Week # 16 : Final Assignment

First of all, I would like to thank you Professor Claudia and all of the classmates since I have learned a lot of things from reading your blogs and comments that you post.  I feel like my world has opened more on the social media marketing.

Before taking the class, I knew only a few social media platforms and was too afraid to try new things myself.  Now I've learned that there are so many platforms I should try and use to promote my business.  Most importantly, it's not about how many platforms I have BUT it's all about the consistency and how often I use each platform effectively.

As a marketer, I always consider customers as a King but with social media influences, customers are beyond King.  They have their voices clear and loud via social media that make companies listen to their opinion, complaints, and feedback.

Using social media can be a double-edged sword for the business itself since the good and bad contents can easily spread throughout social media world just in a second.  That's why each business has to make sure that they have a great social media team who takes care well of this area.  Otherwise, it will be a nightmare for the business at the end.

For my business, I will use only 3 main platforms which are Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to promote the business.  With these platforms, I definitely have to use their analytical data to help me understand more about customers and how to run the promotion through it.

Thanks again for all your help and input!  Please keep in touch and I wish everyone to be successful on what you're going to do in the future.  Good luck!  👋👋👋

Week # 15B : Facebook Analytics

Gin Arai has 82 likes total (included 3 likes this week).  In the picture above, there are 7 page views and we can see how each post can reach the audiences as shown in the picture below.

One of Facebook analytics I think is very useful and helps me to see how often Gin Arai fans are online and what time they are checking on their Facebook daily as you can see below.

Week # 15A : Optimising and Analyzing Data

Although there are many different ways to analyze the data by using Google Analytics or FaceBook, both of them have some common tools.  I will use Google Analytics to provide reports that I can sort and play around to see what I need for my business, for example,  target market, customer demographics, numbers of website visitors, etc. 

We all know how important to spend more time on marketing analyze in order to understand the market you are in and also target customers.  This would take more time to learn and understand how each analytic tool works since there are too many tools to choose from.  No matter what tool I will choose to use, I will make sure to have at least 25% of my time to sit down and collect information I need to prepare and learn how to improve my business.

Week # 14 : Creating Social Ads

Facebook Ad:

At the beginning, I will use only Facebook ad first since I'm familiar with it and it would be the one I use more often.  The objective to use Facebook ad will be creating a brand awareness to audiences by using images and videos to get more attention on the ad.

Week # 13B: FaceBook Ad

As I mentioned in my previous post about Facebook Ads, I'm still questioning about it BUT unfortunately that I have no other choice to just do everything I can to promote my business.  Then Facebook Ads would be the best choice to promote through social media platforms since I'm familiar with it.

There are 3 formats to do Facebook ads depending on which areas the ads will show on the feed.
1. Right column (on the side of the feed): this one is the cheapest one but seems like a real commercial ad that might not get much attention from the audience.
2. Desktop News Feed: this would be something that I consider to use and together with the mobile news feed as well.
3. Mobile News Feed

If I'm going to pay for the ads on Facebook, I will definitely have to use "visual" ads to draw attention from the audiences. At the beginning stage (the first couple months), it would be something fun but not a hard sales ads since I want to just introduce about Gin Arai and let them know what we're doing.  The ads have to make us different from other meal-kit delivery companies out there. 

Talking about the target group, I probably start to promote locally first in order to learn the system and make sure everything runs smoothly.  Due to a tight budget, it would be a trial period for us to study how the ads run and what we gain customers from using Facebook ads.  After a while and hopefully having some money, we will expand more to target the whole California and at this point, we will go crazy to promote our business to the real customers.

I can't wait to see how the ads would help us grow our business!

Week # 13A: Social Media Advertising

I've been seeing some social advertising from Blue Apron, Plated, Sun Basket, and Marley's Spoon.  Since they are big players in the meal-kit delivery service industry, they have planned out their ads professionally and very attractively to reach audiences.  

Their ads have either images or a short video to draw attentions.  I think the most effective way to reach the audience is using videos since people have many choices and posts to read on their feeds.  Videos would get them to stop and watch even a couple seconds, it's already good enough. 

Moreover, they also have a clear call to action, for example, "Sign Up Now", "Buy Now and Save 20%", or "Get Your First Box...Free!" button.

Comparing with traditional ads, social media ads have been questioning whether they are really working the ways they're supposed to.  When it comes to make a decision if I have to buy social ads to promote my business, I have to ask myself this question over and over again.  I know it's hard to boost my business if I only rely on increasing "organic" reaches.  Whether "paid" ads work or not, I don't think I have many choices to do except only jumping on the same wagon as others do to promote their business with "paid" social media ads.  

Week # 12B : Project research activity options

  

As we know that Google+ is important to increase SEO for the business, however, I'm not sure how I can use Google+ to endorse or even introduce my business to any groups in Google+.  I personally don't use Google+ at all and I'm too worried about time limitation I have to manage all social media platforms.  I would rather keep them only main social media that I use them for sure as effective and productive tools.

Most of the companies use Groupon to drive more traffic to their businesses but there are many downsides, for example, only one-time buyers, too many customers all at one time, and low margin at the end.