Week 5 Part B – Learning about Facebook Data Collecting

 

   Welcome back, my loyal entourage! This week’s post is about Facebook Insights for business pages.

    Post reach and engagement are interconnected. Both are important because as the number of interactions, likes, and posts increase, a whole new network of people see the page. Imagine, what if I post something brilliant (haha) and everyone in my Fb communities react, or better, repost? Then everyone in their communities see it. Essentially, it widens the audience and my potential customer base exponentially.

    What can be learned from this is, “The more engagement a post receives, the more likely Facebook's algorithm is to reward it with reach.” (Barnhart, 2022) So the crux of it is actually about getting cycled into the algorithm. Which comes from getting more interaction. Sounds like needing experience to get a job, but the experience only comes from the job. Fortunately, theres a way out, provided by Meta.

    A business can use Facebook Insights to better serve their customers. The Insights page is broken into 3 parts: Results, Content, and Audience. Insights uses various metrics to give business a structured approach to maximizing the success of a post. Significant metrics include demographics, positive engagement, negative engagement, and the time of posts. (Meta for Business, 2022) Demographics helps businesses know who to target, e.g., if a business can tell that most of its customers are one thing or another (gender, orientation, sports fans, etc…) then that business can create content that appeals to this cluster. Positive and negative engagement can give a feel of the audience’s temperature – warmth or coldness toward a business. Through time Insights, a business can find when the majority of their customers are online, and schedule posts to reach people while they’re there, and while it’s still relevant.

  Thanks again for joining me on this brief journey, readers. I hope it gave some insight 🙃 into target marketing through social media. 

I commented on:

Salt & Citrus – Jordan H.

Craze the Label – Marissa B.

Jumor Tags – Wallace P

FRANKOCO Photography – Frank O.

P.S. Professor,

I couldn’t comment as my business page, so all posts came from my personal page – I had it selected properly, but it didn’t work (see image). I also followed troubleshooting steps offered by Facebook, but still a no go. I spent 2 hours trying to fix it – super frustrating. Like 2020, would not like to do again.

Works Cited

Barnhart, B. (2022, February 26). 10 Ways to Increase Facebook Engagement that Work. Retrieved from SproutSocial: https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-engagement/

Meta for Business. (2022, February 26). Best Practices to Use Insights on Your Facebook Page. Retrieved from Meta for Business: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1090341941153646?id=939256796236247

Week 4 Part B: Defining My Target Market

 

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    Hello again, readers! Today’s mission is to define a target audience for my imaginary company, .rEvolution. Thanks for joining me through the process!

    .rEvolution delivers internet and software services via the cloud. Your subscription gets you internet and/or invisibility, anywhere. The subscription is attached to you, not a device. And you’ll only pay for what you use. Like any good cloud service, it’s easy to rapidly adapt to your needs.

    Identifying my target market will be something I’ll have to roll out in stages. My services will first be targeted to professional technologists who like to try new virtual solutions. I can passively advertise and get boosts by offering limited trials to technology industry professionals; their peer review confirms my product’s validity and spreads the word for .rEvolution. Our real feel is liberation. At consumer level, we’re marketing to people who currently pay internet and cell service providers fixed fees for limited devices – which is everyone who’s paying a phone and internet bill. 

    My main consumer demographic is the internet and cell bill-payer. In the U.S., 82.7% of American households had a broadband internet connection (https://www.census.gov.) According to Pew Research Center, 97% of Americans own a cell phone (www.pewresearch.org.) Tech industry professionals are my other group. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, over 2.4 million Americans work in the Computer and Information Technology fields (www.bls.gov.)

    While the tech professional demographic is purposefully manageable and small, the consumer side loses definition in its sheer mass. These are huge proportions of the population; 82% of 330 million people…is time for a calculator. But I’m not looking for just anyone in each of those households. For instance, toddlers are great but they don’t make decisions about which brands to buy for safety and internet. I’m only looking for the people who pay phone / internet bills; and although that number is not readily available, it is very likely a much smaller number (demographic) than whatever your calculator said.

    The attitudes and preferences that drive purchases also play an important role in identifying a target group. .rEvolution establishes trust quickly and effectively, and seeks to maintain that trust in an ongoing relationship of customer satisfaction. One psychographic to market to are people who take their privacy seriously, and who feel encroached upon by data miners whose presence is made legal by acceptance of a EULA. Another would be people who feel less than content with having to have different internet and cell providers, having to pay for services not rendered (e.g., data and services paid for but not used.) Also, another psychographic is tech people who want to centralize the way internet access and privacy works.

    In order to split the number of viable consumer groups into manageable groups, I can use surveys or purchase analyses to try cluster them around similar interests. This allows me to look at their attributes: are they buying for best price, quality, brand loyalty, discount, convenience…? Each sector will need to be marketed to in their own way. The tech demographic has the behavioristic elements built-in – this is what interests us, the ever-evolving iterations and solutions that technologies offer.

    Sounds like I’ve got quite a task ahead of me, readers. At least it’s not a real company – yet. 

Week 4 Part A: Defining Target Markets

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   Hello again readers! In this post I’m doing a compare and contrast thingy-ma-what on two businesses with similar products, but different markets, Hungry Bear Deli and Subway. This information is drawn from their respective websites, https://www.hungrybeardeli.com/ and Subway doesn’t need me to link them.

    Hungry Bear Deli’s main demographic and psychographic is Californian, San Diegan, Vista-n locals. Both shops sell sandwiches at reasonably similar prices, so income is probably not a major demographic. People without teeth be an excluded demographic from both. Subway’s target market is everyone in every developed country – I’ve been to one in Shanghai and can confirm Subway’s international presence! Subway’s psychographic market is “health-conscious people” who want less junk foody lunches on the go. 

    Obviously, both the Hungry Bear Deli and its competitor sell sub sandwiches. The variations on product are probably minimal. The approach to presenting the sandwiches only really differs at the level of the professional web design that Subway can afford. And to maintain their reputation, Subway must use fine tuning tools to direct their marketing campaigns. Conversely, even though it’s obvious that Hungry Bear Deli’s presence is all local, the subtle implication of that means that their marketing doesn’t have to be as narrowly targeted.

    As far as customer demographics, the crossover is probably about 95%. Hungry Bear Deli offers a variety of quality sandwiches. Subway offers a variety of consistent sandwiches. But if I feel like eating a sub sandwich, and let’s say I’m staying at the hotel right next to the Hungry Bear Deli, it’s not going to make a lot of difference to me if that’s a Hungry Bear Deli or a Subway. Gourmet sandwiches are not their business, so qualitative difference isn’t going to be an issue for me.

    The Hungry Bear’s audience is local, specifically Vista, though they advertise San Diego County. Regarding that, their bear mascot is the California Grizzly, which reinforces their overall tone and local vibe. Their website design is clean, easy to navigate and easy to use. Their calls to action include super convenient links to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They also feature buttons to order now, menu, and become a VIP options. Subway has the same options (placed differently but still obvious), with a YouTube link as an additional call to action. Because it is so much bigger a company, Subway’s site also has corporate informational links.

    Hungry Bear’s logo is a chime-in to California pride, and this website makes a very good use of contrasting green and red theme colors – the presentation is not overdone, which could easily happen with red and green. The detail on their food images is not perfect but good, definitely good enough to see what you’d be ordering. Text, alignment, and object placement are all well done. Subway also has excellent web design, logo placement, images, ease of use, text and alignment – just what is to be expected of a multinational enterprise. Their use of contrast is with green and yellow, which allows them to use more solid green blocking.

    In conclusion and in reference to the reading in Likeable Social Media 3rd edition, I think there is a viable pathway for Hungry Bear Deli to expand their reach through market targeting via Twitter – if they wanted to expand. I also feel that social media offers mega-corporations like Subway the opportunity to better listen to a larger audience.

Week 3 Part B: Developing a Brand

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    Welcome back, readers! Today we’re looking at developing a brand from the fictitious business planning point of view. My pseudo-company, Make ‘em Pay, creates software that prevents marketing bot algorithms from knowing anything for certain about you. Marketing bots use your information to manipulate you at your most vulnerable. Some of us don’t mind. But even if you don’t mind, you’re too precious to give yourself away for free. Force marketing agencies to buy you dinner and give you a kiss first. Just as in a real life relationship, trust has to be earned and paid for in small, consistent transactions.

    In order to get my brand out to the public, I’ll have to conduct research about my customer base. I don’t think there’s a product like mine on the market. There’s similar software for security reasons, but not for personal privacy in this sense. My audience is users of internet-capable devices who purchase anything online. To model what I think is an ethical request for information, and a possible remuneration, I will offer a discount on my software in return for my customers’ completed survey. As a business, I will give you something for your information, rather than pay some mega company that’s aggregated data about you.

    This will work hand-in-hand with how I define the Make ‘em Pay brand, because I’m establishing trust by offering protection from being exploited. This company creates an option for consumers to undermine the efficacy of current tactics and brings payment to where it is due, which is with the individual. Thus Make ‘em Pay is pre-positioned at the point of data privacy for personal use. Through SWOT analyses I can remain aware of the industrial influences that impact my company and use that information to define the brand. I can also rely on feedback from surveys available to those interested in Make ‘em Pay software.

    To develop the brand’s components, my company will “build out its parts” by having a professional logo designed. This logo will be on all client-facing and internal materials, packaging, web pages and emails. It will become interchangeable with the company’s goal for changing the way marketing is done. The company will also use a guide for the style and colors of the brand. Repetition of format and proper use of contrast will provide the sense of consistency throughout the company templates, documents, and webpages.

    Building a brand strategy is vital. My primary way of reaching customers will be through social media and CRM platforms. I will also maintain a company website with clearly delineated hierarchy, site mapping, and obvious links to our social media. Make ‘em Pay will use CMS software to get the right mix of colors and imagery to evoke the desired emotions. Another way I will connect with my customers is by having functional free and robust paid versions for all major platforms (PC, Mac, Linux, and Android). The intent of the free version is to get my quality of work out there, so consumers will get to test-drive my software without committing. Make ‘em Pay will use IaaS to get viable with web, file, and email servers.

    Constant review and openness to revision will be a theme as Make ‘em Pay gets off the ground. I will continue to analyze and refine the brand through research returns, competitor influences and evaluating emotional impact. In other settings we call it constructive criticism when we look at how things are done and systematically use that information to improve. “In order to stay relevant, you have to stay open to new trends and keep educating yourself. You have to keep evolving.” – Natalie Massenet

    Readers, thanks for accompanying me on my fabricated journey. Although make-believe, I would actually like to make this software! I hope it was a good read.

Week 3: Blogs I Commented On (assignment 2B)

Larissa Bignotto

Jordan Hagemann*

Matthew Miller

Frank O'Connor

*I couldn't post directly to Jordan's blog because the comment section was missing, so I posted to her about her 2B in a reply to her on my page (assignment 2B)

Week 3 Part A: Aesthetics, Design, and Branding

 

    Welcome back, readers! Today’s topic is to evaluate websites using design concepts. Something about this type of assignment cues me to break out Excel and keep the info tidy. I rated each website on a scale of 1 to 10 according to 9 criteria. Let’s see if I can make it design-worthy interesting too.

    www.roverp6cars.com - Even though some things are right, the things that are wrong make the site hard to get through. The design is cluttered and it’s unclear what's the most important. There's lots of CAPS use, it's hard to navigate, and there's no obvious subscribe or contact options. It could be improved by adding a site map to declutter the page, the contrast and repetition is present but difficult to look at, so that could improve with a different color scheme. I gave this site a 2.1 out of 10.

    gatesnfences.com – If I were looking for a garage door, this site might just be too much to sift through - it creates an obstacle for the consumer when it should be creating ease. To the site designer's credit, it is orderly from left to right, and the typography is mostly very readable. It could benefit from social media links and removing the left side bar in favor of creating a site map. I gave this site a 4.7 out of 10.

    artcenter.org – The art center website has an excellent design. The concept is clear, the contrast is well-used with colors that are easy to read. Format repetition, alignment and proximity are also used thoughtfully. The hierarchy and typography are very clear. Overall, it is easy to use and offers depth of content. This website has all the visual qualities I would expect from artists. I gave this site a 9.7 out of 10.

    nps.gov/index.htm – The National Park Service has the best design of the four websites I evaluated. It elegantly combines form and function - concept, contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity, hierarchy, typography - while providing a robust website that is easy to read and use. I feel like exploring the site! Maybe I'm a little biased because I love nature and hiking. Now I know I will be able to use this site for my next trip. I gave this site a perfect 10 out of 10!

    From this exploration, I learned that there are many elements that work together to create a clean and easy to use web site. Even though I know which pages I like or not, I never suspected the level of design knowledge that it takes to make an elegant web site. Faithful readers, thanks for sticking with me to the end, until next time!

Week 2 Part B: Comparing How Businesses Use Social Media

 

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    Hello again readers, welcome back to my blog! Today I'll be going over a handful of government agency (businesses) that I looked at to see how they used social media. The agencies I will present are businesses with a state-wide, national, or international scope of operations.

    The National Security Agency is a steady user of social media. It frequents Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and occasions YouTube and Instagram. The NSA shows that they have a RSS feed, but it is not active. "The NSA exists to protect national communications systems integrity and to collect and process information about foreign adversaries' secret communications in support of national security and foreign policy."*

*https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/National-Security-Agency

    The Central Intelligence Agency is a steady user of Facebook. They also have a more regular appearance on Twitter. But as for the rest of the social media, it's either old posts or difficult to tell how often these get used. The CIA is a U.S. government agency that provides objective intelligence on foreign countries and global issues to the president, the National Security Council, and other policymakers to help them make national security decisions.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation uses social media more frequently and more ubiquitously than it's intel agency counterparts. It's social media updates are within a day, and often sooner. The FBI's mission is to Protect the United States against foreign intelligence operations, espionage, and cyber operations. Combat significant cyber criminal activity. Combat public corruption at all levels. Protect civil rights.

    The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation uses Facebook and Twitter most frequently, averaging a post every few days. YouTube is used occasionally, and it's hard to tell when their Instagram pictures were last posted or how often it is used. The CDCR aims to facilitate the successful reintegration of the individuals in our care back to their communities equipped with the tools to be drug-free, healthy, and employable members of society by providing education, treatment, rehabilitative, and restorative justice programs, all in a safe and humane environment.

    The California Department of Education frequently uses Facebook and Twitter, and they are on it with regular posts! They have less regular posts on YouTube, but still have a presence. The CDE's RSS feed is unmaintained - the page comes up in code. The CDE's aim is that California will provide a world-class education for all students, from early childhood to adulthood. The Department of Education serves our state by innovating and collaborating with educators, schools, parents, and community partners. 

    Well that's a lot of data, and even though it doesn't relate directly to social media use, I hope that my readers noticed the gross disparity between the number of employees in our state's department of education and that say of, our state's department of corrections and rehabilitation. Our habits betray our values.

    Aside from that, it appears that Facebook is a favorite among these government businesses, with Twitter as it's rival for posting regularity. Instagram and Flickr are also used, but typically without context - I don't see how these social media do anything to advertise, inform, or educate on behalf of the agencies. YouTube is used by all, but not frequently by any of the agencies. Although some advertised for it, none of these businesses had working RSS feeds.

Week 2 Part A: Communication Between Business & Consumer

   

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          Hi again readers! Thanks for stopping by. This post takes a Sunday drive around “Communication Between Business & Consumers”. When I think about how people communicated with businesses in the past, there are methods that have transformed and still persist today.

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          One time-worn and possibly entertaining method for consumers to get a result is through a tantrum. In person, watching a well-played tantrum is like watching the tips and falls of a Rube Goldberg machine – there’s both caution and wonder. Tantrums are easier to throw digitally through social media. Find their page, put everything in caps and flame on! Now it’s out of your system, and you can move on, right? Word of mouth becomes instant because random people view your comment. Seeds of doubt embed in each of those minds. The result is the same digitally as it was in person; if your comment gets enough attention, a company representative will respond.

In my research on customer reviews of businesses, I’ve found a personal preference. I think a review is more valid to me if the person writes plainly about their experience, and states what they think should have happened. Reviews that are inflammatory are suspect. It would seem pretty simple but being polite even when we feel wronged can make the difference in how our problem is handled. We all have moments where we are not getting the thing that we think we should get; but the people who get their desired outcome are the ones who approach it in a way that seems calm and fair.

Generally, I’m not a comment-leaver. When I am, it is to say something positive. If I see that a really cool business needs a boost, then I might leave a quick review or put their link on my Facebook page. If a less well-known company has a product that I use and like, I’ll rate, like and follow/subscribe. Conversely, if a business’ product or service is subpar, then I just don’t use them again. Anyone else is a better bet than the business that failed to deliver. Despite that, there’s no bad feelings toward the business, it just wasn’t right for me. I don’t need anyone to know how I feel about it, instead, I quietly disappear.

But If I were the business owner, I wouldn’t like it if someone just quietly stopped using my business. I would want to know what my customers thought so that I could correct it, and I prefer to hear it directly from them. It could be difficult to hear negative comments, but worse to find out there was a problem through social media instead of directly from the customer. Regardless, I suppose that I would handle all reviews with thanks, because whether the comment is positive or negative, I can learn from it to make my business better. When apologies are in order, I would make them sincerely, without excuses, and with an action plan to not do it again.

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                Consumers still have ways to make their experiences known to businesses. The methods customers use to address their concerns today are the same paints on a different canvas – social media. As in the past, some methods are more effective than others. Unlike the past, social media and the internet make our voices super loud, for an instant, and maybe even long enough to effect change.