Final Blog Ever :)

                    7 Questions Regarding Social Media Class

1)  What New Hampshire hospital participated in the Pink Glove Dance contest that raised awareness of breast cancer?
Answer: Speare Memorial Hospital located in Plymouth NH.

2) How many slides does this MEGA File contain?
Answer: The UNH Social Media Class Mega File contains 653 slides.

3) Who uses social media more, men or women?
Answer: Women use social media more than men.

4)  What is the attendance policy for this class?
Answer: "I expect students to be in class every day, ready to ask questions, discuss weekly readings, and share your knowledge with fellow students." More than 3 unexcused absences begins to affect grade. You will lose 5 points after 3. If absent, you are still responsible for all assignments and class work. 

5) Name one grammatical “felony” according to Chris’s grammar rules for the class.
Answer: To, too, two. There, their, they're. Its, It's. Your, You're.

6) What is the name of the blogging platform you used to create your “Assignments Blog”
for this class?

Answer: Blogger

7) What purpose does a permalink serve?

Answer: The permalink is important in driving people directly to your blog from your Facebook page, Twitter account, etc. 

Final Marketing Plan

Throughout the semester it was our job to run a business page using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, etc to advance and help the business further. It sounds easier said than done. I thought the assignment was going to be a cake walk, but you can only do 75% of the work, and the rest is up to your audience to pay attention and interact with your business. I decided to use my mom's shopping webiste called shop.com/cherylp. This is a website where she sells products to her customers at work. It is really just a shopping portal that connects you to all different brands that have great deals and cashback offers. She helps sell a lot of the Market America products. Here is what the website of shop.com/cherylp looked like. As you can see, my mom is the shopping consultant and this is her page:

My primary audience was New England online shoppers living  in mainly NH and MA.  I think that my target audience was reached. All the people who liked the Facebook page and signed up at shop.com/cherylp were all from NH. I think to better my audience it would be best to focus on NH and only NH. I think I should have also narrowed it down more specifically to females. Women are more likely to shop than men, and if you look at the percent of women that liked the page it was 86.1% and then only 13.9% were males. My mom, aunt, and I also held an event called "Beauty from the Inside Out" which was a little gathering to sell products from the website such as nutrient supplements and make up. The turn out was 9 people, all of whom were females ranging from mid 20's to late 50's. The target audience was clearly women in NH, it became evident after gathering and collecting the data.

My goals throughout the semester were all set for December 15th, the last day of class, and they were to  improve awareness of company by exposing it to people who had not heard of the website shop.com/cherylp, increase sales, educate benefits of the products, 30-60 Facebook followers, and to drive business to shopping portal. Most of these goals were reached, while others were not. We definitely exposed the website page because a handful signed up for an account with my mom due to the Facebook page. I only ended up getting 36 page likes, but that is in my goal range. I was hoping however for closer to the 60 end of the spectrum. The first few days the page boomed with likes and then the numbers just trickled down slowly. We definitely educated the benefits of certain products, and that was measured through the amount of posts about the benefits of the webpage and products and the turn out of the event "Beauty from the Inside Out". It was useful being able to see the number of people who interacted with your posts because it was a way of knowing that they were receiving the information at the other end whether they acted upon it or not. We also informed the ladies that showed up to the event about the benefits of shopping through the website. We intrigued them and many of them were very excited to sign up and did right then and there with their smart phones. They were also informed of products which drove up our sales in the beauty line Motives and nutrient line Isotonix. The only goal really not reached was the driving of the business to the shopping portal. That means that shoppers could shop online stores without every having to leave Facebook. However, there was no real way of knowing if people were using it or not because we are not there monitoring them while they are at home on their computers. A survey would have to be done to find out that information. The deadline is still not over and I do suppose there is time still to even reach that last goal of mine!
My preferred media that was used throughout the semester was really just Facebook. It was the only social media website I was 100% confident in. I used Facebook to expose the website. The reason behind this was not only was I comfortable and familiar with the site, but also because it is the leading social media website out there. It was only one where I knew I could get a lot of people to follow and like me due to connections and relationships I already have on the site. I also had blogs and Shopbox as media tools, but rarely used them. My mom posted probably 2 or 3 blogs throughout the semester which is not as much as I hoped her to post. I also posted some little things now and then such as healthy eating habits and products. I do not think Shopbox was used once, that was my mother's responsibility and she failed. She is not very up to par with her social media skills, and I often times had to edit and fix mistakes she made.
As far as staffing needs went, the page was run by mainly me along with my mother. We were to update the page 3 to 5 times a week each. I followed through on my half, but it was hard to get my mom to do so. A lot of the times I'd come to realize that it was not that she wasn't posting stuff, it was that she was posting it to her actual Facebook Cheryl Peltak. She did not grasp the concept until half way through the semester when I pointed it out to her that she had to switch over to the business page. After that however, she posted at least once a week which was nice. It definitely though as if it is more of a one man kind of job. It is just something that is easier done alone and without having to converse with other people about the post you want to put up.
Our deadlines were to launch Facebook by October 1st, which we did, then to get 30-60 followers by December 15th, which we already have, and lastly to increase sales by December 15th, which we did by the event "Beauty from the Inside Out". Listed below are all the posts on Facebook made up until November 30th.

Our posts mainly were about shopping at the website shop.com/cherylp and earning cash back. It then would have a link to get to the site, leading you off the Facebook page. We also did a lot of posting about health and nutrition. Around the holidays I would post products from the website that would help detox all the food you just ate. I also would post happy fun things about the holidays like countdowns and wishing everyone a safe holiday. When the event was getting close, I would post friendly reminders to please join us. Other than that however, the posts were pretty general and cut to the chase.
Social media sites that were to be used for this semester long project were Facebook, shopbox, and blog site/ news letter site that my mom uses. The Facebook was mainly run by myself. Every once in a blue moon my mom posted, but when she did, she would mess up and I'd have to correct her because she would post to her own personal Facebook page. For example, the shopbox tool that she was supposed to post, she did so doing it on her own page:

 So clearly, her effort was there and she was trying, but then you can also see, she then liked it by shop.com/cherylp. She was all over the place with her lack of social media skills, it is in a way quite humerous to me. If this were a big business however, I would not find it amusing at all.
As for the report goes for the project, we were a little successful. I mean it is not a huge business where it was that important to get it noticed. My mom just wanted people to be aware that she even had this website, not for her benefit, but for others. It is a way to earn free cashback while online shopping and earn great deals. She just wanted to spread awareness while also promoting the health part because she is after all a personal trainer. We earned a total of 36 likes/followers. It was very frustrating, because I could post as much and often as I wanted, but I was not recieving any comments back. I could see that several people were interacting and viewing my posts, yet nobody was commenting or liking what I had to say, it made me feel like my voice was not important and unheard which was very discouraging. Here is an overview of the Facebook page.

As you can see, we very successful in October and then just maintained it throughout November not really rising or dropping. People did not talk about our site for long, only up until around the 20th of November, then it just completely stopped which is sad. My reach, could have been better and I definitely should have posted much more than I did, but like I said it was discouraging when results were not being seen, it almost made me want to just give up and forget about the project in general.
All in all, my experience with this was mediocre. I could have applied myself much more. I think however for a beginner in this, it was a very smart move to just start with a small business website page like I did. It was something that my mom could have cared less if I got things going better or not. It was just something that my mom does on the side for fun and to do her shopping. It was honestly a great learning experience. I know now that running a business through social media is harder than you think. Facebook and other social media are something I am so in tune with so I thought it would be simple. It is so much harder though looking at Facebook through the eyes of a business because you have to be careful of what you say, how you say it, and when the right time to post it is. I hope that someday I can do this again but for a bigger business and hopefully have more practice in the future doing this!

Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/Shopcomcherylp?ref=hl

Twitter for Small Businesses

I decided to watch Twitter for Small Businesses because I myself as an individual not a business am new to the Twitter World. I am still learning and want to learn more about Twitter because it is such an important tool to know how to use in the social media world. The webinar is actually very interesting and useful. I liked how it was two woman casually and comfortably talking to one another. It was very laid back and packed with facts and tips. The woman being interviewed is Erica Ayott Social Media Manager for Constant Contact. The link to watch the Twitter for Small Businesses can be found here.
Three key points that caught my attention was that they referred to Twitter as a cocktail party. I really liked that analogy. By this they mean that you can grow your Twitter page by treating it like a cocktail party. You
run into people you expect and others you don't. You hear snippets of conversations and can jump into the conversation if desired. Twitter allows the same things. You can follow people you know well or people you don't know so well. You read tweets and some may catch your eye and spark a desire to connect with that person. You also can meet people on Twitter like you would at a party and end up becoming business connections which is great! I really enjoyed the comparison and it makes a lot of sense comparing the two.
The next thing I learned is that when composing a tweet on Twitter for a Business you should try to make the tweet no longer than 120 characters even though you are allowed 160. This will then guarantee that none of your tweet will be edited or rewritten if re-tweeted  You are assured that your original tweet will be the one other people see. I would not have even thought of this, so I am so glad that they mentioned that even though it is common sense.
Lastly, I learned the best way to follow people and grow your network. The first step is to just use Twitter as a listening tool and looking for interests that pertain to you. Just kind of lay back and browse and scope out the scene. You can then, once finding people that interest and you can  benefit from, you can check out their followers and find even more people to connect with. The best way to grow is just to simply discover who you want to follow, engage with them, and then hope to get them to follow you. The more you engage and follow, the more followers you will receive and the more your business will grow!
After watching this I was actually impacted. I am a Twitter newbie. I feel like an old person trying to figure out Facebook. Honestly though, I did not realize how many things I was doing wrong and I am not a business on Twitter I am just simply me, a human. I do not engage at all, which is probably why I only have 46 followers over the past few months. I feel like a creep shouting out to people, but I guess it is not that weird since the website is made for social engaging and common interests. I also did not know that there are certain hashtags that are better than others, I just put whatever comes to my mind. I should do more research as to where my tweet is going when I do that. All in all, I think now that it is an awesome business tool. I used to think that Twitter would be the worst way to connect with people virtually but now my mind has changed. I think I need to start using my own personal Twitter more and experiment with it. Perhaps I will end up making a Twitter for my Social Media project after all! It absolutely cannot hurt!

Pinterest: Beneficial Tips for Businesses

I got the topic of Pinterest for this blog assignment. Two successful woman who use Pinterest share their stories and tips on how to expand and grow your business using the website. Here are the answers to the following questions we were asked to complete.

1) Q: Who are the publishers and their companies they work for? A: Social Media Examiner is the sponsor for this article, but the authors or "instructors" are Ana White and Kelly Lester. They work for themselves as bloggers, homemakers,  and are stay at home moms.

2) Q: Who is the author of this paper?  A: The authors are Ana White and Kelly Lester.

3) Q: The date of publication? A: There is no specific date said, however I do know that the year was 2012. 

4) Q: What are 5 key points in the article? A: Five key points in the article were that Pinterest is a growing website. It launched about 25 months ago and already has 12 million users. This is more than Google, Youtube, and LinkedIn combined! I learned that when Pinning things, do not just pin about yourself, it is more useful when others pin about you because it does not make you look desperate and it shows that people are using and liking your product. I also learned that when you type in Pinterest on the Pinterest search engine, tons and tons of articles and links come up on how to actually use and be successful on Pinterest. This is where these two ladies learned the most on using the website. When posting pictures on Pinterest, add words. Words are very important and are informative, and pictures are fun and exciting, so the combo of the two is very eye catching and appealing to the viewers. Lastly, I learned that you can put a Pin It button on your blog or webpage! This is neat because then others are promoting you. Ana White had no idea why her business sales were booming until she found her products on Pinterest. Others were interacting with her product and advertising it for her!

5) Q: What are 5 new terms you learned? A:Pin: A pin is an image added to Pinterest. A pin can be added to a website using the Pin It button, or you can upload it from your own computer. Each pin added using the Pin It button links it back to the site it came from.   Repin: A repin is adding an image you find while browsing Pinterest to your own board. When you repin an image, the user that first pinned the image will also get credit. A repin maintains the source-link of the image no matter how many times it is repinned.  Board: A board is a set of pins. A board can be created on any topic, such as cool posters, recipes for dinner, or wishlists. You can add as many pins to a board as you want. ShareAsImage: Let's you highlight text anywhere on the web and easily convert it into an image. With the PRO version you can choose fonts, colors, and text size. Once you've created your quote image, you can share it on Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter. Watermark: A watermark is a visible embedded overlay on a digital photo consisting of text, a logo, or a copyright notice. The purpose of a watermark is to identify the work and discourage its unauthorized use. Though a visible watermark can't prevent unauthorized use, it makes it more difficult for those who may want to claim someone else's photo or art work as their own.

6) Final Thoughts: After reading this article and using the website only for fun, I realized that it is a useful tool for many businesses. You can have your work discovered and advertise for your business. It is such a well known site and there are so many users constantly using the website. For the two ladies, it got both of their businesses booming and expanding. For my project, I do not think that it would be a useful tool only because mine is a shopping website. I mean I could pin a picture that leads to the website, but I doubt it would get many repins or be successful. For small business owners however showing your work and pinning photos of accomplishments is a great way to broaden your business! Aside from business it is also a useful tool for finding information and tools and ideas. For instance, I found my definitions using Pinterest by searching their search engine. Also, it has great make up tips and hair ideas for going out. It has all sorts of categories and interests for the public. It is definitely a fun and addicting website! I suggest everyone use the site because it is fun and very easy!

Sources : http://pinterest.com/about/help/   http://pinterest.com/pin/209769295114601613/

http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/glossary/f/watermark.htm 

Businesses on Facebook

Businesses are finding it more useful nowadays to promote themselves using Facebook. However, are they doing it correctly? Do the administrators of the business page know what they're doing? Maintaining and having a successful Facebook page is not easy to do. Some companies do it better than others. Let's take a look at some businesses and organizations that took a stab at using Facebook and nailed it.

UNH Manchester, what a perfect place to start. UNH Manchester is a commuter college located in Manchester which is a branch off of the bigger business, UNH in Durham. UNH Manchester's Facebook page is put together well. The cover photo is appropriate along with the default picture. The page is updated regularly and well managed. The page is easy to find when searching in the search bar. You simply write UNH Manchester and poof there it is. There is approximately 1,000 likes which is not bad considering it is a very small school. There are a numerous amount of photo albums with pictures including events from commencement to barbecues, from a day in the classroom. It is nice seeing familiar faces on the page because it makes you feel like a part of something. To me, this is a well done and managed Facebook page. It is up to date, has a lot of pictures, a lot of news and information, and reaches out to students. 

Now, lets take a stroll down the street to the Manchester Monarchs! The Manchester Monarchs are a professional hockey team in the AHL  who play out of the Verizon Wireless Arena. The Manchester Monarch's have a great Facebook page! Like the UNH Manchester page, it is very easy to search on Facebook. The picture is of the Monarch logo, which obviously is appropriate. They post events, contests, clubs, activities and so on. They have 15, 187 followers which is a decent amount of fans. They also have tons of fun photos. They have players with Max, the mascot, pictures of kids with their favorite players, and so many more. The pictures make the team looked loved because their fans are all decked out and extremely happy looking. This Facebook page is definitely done correct and is effective for their business. 

Lastly, let's go for a crazy ride. Canobie Lake Park is an amusement park in Salem NH. There Facebook page is easy to search for and pops up right away. There are 142, 781 fans. That is an excellent amount of followers I'd have to say. NH is not that big of a state, and to have that many people supporting their page is really a great accomplishment. They have updated posts regularly. They consist of updates such as Screemfest, coupons, Job Fairs, New Rides, etc. The updates however do tend to die off during the off season, which is normal, because who wants their Facebook to be bothered with a business who is not open currently. Again, lots of photos on the page. People enjoying rides, Screemfest, food, shows, and much much more! It shows that the atmosphere is fun, and that Canobie Lake is a great family place to be!

All in all, maintaining and running a Facebook page is not easy. For my project, I am aiming for only 30-60 followers. Getting people a part of your business is not the easiest thing to do and to keep them interested is even harder to do. These pages are good examples for me to know how to run an effective, successful Facebook page. 

Mission Statement

Mission Statement for Market America:

Promote a healthy lifestlye.
Bring awareness to the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
Educate people about the importance of health.

this is me! :)