Week 15 - Wrapping It Up and Looking Ahead

The world of Social Media is constantly changing. So many platforms and so many ways to connect with family, friends, and complete strangers with similar and common interests. There is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, and so many more that keep popping up at a blink of an eye. One of the trends, cultural I guess, is the need to develop an online persona that is an extension of one's self and provides an online connections with others whether it be work, leisure, or research. The need to connect has evolved from that of a physical connection, which is attainable, to one that consists of constant online "surveillance" to catch up and see what is going on with our friends/family and the world. I we are a society that is constantly connected to the web and technologically focused. Nothing wrong with that!

As a young Latino male this course has been quite an experience and one that has taught me SO much! Being born in the late 80s, and growing up in the 90s, I grew up at the precipice of the technological revolution. First, being of Mexican descent my culture has been a great part of my life which includes the constant verbal communication and the occasional physical contact such as kissing my parents or having my mom "bless me" whenever I set foot out the door. However, assimilating to the culture here in the U.S., I've also been bilingual which has allowed me to balance both my American side and the Mexican side of my culture. Similarly, I feel that's how I've had to balance my technological knowledge/savvy-ness in my life between relying on technology to do my daily work or choosing to do my work long-hand, the "old" fashion way.

Having taken this class, what does technology mean to me? I've been able to progress and follow the trends yet remain loyal to the way I was taught to do things. Compared to my nieces and nephews if we were both at the library I'm 95% sure that I could easily navigate the public library and finds books using the library catalog (the index cards with the book info) while they would go straight to the computer. How many people actually know what the Dewey Decimal system is, nowadays?! I digress a bit, I may not know every little slang/popular language used by the current generations but I think since growing up we didn't rely so much on technology I'm able to adapt the technological way of doing things as well as see things form the perspective of "back when computers weren't so popular" which benefits me because I can attract and relate to many other people that way.

SO I've probably ranted but I what I'm trying to say is that growing up in the 90s there are skills that  have learned/gained that don't rely on technology solely. I always try to stay in the know of the advancements in technology and what programs, apps, mediums are being used on a daily basis for employment and essential in daily life. FYI, my family didn't have a computer until 1997 and it wasn't until 1998 when my teachers expected homework to be typed from that point on! Yet I keep a balance and try not to let technology consume every aspect of my life...I still enjoy having a face-to-face conversation even though, personally, I feel that keeping eye contact is a little awkward.

As this week's lecture mentions, you can't side idly by on the sidelines. You do need to keep up on changes, to keep your marketing fresh. Some of this is determined by the type of business you run, some is determined by the type of clientele or customers you are searching for. For me, despite the way I've been raised, I understand the need to keep up with technology. My mother taught I was just wasting time every time I was on Instagram or posting a tweet until I showed her my business page on Facebook. Since then she know understand what it is I'm doing and it has become easier for her to know what each platform as I explain what I do as she watches me do my stuff. Keeping the lines of communication is very important whether it be online or physically/verbally.

I was afraid of having an online persona back in January before the beginning of the semester. Now that this course has taught me what I know I am able to see what it is I want to share with my friends, family and the world. I know how to integrate useful content between multiple platforms and how each one has a specific niche so that my "marketing" isn't the same thing across the multiple platforms/mediums that I choose to use. For business it's all about the image you set up and how to keep your audience interested. Be constant interactions or the sporadic post here and there, it all helps and it's what makes one's audience keep coming back and making one's business more successful. I've learned a lot and very useful for my personal and future business social media tasks/jobs.

Week 14 - My Online Strategy

I think by now most of you, my classmates, have figured out that so far my favorite social media platforms have been Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The way that these three platforms can sync and connect with each other def makes for easy marketing both visually and otherwise.

I know that one of the difficulties I will have with creating a strategy for my business would be to keep on track and stay with the scheduled plan. This semester I have been lacking on staying on top of assignments due to time constraints from my job so that was an issue but I think planning ahead and knowing that I will be leaving the restaurant, I'm at now, in about three weeks, I think I'll definitely have more time to dedicate to my online presence and strategy for my business.

The way my online strategy would work for the next six months would be to focus on my favorite platforms. The way that Facebook would be useful would be by scheduling new events at least one per week. The reason for this would be to engage my audience that follows me on Facebook. Additionally, since there is no limit on characters used when typing a post/message then my audience would find it much easier to communicate with me and openly give their opinions about my products and the things they would like to see as well. The cool thing will be that I can plan ahead on posts but schedule them to come out at different dates and times so that it brings a constant flow and uniformity to the dedication I'm giving my business in the online aspect of it.

Similarly, Twitter and Instagram would be used to constantly showcase possible products and/or popular products. i started to briefly see it on Instagram but showing the craft such as doilies and table pieces would def bring more attention to what my business has to offer. The way that Twitter would be used by having that constant communication with my followers. I can post a question, concern or suggestion on Twitter and then have my followers answer and be creative to where I can share some of the comments, questions and suggestions that I have liked as I speak with my followers. I think this method would work as long I post anywhere from 3-5 tweets a day. Keeping in mind that Instagram would be used for what I like and plan to introduce to my audience and Twitter used for the the input of my audience and what they would like to see.

TIMING! That will be the issue. Each medium requires a different focus and interest to drive each post with it's intended purpose. I think that in order to make my online strategy effective I would be spending a minimum of four to six hours a week which would included item/products being discussed, research information, staging especially if it's food, and the time to think of how to present my intended posts and tweets. That would probably be anywhere from 30minutes to an hour a day and that is not including any possible extra time o do research especially when on a roll and feeling it and making more possibilities happen...trying out new recipes, time to buy items like yarn and figuring out new designs, etc. Despite that little hiccup, it will be fun to update and maintain the livelihood of my business.

Week 14 - Group Members Facebook and Twitter pages Feedback

My classmates blogs that I gave feedback to are:

• Chris Deddo
• Angie Johnson
• Fritz Templin

Week 14 - More Social Strategy

Throughout the semester we have been exploring social media in it's many platforms as well as experimenting which platform work best with each other and which one's seem to bring more traffic to our business' page.

From my experience, thus far, the social platforms that have integrated the best with my type of business have been Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. If anything having a food business Instagram works best since having my phone with me I can take snap picture of a beautiful dessert or awesome food at some event and then just load into the app and share it with all my followers. Part of the reason that Instagram makes integration with other platforms is because before publishing the picture post you can also have it be published on both Twitter and Facebook (as long as the login information is provided for both accounts) and then one post can be posted three times in three different platforms...useful since not the same followers will follow my business on all three platforms, if they do then it's a little rare.

I have truly enjoyed using Twitter, because it updates quickly and interaction is instantaneous. Although it doesn't show I was able to use twitter and direct message a couple of the people I was following and had conversation with them that resulted in better customer service as well as special promotion for my next visit. I think one of the things that makes me not want to use Twitter is that it does seem that one must know what they want to say and/or do to keep up with the constant communication that is always tending on Twitter. I have also enjoyed using Instagram but when posting my pictures I really haven't played with filters and the special effects but it has been fun in order to get my products displayed quickly in different platforms.

If it's not obvious by now the three social platforms that I have truly liked due to this class have been Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. I think that all three work the best for daily use. Lately, I have also been trying Pinterest and that platform would also work well on a daily basis or weekly basis depending on the boards that I build for my followers to check out. Facebook and Instagram are more likely to be great for the slightly "random" daily post to which followers can comment on on their own time. One cool thing about Facebook is that one can schedule posts to be posted at alter dates and times which is convenient when one ideas comes up but not quite the perfect time to reveal it.

Although, Twitter works too but one issue I see is how relevant one's tweets remains throughout the day, so more thought and interaction is needed to get the crowd going. I also think that Google+ would be effective on a much less frequent time schedule because I have used it to get ideas from others and join different forums and discussions. I think that Google+ would work best most for research and getting input form your community and connecting with others that way than necessarily advertising to a wider net of people.

Week 13 - Facebook Analytics

Continuing on with looking at the analysis of our business, we are now to use Insights or the Facebook analytics we have access to after getting 30 likes.

I will begin by saying that it took forever for me to get traffic to my page because it wasn't until Thursday 5/7 that I finally got my 30 likes...mainly after texting my sister to like my page as well as one other friend. Since then my business page, Así Como Mamá, has gotten a boom in traffic, comments and like on my comments and a much more demand to get my friends from my personal Facebook page to request and/or start following me on Instagram. It's kind of sad because at the beginning of the week I had a total of only 12 likes which included our professor for this class and now I'm well above 30 likes with some people being from outside the U.S., like Peru, liking my Así Como Mamá Facebook page.

Now that I have all 30 minimum likes, and growing it feels great. As of today there has been a bit more growth. Now things to wonder is how to further engage my audience-especially now that I have one. I think adding more content would be a great place to start especially crafts like my mother's hand woven doilies seem to catch people's eye as well as provide more dessert options. 

   

I've been thinking that one new way to improve traffic would be to begin sharing my recipes with my audience, both via Instagram and Twitter...I would take a picture of the recipe load it on Instagram and make it share on both Twitter and Facebook (killing two or three birds with one stone) and then add a savvy caption so that more of my own style of family/traditional cooking can be shared by others. One cool aspect of this style of sharing would be sleective in that not all recipes would be shared and it would be a little more random as to what is shared and what the dessert/food will be.

Week 13 - Google Analytics for Business Page

Especially in trying to grow a business it is very important to know and understand in what ways your business is growing whether it be from online searches, the linked content from other sources like Facebook, Twitter, etc, or from traffic generated from advertising and/or regular posts done a regular and organic way. For week 13 we are to look at Google analytics and consider what features would be the most beneficial to check daily for our business. The features from the Google analytics that would benefit my business are as follows,

• Real-Time reporting: See how many people are on your site right now, where they came from, and what they're viewing. With real-time reporting, you'll know which new content is popular, how much traffic today's new promotion is driving to your site, and which tweets and blog posts draw the best results.
• Advanced Segments: Advanced Segments let you isolate and analyze subsets of your traffic, like paid traffic or visits that led to conversions. Then you can compare segments side by side, or apply them to current or historical data.
• Content Experiments: Test variations of your pages and learn which designs bring you the most conversions.
• Audience Data & Reporting: Focus on your audience: the kinds of people they are, where they come from, how they find your content, and how loyal and engaged they are.
• Browser/OS: PC or Mac? Chrome or Firefox? The Browser / OS report shows you what people are using to view your site, so you can make smarter decisions about site layout and design.
• Custom Dimensions: Add the custom data you care about most: user data like demographics or purchase history, content data like page categories or product information, even behavioral data about those who use certain site tools.
• Flow Visualization: Flow Visualization reports let you see and analyze the path a visitor takes on your site. See where they came from, the pages they moved through, and where they exited your site.
• Mobile Traffic: Should you build a separate mobile site, create a mobile app or implement responsive design? As mobile continues to boom and consumer preferences shift, the Mobile Traffic report helps you analyze and optimize for success.
• Social Reports: The social media revolution is maturing. Are you measuring? Social reports show you the impact that social media has on your business goals and conversions. Integrated web and social data offers a holistic view of your content and community.
• Traffic Sources: How do people find your site? Use Traffic Sources to evaluate the effectiveness of your referrals, direct traffic, organic (unpaid) search keywords, and custom campaigns.
• Goal Flows: See why visitors love your site… or don’t. Visitor conversion paths show you where they enter, where they get stuck, and where they leave. You'll see the strengths and weaknesses in your site navigation, and learn where adjustments are needed to your site and your marketing plan.
• Alerts and Intelligence Events: Google Analytics monitors your website's traffic to detect significant statistical variations, then generates alerts called Intelligence Events when they occur. A closer look will bring you insights you might have missed — for example, a spike in traffic from a particular city or referring site.
• Event Tracking: How do visitors actually interact with your pages? Use Event Tracking to measure activities like downloads, video plays, mobile ad clicks, gadgets, Flash elements, and AJAX embedded elements.

Out of the long list of features that Google analytics does provide I strongly believe that the 13 features listed above would be beneficial to my webpage. Those features would really help me better analyze my business, it's growth and what my fans/audience like about my business. Regardless, it is always better to get some help from a program, like Google analytics, to provide more defined results that help guide one to better focus on their audience.

Week 12 - Project Activity: Coupon Network and Yelp Account

Finishing up week 12 we have a project activity to think about at least two of the suggested activities--creating a coupon network, having a research group through LinkedIn or Google+, tracking favorite blogs with the RSS Feeder, or creating a Yelp! account--and how they would benefit and bring growth to my business.

After a lot of thought, the two activities I would consider for this project would be creating both a coupon network and a Yelp! account.

The reason I would be interested in creating a coupon network would be because of the nature of my business being a catering service and the selling of Mexican crafts it would be beneficial in providing discounts and certain sale promotions. This network system would def be attracting more traffic to my business in that not only will the content, mainly pictures of my products, strike curiosity but will also, hopefully, drive my sales up. However, the idea to make a coupon network would be great but thinking back to week 11 and the importance of money in order to advertise the real possibility of this happening at the moment is very very slim and hardly a reality. Maybe once some revenue is established and funds are readily available then it be a more reasonable action. For now I think that any system of coupon would probably rely on Instagram and Twitter where certain discount words and/or pictures provide a limited time code to get a special offer or deal.

The other platform I would use would be Yelp! I must note that I don't have a physical location to provide as an address, except for my home, but not really a place to get people to come over and check out m products and merchandise. Now, Yelp! would be beneficial because unlike my Facebook business I would actually be able to hear back the opinion of my followers/fans and what they think of my services and products. Additionally, as a business owner I would be able to know what my audience/follower's expectations are of me. Granted Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are the foundation of my business and mainly the can that is provided to my followers/audiences. Yelp! on the other hand would be the worms the spewed out of the can once it as opened in that i would be getting first hand input, questions, suggestions and comments from anyone and everyone that has taken up business with my Así Como Mamá business and services. With this power that will be given to my audience they will be able to rate my product which would be helpful in me gauging what style of foods to provide as well as what kind of crafts and art work would be more in demand or wanted by those willing to buy from me. The cool thing that definitely separates Yelp! from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is that Yelp! serves as an outlet and/or safe space for my audience to freely express their opinions of my business and products and even myself! In terms of right now I think that Yelp! would realistically be more practical to set up even if no phsical address is provided.

Plus, if texting my sister to like my Facebook business page to get my 30 likes and see my insights ratings/information got me an additional 25 likes after the initial 30 likes within two hours, and that's including my Facebook friends to request to follow me on Instagram, the likelihood that Yelp! would the better option for me to gain much more traffic and feedback for my business.

Week 12 - Using Other Social Media Tools

This week we are to consider what additional four social media tools to we believe would be important to the growth of our business. The following I would be considering are

• LinkedIn
• Fantastic way to connect with professionals that you already know...or knew...and getting connected to them. When connecting with known professionals you can also endorse their skills that way others can have an easier time gauging what a professional can do. Also, one neat aspect of LinkedIn to grow your own contacts is through suggested connections and introductions from people you already know.
• Maybe killing two bird with stone, you have access to Pulse where "The news and insights you need to know" are locates giving you access to articles relating to technology, social media, productivity and work/job related information as it is integrated with LinkedIn.
• Yelp!
•  This social platform would work because it would be giving exposure to my business in both positive and negative ways since it functions as a digital word of mouth and people would be able to rate my business depending on their experience and expectations.
• Freedly
•  Similar to Pulse this social platform would be beneficial because it will allow for me to collect different blog feed updates all in one location/application. In a way all blogs and articles and the likes that I tread to stay current with my interests, similar businesses, and trending topics in fashion, pop culture, etc. are all here in one location and not all just related to one platform like Pulse in relation to LinkedIn.
•  Google +
•  The way that my business would benefit from Google+ is through the use of community building and keeping track of my interests or conversations that developed through the posting of a single idea. The use of Circles would also be beneficial as I would be able to organize all my followers into different groups such as friends, professional contacts, and partners. Also, telecommuting is becoming something that is being more common especially in the workforce so the fact that I could partake in a meeting without leaving my home would be great and all for free!

Week 11 - Poor Man's Marketing on Social Media

This week we've explored the different aspects of advertising on social media/platforms. As it is known the more advertisement you do can cost money. Especially with making your business be the first to pop up on search engine such as Google, much more money is spent in order to stay in the coveted number one search results spot!

Being  college student who lives paycheck to paycheck, I don't have the disposable income to pay to have various different advertisements go up on social mediums so that my business can get highlighted and attract more traffic. Some of the easiest and fastest ways to promote my business with a poor man's budget is to just advertise regular posts. The idea here is not to annoy anyone and everyone but more think of fun a creative ways to get people to think about my posts and be tempted to want to check out my business page. For example, since Mother's Day is fast approaching I made a post saying "So how will you be spending Mother's Day? How about treating her to some traditional Sangria?" This was a very simple way to get people to visit my sight as well as get a unique and creative way to celebrate Mother's Day. Although I think it's a creative pitch to grab someone's attention and although posted a couple days ago, I haven't had much traffic let alone a like or a comment on that post. Just keeping my fingers crossed!

Similarly, on Twitter one can tweet a special message to be sent out stating a discount or special offer to the first couple of people that respond and/or sign up and follow my business page. Although this post was done yesterday this was a good example of a tweet with a call to action.

I'm not saying that keeping things in the "free zone" are easy to do because it does take more time, at least for me, to think of ways to attract people whether it be a creative way of telling my story/information or bribing my closest friends and family members to check out my business page. For now those are a couple of the free adds that I have posted both on Twitter and Facebook. more ads will come but just need to think a little more to get the creative juices flowing and provide my audience and followers some creative and attractive ads to get them to support my business!

Week 11 - Feedback to Classmate's Blog posts

As a continuation for this week, were are to look at the other classmates' blog posts and see what their ideas for advertising their business on Facebook are. This is an awesome assignment becuase not only can we see the thinking process of each classmates but with the screenshots they provide we can actually visualize what their would look like. The blogs I commented on are:

• Angie's Blog
• Fritz' Tech By Templin
• Danielle's Dani Girl Cake Pops
• Tiffany's Precious Thoughts

Week 11 - Online Advetising: Different Ad Options

This week it's all about advertising. To think that Facebook as a social media platform has a such a vast array of options to promote one's business is such a great help and easy to do.

One of the things to keep in mind is what the reason for promoting one's business is. Are we trying to get more visibility and have our page be more accessible? Are we selling product or providing services that will benefit certain group of people or communities? Do we want to remind our loyal followers that were still around and should check us out if they haven't for some time now? Once that is established it's also good to know if we got a budget and/or how much money we want to spend on such advertisement.

For my business, Así Como Mamá, being a catering/food service style business the style of ads I'd be spending time creating would be Ad placement. Although, i have my followers that have liked my page this would be a great way to both my followers and newcomers to my page that were are still around and also place ad when new and seasonal products are being offered. This would most be for both men and women regardless of age group since it's mostly to bring more visibility to my page. the following screen shot would show the general ad placement on left and the occasional new/seasonal products on the right.

Seeing as how I only have a 29 likes, I think my business would benefit from getting more exposure and having more people know about what my business is about and the products that we offer. For this task the perfect form of advertising would be promote the my business page on my news feed and thus attracting more people. Below is how my ad would look

 Additionally, I could also boost one of my already used post to further attract more people to my page and like. Examples below of a chocolate flan cake for Mother's Day on the right and the one on the left if for the special promotion of our doilies for Mother's Day too but, also emphasizing we're also on twitter as it was taken from the tweet that didn't post on to the Facebook news feed.

Week 10 - Newletter Feedback

Reading about what others are thinking of doing for their newsletter is a pretty cool exercise. Not only can I try to envision what my classmates are trying to accomplish but it also helps that I can give some input so that maybe their ideas can be further expanded or supported with my own thoughts. The blog's I looked at and commented on were:

• Dani Girl Cake Pops
• New Song Online Church
• Tia's Bakery

Week 10 - Email Marketing: Content Ideas

I never really thought of doing a newsletter for my business. First, i really wouldn't know where to start and then what to talk about and share with my audience would be such a big task that not sure I would be able to pull it off. Thinking of last week's post on categories, I think that content that I would possibly share in a newsletter would be more about the crafts we would like to do and have been working on. Additionally, I think talking about some of the dishes we do, especially for catering events, would be to give a small history of how the food/dish is made, when it's commonly cooked (especially occasions like XMAS or Día de los Muertos) and if there are any variations to the recipe based on locations. So once I organize and plan the layout of my newsletter would be more informative and insightful so that my idea of a cultural exchange would be more feasible than just thinking about it!

Week 9 - Blog Categories

Categories are always helpful, in everything not just in our blogs, because they outline the overall organization of our blog/business. They form the skeleton to the main text/blog so that we can just plug in a certain idea or thought quickly into that section and retrieve such "artifact" much quicker whenever it may be needed again.

The categories, main ones divided into subsections, that I think would be beneficial to organize my blog would be:

• Recipes
• Traditional cuisine
• Salsas and appetizers
• Desserts
• Sweets
• Tart and Fruity
• Crafts

The blogs that I commented on were
Tia's Bakery from Marilyn
Dani Girl Cale Pops from Danielle
Learn Spanish with That'Spanish  from Cassandra

Week 9 - Blogging PERSONALITY for Business

This week we look at blogs once again, but made to think and answer the following: how personal do you think you can be on your blog? When does is make sense to add personality to a post, and when does it not?

I think that it is very important to always show some personality on a blog. Just like in writing our personality translates into the words and sentences we are using. At some level our psyche is always prevalent but that doesn't mean that we will always be speaking in a vulgar and/or demeaning manner. There is always a time and a place for when things need to be said and best times when certain "secrets and/or truths" are to be revealed.

With my business, Así Como Mamá, I feel that my personality has to come through a bit more than normal. Not only do I want my audience to experience a more cultural aspect with the recipes, foods, and crafts being showcased but it also shows that the cultural exchange I want to happen with my audience. I think that the best example of how my personality come through is in the info for my Facebook page is that there is a blurb in Spanish followed by the English translations. I think this is a big indication to my audience that there will be a use of both languages, and no not "Spanglish," but some basic words to better describe the food and crafts we make.

Whether it be a personal blog for your own business or as part of a company, showing a bit of personality also helps. In a company or corporate business, if one is solely in charge of taking care of the blog then they have the right to be a little more relaxed and have some personality whether it be humor or more speaking in general terms, it helps the reader be more at ease and more likely to come back and stay tune to what one has to say. Now if the blog is updated by more than one person than maybe showing personality through one's writing differentiates one's message/topic from the others and depending on how the text is developed, bring more traffic to the company's blog.

Week 8: Twitter

This week we are to create a twitter account (@asicomomama) for our business. As before Así Como Mamá will have a new outlet for exposure and the greater opportunities for exposure and new fan base!

The two lists I created were Publicity which would include Chefs and Food people and people within in the food industry and the other list created is Partners which is for networking possibilities with other businesses. The keywords that I used were: Mexican food, catering which gave me a bit of results. In terms of trying to get "food' people was a little more difficult and gave up for tonight to try and get some accounts into that list...with a clearer mind I'll def be going back to get some peers into that account!

The reason for creating these lists to help me organize in that publicity would be for marketing ideas from professionals that usually work to market businesses. The partners list would serve more as a network from other business that have similar goals/focus as my business and would serve as a collaborative to bounce ideas and possibly try new recipes and products for the public to eventually try.

I think that the time that would work best for customers to see my tweets would be during lunch time ad early evening. The reason for this would be that usually during lunch time people are always trying to find where to go eat and what to eat. Having a quick and menu option through twitter could make people try out my food and order from us. The early evening would also be ideal because it be right before diner which anyone making food at that time could tweet me for ideas on how to spruce up their dinner Mexican style or even ask if certain substitutions would work best if they were to chose to change up my original recipes.

Week 7 - Competitor's Visual Media

I continuation of week 7's work with visual media platforms we had to established an appropriate visual media platform, if applicable, to our own business. Additionally, we are to see the effectiveness of visual media with at least two different businesses similar to our own.

Rubio's http://www.rubios.com/
The visual media that Rubio's use is Instagram which is linked to their Facebook page. They also use Twitter. Their Instagram page is well used not only do they profile some of their food and current celebrations such as "Taco Tuesday starting at 2:30pm." Events such as beach clean ups and the fun atmosphere at their corporate center like their ugly Christmas sweater contest. Their twitter account also highlights their events such as beach clean ups and more recently an event by sandiegomag. Overall their use of visual media is effective because whether Instagram, Twitter or Facebook they allow their guests/fans/followers to talk directly to the company and give their opinions about their events, food, and commitment to social responsibility.

Starbucks http://www.starbucks.com/
The visual media that Starbucks uses are Google+ and Twitter as well as Facebook. Similarly to Rubio's their twitter serves as a channel to receive feedback and communication from their guests and followers. One of the biggest differences is that Starbucks does not have their accounts linked which works for them since they can definitely attract different audiences by keeping each medium separate. One cool aspect of their visual media platforms is the use of Google+ because one of their menu tabs is "YouTube" and upon opening that tab you get quite a few videos such as "How to Clean a Coffee Press" or "How to Brew Iced Coffee" and even includes a link that takes you directly to their YouTube channel page with many more videos including their "Meet me at Starbucks" film and other videos that are locations based.  The visual media that Starbucks uses works great for them because each medium can cater to different people and each having a specific target audience that helps them see different aspects of what to improve or what the people like.

For my business I have chosen Instagram (http://instagram.com/asicomomama/ or @asicomomama), after all, "Instagram is all about capturing the world's moments. And some moments need more than a still image to come to life." Since we tend to eat with our eyes first and the our stomach, this medium works best for me because I can showcase my recipes in their final stage and the delicious food that we cater and/or allow others to try and make if the recipe is given to our loyal fans. This would also work great for crafts that we are selling as well since we can track through pictures the different stages such items are being made and how long it actually took to make some of our cultural crafts. Overall, Instagram is the best medium for my business at the time and with time branch out to other visual media platforms such as YouTube to have actual videos and have my customers/guests known my staff and me.

Week 7 - Visual Networks

This week were to compare the four most common visual platforms: YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and and Tumblr. Having a food service type business I think that all four visual platforms would work best for my business, Así Como Mamá.

YouTube: This platform would be a good way to market my business. It would be really neat to include video on how to make certain dishes or the process in which certain crafts, especially doily's and the likes, are made and record how long it takes to make one such object/craft. One issue I can findmyself coming across would be getting my staff to allow me to record them on video as they help create the crafts and delicious homemade dishes my business does. Other than that it would be a good visual platform but at the moment maybe not quite my first choice or options. Another obstacle would be ways to introduce my meals as well as how often to create and upload videos.

Instagram: This platform, by far, will be the best way to promote my business especially in these early stages. The reason for that is that a picture is much simpler to edit (mainly crop) and planning on how to present the content interest could be made much quicker and more eye-catching. Another aspect making this the most ideal platform for my business is that I always carry my phone so thoughts, ideas, and new foods will be easy to capture as a picture and then upload on Instagram via my iPhone or on my computer once at home. Also, adding filters and different effects can definitely draw more viewers to check out my Facebook page and business. Plus, the overall presentation and creativity are endless making the process more fun and catering to so many viewers. Also, one caption can say it all rather than explaining what the picture is and can get input/opinions from viewers by allowing them to make comments and like picture.

Pinterest: This platform would be a neat way to get my business out there. I would be able to get ideas from other Pinterest users. At the same time I could easily build a community of support, and followers, by appealing to the millennial women/mother's by providing my recipes for them to use on their "Mexican dinner nights" and then getting feedback such as changes they have made to modify my own recipes. This would be such an awesome exchange of information since I would also be able to get ideas on much healthier options, substitution of ingredients or transforming the recipe itself to cater to vegan only eaters, gluten free, etc. One challenge I can think of would be finding a way to organize my bulletin boards, although I can of started in the different albums on my Facebook page, as well as the frequency on when to post. If anything, a bigger and more defined strategy would be needed in making this platform a real success and much more marketable to my business.

Tumblr: This would be a combination of the other three platform but most likely not the best for my business. The reason I think that this platform my not be suited would be because more time would most likely be needed to upkeep the content being shared and it would be more of a blog as well. One thing I have been struggling with, especially in for this class, has been my time management so falling behind would only hinder the success I plan on having for my business using this platform.

Week 6 - Screenshot of Scheduled Activity

I know it's been way too long since I've been keeping up with my blog. Troubles at work which mainly have been employees dropping like flies and terminating their employment with the restaurant I work at have impacted my own work schedule and the scrambling of finding who will cover what shifts including longer hours for some of us who are already scheduled to work. Not so fun!!

Also, I made a post on my own personal page to "promote" my business and at first it was a desperate attempt to get more likes and would have deleted the post but was running late for work so left the post on. To my surprise i got some responses and I started with only 5 likes and as of now I'm at 16 likes for Así Como Mamá. So excited!!

Week 6 – Strategic Connections with 7 Liked Facebook Businesses

This week we were to “research” and check out at least 7 Facebook businesses that could be strategic connections to mine. Especially since at the moment I haven’t had much traffic…so far I think I have 5 likes although many of my classmates have left comments!

So this is my strategic list of 7 businesses

1.    Tia’s Bakery: this would be a strategic connection because since they also focus on food maybe they can help with making some of my homemade recipes more “healthy” or consider other delicious recipes such as gluten free or low carb options.

2.    Dani Girl Cake Pops: Another page by one of y classmates this would also be a strategic connection in that she focuses on desserts. There are many Mexican desserts that with her help I could figure some creative way of making it bite size and even attempt a Mexican cake pop style dish. Such knowledge and/or tips would be helpful!

3.    Freshii: Belonging to another of my classmates this page would also be a helpful connection. They focus on healthy eating and are a vegetable/fruit store so they could benefit from my recipes such as Mexican “liquados” (dairy-based shakes), “aguas frescas” (fresh flavored waters like Horchata and Jamaica) and “raspados” (fruit slushies). Also can make items for them to possibly boost or sale that promote Así Como Mamá.

4.    Que Tortas! Is a small Mexican sandwiches and fruit salad restaurant in Esocndido. They would also be a strategic connection in that some of our recipes could be shared with them as well as maybe help them promote traffic with my “catering” vision and aspect of my business. Much networking could be done through them as they have a high Latino community influence.

5.    Paleteria Pelachos: Similar to Que Tortas! They too are a small food business in Escondido. Networking and business promotion could happen here as well as the exchange and sharing of recipes or at least improvements to recipes.

6.    3 Paco’s Party Supplies: This is a party supplies store in Vista that tends to cater to the Latino community, especially with an emphasis on Quinceañeras. I think that this would be an awesome connection because as a catering service business if their partners were to cancel they could definitely count on Así Como Mamá for their catering and I think that since my business would also attract more people due to crafts we can focus on adding little souvenirs for special occasions noting that they were provided by my business and expanding my possible clientele.

7.    Hadas y Sueños: Is a party supply store in Lima, Peru. Realistically can’t go down the street and pick up or order supplies. However, they can have more unique items that I could use to make my platting, decorations and crafts a little more authentic to Latino/Mexican cultures. The sharing of information would be helpful in how to make certain crafts or providing certain substitution or advice for completion of crafts.

Week 5 - Facebook Page Components

I know that it's been a while since I have made a post on here so my sincerest apologies. Between issues that came up with my family (health issues) and other issues at work (people quitting like crazy) I just haven't been able to get all my work done on time. Again, I apologize, especially to my group.

This week we need to define the difference between post reach and post engagement.

According to the Facebook glossary, post reach is number of people that your post is shown to based on targeting criteria. Taking it a step further it is also the approximate number of people your ads can reach, based on your targeting criteria. Post engagement is the number of actions related to your Page's posts as a result of your ad.

The way understanding these terms would be helpful to a business would be knowing how to cater to all people. Since one can get suggested pages based on other liked pages and/or connections/friends then it is most likely that post engagement would be at work here. The reason being that due to related likes and interest one can get peek at a similar page/business even if a like/follow request has not been accepted. Even given by the name the word engagement, is a way to entice and spark interest especially when just starting a business page, like my own, or trying to get more followers, like me as well to get insights to work.

In the most basic terms that I understand is that post reach is just the people that can see your post. Depending on settings, it's just like a scream that anyone can hear vs. post engagement which is more of a whisper at a specific person. One big difference is that post reach is based on the people that currently follow/like you and therefore your current followers are reached whether they reply or interact to such post.

I think that there is a slight grey area since the terms are quite similar but I think that it will become much easier to know difference as we begin to put into practice on our pages these concepts. Reading back what I feel that I might have confused them and reversed my explanations but I do understand and I stand by what I have already written.

Week 4 - Business for Class

The business I will be creating and using for this class will be called "Así Como Mamá" (translates loosely to Just like Mom's).

I think that the identifying of the target audience will be a slightly hard task to perform. Since my business will focus on catering traditional and authentic Mexican food items. Although I have not set up any social media outlets for my business I will get on that very soon. I think that the target audience will be mainly Latino's, or Spanish-speaking people form Mexico and Latin America.

Being that I'll be dealing with food and traditional crafts, like Mexican doileys, i think that the target audience will be slightly mid-20 to late-30 people. I believe this age group would be the best since most where born before 2000 and will be able to recognize some of the dishes and recipes being offered/used that my products will remind them of the homemade food/crafts their own mother's made. Please note that my target audience will change as I further define and refine my business BUT I'm sure that during the months of November and December business will be at an all-time high due to holidays and proximity of winter festivities and Christmas and the high demand of homemade tamales!

**More updates coming soon!

Week 3 - My Frequently Used Websites

The websites that I frequently use usually vary depending on my mood and what I'm feeling like doing on a particular day whether it be research, staying in touch with friends, and/or just having fun.

First, I will begin by stating that my homepage is Apple.com but just by reading my previous post you'll know how I feel and what I think about this company's website.

Besides Apple, my most commonly used website is Hulu (http://www.hulu.com). I think it is well organized and presented in a very neat and organized way. There is a menu bar at the top that has a search feature in the middle. If you’re a subscriber/user you’ll see your screen name on the far right in a white font for easier access to your account/profile and ability to customize settings such as other devices used, auto play options, and cancellation of service if not too thrilled about Hulu, but I think it’s quite an awesome show. Not related to the website itself, but unlike Netflix, with Hulu you can watch current shows and although their movie collection is a little more limited there are also a bit more commercials but the price of being current with some of the more popular shows. On the far left in green and white font you have the Hulu Plus logo and next to it are the other menu options such as TV shows, movies, kids, and original Hulu shows. Which make it easier to sort through the major areas the website is divided. The cool part is the showcasing of some current shows and/or movies for the day, since it changes on a daily basis for the most part, which is a nice way to attract you to some of the popular shows being streamed or present something that otherwise you wouldn’t watch. Also as you save favorite shows and have some added to your queue, Hulu goes on to suggest similar shows based on your recently watched shows/episodes and the shows that you liked.

Another commonly used website I frequent visit is Volaris.com (http://www.volaris.com). Being Mexican I have found it that I can easily save a lot of money on air travel by booking a plane that depart from the International airport in Tijuana. I love he San Diego airport, besides being an excuse to roam around and further explore downtown, but I have no patience to wait long lines and put up with the traffic in the loading and unloading areas of the airport let alone the expensive pricing of tickets and once inside the cost of snack and food depending on how “early” I arrive to wait to board my flight. The Volaris logo is on the top left which never changes position so you know what airline you’re making plans with. Also reminiscent of a Rolodex with colorful tabs are the main menu sections/links that are easy to navigate and take you to the appropriate information being sought. There is also on the top right there is a search bar in case one is looking for something specific, although I’ve never had to use. Emphasizing the Spanish orientation of the website, the cool aspect of the website and something not commonly seen in many American websites is that on the top far right next to the search bar you have a Mexican flag icon with the word Español that once you click it, turns to English with icon of American flag and magically translates the whole website for you. Even more amazing is that the layout of the website and menu/links don’t change position or color but you’re reading it in the language you feel more comfortable with. Another cool aspect is that the upper center portion of the home page hold the place to look for flight, round trip or not, and the currency of Mexican pesos or American dollars that will be used to purchase flight. I know we don’t see much of this dual language website being consistent regardless of language being read but I think it’s a cool website to check out especially if flying to Mexico or other areas in the U.S. for slightly cheaper offers than in the San Diego or Los Angeles airports. Trust me when I say that there are many people coming from China/Japan and other Americans (white Caucasians too) when my family and I are at the Tijuana international airport; just don’t forget your passport!

Week 3 - Identifying and Using Good Design

This week we explore web design and brand aesthetics. The websites I have chosen for this week's lecture is apple.com and toyota.com. Here are my findings...

**I apologize for not noticing that my whole blog entry did not post on here. Good tip to keep in mind is to be careful when copying/pasting from Word or other similar programs as text and/or formatting may not transfer as smoothly.

Roverp6cars.com
By far one of the busiest websites I've seen in a while. First of all there is a lot of information which means too much scrolling down  to the bottom of the page to see the other link buttons such as contact/email option, print, and social media venues such as Facebook and Twitter. Personally, I love using color mixing and matching and having something pretty to look at but this website is just major disaster in that yellow and cyan are not good complimentary colors and basic/simple colors are utilized and not in the most creative way either! The yellow background is horrible and the fact that there are so many pictures is just horrible and too cluttered. The menu/links are all on the left and the red block font is too straining on the eyes...at least mine. Overall this website is just too cluttered and not enough time was taken to think about their web presence let alone what they want their website to say/do. A little more organization and focus would most likely help clean up this website and make it one where more people would want to request services from this organization/company.

Apple.com
By far a really well thought out web presence/site. One aspect that makes it really user friendly is the fact that the opening page is well organized and displays the most popular apple products used. The neat thing from the start is the logo, the white apple, is on top left corner and serves as the home button when wanting to return to start of website after getting lost in the information they provide. One thing that I really liked about is the clean crisp layout of their website because as soon as you click one, product right below you get a new list, or row, with everything related to that product and any miscellaneous products in a third tier in much smaller font. Also the website provides a search bar near top right of page and there is a quick menu/link to "support" page where common problems/solutions can be viewed. Overall this is a well crafted wen site and most impressive is the detail and thought behind the organization and the hierarchical menus used when researching the different apple products and services. 

Toyota.com
Another really good website, and favorite since I drive a Toyota too. Once again we see a very well organized website. Hierarchy and layout is well throughout and navigation of overall website helps with the pictures of the different vehicles the company sells. One neat features that pops right out is the "Reviews" section/menu and the reason for that is that we get "real" reviews from customers and makes their opinions guide us in our on prospective purchase of a Toyota vehicle. I must say the 2016 Camry does look pretty bad ass, especially in blue! There is a search option near top right of page and as you scroll down the page you see the icons of the social media they use like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Navigation was easy to maneuver and I didn't feel overwhelmed by content but more at ease by the big and visible emu options especially getting to the option that allows for me to customize my own vehicle.

Week 2 - 5 Businesses and their Social Media

Here are my 5 businesses and the Social Media that they use.

1.     Rubio’s

http://www.rubios.com/

Social media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Last post: Facebook on Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 8:47 a.m.

       Twitter on Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 8:40 a.m.

2.     North County Transit District

http://www.gonctd.com/

Social Media: Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube

Last post: Facebook on Friday, February 13, 2015 at 12:02 p.m.

      Twitter on Friday, February 13, 2015

      Google+ on Saturday, February 7, 2015

3.     Humboldt State University

http://www2.humboldt.edu/social/

Social Media: Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, LinkedIn, Interest, Twitter, YouTube

Last Post: Facebook on February 13, 2015 at 11:55 a.m.

      Twitter on February 11, 2015

4.     California State University Long Beach

http://www.csulb.edu/

Social Media: Facebook, Goggle+, Instagram, Twitter

Last Post: Facebook on Friday, February 13, 2015, 12:51pm

      Twitter Thursday, February 12, 2015

      Instagram on Monday, February 9, 2015

5.     Starbucks 

http://www.starbucks.com/

Social media: Facebook, Google +, Twitter

Last post: Facebook on Thursday, 2/12/15 at 12:43 p.m.

      Twitter on Saturday, February 14, 2/14/2015

                                 Google+ on Thursday, February 1, 2015

The Major take away from this assignment has been that regardless of how big a corporation/business is their use of social is very important. I don't think in the sense of having the most followers is the main reason businesses seek out other venues of social media, besides their main website, but rather to let their customers know what the company is doing and those that follow can even get rewarded with special offers that otherwise would not be given through conventional methods of email or getting coupons mailed home.

Week 2 - Communication: Businesses & Social Media

This week we are challenged to

Recall an experience, positive or negative, where we used social media to communicate with a business.

Honestly, I always tend to give businesses and restaurants a second chance but if on a third visit things are still questionable that’s when I usually ask for the manager or a company number to make a suggestion/complaint.

There was this one time at Rubio’s, my place of employment, where the more positive comments/compliments/reviews we got our guest loyalty index would go up and if there were negative comments then the score would go down. Things have changed a bit since that time but we still take into account the comments/complaints that our guests make. Please note, Rubio’s does have Instagram as well as a Facebook page but I believe MarketForce is the system that is used to track all incoming complaints and compliments from al the different stores. In this particular occasion, being burned out and annoyed from work and upon getting home after my shift I took a guest survey, but used my sister’s name, and was able to make more specific comments about my experience at the Rubio’s as well as mostly give out threes and twos on certain questions. The following week during our staff meeting things I had mentioned in the survey were brought to our attention and we were given instructions on how to better our performances and avoid such negative, yet, specific comments from guests. Best part no one ever found out it was me who did the survey.

Week 1 - Personal/Professional Use of Social Media

As we come to a closing of week one, we are made to ponder:

Which social media platforms seem geared towards personal use and which ones seem to work better for business?

I strongly believe that almost all social media can be used for personal use, however, it is the content and the intent of use one has for the information being gathered/shared that dictates what personal and "professional" aspect is being displayed.

In terms of personal use of social media I think that, as many of us will concur, Facebook tends to be one of the biggest personal, if not, most commonly used platform out there to connect with family and friends and even long lost friends that are now more of an acquaintance than actual friends. Interestingly enough we are seeing a slight shift in this since one is now able to like pages that consist from bands, books, movies, places and personal business from friends and people we may know and/or share common interests with. Likewise, YouTube still tends to be personal in that one can post videos on some rant from not getting proper service at a store/restaurant, watching someone's opinion about a current movie, or just some random video we stumbled upon. The only thing that would probably make it somewhat professional would be the "commercial" ads that at times pop up when watching music videos that allow you to skip after 5-10 seconds but at time are interesting enough that you watch the whole thing, at least that happens to me. Lastly, Instagram is still more on the personal side of social media because the pictures one shares depend greatly on what the feeling at that time (love, hunger, annoyance, etc.) is and saving the memento vs. giving an opinion of like or dislike at a service/product.

On the business side of social media we have sites such as LinkedIn. One of the more commonly known since it is a way to network with others in the line of work one would like to do/have and even obtain a job offer due to the fact that one can post their resume for prospective employers and scouts to check you out. Although strictly professional and business geared, there is a light personal use since one can also connect with people they know and depending on information submitted on profile get articles and video pertaining to one's career and hobby interests. I have talked about Facebook and how it's becoming somewhat of a hybrid between the personal and the professional/business use.

Another site better geared for business, in my opinion, would be Twitter since one can ask questions or make comments to a specific person or group and depending on traffic, get a personal response. Lately, I've seen Twitter geared towards businesses in that most publicity is being given that way. One example, although there are many that we could think of, would be the Bravo's Real Housewives shows and how the housewives have a twitter account (and a blog through Bravo) where they can talk to fans, answer questions, get feedback, etc. In a way it does work because what better way to promote a personal business venue, event, party, etc. than by having your personal fan base know what you're up to where you'll be and getting more people interested in what you're doing. Not sure if anyone else has talked about these, but other sites such as Yelp! or Angie's List, to name a few, fall into the realm of professional/business geared because not only do they require one to create a profile but once you're in you can request a service as well as provide a comment and rate your personal experience and satisfaction on a service being provided for you AND have the convenience of doing it on-the-go by downloading the mobile app.

Regardless of the preferred social media there is always room for improvement and the uses are limitless. Although some maybe more known for their social atmosphere for the most part most share the same features of finding and searching people that one known and connecting with them that way. I don't think that there is one site that is specifically just social/personal use or business/professional use because such sites are always being updated with the users/consumers voice and/or opinion in mind and having a hybrid of both personal and business tends to be what is being done.

Week 1 - Background

So we begin this class with the question,

Why did you choose the background that you did?

So to the question on hand, I will start off by saying that I kind of didn't like the selection I was given from the get go. I just figured out how to go back and make overall changes to the look and feel of my blog so maybe later I'll check some of the other templates available and see if there are any others I like. Trust, me I am no novice when it comes to technology and I actually pick things up rather quickly but never having a blog of my own this was a bit different, especially not knowing exactly where to go next.

Now, ethereal did catch my attention at first and was a little stuck between watermark but chose ethereal because it does make me think of peace and calmness...things that I am the majority of the time with the exception of today and needing to get to work in a bit. Since the instructions do mention to keep the layout/format simple I think this works best. It's not too distracting even with the hummingbirds, the colors work well together and are not to busy and even the text is easy read. Of course, when I have some extra time I might change the whole thing or keep it as is and work with the color scheme a bit more...only time will tell. For now loving what I've done even if this is a class assignment and my first blog EVER!!

Also, and as dorky as it might seem, I did think that this background would have been some Anime inspired background because of the use of the cool colors such as the pink, a light blue and the crème/golden yellow color. I can definitely see myself liking these colors and I think it’s a perfect match for my personality too! One thing that I actually do like is the white silhouette of hummingbirds, which are awesome. Although possibly a little girly, my mom has told me on occasions that it is good luck when you see a hummingbird or when they are flying close to you. So being the good little boy that I am, I chose this background, and loving it, in the hopes that it does indeed bring me some good luck...in terms of this class to understand the material and concepts being taught and get a passing grade while becoming a pro at using social media!