CSIT 155,
We made it to the final blog post of the semester! In this post I will be summing up what I learned this semester.
My use of social media has changed drastically this semester! I post way more than I did previously. I realized in this class that consistency is the key to growing my business and my audience. I realized my use of social media is now forever changed and I will continue to post regularly or daily. I went from barely posting to posting more than once a day or even once every few hours to make sure I stay relevant and active on all platforms. The only one I will work on is YouTube. Since YouTube takes more time than posting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
I didn't see a big increase in my business, but that may be because it's not an actual business yet. I don't have all the things I need to be a legit freelance makeup artist, a kit. My increase of Instagram followers is mainly what I gained. I had just created a second account for my YouTube channel, which is more about beauty and fashion. With this class I noticed I did become more active and it did make a difference in my follower count. I hope with time it will continue to grow.
Before this class, my viewpoint of social media was that it was a fun way to connect with friends and family, Now my viewpoint is that social media is a great marketing and advertising tool. I learned that I can use it to grow my business as a beauty influencer. If I am consistent, I will grow and my audience will grow with me. Also, I learned how social media is amazing for connecting with your clients or followers and lettig them get to know you on more personal level depending on your business. For my business, I feel as though now after taking this class I understand why so many others in my beauty community are all about posting all the time. It makes sense now.
I now have a better understanding as to why social media is all the craze for businesses. Considering my fiance is also wanting to start a business, social media has a great way to pave the path to a successful business. This class helped me realize that if I want to have a business, I need to be consistent on social media or you don't stay relevant and no one will care or hear about your business.
I 100% find myself wanting to use social media for business, product, or service. This class has taught me to be more consistent and confident in my social media use, so now I feel as though I know what will work for my business. I feel as though I can give my fiance advice on how to use social media for his business to get it up and running on those platforms. Heck, I have the knowledge and confidence that I can run his social media for the business he and his best friend wish to have. I loved learning how each platform is great for which types of businesses. I realized how much I love social media and interacting with people. I always loved creating content and blogging, after this class I want to start my own blog dealing with beauty and plus size fashion, and advice.
Friday, December 16, 2016
Week 15: Wrapping things Up & Looking Ahead
Hey CSIT 155,
Wow! This semester has flown by and now we are in our last week. This class has been amazing! For my second to last blog post, I will be discussing what platforms will work best for me in many different aspects. This may be a long post, enjoy, and get some tea or coffee and a snack!
Having a beauty community related business, I feel as though the social media platforms I created in this class are the most helpful and are a great way to integrate my business and get the word out there as long as I keep posting regularly. The way I use social media for promoting myself and my business is gonna be so different from the way I used to use it. YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are definitely the ones that I feel I can benefit the most from. These 4 platforms are great for me to show the visuals of my business type.
The platforms I have enjoyed using the most have to be Instagram and YouTube! I had a YouTube channel prior to this class and got rid of it. I didn't have the confidence in myself to get the views I wanted. I know I won't get the thousands of views within weeks, but hopefully overtime I can end up making YouTube a part of my career and do freelance makeup artistry on the side. Instagram is one of my favorite social media platforms besides YouTube! I love the idea of posting photos of my creations and products I suggest and love. Editing and photography are passions of mine as well as filming. I think that is why these 2 platforms are ones I will use for my business and pleasure.
As far as daily basis, Instagram and Twitter are the ones I would use daily. I would love to use YouTube daily, but in order to do so, I would need to pre-film videos like a madwoman and editing takes forever cause I'm a perfectionist when it comes to quality of videos and photos. I do edit my photos on Instagram slightly, just to smooth out my skin cause I have texture and pore issues. Editing is one of my favorite parts of creating content for YouTube and Instagram. I try to post everyday on Instagram, whether it be product shots or makeup looks I create.
I think for my business in the future, I should spend lots of time on social media. I feel as though our society is really hopping on the social media train and it is becoming bigger and bigger everyday, especially in the business world. A lot of customer service is moving to social media and not the normal customer service.
I chose Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter because these are platforms that I already use or used in the past. Like I said previously, I had a YouTube channel, which I am starting up again with a different name, that I love so much better than the 1 had previously. I may use them in the next 6 months by actually posting videos and advertising them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. I want to grow my social media presence and the only way I will be able to do that is to be consistent with posting and uploading content.
Within the next month, I would like to have about 3-4 videos posted a week of makeup looks or hauls or whatever I can come up with for my YouTube channel. Hopefully if I stay consistent with promoting and uploading content to all platforms I use, I can grow my presence. I may even start with daily video blogs, so people can get to know me. I want to try and upload around the same time on the days I choose. So I will make scheduled posts for YouTube and Facebook. Also as soon as it goes live on YouTube, I will post on Twitter and Instagram to get the word out. I will also make sure to have content ready and edited in advance to schedule for the upcoming weeks if I get busy and can't film prior.
Wow! This semester has flown by and now we are in our last week. This class has been amazing! For my second to last blog post, I will be discussing what platforms will work best for me in many different aspects. This may be a long post, enjoy, and get some tea or coffee and a snack!
Having a beauty community related business, I feel as though the social media platforms I created in this class are the most helpful and are a great way to integrate my business and get the word out there as long as I keep posting regularly. The way I use social media for promoting myself and my business is gonna be so different from the way I used to use it. YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are definitely the ones that I feel I can benefit the most from. These 4 platforms are great for me to show the visuals of my business type.
The platforms I have enjoyed using the most have to be Instagram and YouTube! I had a YouTube channel prior to this class and got rid of it. I didn't have the confidence in myself to get the views I wanted. I know I won't get the thousands of views within weeks, but hopefully overtime I can end up making YouTube a part of my career and do freelance makeup artistry on the side. Instagram is one of my favorite social media platforms besides YouTube! I love the idea of posting photos of my creations and products I suggest and love. Editing and photography are passions of mine as well as filming. I think that is why these 2 platforms are ones I will use for my business and pleasure.
As far as daily basis, Instagram and Twitter are the ones I would use daily. I would love to use YouTube daily, but in order to do so, I would need to pre-film videos like a madwoman and editing takes forever cause I'm a perfectionist when it comes to quality of videos and photos. I do edit my photos on Instagram slightly, just to smooth out my skin cause I have texture and pore issues. Editing is one of my favorite parts of creating content for YouTube and Instagram. I try to post everyday on Instagram, whether it be product shots or makeup looks I create.
I think for my business in the future, I should spend lots of time on social media. I feel as though our society is really hopping on the social media train and it is becoming bigger and bigger everyday, especially in the business world. A lot of customer service is moving to social media and not the normal customer service.
I chose Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter because these are platforms that I already use or used in the past. Like I said previously, I had a YouTube channel, which I am starting up again with a different name, that I love so much better than the 1 had previously. I may use them in the next 6 months by actually posting videos and advertising them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. I want to grow my social media presence and the only way I will be able to do that is to be consistent with posting and uploading content.
Within the next month, I would like to have about 3-4 videos posted a week of makeup looks or hauls or whatever I can come up with for my YouTube channel. Hopefully if I stay consistent with promoting and uploading content to all platforms I use, I can grow my presence. I may even start with daily video blogs, so people can get to know me. I want to try and upload around the same time on the days I choose. So I will make scheduled posts for YouTube and Facebook. Also as soon as it goes live on YouTube, I will post on Twitter and Instagram to get the word out. I will also make sure to have content ready and edited in advance to schedule for the upcoming weeks if I get busy and can't film prior.
Week 14: Optimizing Yourself and The Company Pt.2
Hey CSIT 155,
For today's post I will be discussing my Insights from my Facebook Page KyleeMUA.
So when I checked my insights for my Facebook page, I noticed that my engagement went down by 1 view in all places. This is probably because I haven't been as active as I used to be with the page. It is a sample business page. I enjoy using Facebook to get my business or creations out there. A lot of my friends and family liked my page. I haven't posted in over a week so that doesn't help my engagements and views.
That is something I need to work on in the future when I create my real business page for my beauty community. I love the work I put into posting my content. I have not had very many views or likes on my posts. That is something that changed.
For today's post I will be discussing my Insights from my Facebook Page KyleeMUA.
So when I checked my insights for my Facebook page, I noticed that my engagement went down by 1 view in all places. This is probably because I haven't been as active as I used to be with the page. It is a sample business page. I enjoy using Facebook to get my business or creations out there. A lot of my friends and family liked my page. I haven't posted in over a week so that doesn't help my engagements and views.
That is something I need to work on in the future when I create my real business page for my beauty community. I love the work I put into posting my content. I have not had very many views or likes on my posts. That is something that changed.
Week 12: Analyzing Online Marketing Part 1
Hey CSIT 155,
Welcome back to my blog! Today's topic is about analyzing online marketing. This is part one of two. For part 1, I am going to be discussing 5 business that are similar to mine, which is within the beauty industry. Let's hop right into it.
1. KLPolish
This is a brand new nail polish line created by beauty influencer KathleenLights. She started on YouTube and is now the creator and owner of her own polish line. I've seen her advertisements on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram. I do follow the brand page as well. The social advertising is working tremendously well for this brand. The pre-sale sold out within days of it being out. The launch date of December 5 was successful as well. KL Polish doing so well in the social advertising aspect may be due to Kathleen having such a big following on social media. What drew my attention for this brand,besides the fact I love Kathleen and her channel, is that she used photos to advertise her product. She used all different skin tones for each polish color, which for me as brand is great. The use of different skin tones shows how diverse and different each polish color will look on all people. That is a great marketing strategy. Now that the brand is launched, they post photos of the customers wearing the polishes which helps in my opinion. The more I see of these ads, the more I want.
2. Makeup Geek
I've mentioned this brand before on my blog and I love the way they use Facebook and Instagram to advertise. They use YouTube to promote the products. With the use of imagery and deals everyday for the holiday season is amazing and very effective. I love how they use customers as there models for their advertising. They also post their shadows, lip products, and face products in bundles for whatever deal they have for the day. Being in the beauty community myself, I feel that this is a great way to promote and advertise your product. Coming up with different bundles everyday for the holiday season is a great way to get your brand out there to people who may not know about it or give a little hint to people if you share it that it is something you would want. Marlena's marketing strategy is to use sneak peeks and hype of the product, which none of her products are bad, She also uses her customers as inspiration and to show people different looks you can do with her products.
3.Glisten & Glow
Glisten & Glow is an indie nail polish brand that I found through a YouTuber that I watch. They mainly use Instagram to market their products. They do so by using their customers photos, giving credit of course to the customer. This makes me want to try their polishes. I've heard nothing but good things about the formula of the polishes. What really intrigues me about the brand is their social advertising, Using customer's photos is a way to get new customer's to see just how good the polishes are.
4. Devonne By Demi
This is Demi Lovato's skincare line, which I love. I am a customer of this brand. And they use not just Demi as an advertising tool, they also use their customers. The brand has hashtags for their customers to use so they can see them and repost them for advertisement, always giving credit to the customer. To advertise, I see it a lot on Facebook and instagram. The hashtags I see a lot are #FFF(fresh faced Friday), #NMM( NO Makeup Monday), #DevonnebyDemi. These hashtags are very fun and useful because anyone who looks up the hashtags you will see not just Demi herself but others who use the brand as well. This brand is all natural and actually works for all skin types which is crazy. I have seen 1 TV advertisement, but I love the social media advertisments.
5. Jeffree Star Cosmetics
This brand is owned and created by the one and only Jeffree Star. Jeffree was a musician and turned makeup artist. He created his brand 2 years ago and ever since it came out it's been hard for the products to stay in stock. He has skin frosts(highlighters), liquid lipsticks, lip scrubs, and lip ammunition(standard lipstick).He uses all platforms of social media to advertise and uses customers as well to promote the brand. I really enjoy his advertisments because they are colorful and sometimes in video form. He uses YouTube to preview his upcoming products and does live swatches. His advertisement is really modern and cool.
Welcome back to my blog! Today's topic is about analyzing online marketing. This is part one of two. For part 1, I am going to be discussing 5 business that are similar to mine, which is within the beauty industry. Let's hop right into it.
1. KLPolish
This is a brand new nail polish line created by beauty influencer KathleenLights. She started on YouTube and is now the creator and owner of her own polish line. I've seen her advertisements on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram. I do follow the brand page as well. The social advertising is working tremendously well for this brand. The pre-sale sold out within days of it being out. The launch date of December 5 was successful as well. KL Polish doing so well in the social advertising aspect may be due to Kathleen having such a big following on social media. What drew my attention for this brand,besides the fact I love Kathleen and her channel, is that she used photos to advertise her product. She used all different skin tones for each polish color, which for me as brand is great. The use of different skin tones shows how diverse and different each polish color will look on all people. That is a great marketing strategy. Now that the brand is launched, they post photos of the customers wearing the polishes which helps in my opinion. The more I see of these ads, the more I want.
2. Makeup Geek
I've mentioned this brand before on my blog and I love the way they use Facebook and Instagram to advertise. They use YouTube to promote the products. With the use of imagery and deals everyday for the holiday season is amazing and very effective. I love how they use customers as there models for their advertising. They also post their shadows, lip products, and face products in bundles for whatever deal they have for the day. Being in the beauty community myself, I feel that this is a great way to promote and advertise your product. Coming up with different bundles everyday for the holiday season is a great way to get your brand out there to people who may not know about it or give a little hint to people if you share it that it is something you would want. Marlena's marketing strategy is to use sneak peeks and hype of the product, which none of her products are bad, She also uses her customers as inspiration and to show people different looks you can do with her products.
3.Glisten & Glow
Glisten & Glow is an indie nail polish brand that I found through a YouTuber that I watch. They mainly use Instagram to market their products. They do so by using their customers photos, giving credit of course to the customer. This makes me want to try their polishes. I've heard nothing but good things about the formula of the polishes. What really intrigues me about the brand is their social advertising, Using customer's photos is a way to get new customer's to see just how good the polishes are.
4. Devonne By Demi
This is Demi Lovato's skincare line, which I love. I am a customer of this brand. And they use not just Demi as an advertising tool, they also use their customers. The brand has hashtags for their customers to use so they can see them and repost them for advertisement, always giving credit to the customer. To advertise, I see it a lot on Facebook and instagram. The hashtags I see a lot are #FFF(fresh faced Friday), #NMM( NO Makeup Monday), #DevonnebyDemi. These hashtags are very fun and useful because anyone who looks up the hashtags you will see not just Demi herself but others who use the brand as well. This brand is all natural and actually works for all skin types which is crazy. I have seen 1 TV advertisement, but I love the social media advertisments.
5. Jeffree Star Cosmetics
This brand is owned and created by the one and only Jeffree Star. Jeffree was a musician and turned makeup artist. He created his brand 2 years ago and ever since it came out it's been hard for the products to stay in stock. He has skin frosts(highlighters), liquid lipsticks, lip scrubs, and lip ammunition(standard lipstick).He uses all platforms of social media to advertise and uses customers as well to promote the brand. I really enjoy his advertisments because they are colorful and sometimes in video form. He uses YouTube to preview his upcoming products and does live swatches. His advertisement is really modern and cool.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Week 11:Using Other Social Media Tools Part 2
Hey CSIT 155,
Today I am going to be discussing the results of my research of Groupon and Yelp. I did a lot of research into these two particularly this is where my business can learn and grow into a successful one. Groupon and Yelp were the two that interested me the most, mainly because I had to research them for another class of mine.
First we are going to start with Groupon, which is a coupon site and app. Through my research I learned that this is a great way for a small business to get noticed. If I were to put out a great deal whether it be a percentage deal or a lower price with coupon, I could possibly gain more customers and get the word out about my business. One thing I noticed about this coupon site is that the coupons and deals have a long time before they expire. This can be a good thing, but to play devil's advocate it can be a bad thing as well. If you only have the deal specifically for a certain time of year or during a lot of special occasions, with a longer expiration date anyone can get the coupon and use it for whenever they feel like it or in another year if they already booked someone else. I like Groupon and think it's a great service but I feel as though it needs a little tweaking for some of their deals and coupons.
Second and last is Yelp, which I use all the time. Yelp is a great way to see how you are doing as a business. You can have your customers review your service and give it a rating of 1-5 stars. which you always wanna strive for 5 star reviews. This would be a great way for me to see how I am doing in the eyes of my customers. I would want them to have a voice and let other people know what the think of me and my service, whether it is positive or negative. I feel as though the uploading pictures of the service and giving feedback is an excellent way for me to grow and improve my business if it were to come down to that.
Today I am going to be discussing the results of my research of Groupon and Yelp. I did a lot of research into these two particularly this is where my business can learn and grow into a successful one. Groupon and Yelp were the two that interested me the most, mainly because I had to research them for another class of mine.
First we are going to start with Groupon, which is a coupon site and app. Through my research I learned that this is a great way for a small business to get noticed. If I were to put out a great deal whether it be a percentage deal or a lower price with coupon, I could possibly gain more customers and get the word out about my business. One thing I noticed about this coupon site is that the coupons and deals have a long time before they expire. This can be a good thing, but to play devil's advocate it can be a bad thing as well. If you only have the deal specifically for a certain time of year or during a lot of special occasions, with a longer expiration date anyone can get the coupon and use it for whenever they feel like it or in another year if they already booked someone else. I like Groupon and think it's a great service but I feel as though it needs a little tweaking for some of their deals and coupons.
Second and last is Yelp, which I use all the time. Yelp is a great way to see how you are doing as a business. You can have your customers review your service and give it a rating of 1-5 stars. which you always wanna strive for 5 star reviews. This would be a great way for me to see how I am doing in the eyes of my customers. I would want them to have a voice and let other people know what the think of me and my service, whether it is positive or negative. I feel as though the uploading pictures of the service and giving feedback is an excellent way for me to grow and improve my business if it were to come down to that.
Week 11: Using Other Social Media Tools Part 1
Hey CSIT 155,
In today's post I will be discussing 4 other social media tools that I feel can help me grow my business.
1. Google+
I feel as though Google+ is a great way to gain customers and encourage customers to share their experience with others as well as myself. This is a great way to get the word out about my YouTube channel and any other social media. I can create and join circles according to the beauty industry. For example: I could create a makeup artist circle for makeup artists in my area. I could join the beauty blogger/vlogger community.
2. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a great way for my business to gain other customers and to connect to other artists around me on a business level. If I need advice or wish to connect with other makeup artists around me this is a great place to find them. I would use this to make business connections.
3. Yelp
I would use Yelp for sure. I would use Yelp for my customers and their experience with me. This would help me see if I am doing a great job and if people would recommend my service or if I need to improve in some aspects. This is a great tool for my business and it gives my clients a voice and lets them know that their voice is being heard.
4. Groupon
I would use Groupon during for special occasions: weddings, homecoming, prom, military balls, etc.. This is a great way to give customers an amazing deal for a group or if you are just wanting it for yourself. I would probably put out a coupon or discount that gives you either a percentage off or a price that is less than what it would be without the coupon.
The way I would integrate them into my strategy would be to post about it on all my social media platforms and in email newsletters. I would tell all my customers and followers about the great savings deals I have on groupon, tell them to leave a review on Yelp, have them connect with me on LinkedIn and Google+.
In today's post I will be discussing 4 other social media tools that I feel can help me grow my business.
1. Google+
I feel as though Google+ is a great way to gain customers and encourage customers to share their experience with others as well as myself. This is a great way to get the word out about my YouTube channel and any other social media. I can create and join circles according to the beauty industry. For example: I could create a makeup artist circle for makeup artists in my area. I could join the beauty blogger/vlogger community.
2. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a great way for my business to gain other customers and to connect to other artists around me on a business level. If I need advice or wish to connect with other makeup artists around me this is a great place to find them. I would use this to make business connections.
3. Yelp
I would use Yelp for sure. I would use Yelp for my customers and their experience with me. This would help me see if I am doing a great job and if people would recommend my service or if I need to improve in some aspects. This is a great tool for my business and it gives my clients a voice and lets them know that their voice is being heard.
4. Groupon
I would use Groupon during for special occasions: weddings, homecoming, prom, military balls, etc.. This is a great way to give customers an amazing deal for a group or if you are just wanting it for yourself. I would probably put out a coupon or discount that gives you either a percentage off or a price that is less than what it would be without the coupon.
The way I would integrate them into my strategy would be to post about it on all my social media platforms and in email newsletters. I would tell all my customers and followers about the great savings deals I have on groupon, tell them to leave a review on Yelp, have them connect with me on LinkedIn and Google+.
Week 9: Blogging for Business Part 2
Hey CSIT 155,
Today's blog post is all about the kinds of categories I would use to engage my target audience and stay organized on my personal blog. Let's get right into it.
To start, the categories I would use are makeup reviews, makeup looks, where you can buy, all the ways you can connect with me, and FAQs. These categories best represent my company and what I am all about. Makeup reviews is geared toward my audience because it is a way for the audience to know what I believe about a product and the pros and cons. It is also a way for the audience or client to see my knowledge and opinion on certain makeup products. Makeup looks is for those who are looking to see my skills. I would post in this category looks that I have created either on myself or on clients, possibly even friends and family. I would give links and lists of all the products used in each post and maybe post a video showing exactly how I created the look, linking the video from my YouTube to my blog. I would use the where you can buy category for those clients and audience members who are like what the see in either the makeup review category or the makeup look category and what stores or sites you can purchase with coupon codes of YouTubers or affiliate links of mine if I have any for the sites. The connect with me will have all my social media and business email. If companies or clients wish to contact me directly it will all be in one spot for them to find. Finally, the FAQ section is the category where you can find any and all answers about my blog and business and why I chose the beauty community to go into rather than something different.
I feel as though these categories give the audience and insight look to how I create makeup looks as well as shows my knowledge and skills of my craft. These will help my business grow because it can broaden my audience and customers who wish to work with me. For me having these categories represents my knowledge and skills of my particular industry. These categories show the in and outs of my business in many different ways.
Today's blog post is all about the kinds of categories I would use to engage my target audience and stay organized on my personal blog. Let's get right into it.
To start, the categories I would use are makeup reviews, makeup looks, where you can buy, all the ways you can connect with me, and FAQs. These categories best represent my company and what I am all about. Makeup reviews is geared toward my audience because it is a way for the audience to know what I believe about a product and the pros and cons. It is also a way for the audience or client to see my knowledge and opinion on certain makeup products. Makeup looks is for those who are looking to see my skills. I would post in this category looks that I have created either on myself or on clients, possibly even friends and family. I would give links and lists of all the products used in each post and maybe post a video showing exactly how I created the look, linking the video from my YouTube to my blog. I would use the where you can buy category for those clients and audience members who are like what the see in either the makeup review category or the makeup look category and what stores or sites you can purchase with coupon codes of YouTubers or affiliate links of mine if I have any for the sites. The connect with me will have all my social media and business email. If companies or clients wish to contact me directly it will all be in one spot for them to find. Finally, the FAQ section is the category where you can find any and all answers about my blog and business and why I chose the beauty community to go into rather than something different.
I feel as though these categories give the audience and insight look to how I create makeup looks as well as shows my knowledge and skills of my craft. These will help my business grow because it can broaden my audience and customers who wish to work with me. For me having these categories represents my knowledge and skills of my particular industry. These categories show the in and outs of my business in many different ways.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Week 10: Email Newsletter
Hey CSIT 155,
Today's blog is all about email newsletters and how they can work for my business and how often I should send them in my opinion. Let's get started..
The one thing I learned about email lists through both the book and the lecture from this week is that my company could use newsletters via emails to promote specials during the holidays,prom season, homecomings and other special occasions. I could use them to promote offers and deals for my company. The way I would use email newsletters is to promote special deals around the high school dances, homecoming or prom, as well as wedding season. I would probably only use the newsletters as a welcome news letter, possibly a birthday or anniversary promotion, and then the special events/occasions.
Reading the chapter and lecture, I learned that email newsletters can be annoying if you send them out too much. I would only use this in the ways I stated above.
Today's blog is all about email newsletters and how they can work for my business and how often I should send them in my opinion. Let's get started..
The one thing I learned about email lists through both the book and the lecture from this week is that my company could use newsletters via emails to promote specials during the holidays,prom season, homecomings and other special occasions. I could use them to promote offers and deals for my company. The way I would use email newsletters is to promote special deals around the high school dances, homecoming or prom, as well as wedding season. I would probably only use the newsletters as a welcome news letter, possibly a birthday or anniversary promotion, and then the special events/occasions.
Reading the chapter and lecture, I learned that email newsletters can be annoying if you send them out too much. I would only use this in the ways I stated above.
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Week 7 Part 2: Get Visual
Hey y'all! For this post I am going to be discussing why visual media works for some companies and why it works specifically for the business I am starting. Hope you enjoy this post. Don't forget to leave a comment before you leave. I would love to hear your thoughts. Let's get right into it.
For my particular business, visual media is a must for me. It is the best way to show of my skills and my work. It helps potential clients see if my type of work and skill is something they are looking for. I believe that when you are a self-taught freelance makeup artist it is essential to have either an Instagram or YouTube account because on Instagram you can show of your work with pictures of your clients, on yourself, or on your family members if they say it is ok to post their photo. This gives my clients an idea of my work and are able to contact me via business email if they are interested.
YouTube is something I am very passionate about. I love filming and editing my makeup tutorials or a get ready with me. This is visual media where people can see me actually do my craft and get advice from me. I love YouTube and plan to use it to my advantage with my business.
The first business I researched that is similar to mine was makeup geek, this is a business I have looked at and purchased from prior to this assignment. I love this company and its visuals. The owner Marlena has her YouTube channel where she shows her audience sneak peaks of her new items that are being released. She also shows ways to weather herproducts, such as color combinations for eyeshadow looks.
For my particular business, visual media is a must for me. It is the best way to show of my skills and my work. It helps potential clients see if my type of work and skill is something they are looking for. I believe that when you are a self-taught freelance makeup artist it is essential to have either an Instagram or YouTube account because on Instagram you can show of your work with pictures of your clients, on yourself, or on your family members if they say it is ok to post their photo. This gives my clients an idea of my work and are able to contact me via business email if they are interested.
YouTube is something I am very passionate about. I love filming and editing my makeup tutorials or a get ready with me. This is visual media where people can see me actually do my craft and get advice from me. I love YouTube and plan to use it to my advantage with my business.
The first business I researched that is similar to mine was makeup geek, this is a business I have looked at and purchased from prior to this assignment. I love this company and its visuals. The owner Marlena has her YouTube channel where she shows her audience sneak peaks of her new items that are being released. She also shows ways to weather herproducts, such as color combinations for eyeshadow looks.
Week 9: Blogging for Business
Hey CSIT 155,
In today's blog post I will be discussing how adding human interest is appealing to your audience. I believe that depending on your business adding human interest is a great thing. So let's get started.
I think if you have a business that you work closely with your clients and customers, such as my business being a makeup artist, it is an excellent idea to show a more personal touch due to the fact that you work so closely with them.
A way that personal touches on your blog doesn't work is if it's a business that is more corporate. It makes it seem less professional, in my opinion, and it also has no value to the company if that is the case of the company.
In today's blog post I will be discussing how adding human interest is appealing to your audience. I believe that depending on your business adding human interest is a great thing. So let's get started.
I think if you have a business that you work closely with your clients and customers, such as my business being a makeup artist, it is an excellent idea to show a more personal touch due to the fact that you work so closely with them.
A way that personal touches on your blog doesn't work is if it's a business that is more corporate. It makes it seem less professional, in my opinion, and it also has no value to the company if that is the case of the company.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Week 8: Twitter
Hey y'all,
Today's post is all about Twitter, one of my personal favorite social media sites to use. I love using twitter to connect with my followers and potential clients. Its a great customer service aspect as well.
Let's hop right into today's post about twitter.
One of the first things I did when I created my account was search for other accounts that would benefit my business and that were relevant to what my business is, which is obviously beauty and makeup. I used words such as: makeup, beauty, beauty bloggers, etc. I didn't have to play around with key terms too much due to the fact that on my other twitter account I follow a lot of beauty bloggers and beauty brands already. I talk to some of the beauty bloggers I happen to follow.
Some of the beauty related people and accounts I found were:
TooFaced Cosmetics
Benefit Cosmetics
Jaclyn Hill
Kathleen Lights
Young Wild and Polished(Nicole)
Morphe Brushes
Makeup Geek Cosmetics
KatVonD Beauty
Laura Lee
Jeffree Star Cosmetics
Kylie Cosmetics
I created two lists for the simple reason that it can keep my favorite beauty brands and beauty bloggers and influencers separated. It is also an easier way to organize potential friends and PR opportunities in the future. The two lists I created were Beauty Brands, which consists of my favorite beauty brands to follow and possibly some PR opportunity. The second list is Beauty Bloggers, which consists of my favorite beauty bloggers that I could potentially become good friends with or collab with on a video one day for YouTube. The creation of the lists helps me stay organized by separating personal and business ideas. I like seeing the brands I love and would love to work with one day in one specific area. I also like to see the beauty bloggers and influencers I look up to and love to follow laid out in one area.
I feel like most customers would most likely see my tweets during the late afternoon/evening or at night. For me, that is when I notice the most interaction all on platforms. This is probably due to the fact that people are busy with work or school and don't always have the notifications on for when I tweet. Another factor could be that I am such a small, new page that it can be difficult to get a lot of views right of the bat.
Today's post is all about Twitter, one of my personal favorite social media sites to use. I love using twitter to connect with my followers and potential clients. Its a great customer service aspect as well.
Let's hop right into today's post about twitter.
One of the first things I did when I created my account was search for other accounts that would benefit my business and that were relevant to what my business is, which is obviously beauty and makeup. I used words such as: makeup, beauty, beauty bloggers, etc. I didn't have to play around with key terms too much due to the fact that on my other twitter account I follow a lot of beauty bloggers and beauty brands already. I talk to some of the beauty bloggers I happen to follow.
Some of the beauty related people and accounts I found were:
TooFaced Cosmetics
Benefit Cosmetics
Jaclyn Hill
Kathleen Lights
Young Wild and Polished(Nicole)
Morphe Brushes
Makeup Geek Cosmetics
KatVonD Beauty
Laura Lee
Jeffree Star Cosmetics
Kylie Cosmetics
I created two lists for the simple reason that it can keep my favorite beauty brands and beauty bloggers and influencers separated. It is also an easier way to organize potential friends and PR opportunities in the future. The two lists I created were Beauty Brands, which consists of my favorite beauty brands to follow and possibly some PR opportunity. The second list is Beauty Bloggers, which consists of my favorite beauty bloggers that I could potentially become good friends with or collab with on a video one day for YouTube. The creation of the lists helps me stay organized by separating personal and business ideas. I like seeing the brands I love and would love to work with one day in one specific area. I also like to see the beauty bloggers and influencers I look up to and love to follow laid out in one area.
I feel like most customers would most likely see my tweets during the late afternoon/evening or at night. For me, that is when I notice the most interaction all on platforms. This is probably due to the fact that people are busy with work or school and don't always have the notifications on for when I tweet. Another factor could be that I am such a small, new page that it can be difficult to get a lot of views right of the bat.
Friday, October 21, 2016
Week 7: Get Visual Part 1
Are visual networks good for my business and which ones do I find are going to be the most helpful? This is what I will be discussing in this post. I hope you find it interesting to hear my viewpoint and as always leave any question and comments below. Happy Reading!
First off, I would like to say that visual networks are very helpful with some businesses and for certain people. I feel as though using visual networks such as YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, Pintrest, and many more are very helpful but can also be very time consuming.
With that said, I feel like visual networks will be the most helpful for my business because someone can go to my Instagram or YouTube to see my skills at work whether it be on myself or on a family member. I believe that visual networks are the best for my business because wanting to go into the beauty community is hard enough when you are on a budget and having people trust you without any proof is even harder. I feel like having something to either watch or see is a great way to show that I do know what I'm doing and even though I don't have a degree in cosmetology doesn't mean I can't do what you want as a client.
Facebook, I feel is great way to show off my skills in either photos or a live get ready with me style video. I love that Facebook has added that feature to it. Facebook also has the most users with 1.4 billion, that's a lot of potential clients and people to see my business and skills. Facebook is probably one of my top picks for visual networking. The way it can reach people by having people like your page and then sharing it is a word of mouth way of growing my business..
Instagram, is most likely my 2nd highest pick for visual networking. Mainly because I love photography and editing pictures of beauty items and my makeup looks and creations. It is a great feeling when someone hits that little heart or leaves a nice comment. I personally need to stay on top of my Instagram page because I can tend to forget that to grow it, I need to post often. This particular visual network can be time consuming but if I post once a day, I should be able to grow.
YouTube, my number one pick for visual networks, especially for me and my business. Having a business in the beauty community is hard enough, add in all the beauty influencers out there, its even harder to get recognized and get business. For me having a YouTube channel is not only a great way to show off my craft and skills with makeup, its also a great outlet for brands and PR firms for companies in the industry to maybe want to work with me in that way. I enjoy watching videos on YouTube and used to have a channel, now I'm glad I deleted that one and made this one because it gave me a chance to really make sure this is the route I wanted to grow my business and wanted to show off my work. This is one of the most time consuming because of the filming and editing you have to do for your videos.
Google+, I really don't understand this one. I have 2 google+ accounts and I never use them. This is one I would probably never use for my business. Mostly because it confuses me and I would rather use Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to grow my business. I don't see this particular visual network as a helpful way to grow my business due to the fact that you have make groups or circles with your page just to get anywhere. I would rather film, take a picture, edit it and put it up for a broader audience to see and make their decision that way.
Tumblr, is kinda dying out in my opinion, especially since YouTube and Instagram have come onto the scene and people are using other blog sites to show their work or creations and use for business. I don't see myself using Tumblr for my business just because I prefer YouTube and Instagram to show off my skills and work. I don't ever go on Tumblr, I read other blogs on other sites for my business. Personally, my business would not grow with Tumblr, in my opinion. I don't see a lot of beauty related pages on Tumblr. To me it seems more like a fashion or pop culture blog.
Pintrest is one of those visual networks that can get confusing very quickly. I enjoy using Pintrest just not for my business. I can get my inspiration for looks from there but for growing a business I don't see how you can grow a business with Pintrest. There are a lot of amazing things on Pintrest, I just don't know how a business could grow using Pintrest since all you are doing is pinning pictures you like. This one is good for inspiration for me and my business, just not good for growing my business.
Snapchat! I love Snapchat, though it is the most time consuming. This is a great way for my clients to get to know me on a more personal level without having to vlog. I love vlogging and this is essentially a vlog. I feel like I can show my clients and followers what I am up to and how I am outside a business setting. It is a great way to interact with your clients and I love interacting with people. I follow some of my favorite beauty gurus on Snapchat. To me it gives an insight view into the life of person. The best part is the snapchat story only lasts for 24 hours before it disappears from your followers story feed.
The ones I feel would work best for me and my business are YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.
First off, I would like to say that visual networks are very helpful with some businesses and for certain people. I feel as though using visual networks such as YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, Pintrest, and many more are very helpful but can also be very time consuming.
With that said, I feel like visual networks will be the most helpful for my business because someone can go to my Instagram or YouTube to see my skills at work whether it be on myself or on a family member. I believe that visual networks are the best for my business because wanting to go into the beauty community is hard enough when you are on a budget and having people trust you without any proof is even harder. I feel like having something to either watch or see is a great way to show that I do know what I'm doing and even though I don't have a degree in cosmetology doesn't mean I can't do what you want as a client.
Facebook, I feel is great way to show off my skills in either photos or a live get ready with me style video. I love that Facebook has added that feature to it. Facebook also has the most users with 1.4 billion, that's a lot of potential clients and people to see my business and skills. Facebook is probably one of my top picks for visual networking. The way it can reach people by having people like your page and then sharing it is a word of mouth way of growing my business..
Instagram, is most likely my 2nd highest pick for visual networking. Mainly because I love photography and editing pictures of beauty items and my makeup looks and creations. It is a great feeling when someone hits that little heart or leaves a nice comment. I personally need to stay on top of my Instagram page because I can tend to forget that to grow it, I need to post often. This particular visual network can be time consuming but if I post once a day, I should be able to grow.
YouTube, my number one pick for visual networks, especially for me and my business. Having a business in the beauty community is hard enough, add in all the beauty influencers out there, its even harder to get recognized and get business. For me having a YouTube channel is not only a great way to show off my craft and skills with makeup, its also a great outlet for brands and PR firms for companies in the industry to maybe want to work with me in that way. I enjoy watching videos on YouTube and used to have a channel, now I'm glad I deleted that one and made this one because it gave me a chance to really make sure this is the route I wanted to grow my business and wanted to show off my work. This is one of the most time consuming because of the filming and editing you have to do for your videos.
Google+, I really don't understand this one. I have 2 google+ accounts and I never use them. This is one I would probably never use for my business. Mostly because it confuses me and I would rather use Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to grow my business. I don't see this particular visual network as a helpful way to grow my business due to the fact that you have make groups or circles with your page just to get anywhere. I would rather film, take a picture, edit it and put it up for a broader audience to see and make their decision that way.
Tumblr, is kinda dying out in my opinion, especially since YouTube and Instagram have come onto the scene and people are using other blog sites to show their work or creations and use for business. I don't see myself using Tumblr for my business just because I prefer YouTube and Instagram to show off my skills and work. I don't ever go on Tumblr, I read other blogs on other sites for my business. Personally, my business would not grow with Tumblr, in my opinion. I don't see a lot of beauty related pages on Tumblr. To me it seems more like a fashion or pop culture blog.
Pintrest is one of those visual networks that can get confusing very quickly. I enjoy using Pintrest just not for my business. I can get my inspiration for looks from there but for growing a business I don't see how you can grow a business with Pintrest. There are a lot of amazing things on Pintrest, I just don't know how a business could grow using Pintrest since all you are doing is pinning pictures you like. This one is good for inspiration for me and my business, just not good for growing my business.
Snapchat! I love Snapchat, though it is the most time consuming. This is a great way for my clients to get to know me on a more personal level without having to vlog. I love vlogging and this is essentially a vlog. I feel like I can show my clients and followers what I am up to and how I am outside a business setting. It is a great way to interact with your clients and I love interacting with people. I follow some of my favorite beauty gurus on Snapchat. To me it gives an insight view into the life of person. The best part is the snapchat story only lasts for 24 hours before it disappears from your followers story feed.
The ones I feel would work best for me and my business are YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.
Week 6: Intro to Facebook Strategy for KyleeMUA Part 1
So for this post I am going to share with you the business I have chosen to like as my business page and why I chose the pages I chose. Let's get started...
1. Morphe Brushes
2. Makeup Geek Cosmetics
3. Colourpop Cosmetics
4. Toofaced Cosmestices
5. Wet'N'Wild Beauty
6. KathleenLights
7. Jaclyn Hill
The reason I chose these 7 pages is because I feel that can help build my business in a way of not only PR purposes such as the 5 cosmetic brands I chose. Also in the way that I chose 2 beauty Youtubers that I not only love to watch and follow, I feel that I can connect with them in a personal way to help me in growing my business and how to do that with all the craziness that comes along in the beauty industry. Jaclyn Hill, if you are unfamiliar, is a professional makeup artist who used to work for MAC Cosmetics and Sephora. She is now a beauty Youtuber with over 3 million subscribers and counting. She is someone I relate to and can see as a good potential friend in the business. Kathleen Lights is a beauty Youtuber as well with over 2 million Youtube subscribers and she is very down to earth and real. Both Jaclyn and Kathleen are very honest and I feel that if I were to reach out to them and show them a look I created, they would give me honest feed back.
I will use this Facebook feature to help in connecting with other companies and brands for possible PR and a way to grow my business within the beauty community. I will use this as a way to show how I can create different looks not only on myself but on others as well. I would love to use this as a platform to kickstart my freelance makeup artist career.
1. Morphe Brushes
2. Makeup Geek Cosmetics
3. Colourpop Cosmetics
4. Toofaced Cosmestices
5. Wet'N'Wild Beauty
6. KathleenLights
7. Jaclyn Hill
The reason I chose these 7 pages is because I feel that can help build my business in a way of not only PR purposes such as the 5 cosmetic brands I chose. Also in the way that I chose 2 beauty Youtubers that I not only love to watch and follow, I feel that I can connect with them in a personal way to help me in growing my business and how to do that with all the craziness that comes along in the beauty industry. Jaclyn Hill, if you are unfamiliar, is a professional makeup artist who used to work for MAC Cosmetics and Sephora. She is now a beauty Youtuber with over 3 million subscribers and counting. She is someone I relate to and can see as a good potential friend in the business. Kathleen Lights is a beauty Youtuber as well with over 2 million Youtube subscribers and she is very down to earth and real. Both Jaclyn and Kathleen are very honest and I feel that if I were to reach out to them and show them a look I created, they would give me honest feed back.
I will use this Facebook feature to help in connecting with other companies and brands for possible PR and a way to grow my business within the beauty community. I will use this as a way to show how I can create different looks not only on myself but on others as well. I would love to use this as a platform to kickstart my freelance makeup artist career.
Monday, October 10, 2016
Week 5: Post Reach vs Post Engagement
When building a business, an important part in my opinion, besides building your brand and finding your target audience, is to create and build a strong,relatable relationship with your customers. Having a Facebook Page for your customers to interact with is a great way to start building that relationship. The way I think of Post Engagement is when customers click on links or the about section, as well as likes,comments,and shares. You can view your engagements once you reach a certain number of likes on your page with Facebook Insights. It gives you a detailed report of your engagements and reaches. Seeing what your customers are most engaged with is an effective way to know what works and what doe not work on your page.
First thing any and all businesses MUST do before being able to have a lot of customer engagement is to find and reach your target niche. This means how many people is your page reaching by being seen. This metric is measured by how many people see your postings, some of which you may pay for. When starting out you can invite some people on your friend's list to like your page. That can start your page's reach increase. The reach is a great way to determine how well you are doing in getting your business or product or brand name out there and into people's feed on Facebook.
I found that knowing the difference is important because both reach and engagement are equally important in determining how you are doing when advertising your brand. You need to reach your target niche and have them use word of mouth or share your page to help your page grow. You also need reach to see how else you can improve and see how many new customers potentially you are reaching. Engagement is essentially your relationship with your customers. This is important because the more interaction your customers have with your page, the more likely they are to spread the word about your business.
A way businesses can use Facebook Insights to their advantage is by checking it maybe once a week, see if they have increased, decreased, or stayed the same in reach and engagement on their page. This way a business knows what they can improve on or keep doing to grow their business. This a great way for a business to know exactly how they are doing as far as building that relationship with their customers goes.
First thing any and all businesses MUST do before being able to have a lot of customer engagement is to find and reach your target niche. This means how many people is your page reaching by being seen. This metric is measured by how many people see your postings, some of which you may pay for. When starting out you can invite some people on your friend's list to like your page. That can start your page's reach increase. The reach is a great way to determine how well you are doing in getting your business or product or brand name out there and into people's feed on Facebook.
I found that knowing the difference is important because both reach and engagement are equally important in determining how you are doing when advertising your brand. You need to reach your target niche and have them use word of mouth or share your page to help your page grow. You also need reach to see how else you can improve and see how many new customers potentially you are reaching. Engagement is essentially your relationship with your customers. This is important because the more interaction your customers have with your page, the more likely they are to spread the word about your business.
A way businesses can use Facebook Insights to their advantage is by checking it maybe once a week, see if they have increased, decreased, or stayed the same in reach and engagement on their page. This way a business knows what they can improve on or keep doing to grow their business. This a great way for a business to know exactly how they are doing as far as building that relationship with their customers goes.
Monday, September 26, 2016
Week 3b: Sites I Use Often
Hey y'all welcome back to my blog. Today I am going to talk about a couple websites that I use frequently and feel are designed well and easy to navigate.
MorpheBrushes
https://www.morphebrushes.com/
This site is effective because it is well designed and easy to navigate. The site is clean and organized, not to cluttered. I feel like this site is a great example of what a site design should be. The clean lines and the color scheme is very professional.
This site keeps me coming back because I love the products and the owner Linda is amazing and really cares about her customers. I feel that this site's navigate is very easy to do. I know that when browsing the site, I can see exactly what I am looking for just by clicking the site buttons.
The only thing I feel that could be improved is the all their affiliates that are not shown. They have so many beauty bloggers and youtubers that have raved about them but only show a couple.
DevonneByDemi
http://devonnebydemi.com/
I love DevonneByDemi's website. It's so easy to navigate and it right to the point. It shows you what the products are and how much it is. They have their social media right there where you can see it. This is a skincare system developed by Demi Lovato. They show result pictures by actual DevonneByDemi users.
I keep going back because the products work and I love the site layout. Clean, simple, and easy to navigate through. The site is catchy and very pretty, almost delicate. I love the site to see the result pictures to see how my results differ or are similar to other users.
I cannot find anything that I would improve on this site. I think they did a great job with the site design.
I commented on the lovely blogs of:
Sandra Lee Vaniglia
Sherri Moore
Jennette Leigh
https://www.morphebrushes.com/
This site is effective because it is well designed and easy to navigate. The site is clean and organized, not to cluttered. I feel like this site is a great example of what a site design should be. The clean lines and the color scheme is very professional.
This site keeps me coming back because I love the products and the owner Linda is amazing and really cares about her customers. I feel that this site's navigate is very easy to do. I know that when browsing the site, I can see exactly what I am looking for just by clicking the site buttons.
The only thing I feel that could be improved is the all their affiliates that are not shown. They have so many beauty bloggers and youtubers that have raved about them but only show a couple.
DevonneByDemi
http://devonnebydemi.com/
I love DevonneByDemi's website. It's so easy to navigate and it right to the point. It shows you what the products are and how much it is. They have their social media right there where you can see it. This is a skincare system developed by Demi Lovato. They show result pictures by actual DevonneByDemi users.
I keep going back because the products work and I love the site layout. Clean, simple, and easy to navigate through. The site is catchy and very pretty, almost delicate. I love the site to see the result pictures to see how my results differ or are similar to other users.
I cannot find anything that I would improve on this site. I think they did a great job with the site design.
I commented on the lovely blogs of:
Sandra Lee Vaniglia
Sherri Moore
Jennette Leigh
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Week #3: Design, Aesthetics, and Branding Blog #1
Today I am going to give you my opinion of problems with certain websites as well as what some websites are doing correctly.
SpotMetering
http://spotmetering.com
With this particular website, I noticed that it was very dark and unorganized which for me is a turn off when looking at websites about camera exposure. Another thing was that if you don't know what spot metering is you have to scroll so far down on the homepage before you get a definition. When looking at the website, I had no clue what it was about except cameras and pictures not too much upfront information. And the final thing I found was the contact information (I.e. Social media, email, or mailing address) was harder to find.
To fix these problems I would use possibly a light gray or white as the background shade so it looks brighter and more professional. Also for the unorganization of the site, put the definition of spot metering right at the top of the homepage so it's easy to see and people can now tell what the site is about. And finally for the cluttering of the site, maybe use only a few pictures of different exposure and use section tabs with 1 picture to show what all the exposures are when using a camera.
RoverP6Cars
http://www.roverp6cars.com/
The 3 major problems I found with this particular car parts website were I was confused about what the site was for exactly since all I saw were some picture of classic cars and color wording about cars and parts. To me the homepage was disorganized and cluttered, with too many distractions. The side tabs were too distracting with the car picture behind each section word. It made me not want to even click on the sections. And finally the the contact information was hard to find. They had their Facebook link in the middle of the homepage the contact information on the very bottom left side. With all the pictures, words and colors going on, it was hard for me to concentrate on just 3 problems.
The way I would fix all 3 of these problems is to find out what's the important need to know information for visitors to the site and that is what should be on the homepage as well as their contact information in an easy accessible place. I would also get rid of a lot of the pictures cause they take away from what the site is about which is selling car parts. I would have some pictures,but not mostly pictures. I would also make the text all one color and take away the car side pictures for the different sections.
ExMouth-View
http://www.exmouth-view.co.uk/
For me this site didn't have enough upfront information about what the site was about. After reading a little I found it was about a hotel. There wasn't enough about the hotel and where it was located for me. There was not about section, which was disappointing. Also there was no address listed for contact information. Contact infor was minimal and very obvious to the eyes. It was not where I expected it to be. Finally, it didn't seem like this particular site had any social media to contact them at just 1-800 numbers. In this day and age I feel like you should have social media for customer service purposes if you are a business.
My way to fix these issues would be to make a Twitter or Facebook page if they don't have one. If they happen to have one put it on the site's homepage. I would also put more information about the hotel, like the history and why people should stay there. And finally I would make it easier to find if you are not from that part of the world. The location is a little confusing, so possibly put in a map of where the city is and what landmarks are close by.
Apple
http://apple.com
Apple is an amazing example of how a website should be set up if you are a business. The layout is easy to navigate as well as the being clean and organized. The site is also simple but productive for visitors and customers. There is enough detail and information about what the site is for and each product on the site. I love the ability to chat with someone if you have any questions right there as you are on the site. The ability to customize what you are buying on the site is a major plus in my humble opinion.
Ford
http://www.ford.com
Ford, like Apple, is a great example of what and organized, easy to navigate, and informative website looks like. I like how informed the site is with explaining each product, deals ,and pricing. The customization of the products is a great touch as well because it gives the customers the ability to design their vehicle exactly how they want it. The easy to navigate and obvious noticeably social media and contact information is always a something I look for in a website. Ford's website does a great job of that.
The way a website is designed,aestheticated, and branded definitely affects my reaction to it. If the website is organized and easy to navigate, I'm more likely to stay and look around for awhile and possibly purchase something. Where as if the site is jumbled. cluttered, and disorganized I probably will leave the site without thinking twice. The way the site looks is important to me as much as the way it is branded. If a site is branded well it makes me want to stay and browse longer. I don't like things to be super distracting when visiting a website, the. I can't focus on what the website is all about.
SpotMetering
http://spotmetering.com
With this particular website, I noticed that it was very dark and unorganized which for me is a turn off when looking at websites about camera exposure. Another thing was that if you don't know what spot metering is you have to scroll so far down on the homepage before you get a definition. When looking at the website, I had no clue what it was about except cameras and pictures not too much upfront information. And the final thing I found was the contact information (I.e. Social media, email, or mailing address) was harder to find.
To fix these problems I would use possibly a light gray or white as the background shade so it looks brighter and more professional. Also for the unorganization of the site, put the definition of spot metering right at the top of the homepage so it's easy to see and people can now tell what the site is about. And finally for the cluttering of the site, maybe use only a few pictures of different exposure and use section tabs with 1 picture to show what all the exposures are when using a camera.
RoverP6Cars
http://www.roverp6cars.com/
The 3 major problems I found with this particular car parts website were I was confused about what the site was for exactly since all I saw were some picture of classic cars and color wording about cars and parts. To me the homepage was disorganized and cluttered, with too many distractions. The side tabs were too distracting with the car picture behind each section word. It made me not want to even click on the sections. And finally the the contact information was hard to find. They had their Facebook link in the middle of the homepage the contact information on the very bottom left side. With all the pictures, words and colors going on, it was hard for me to concentrate on just 3 problems.
The way I would fix all 3 of these problems is to find out what's the important need to know information for visitors to the site and that is what should be on the homepage as well as their contact information in an easy accessible place. I would also get rid of a lot of the pictures cause they take away from what the site is about which is selling car parts. I would have some pictures,but not mostly pictures. I would also make the text all one color and take away the car side pictures for the different sections.
ExMouth-View
http://www.exmouth-view.co.uk/
For me this site didn't have enough upfront information about what the site was about. After reading a little I found it was about a hotel. There wasn't enough about the hotel and where it was located for me. There was not about section, which was disappointing. Also there was no address listed for contact information. Contact infor was minimal and very obvious to the eyes. It was not where I expected it to be. Finally, it didn't seem like this particular site had any social media to contact them at just 1-800 numbers. In this day and age I feel like you should have social media for customer service purposes if you are a business.
My way to fix these issues would be to make a Twitter or Facebook page if they don't have one. If they happen to have one put it on the site's homepage. I would also put more information about the hotel, like the history and why people should stay there. And finally I would make it easier to find if you are not from that part of the world. The location is a little confusing, so possibly put in a map of where the city is and what landmarks are close by.
Apple
http://apple.com
Apple is an amazing example of how a website should be set up if you are a business. The layout is easy to navigate as well as the being clean and organized. The site is also simple but productive for visitors and customers. There is enough detail and information about what the site is for and each product on the site. I love the ability to chat with someone if you have any questions right there as you are on the site. The ability to customize what you are buying on the site is a major plus in my humble opinion.
Ford
http://www.ford.com
Ford, like Apple, is a great example of what and organized, easy to navigate, and informative website looks like. I like how informed the site is with explaining each product, deals ,and pricing. The customization of the products is a great touch as well because it gives the customers the ability to design their vehicle exactly how they want it. The easy to navigate and obvious noticeably social media and contact information is always a something I look for in a website. Ford's website does a great job of that.
The way a website is designed,aestheticated, and branded definitely affects my reaction to it. If the website is organized and easy to navigate, I'm more likely to stay and look around for awhile and possibly purchase something. Where as if the site is jumbled. cluttered, and disorganized I probably will leave the site without thinking twice. The way the site looks is important to me as much as the way it is branded. If a site is branded well it makes me want to stay and browse longer. I don't like things to be super distracting when visiting a website, the. I can't focus on what the website is all about.
Monday, September 19, 2016
Week 2b Blog
1. Makeup Geek
This is an online makeup company located in the Sacramento area. The owner's name is Marlena, she is very interactive with her company's social media and she also has a blog on her website which is listed below.
https://www.makeupgeek.com/shop
Makeup Geek's Social Media- @makeupgeek or @makeupgeektv
Facebook. Snapchat
YouTube. Pinterest
Instagram. Twitter
Marlena is very precise when using her social media for her company because she updates multiple times a day and shouts out some of her customers and other makeup artists that use her products. As well as all affiliates get their own link directly to the site to have their followers or subscribers use, so their link gets used a lot. Last updated- September 19,2016
2. Morphe Brushes
Also an online beauty store that recently just opened up a storefront in the LA area. The owner is Linda. @morphebrushes is their social media.
https://www.morphebrushes.com/
Morphe Brushes Social Media includes
Facebook Twitter
Instagram. Snapchat
Morphe Brushes' social media like Makeup Geek is updated throughout the day. They also showcase customers, beauty influencers, as well as makeup artists who use their products. A lot of people use their links, especially when if their favorite beauty influencer has a 10% discount code. Last updated-September 19,2016
3. Sephora
Sephora is a beauty store online, inside some JCPenney, and stand alone stores in larger shopping centers.
http://www.sephora.com/
Sephora's Social Media includes
Twitter. Facebook. Pinterest
Snapchat. Yelp
Link' d Instagram
Every social media outlet is updated if not daily, a few times a week. Last updated- September 19,2016
Links are used not as often as the website, unless it's Facebook.
4. Redneck Nation
This is an online clothing store as well as a YouTube channel, Bobby is the owner.
http://rednecknationstrong.com/
http://rednecknationstrong.com/collections/keep-america-american
Redneck Nation's Social Media
Facebook. Twitter
YouTube. Instagram
Pinterest. Vine
Tumblr.
Last updated September 19,2016
The links are used multiple times a day for a variety of things and reasons.
5.Mudjug
An online store that sells portable spittoons.
http://www.mudjug.com/
Mudjug Social Media @mudjug
Facebook. YouTube @mudjug1
Twitter. Instagram
Last updated September 19,2016
The links are used multiple times a day for a variety of items, including comments and praises.
Some things I discovered while doing this exploration is that online businesses are way more active on social media than actual stores do. I discovered that most small businesses or independent businesses are inclined to use social media because they are smaller and don't have such a large following like bigger companies or corporations do. The small businesses I researched have a decent following but not like Apple or Google would have. They are advertising with their social media.
I believe 4 of the 5 companies use their social well. Sephora is the only one that I feel doesn't use it well. They use their customer service area on their website more than their social media. Social Media for Sephora is more about showing new products rather than interacting with customers. All the other companies use their social media to answer questions or concerns.
I feel like the most used social media outlet is Twitter because it's fast and easy. Millennials and Gen Z want quick response times when it comes to answering questions and concerns. The other forms of social media, I feel is used as an advertising platform which is a great way to advertise. Yelp is a good way to let them know how well they are doing. All in all this was very informative and I like how each company uses social media to address customers as well as advertised?
This is an online makeup company located in the Sacramento area. The owner's name is Marlena, she is very interactive with her company's social media and she also has a blog on her website which is listed below.
https://www.makeupgeek.com/shop
Makeup Geek's Social Media- @makeupgeek or @makeupgeektv
Facebook. Snapchat
YouTube. Pinterest
Instagram. Twitter
Marlena is very precise when using her social media for her company because she updates multiple times a day and shouts out some of her customers and other makeup artists that use her products. As well as all affiliates get their own link directly to the site to have their followers or subscribers use, so their link gets used a lot. Last updated- September 19,2016
2. Morphe Brushes
Also an online beauty store that recently just opened up a storefront in the LA area. The owner is Linda. @morphebrushes is their social media.
https://www.morphebrushes.com/
Morphe Brushes Social Media includes
Facebook Twitter
Instagram. Snapchat
Morphe Brushes' social media like Makeup Geek is updated throughout the day. They also showcase customers, beauty influencers, as well as makeup artists who use their products. A lot of people use their links, especially when if their favorite beauty influencer has a 10% discount code. Last updated-September 19,2016
3. Sephora
Sephora is a beauty store online, inside some JCPenney, and stand alone stores in larger shopping centers.
http://www.sephora.com/
Sephora's Social Media includes
Twitter. Facebook. Pinterest
Snapchat. Yelp
Link' d Instagram
Every social media outlet is updated if not daily, a few times a week. Last updated- September 19,2016
Links are used not as often as the website, unless it's Facebook.
4. Redneck Nation
This is an online clothing store as well as a YouTube channel, Bobby is the owner.
http://rednecknationstrong.com/
http://rednecknationstrong.com/collections/keep-america-american
Redneck Nation's Social Media
Facebook. Twitter
YouTube. Instagram
Pinterest. Vine
Tumblr.
Last updated September 19,2016
The links are used multiple times a day for a variety of things and reasons.
5.Mudjug
An online store that sells portable spittoons.
http://www.mudjug.com/
Mudjug Social Media @mudjug
Facebook. YouTube @mudjug1
Twitter. Instagram
Last updated September 19,2016
The links are used multiple times a day for a variety of items, including comments and praises.
Some things I discovered while doing this exploration is that online businesses are way more active on social media than actual stores do. I discovered that most small businesses or independent businesses are inclined to use social media because they are smaller and don't have such a large following like bigger companies or corporations do. The small businesses I researched have a decent following but not like Apple or Google would have. They are advertising with their social media.
I believe 4 of the 5 companies use their social well. Sephora is the only one that I feel doesn't use it well. They use their customer service area on their website more than their social media. Social Media for Sephora is more about showing new products rather than interacting with customers. All the other companies use their social media to answer questions or concerns.
I feel like the most used social media outlet is Twitter because it's fast and easy. Millennials and Gen Z want quick response times when it comes to answering questions and concerns. The other forms of social media, I feel is used as an advertising platform which is a great way to advertise. Yelp is a good way to let them know how well they are doing. All in all this was very informative and I like how each company uses social media to address customers as well as advertised?
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Week 2:Communications
In this blog I will be discussing the pros and cons of communicating with a business as a consumer, including a personal experience I have had. Also whether or not I believe social media is easier when communicating with a company.
A personal experience I have had difficulty communicating with a business was when I had called Family Mobile to see if I could switch my fiancé's phone number from his prior carrier to Family Mobile. The person I was communicating with wasn't understanding what I was wanting to do. They had to ask merepeatedly which carrier it was and once I told them the prior carrier, they had said they weren't sure. I had been hung up on and put on hold multiple times as well as given many mixed answers for almost 2 and a half hours. The people I talked to had very heavy foreign accents, so sometimes it was difficult to understand them. Eventually we got it resolved, that type of difficult communication has to do with language barriers and heavy accents that I sometimes cannot understand.
In my opinion, yes I believe social media makes it so much easier to get noticed and get a problem solved. Why? Because with using social media, a lot of companies and businesses have people who focus just on their social media. So with social media all you have to do is tweet them, leave a comment or message on Facebook, or leave a review on Yelp. By doing these things you get noticed, because you are directly interacting with their customer service representative for their social media. It makes it quick and easy for a company to see them and respond right away, which we as consumers want.
I have had a few positive experiences communicating with a business through social media. One was with a company called MakeUp Geek. It's an makeup brand whose lovely owner is Marlena. She is very involved in her company's social media. I have tweeted them about a question I had for when something was going to restock. They responded within about 30 minutes to an hour. They replied to my tweet as well as sent me a direct message to answer my concern.
If I had my own business on Social Media, the way I would respond to positive and negative comments would be to take them with a grain assault. If it was positive commentary, I would retweet or like the comment and respond to the person who made the comment, thanking them and saying how much I appreciate their business. As far as negative comments go, I would politely send them a private message or email if I have it, asking them what I can do to make their experience a positive one. Questions about what was the problem, how was your experience, etc..
Some of the issues that made my Family Mobile experience negative was the language barrier and the accent challenges I had. As well as being hung up on and put on hold for over two hours. I also think it was the way they answered the call, very rude and disrespectfully, which makes me not a happy customer. I also never got a straight answer from them, so we decided that it was best to just get a whole new number rather than keep trying for 48 hours to see if it would work.
What made my Makeup Geek experience positive is that the owner of the company is the one who retweets and replies back to comments or messages herself. Which for me is a great way to be with your customers. Another reason is that the response time was quick and accurate to what I would have expected it to be. The owner of the company is also very good at thanking her customers and appreciating them for helping grow her company.
A personal experience I have had difficulty communicating with a business was when I had called Family Mobile to see if I could switch my fiancé's phone number from his prior carrier to Family Mobile. The person I was communicating with wasn't understanding what I was wanting to do. They had to ask merepeatedly which carrier it was and once I told them the prior carrier, they had said they weren't sure. I had been hung up on and put on hold multiple times as well as given many mixed answers for almost 2 and a half hours. The people I talked to had very heavy foreign accents, so sometimes it was difficult to understand them. Eventually we got it resolved, that type of difficult communication has to do with language barriers and heavy accents that I sometimes cannot understand.
In my opinion, yes I believe social media makes it so much easier to get noticed and get a problem solved. Why? Because with using social media, a lot of companies and businesses have people who focus just on their social media. So with social media all you have to do is tweet them, leave a comment or message on Facebook, or leave a review on Yelp. By doing these things you get noticed, because you are directly interacting with their customer service representative for their social media. It makes it quick and easy for a company to see them and respond right away, which we as consumers want.
I have had a few positive experiences communicating with a business through social media. One was with a company called MakeUp Geek. It's an makeup brand whose lovely owner is Marlena. She is very involved in her company's social media. I have tweeted them about a question I had for when something was going to restock. They responded within about 30 minutes to an hour. They replied to my tweet as well as sent me a direct message to answer my concern.
If I had my own business on Social Media, the way I would respond to positive and negative comments would be to take them with a grain assault. If it was positive commentary, I would retweet or like the comment and respond to the person who made the comment, thanking them and saying how much I appreciate their business. As far as negative comments go, I would politely send them a private message or email if I have it, asking them what I can do to make their experience a positive one. Questions about what was the problem, how was your experience, etc..
Some of the issues that made my Family Mobile experience negative was the language barrier and the accent challenges I had. As well as being hung up on and put on hold for over two hours. I also think it was the way they answered the call, very rude and disrespectfully, which makes me not a happy customer. I also never got a straight answer from them, so we decided that it was best to just get a whole new number rather than keep trying for 48 hours to see if it would work.
What made my Makeup Geek experience positive is that the owner of the company is the one who retweets and replies back to comments or messages herself. Which for me is a great way to be with your customers. Another reason is that the response time was quick and accurate to what I would have expected it to be. The owner of the company is also very good at thanking her customers and appreciating them for helping grow her company.
Sunday, September 11, 2016
If I had to choose just one social media platform that I feel is geared toward personal use, I would have say Facebook. Why? Because of the simple fact that it is not something that I think of when I think of business and social media for business. It's more for connecting with friends, family, coworkers, etc.. I feel as though businesses have a Facebook, it's not the first thing you think of when you say social media for business.
The social media platform I feel works best for business is Twitter and or Yelp. With Yelp it lets you see what your customers have to say and have a link right there for your website or even to order right from Yelp if you choose to. With Twitter, you can interact with your customers right away and you can link your website, coupon codes, any deals the business may have. It's a quick and easy way to get the word out there about your business as well. I feel as though Twitter and Yelp have benefits for business.
The social media platform I feel works best for business is Twitter and or Yelp. With Yelp it lets you see what your customers have to say and have a link right there for your website or even to order right from Yelp if you choose to. With Twitter, you can interact with your customers right away and you can link your website, coupon codes, any deals the business may have. It's a quick and easy way to get the word out there about your business as well. I feel as though Twitter and Yelp have benefits for business.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Hello CSIT 155,
My name is Kylee Grice and Welcome to my blog!
I choose the ethereal template. I thought this template was very unique and fun. I wanted a template for my blog that had some personality but still classy and business appropriate. I feel as thought this ethereal design is perfect, everything from the colors to the outline of the template.
Another reason I chose this template is because I think if I were to create a blog for myself not class related this is one that I would go toward. The layout is easy to figure out and I have read a lot blogs that can be complicated with the template and layout. I wanted to make it easy to read and get around. If I had a blog and wanted it to get views, I would want a template that is easy to figure out and read, along with the details and pictures of whatever the blog is about.
The final reason I chose the ethereal template is it caught my attention right away, which I think is a great thing when it comes to a blog. If it's not eye-catching who would want to read it. Certainly not me. I like blogs that have personality and class which is why I chose the ethereal template. Classy yet colorful and easy to read with a tad bit of personality and pops of color.
My name is Kylee Grice and Welcome to my blog!
I choose the ethereal template. I thought this template was very unique and fun. I wanted a template for my blog that had some personality but still classy and business appropriate. I feel as thought this ethereal design is perfect, everything from the colors to the outline of the template.
Another reason I chose this template is because I think if I were to create a blog for myself not class related this is one that I would go toward. The layout is easy to figure out and I have read a lot blogs that can be complicated with the template and layout. I wanted to make it easy to read and get around. If I had a blog and wanted it to get views, I would want a template that is easy to figure out and read, along with the details and pictures of whatever the blog is about.
The final reason I chose the ethereal template is it caught my attention right away, which I think is a great thing when it comes to a blog. If it's not eye-catching who would want to read it. Certainly not me. I like blogs that have personality and class which is why I chose the ethereal template. Classy yet colorful and easy to read with a tad bit of personality and pops of color.
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