Social Media Integration Through Blogging
This web story will take you through my eight week social media integration project through the use of Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook to drive traffic to my blog (socialmediameg.blogspot.com).
Background
- I have always been interested in reading my friend's blogs about their travel experience, fashion trends, professional work, wedding planning, etc., however I have never created a blog myself. My Social Media graduate class required me to set up a professional blog page, Twitter account and Pinterest account to link all activities together. The next few sections will highlight my first time blogging experience and how I integrated with Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
- Social Media Insights for COMI 610Welcome to my Social Media Insights blog for my Marist College graduate class. My experience with blogging is limited with only having posted two blogs to my company's website. This is my first owned blog so I am excited to start sharing with you.
Introduction
- My name is Meagan DiMarco and I am taking COMI 610 as part of Marist College's Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Graduate program. I currently work in New York City for a digital direct marketing company called Epsilon. My concentration is on email as a communications and marketing channel and my clients are always seeking ways to optimize engagement with their brands through email. What better way than to include social media sharing icons within emails to drive users to social media sites? Until now, my social media use has been mainly for social purposes, not for professional purposes, therefore, my goal when starting this class was to increase my knowledge of the professional uses of social media in order to bring those learnings back to my clients.
Plans & Policies
- Blog Site Policy:This blog is intended for use during my Social Media graduate class and hopefully as a tool that I will keep up with even after the class is over. As such, I expect comments and conversations on my blog to be conducted in a professional manner. I welcome all constructive feedback but retain the right to remove comments if they fall in any of the following categories:
- Rude or offensive
- Inappropriate or vulgar language
- Spam or solicitations
- Irrelevant and distracting to the topic at hand
Comments on this site do not necessarily reflect my own opinions or viewpoints. Strategic Goals
My overall strategic goals align with the underlying principle that forms the basis of Scott’s (2013) book “that understanding buyers and publishing information on the web especially for them drives action” (pg. 181). My “buyers” in this sense are my readers and the action I want them to take is to continue following my blog, interact with my blog by commenting, and to follow me on Twitter and Pinterest. In order to do that my goal is to provide compelling content with real life application from my professional career that can be used as a resource in my readers’ own careers.
ObjectivesMy goals are all about engagement and action, thus my objectives must align “with those of the organization” (Scott, 2013, pg. 163). Using Scott’s (2013) analogy of a soccer game, my objectives need to remain focused on the goal not the ball (pg. 163).
- Encourage at least 5 comments per blog by 5 unique people with at least one follow up comment each. - Attract at least 50% new visitors per week.
- Attract at least 50 page views per week.
- Encourage average visit duration to last more than four minutes.
- Increase traffic from Twitter and Pinterest by posting compelling content to drive to my blog.
- Encourage an average of two pages per visit.
- Attract at least 40 Twitter followers by the end of the course.
- Attract at least 20 Pinterest followers of ‘My Social Media Class Board – Spring 2014’.Activity
- Blog Number One: "Tell the truth. Tell it all. Tell it now." - February 3, 2014
- My first blog post was titled "Tell the truth. Tell it all. Tell it now." It focused on testimonials from top CEOs and executives as to the importance of communication as part of an organization's overall strategy. The findings were summarized by Argenti, Howell, and Beck in their 2005 paper, The Strategic Communication Imperative.
Social Media Insights for COMI 610The three quotes below from well-known and respected executives at FedEx, Cendant, and Dell show in concise terms, how important strategic communication is to the success of a company.I don't know about you but I would not argue with a "shoot, move, communicate" strategy and thus, am in full agreement- Since this was my first official blog post both for this class and for the public, it was important to start off strong and drive traffic to my blog as soon as I published the post. Therefore, I posted the following Tweet to tease my first post. This first blog post ended up with the most pageviews.
First blog post is up! Find out some strategic communication wisdom from top CEOs. Check it out here: http://socialmediameg.blogspot.com/ .- I included an infographic within my blog post called "The CMO's Guide to the Social Landscape" and repinned it to Pinterest to create a link to my blog.
- Blog Number Two: 'Timing is Everything: Optimal Times to Post on Social Media.' - February 12, 2014
Social Media Insights for COMI 610In my job in email marketing, I am always getting asked by clients when the best time is to send an email for optimal opens and responses.Our response back to them is always test, test, test.I cannot tell you the best time to send an email for your brand without having some data to back it up.Some questions to consider include: Are the majority of your users viewing on a mobile device?- I was the Digital Leader for week two of blogging and thus, that allowed me to select a social media topic of my choice to blog about. I am always getting asked by clients when the optimal time to send an email is and our answer is always to test. I included some helpful questions to consider when discussing email send times as well as a list of optimal social media posting times. I pulled the social media posting times from an infographic from fannit.com and incorporated that into a Pinterest Pin as well. You'll find my teaser Tweet below with the inclusion of the Marist 610 hashtag this week.
- Are you optimizing the timing of your social media posts? Check out my digital leader topic this week. http://socialmediameg.blogspot.com . #marist610
- Blog Number Three: "What Happens in Vegas Vegas Stays on YouTube" - Social Media Security, Privacy, and Policies. - February 24, 2014
- For blog number three, we were tasked with reading several articles and watching a Department of Defense social media training module in order to compile our own social media security and privacy checklist. Although this blog post came in second for number of pageviews, it garnered the most comments (19) out of all three. This was also the first week I posted a link to my blog on our class Facebook group page as well.
Social Media Insights for COMI 610If you're reading this blog right now, it likely means that you also engage in activities on social media sites such as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+ and many more.With the many security breaches that have occurred over the past few years, most recently at Target, consumers need to be careful of the information they are sharing while engaging on social media sites.- Although an important topic, it can be a bland one so I incorporated a humorous, yet informative YouTube cartoon depicting the do's and don'ts when using social media. I Pinned the video to Pinterest and Tweeted a teaser for my social media privacy and security checklist.
- What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? Think again! Check out http://socialmediameg.blogspot.com for your social media security checklist! #marist610
Analysis
- Erik Qualman states that "the business challenges marketers face with social analytics include knowing what factors to measure, how to measure, and how to analyze the data that comes out of these measurements" (Qualman, 2013, pg. 256). The "how to measure" aspect for me included a combination of Blogger Stats and Google Analytics.
Blogger Stats shows that blog number one "Tell the truth. Tell it all. Tell it now." received the most pageviews (81). - Blogger Stats also showed me that feedspot.com and plus.url.google.com were the highest referring URLs for my blog.
- I was surprised to see traffic from Russia as the number two source according to Blogger Stats. As for operating systems, I am not surprised that mobile phones and tablets ranked low due to the interactive requirements for commenting and researching required for these assignments. Although tablets and mobile phones are more portable, sometimes it is just easier to type and research on a laptop/computer.
- Google Analytics went into greater detail around my pageview statistics. Please note that this is for my overall blog URL (socialmediameg.blogspot.com), not each individual blog page.
Unique Visitors: 40
Pageviews: 238
Pages/visit: 2.36
Average visit duration: 05:19
% New Visits: 38.61% - Google Analytics also broke down my audience for me by age, interest, and gender. Gender was split fairly equally and the 25-34 age range did not surprise me as my target audience was my IMC graduate class.
Conclusion
- Overall, I achieved my goal of creating compelling content with real life application proven by the number of pageviews and comments on each post. Blog number one "Tell the truth. Tell it all. Tell it now." received the most pageviews, however, blog number three, "What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube" received the most comments and interactions. This tells me that my introduction of a video within my blog during week three and the addition of posting on the class Facebook page may have driven the comments/interaction.
According to Google Analytics, I fell just short of 50 pageviews during the week of February 16th, with 46, however had 82 the next week so it averages out. Additionally, my percentage of new visitors went down which is to be expected since the visitors from the class were saturated by the second week of blogging. I was successful in encouraging at least five comments per blog post by five unique people but not all followed up with another comment.
I did not hit my Twitter and Pinterest follower goal because I was not aggressive enough in expanding outside of the class for followers. After this class, I will most likely move back to using my personal Twitter account and will keep my blog live which will hopefully increase the amount of followers.
I've learned that managing a blog and the social media sites associated with it requires daily effort in order for it to be successful. A comment that is left unattended to or a blog that is not linked to from other social media sources will show disinterest and disengagement on the part of the author. Blog authors are looked to as subject matter experts and thus, a constant stream of research is required to ensure that you are responding accurately to comments. In general, this applies to the concept of client services that I focus on in my job. You should be actively engaging with clients on a daily basis and responding promptly to their requests so they know you are dedicated and trustworthy. I hope to use the specific lesson of social media integration in my strategic recommendations to my clients on how to improve engagement with their emails and with their brands. References
Argenti, P.A. Howell, R.A. & Beck, K.A. (2005). The Strategic Communication Imperative. MIT Sloan Management Review. Retrieved February 3, 2014 from https://www.dartmouth.edu/~opa/communicators/fall08/reading/Sloan_MIT_Strat_Comm_Imp.pdf ….
CMO.com. (2010). The CMO's Guide to: The Social Media Landscape. CMO.com. Retrieved February 3, 2014 from http://www.drewsmarketingminute.com/files/CMO-SOCIAL%20LANDSCAPE-R5.pdf ….
Qualman, E. (2013). Socialnomics. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Scott, D. M. (2013). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Meagan,
ReplyDeleteI love that you incorporated Google Analytics into your Storify. It adds excellent credibility when defining your blog audiences.
You mention moving forward with using Twitter and Blogger; do you plan on following the same theme/concepts or will you change it to attract a different audience?
I think mentioning hashtags for your Twitter analysis would be a nice addition, where you can highlight maximum/minimum views based on linking to external topics and whether that helped or hindered your blog views.
I would also suggest elaborating on your objectives, and add in a more personal perspective in addition to your reference. This will allow a reader to understand your personal goals rather than aligning them with a book; this will further extend your credibility and establishment as a social media professional.
Overall, you hit main concepts and stayed consistent with your messaging. Your visual Storify elements add to myour analysis and activities sections.
Nice job!
Brianna
Thanks Brianna. These are great suggestions that are really actionable! To answer your question about moving forward, I may switch up the themes and play around with attracting a different audience. Since we are used to having a topic given to us, my challenge will be coming up with a compelling topic and compelling content to go along with it.
DeleteI like your suggestion about adding in the hashtag detail as that could definitely have been a driver of traffic. I will also add some color to my objectives so it doesn't seem like it is coming straight from a book.
Thank you!
Meagan
ReplyDeleteHi Meagan,
You did a great job with your Storify! I particularly liked how you added very specific and measurable goals to your blog. I also echo Brianna about the use of Google Analytics. That was a great addition to the blog as well.
To make the Storify even better here are a couple recommendations:
- Include more specific information about your audience. Who specifically were you targeting with your blog?
- In the conclusion you could include how the knowledge from this class will benefit you in the future.
Great job overall!
Best Regards,
Ana
Hi Ana,
DeleteThanks for your feedback! Now that I think about it, I did isolate a target audience but I did not include that information in my Storify. It is a key piece of information when discussing goals, objectives and analysis so I will certainly be adding it.
Thanks!
Meagan
Meagan,
ReplyDeleteOne of the beauty of storify is that you can create hyperlinks to resources utilized in your text. My main suggestions would be to add more links. I only counted two links. Some links that you can do are:
- link to your Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook
-link the citations of your quotes to the references
One other suggestion would be to elaborate on your google analytics. The speak volumes on their own, but adding a summary line or caption for each would be good for readability.
NICE WORK! I have enjoyed reading your blog throughout the course! I look forward to reading your final paper.
-Becky
Hi Becky,
DeleteThanks for the hyperlink suggestion! I should be treating this like any other blog and including hyperlinks to add further interaction. You're right that it would be easier for my reader to just click a hyperlink to see the DoD module or the Argenti, Howell & Beck paper.
I will definitely add some more detail to my Google Analytics section too. I know the images can be smaller and hard to read.
Thanks for your support of my blog throughout the course!
Thanks,
Meagan
Hi Meagan,
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed following your blog all semester! You have some great insight, as it shows here in your paper. I like the points you make in the conclusion about the importance of attending to comments, I felt the same way. I like that you included lessons from the reading as well, to show what resonated with you during your experience to learn how to drive users to action, it could be great to add a few more. I also really liked the goals and objectives you laid out - they're clear and easily measurable.
Great job!
Sabrina
Thanks for your feedback, Sabrina and for being an avid follower of my blog!
DeleteHi All,
ReplyDeleteThanks again for your feedback. I have a general question, did anyone notice the design of your blog change when you posted your Storify example? My background used to be a nice purple sky with a beach scene at the bottom but after I posted my Storify, it turned all white. Was wondering if anyone else had the same experience or if maybe it was just my computer.
Thanks!
Meagan
Hi Meagan,
DeleteSo weird! Mine changed color too, from white to a beige. Maybe it's something in templates. I'm playing with that now, and it's letting me change it back. So strange.
Hope it works for you too!
Hi Meagan,
ReplyDeleteVery nice job with you Storify post! I did use any particular background in my paper so I did not experience the technical glitch you are describing. Sorry. You provided great detail and examples in your post. all the suggestions above are great and there is really nothing more for me to add as you did a stellar job on this.
Meagan,
ReplyDeleteI really liked the policy and plans you laid out. They were very easy to understand and clear. You highlighted the importance of respect among people who post, which I feel is something very important to be mindful of. The objectives you posted were also good. They were specific and measureable which is exactly what they should be.
Your use of pictures split up the text really well and make it easy to read. I also think that the way you linked the blog stats was good. It made it easy to follow where the views were coming from and how you were doing week to week. You did a great job of following the outline and hitting all of the appropriate points.
Great Post!
Hey Meagan and Ian,
DeleteIan, I agree with all of your points in regard to Meagnan's storify. Meagan, I think your storify delivers a great balance of text and images. You have most certainly captured a flow that is present throughout your piece, and in my opinion, your storify is one of the best I have seen in regard to balance and design.
Great Job!!!
- Dan
Thank you Kenya, Ian, and Dan! I really appreciate your feedback and your support of my blog throughout the semester.
ReplyDeleteMeagan,
ReplyDeleteGreat job with your Storify! Thank you for the insights for mine. I know it was rough, so seeing the way you have yours set up is a huge help. In your conclusion you mention you could have been more aggressive with your Twitter and Pinterest. Being in the same boat, what were some specific ways in which you could have been more aggressive?
-Courtney
Meagan,
ReplyDeleteWhen you were referring to social landscape I really enjoyed the infograph you posted. It was great because it provided a lot of relevant information to that week’s post. Your analysis section was done very well. All of the extra graphs that broke up the text made it easy to know which section of the analysis I was on. You also mentioned that your views fluctuated during the course of the project. What do you feel was the biggest reason for the fluctuation?
Great Post!
Hi Ian,
DeleteGreat question and thanks for the comments. I think there were several factors contributing to the fluctuation including content, timing, use of hashtags on Twitter, and the teaser Tweets and Pins that I posted. In the beginning I wasn't using the Marist 610 hastag and only started posting to the class Facebook page for the last two blogs. I think the content was important because if it was more broad, and less class-specific, it may have attracted more outside viewers whereas this week's Storify post was very class-specific so may not have appealed to the public.
Thanks!
Meagan
Live streaming is the latest fad on social media so make sure to get live with your audience from time to time.
ReplyDeleteLive streaming would give you a more intimate space with your viewers and encourage them to interact with you more often. It would allow more personal interaction with your audience in real time.
You can also share your live videos later, so that those who have missed out the live streaming can view them again. A tour of your business, a demonstration of your products or an interview with the creators are some of the possible content which can be created with a live video.
Make sure to make the most out of the apps which allows you to go live directly from the blog.
Live streaming is the latest fad on social media so make sure to get live with your audience from time to time.
ReplyDeleteLive streaming would give you a more intimate space with your viewers and encourage them to interact with you more often. It would allow more personal interaction with your audience in real time.
You can also share your live videos later, so that those who have missed out the live streaming can view them again. A tour of your business, a demonstration of your products or an interview with the creators are some of the possible content which can be created with a live video.
Make sure to make the most out of the apps which allows you to go live directly from the blog.
Live streaming is the latest fad on social media so make sure to get live with your audience from time to time.
ReplyDeleteLive streaming would give you a more intimate space with your viewers and encourage them to interact with you more often. It would allow more personal interaction with your audience in real time.
You can also share your live videos later, so that those who have missed out the live streaming can view them again. A tour of your business, a demonstration of your products or an interview with the creators are some of the possible content which can be created with a live video.
Make sure to make the most out of the apps which allows you to go live directly from the blog.
Live streaming is the latest fad on social media so make sure to get live with your audience from time to
ReplyDeletetime.
Live streaming would give you a more intimate space with your viewers and encourage them to interact with
you more often. It would allow more personal interaction with your audience in real time.
You can also share your live videos later, so that those who have missed out the live streaming can view
them again. A tour of your business, a demonstration of your products or an interview with the creators
are some of the possible content which can be created with a live video.
Make sure to make the most out of the apps which allows you to go live directly from the blog.
Live streaming is the latest fad on social media so make sure to get live with your audience from time to time.
ReplyDeleteLive streaming would give you a more intimate space with your viewers and encourage them to interact with you more often. It would allow more personal interaction with your audience in real time.
You can also share your live videos later, so that those who have missed out the live streaming can view them again. A tour of your business, a demonstration of your products or an interview with the creators are some of the possible content which can be created with a live video.
Make sure to make the most out of the apps which allows you to go live directly from the blog.
Live streaming is the latest fad on social media so make sure to get live with your audience from time to time.
ReplyDeleteLive streaming would give you a more intimate space with your viewers and encourage them to interact with you more often. It would allow more personal interaction with your audience in real time.
You can also share your live videos later, so that those who have missed out the live streaming can view them again. A tour of your business, a demonstration of your products or an interview with the creators are some of the possible content which can be created with a live video.
Make sure to make the most out of the apps which allows you to go live directly from the blog.
Live streaming is the latest fad on social media so make sure to get live with your audience from time to time.
ReplyDeleteLive streaming would give you a more intimate space with your viewers and encourage them to interact with you more often. It would allow more personal interaction with your audience in real time.
You can also share your live videos later, so that those who have missed out the live streaming can view them again. A tour of your business, a demonstration of your products or an interview with the creators are some of the possible content which can be created with a live video.
Make sure to make the most out of the apps which allows you to go live directly from the blog.
Live streaming is the latest fad on social media so make sure to get live with your audience from time to time.
ReplyDeleteLive streaming would give you a more intimate space with your viewers and encourage them to interact with you more often. It would allow more personal interaction with your audience in real time.
You can also share your live videos later, so that those who have missed out the live streaming can view them again. A tour of your business, a demonstration of your products or an interview with the creators are some of the possible content which can be created with a live video.
Make sure to make the most out of the apps which allows you to go live directly from the blog.
Live streaming is the latest fad on social media so make sure to get live with your audience from time to time.
ReplyDeleteLive streaming would give you a more intimate space with your viewers and encourage them to interact with you more often. It would allow more personal interaction with your audience in real time.
You can also share your live videos later, so that those who have missed out the live streaming can view them again. A tour of your business, a demonstration of your products or an interview with the creators are some of the possible content which can be created with a live video.
Make sure to make the most out of the apps which allows you to go live directly from the blog.
I believe that a social media consultant must be attuned to the company goals and aspirations if he or she is to represent them on their social media channels. I also think that outsourcing social media marketing is a good idea for a company looking to specialize in their core business. In any case, most businesses outsource marketing and advertising and I don’t see why social media marketing should be any different. You just need to be actively involved to ensure that you are represented in the way that you want
ReplyDelete