasons; first, it is an effective way to connect students around the world. Second, students can use it for educational purposes.Third, it is a tool to engage students in the learning process.

Mind Map 

1. Facebook is a great way to connect students around the world.

Facebook creates an effective platform for students to build International communication between each other. Students in a various way can share their ideas by posting on their Facebook wall and comment on each other’s posts. For example, they can create a short survey research with five to ten questions. They can collect data from all over the world, by sharing it in their Facebook walls. Moreover, Facebook makes Group collaboration easily accessible for students internationally. They can work in a singular assignment or a group project by connecting and collaborating with each other through Facebook. Recently, in 2016, Finland ranked as a top education system in the world by the world economic Forum. Let’s say students are assigned to do a group project about “high school education system in Finland”. They can create a Facebook group chat and add students from Finland for collecting raw data from students. Most important of all, Facebook is a free online social network. Usually, other websites need a bank account or other information to have access to their data. Facebook is a network that most of the students are already a member of it, so they do not need to start everything all over again.

2. Students will learn to use facebook for educational purposes.

Since most of the high school students are already a member of Facebook and they know how to use it. They only thing can be school’s responsibility is to teach them how to use it for education purposes. In Facebook, students can create groups for each of their classes. For example; They can have a separate Facebook group pages for mathematics. They can share all of the related documents and discusses the related topic in separated pages so that they don’t get messed up with their school work. Another interesting way to use Facebook for education purpose is to follow academically informative pages on Facebook. For example, I am following a Facebook page that regularly posts mathematics formula including funny memes about math. All of the posts of these page appears first in my newsfeed. To be honest, I have learned and have always been refreshed about mathematics topic by following these particulate academically informative pages. Students can easily find related pages to their own subjects of interest in Facebook and follow them for gaining further information. Once of my favorite way of using Facebook for education, the purpose is to post school related blog on Facebook with my friends. I took social media for entrepreneur online class this semester. Most of our Assignments was to post blogs in word press. And most of our grades were based on those blogs. If students get used to posting blogs on Facebook with their friends by using Facebook, they basically learn new skills.

3. Facebook is a tool to engage students in the learning process.

 

Facebook encourages students to improve their writing skills. For example, Facebook has improved my writing skills. Every time I want to post something on Facebook –I want it to be grammatically correct –Because my friends are going to see it. Same with other students, they can express their ideas in Facebook. It might not be as academic as school teachers, but at least they get motivated to write and get creative with it. This leads to another crucial point, Facebook makes learning more fun. For example, students can make memes about what they learn in class and share it with friends on Facebook. Memes make learning more fun. Most important of all, students who use Facebook regularly, they have a great knowledge of computer. They get to explore computers themselves. Then there will be no need for computer class.

All in All, Facebook provides the opportunity for students to connect with other students globally. Students will learn that what they are using for procrastinating can be used for learning too. In addition to that Facebook is an exciting tool that can encourage students in learning process. With considering the above reasons Facebook should become part of high school classroom curriculum. Integration of Facebook in High school classrooms will bring a massive change in the traditional learning system. The high school will become a fun learning institution.

 

References

 

Obrien, A. (2014, September 23). Edutopia. Creating a Dynamic Facebook Page for Your School. Retrieved March 20, 2017.

Schelten, K. (2009, December 21). Do You Spend Too Much Time on Facebook. Retrieved March 20, 2017.

Tsukayama, H. (2015, November 3). Teens spend nearly nine hours every day consuming media. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 16, 2017.

The ultimate battle for the future of social media! Snapchat and X vs TikTok and Threads

Photo: TikTok versus Snapchat 

In the social media world writing, and video style are very important, and today we will look at different writing and video styles and features different social media have for the users and hope that the users prefer their writing style. 

Snapchat

-Temporary videos

-10 seconds maximum per videos 

-Captions and filters

VS

Tiktok

–Permanent videos.

–Video can be 15 seconds to 3 minutes long, or upload to 10 minute maximum.

-Filters

VS

Twitter

–Tweet length limit is 280 characters for free accounts and 25000 for X Premium subscribers

VS

Threads 

-500 characters no subscription requires

Microblogging is one of the preferred methods of socialising for tweets example X and threads. When it comes to choosing the preferred social media platform it is common that people tend to stay with the one that they are already most familiar with while new users tend to go for the latest platform, but now it’s the battle for the future users . On the other hand, an exmaple of vlog could be Snapchat and TikTok. According to Khoros (2024) the most dominant age group for TikTok and Snapchat are young adults between the ages of 18 to 24, which is 37% percent of the users on the platform. Snapchat first gained popularity in the 2015-2016. For example I myself used to enjoy the idea of posting temporary posts and sharing the present moment but as time passed, Snapchat always added new features to the point I myself and potentially others might have felt the same way that the platform had lost its values due to having too many features such as ads, discovery modes. Meanwhile TikTok became popular in North America approximately 5 years ago. Both platforms have similar features with the main difference being that snapchat contents are temporary while TikTok contents are permanent.

 If you had to start over and choose a platform right now, which platform would you choose knowing that there’s two options available between TikTok and Snapchat? 

Photo: Threads versus X formerly Twitter 

While TikTok and Snapchat battling for the short videos based platform. X and Threads are battling for the texting based platform. X focuses on evolving the platform making you pay for all interactions. In 2013 X team tweeted  that they launched a trial that all new users in New Zealand and Philippines had to pay $ 1 after signup to use the platform. That is why more people should switch to threads and support threads further grow by providing feedback and support to the platform as X is no longer in anyone’s interest but the company itself which is not a true representation of the definition of social media. Sign up for Threads today https://www.threads.net/?hl=en to experience the newly trending social media platform. 

When it comes to choosing a social media platform we always like to compare the statistics. Based on a statistical report from Khoros (2024) TikTok is currently superior to Snapchat. TikTok has over 1.200 billion monthly active users compared to Snapchat ‘s 750 million active users. Another benefit of TikTok is that you can use it on a desktop compared to snapchat which is best for app application only. Here’s the link to Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/foryou?lang=en where you can have an overview of TikTok with the option to sign up. For employees and digital marketers, TikTok is also a great way for promotion by representing the company showing behind the scenes of some works or tutorials which a lot of viewers would be looking forward to for better understanding of the company. Bonus you can get paid on TikTok as well for being a creator. Those income from TikTok could be sent to the donation portal of the company. Based on these factuality, the new platforms seem to be going in the best direction compared to the oldest platforms. There’s a video by Jade Beason (2023) on YouTube demonstrating how to use threads and its benefits at Complete guide to Threads if you want to further learn more about Threads and TikTok tips video for learning about features on TikTok.

Checkout my latest post regarding my choice of that topic on X and VSCO. share your thought as well on other social media platforms!

X post: https://tinyurl.com/7h73tp64

VSCO post: https://tinyurl.com/3jp27j7r

#TeamTikTok   #TeamThreads   #TikTokandThreadsarebetter or are you cheering the other way around! 

Photo Cheering  of choice

• TikTok
• Threads

COM0014-Blog 1- My Vacation

Our last vacation was a weeklong trip camping about 20 minutes from home. For some this might not sound like a very exciting vacation but for my husband and I, this is exactly what was needed after a year full of career changes for the two of us, both leaving jobs that we had been at for him over 15 years and myself close to 10.

A week to sit with little to no cell phone service, a few good books, good company and all the yummy camping food and snacks is just what was needed to recharge some empty batteries.

There is no documentation of this trip as we tried to completely disconnect from our devices during this trip. I am also horrible at taking pictures and always forget to. It was just my husband and I this trip both of us are no good at remembering to get out our phones and take pictures to document.  My best friend on the other hand takes all the pictures and has hundreds to document one single event. I wish I was this person, what about you?

We aren’t the type to hop on a plan and travel the world, we enjoy sticking close to home, packing up our camping trailer and camping for the weekend or a week what ever we feel like doing. As I am typing this I am also packing for out first camping trip of the season, and I can’t wait. Last minute camping trips are the best! Friends call and say let’s go camping, so you pack up and hit the road. What type of vacationer are you?

Since the pandemic even trying to get camp sites in any provincial park is like trying to get tickets to the hottest concerts. You need to be online exactly 5 months before the date you want to go and be ready as soon as the website opens at 7 am, its wild! I think I had an easier time getting Taylor Swift tickets than I did a camp site the last time I booked.

Camping is my favourite place in the world, we have tried many different provincial parks and have enjoyed the ones that we have tried, we have also tried a few private campgrounds but keep being drawn back to the provincial parks. Presquile in Brighton Ontario is our go to as it is super close to home, but Bon Echo and Algonquin are our favourite ones to go to but hardest to get a site.  Are you a camper, if so, do you prefer provincial parks or private ones?

If money was no issue and you could go any where in the world for a vacation and do any thing while on that vacation where would you go and what would you do?

Personal Reflections

Is storytelling essential to creating good digital content?

Absolutely it is! Storytelling is a way of connecting with people. If you are able to tell a good story, then you are able to keep an audience hooked. Keeping your audience engaged is extremely important in any communication especially digital communication.

Sharing your story allows people to get to know you more which allows for deeper more meaningful connections.

An example of how I would incorporate storytelling into my business would include me sharing a backstory of how I got to where I am now and the behind the scenes of running my business. I think that providing this information allows for your audience to get closer to you resulting in more trust.

I would enjoy telling comedy stories the most as I love making people laugh!

Do you think storytelling will continue to be important in digital communication?

Can changing your name save your brand?

Many companies over the years have changed and rebranded their websites for a few reasons. Whether it’s bought out by a new owner or trying to regain traffic, the question is; does it actually help? It’s hard to tell when it comes to social media, since it’s always evolving, you never know if you’ll be able to turn a dying website into the most popular social media platform in the world!

A prime example of this would be TikTok. From 2014 to 2018, TikTok was formerly known as Musical.ly. Though the app stayed relatively the same, the use and engagement within the site changed drastically. Musical.ly was dominated by people creating lip syncing and dance videos creating a demographic of mainly teens and young adults. Now TikTok is one of the most used apps in the world but for many other reasons. Though there’s still your good fair share of lip-syncing and dance videos, the app is so much more! TikTok is now an app where you can find short videos of practically anything your heart desires! Whether it’s people vlogging their everyday lives, creating recipes or even teaching you math equations, it can all be found within this one site. The demographic of TikTok has also greatly expanded. There are videos created and viewed by all ages of people all across the world thanks to how broad the material found on the app is. No matter where you’re from or what you do, TikTok is now an app that can be used for anyone.

Another App more recently changed would be X formerly known as Twitter. When Elon Musk bought out Twitter he changed the name to suit something more on brand for him. Though the owner and name changed, the app still stays functioning as it once was. With minor updates here and there, the app has stayed relatively the same keeping the same demographic as it did previously. It’s hard to tell whether or not there has been any impact on the site given how little change was made but for now it’s still one of the most used social media sites in the world and will continue to be if it stays like this.

Do you think renaming a social media site can change it for the better? let me know in the comments!

X: Changing your name can change your future #renaming #newsocialmedia

TikTok: Can changing your name really change your entire brand? check out my blog for more!

Who am I?

I am a Medical Aesthetician who’s passion is helping people.

Since I was a young girl, my passion has always been anything skincare related. I loved getting ready, doing my hair and makeup, and dressing up. It was very evident at a young age that I would end up loving skincare as much as I do now.

It did take me a few years post high school to figure out what exactly I would like to do with my career, but once I did, I have not looked back since. I am extremely eager and excited to continue my career in Medical Aesthetics. I am truly blessed and grateful to have found my dream job.

Here is a link to a website that explains what being a Medical Aesthetician is all about.

Did you know what you wanted to do with your career post high school?

“Where Are We Dropping Boys?” – How Video Game Slang Emerged in Social Media and Real-Life

Photo by RDNE Stock project

Have you noticed some people online use bizarre terms like “NPC” when they’re describing a boring person? Or saying “going on sidequests” when they are procrastinating and doing other tasks. These terms come from Video Game slang. Video Games have always been popular past time but during the mid to late 2010s, Video Games, more specifically Video Game content creators began to get noticed by mainstream media. This can be evidenced by popular Gaming YouTuber, PewDiePie being on Conan O’Brien doing a segment called “Clueless Gamer” to promote his upcoming Youtube Red series and promote new Video Game releases. As well as, Twitch Streamer, Ninja becoming popular through his livestreams playing Fortnite. Playing Fortnite matches with celebrities like Drake and getting Brand deals such as with Redbull. Video Games also became a way for people to connect with each other during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Still, this does not explain why people started to use Video Game slang on other non-gaming Social Media platforms and in real life.

Adam Aleksic (better known as etymologynerd), a Harvard linguistics graduate made a TikTok theorizing how the new generation, Gen Z has created a new etymological category of Video Game terms because of the shared cultural knowledge this generation has about Video Games. He goes on to explain how this was the case in older generations with games like Baseball and Chess, this is why we have metaphors and expressions like “Check” and “swing and a miss”.

@etymologynerd

Follow-up to my video from yesterday: @etymologynerd The increase in narrstive identity slang definitely may be in part from video games etymology linguistics history language metaphor videogames

♬ original sound – etymologynerd

While this might still be a theory, it does make sense that we are sharing this cultural knowledge, it is part of human connection. An article by The Verge explains how slang in Video Game online communities is a great way of connecting with other people online, making new friends and feeling like you belong in an online space. Each Video Game has its own terminology but some slang never changes from game to game such as “Buff” or “Nerf”. It’s transferable which makes these different online communities easier to approach due to already having this knowledge.

Do you have experience seeing these terms online? What do you think about it? Tell me in the comments below!

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Social Media Promotional Posts

Twitter/X: Did you know? Video game slang isn’t just for gamers anymore! Find out how it’s shaping our digital dialogue in my new blog entry: https://bit.ly/3Jg9VgU. 🎮 #videogameslang #Gaming”

Instagram: From Fortnite to Instagram, #videogame slang has become a part of our normal vocabulary. Learn how this came to be in my new blog post. Link in bio https://bit.ly/3Jg9VgU

Remote Work: The Pros and Cons

In the aftermath of the global pandemic, remote work has become a significant aspect of our professional lives. Many of us now have the opportunity to work from home, with freedom and flexibility.

However, transitioning to remote work presents its challenges. Without the physical separation of the office, it’s easy for work and personal life to blend together, Additionally, the lack of face-to-face interaction can hinder communication and collaboration.

Remote work offers numerous benefits, pushing us to adapt and evolve in our professional lives. Flexibility could translate into greater convenience and productivity. Additionally, remote work eliminates the need for daily commutes, saving time and reducing the stress associated with traveling to and from the office.

What strategies have you found effective in overcoming the challenges of working from home?

Has remote work impacted your life??

YES

NO

Facebook Post: Join the conversation on remote work! and share your experiences #RemoteWork #WorkFromHome

LinkedIn Post: Remote work offers flexibility and freedom, but it also comes with its challenges. #RemoteWork #WorkLifeBalance

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter

https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/benefits-of-remote-work

Balancing Social Media with Main Character Syndrome

The term Main Character Syndrome has entered into modern terminology somewhat recently, referring to “a series of behavio[u]rs in which you see yourself as the main character in the story of your life.” It’s an approach to life where, taken to its extreme, the person in question sees everything as being about themselves in some way.

While not inherently a bad trait when managed properly, the issue arises when it’s mixed with a lack of self-awareness, which then manifests itself through downplaying others’ stories to brighten one’s own story and attempting to remain in the spotlight to the exclusion of everyone else’s time to shine.

Image by Dmitry Kovalchuk via Adobe Stock.

Social media, in my opinion, can sometimes nurture this trait, largely for the same reasons experts worry about the toll that social media is taking on mental health. It’s well-documented that social media can cause spikes in anxiety and insecurity while also contributing to low self-esteem. These same traits, according to the Cleveland Clinic, are associated with Main Character Syndrome. Coincidence? I think not!

In personal social media use, the constant desire to present oneself in the best light also leads us to compare ourselves to others, trying to portray ourselves not only as having a good life, but a better life than the next user. It’s a very difficult cycle to fall out of, one which has been examined by more learned minds than me with no easy answers on how to mitigate the impacts it can have on day-to-day life.

Image by lexiconimages via Adobe Stock.

Main Character Syndrome in Professional Settings

In more professional uses of social media, the same concept can apply. Someone representing an organization can so easily fall into the trap of only caring about their own end goals, their own needs, their own message.

All of these are important aspects in online communication, so please don’t get me wrong here! The crossover occurs not when an organization’s social media presence is self-interested, but rather when it is exclusively self-interested. As we’ve discussed throughout the program, users feel most seen and respected when communication is two-way, genuine, and focuses more on making things right than on showcasing the brand in the best light. A social media manager who misses the mark on this, then, risks alienating users and becoming a monolith shouting into the void.

Image by Aleksey Kuprikov via Pexels

Finding the Balance

The solution here, as with many issues surrounding social media, lies in self-awareness. Ideally, social media is a tool to share ideas, foster conversation, and expose oneself to differing views and opinions to strengthen understanding around a topic. As a brand manager, this usually means a hyper-focus on one specific niche, which makes it a lot easier to engage in conversation, sharing our own ideas without the false pretense in our minds that we are the lone, true expert and the only voice worth hearing in the sphere.

On the other hand, understanding how this relatively new term works in conjunction with a brand can make for some powerful messaging. Consider, for example, this campaign by e-reader brand Kobo:

Rather than shy away from the term, Kobo uses Main Character Energy as a draw, implying its audiobook users can feel like the main character of the story without necessarily exhibiting any of the negative elements associated with the term.

The key here, and the reason why this campaign works, is because the brand manager behind Kobo understands that users don’t want to feel like a brand is the main character — they want themselves in that role. They want to feel important, valued, at the centre of the value proposition.

Athletic giant Nike approaches their advertising campaigns in similar fashion, featuring the athletes using their products rather than display their own brand at the fore. Thrusting its users into the main character spotlight while keeping the brand on the sidelines can be effective, especially when the brand is already well-established.

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A post shared by Nike (@nike)

Conclusion

Though Main Character Syndrome is a personality trait that can cause problems in private life, it also offers a wealth of opportunity in business marketing, provided that it’s pointed in the right direction. Empowering users isn’t a new concept in the space, but in conjunction with the terminology it can identify a brand as being responsive, caring, and keeping up-to-date with social media trends, all of which bode well for a brand’s recognition and social media output.

Have you heard this term before? Are there any downsides to leveraging its impacts in a professional setting? Let me know in the comments!

As the blogging portion of this course winds down, I also want to take a moment to thank everyone who has taken a few minutes out of their day to read my ramblings. Your thoughtful responses are appreciated and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading as much as I’ve enjoyed writing!

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Patrick Smith
I am a graduate of Algonquin College’s Journalism and Interactive Media Management programs. I work as a project manager at a national not-for-profit organization, with job responsibilities that include social media management.

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Facebook:
📊 In a world where tracking metrics can become addictive and blur the lines between reality and selective reality, maintaining a healthy relationship with social media has never been more important.

📝 Click through to read more about main character syndrome and how brands leverage it to positive effect.

https://algonquincollegesocialmedia.wordpress.com/2024/04/11/balancing-social-media-with-main-character-syndrome

X/Twitter: Struggling to stay grounded? Comparing your own behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s best-of? Read on to find out about the role main character syndrome may be playing in your social media use. https://bit.ly/3xuhsGd

#SocialMediaMarketing #SharetheSpotlight
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Is an Influencer Campaign a Good Idea for Your Business?

Teaming up with an influencer can be a great way to promote your business. The influencer already has a loyal audience that trusts what they say and recommend. But there is some homework that needs to be done before you select which influencer you want to pair with.

Choosing the right influencer to reach your audience may be the biggest and most important decision you make. If you choose an extremely popular influencer but they aren’t aligned with your target audience then you are likely just wasting your (and their) time. Companies like Smart Insights can help with finding out where your demographic is consuming it’s content. From there, you can narrow down your search to influencers that will best interact with your target audience.

image from keyhole.co

Another important factor is your budget. The amount you are spending on influencer marketing is usually tied directly to the reach of your influencer, people with more followers and engagements command higher prices. Here is a breakdown for average prices for an Instagram influencer according to Shopify

• Nano-influencers (500–10,000 followers): $10–$100 per post
• Micro-influencers (10,000–50,000 followers): $100–$500 per post
• Mid-tier influencers (50,000–100,000 followers): $500–$5,000 per post
• Macro-influencers (100,000–500,000 followers): $5,000–$10,000 per post
• Mega-influencers (500,000+ followers): $10,000+ per post

Different platforms mean different pay scales but you can see from this information that the larger the reach the bigger the budget needed. It’s important to be realistic of what you are expecting from a partnership. Are you looking for a big increase in followers? A bump in sales directly tied to a specific product? These things need to be decided before selecting an influencer. Make sure your hopes are communicated with your influencer, they may have some suggestions on what works and doesn’t work. After all, they want success just the same as you, their future partnerships rely on it.

Would you consider an influencer marketing campaign? Vote and leave a comment of what you think the pros or cons would be.

Twitter/X post: Should you be looking at making an influencer marketing campaign? https://wp.me/p3QRy0-zCJ #influencer #marketing

Facebook: Are the traditional methods of advertising not cutting it anymore? It could be time to look at influencer marketing. https://wordpress.com/post/algonquincollegesocialmedia.wordpress.com/136941

How Duolingo rose to the top

Have you ever watched one of Duolingo’s TikToks? A few years ago, a green owl appeared in a TikTok as I scrolled past. Then another, and another. What was going on? Duolingo’s TikToks were everywhere, and they were pretty hilarious! I had heard of Duolingo before but didn’t know much about the company besides it being some language education app. I wasn’t interested in learning more about the company. So, how did Duolingo become one of the number one educational apps available in the app store?

@duolingo

why doesn’t anyone fall for an owl? #duolingo

♬ BAILEYS SOUND – Me!

Before 2020, Duolingo’s social media presence was pretty stagnant. They barely posted, and when they did, even the company would acknowledge that the content didn’t go far. So what changed? A newly graduated, Zaria Parvez, joined Duolingo’s team in 2020 with a marketing degree and a special interest in social media. After working for the company for a year, Zaria took a risk and requested that she be allowed to create TikToks for Duolingo’s neglected TikTok account. By October 2021, they experienced their first viral TikTok video called CAP.

@duolingo

Listen…you’re only playin’ yourself 🧢 #cap #run #bescared #comedy #duolingo

♬ –

Duolingos first viral TikTok

Duolingo’s TikTok videos have become well known, as has the ‘unhinged’ content centred around their owl mascot, Duo. Duo has a slightly threatening and unhinged personality – intending to encourage users to do their daily language lessons so Duo doesn’t come after them. Zaria created an endearing and funny connection with users by elaborating on their pre-existing connection with Duo. Relying on Duo’s personality and using trends to create content has resulted in 11.1M followers on TikTok and a 62% rise in active users of the Duolingo app in 2023.

Duolingo’s company attitude of creativity and experimentation on social media and offline has largely contributed to its success. They were willing to take risks and make connections through a platform few companies at the time had found success on. I admire how their attitude of experimentation allowed them to get ahead. How many companies would let a 23-year-old newly graduated employee take full control of one of their social media platforms? In most companies today, this is unheard of.

Do you think more companies should take risks like the ones Duolingo took?

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Social Feed:

Facebook: Duolingo took a risk by allowing their newly graduated marketing employee to create TikToks for their account. Read more about how that led to success on my blog! https://wordpress.com/post/algonquincollegesocialmedia.wordpress.com/136910

Instagram: Duolingo has risen to the top of both TikTok and the app store. Learn how by reading my blog post! The link is in my bio.