In our Social Media class, we learned the importance of why we perform audits on Social Media platforms and the importance in our jobs as marketers.  The class was very informative in our need to research and completely understand the why of how something is performing and what we can do to make it better.  I have included my first social media audit, in reviewing the Western Marketing sites, which was our class assignment.  It is not the audience that we reach, but the content that is posted that encourages our audience to visit us again, and to share the content wide and far!  This assignment has helped me to really look at what I want to post, pause, then rewrite for a more effective post.  Our readings that were most beneficial were:

• https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-metrics-that-matter/
• https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-metrics

I found these websites very informative and will continue to read all I can regarding Social Media Audits.  One can never have too much information about something that is important in our work.   I have attached my Social Media Audit that I performed using what we learned in our Social Media Strategies class and the readings.   I will update and post additional articles as I discover them.

HolenLeila_Socia MediaAudit_181021

An Adventure in My Research of Pinterest & Social Media Exposure

In our Social Media Strategies Fall Class, students were given the assignment of researching one of the social media vehicles and creating an E-Book.  The social media I chose to research is Pinterest. (I have attached the E-Book my group partner and I created below)  While I have not utilized Pinterest other than pinning, I began to realize that for a business owner, I am able to see its value.  In researching the users and what they look for, I began to look farther to gain the most information in a short time, through web-sites and reading the blogs of users.

What is Pinterest exactly?  It is a way of saving posts (pins) to a board that interest you.  A business would use it if they were advertising a product or a service and may add testimonials of satisfied customers.  Pinterest is utilized by major retailers such as Scholastic Books and Whole Foods and is gaining in popularity.  The main users are women, 23-34 years of age and some college education.  I found it interesting that the most popular category searched is Art, Art Supplies and Hobbies.  While this is but one section of the class E-Book, each category comes together to give a picture of social media and its uses, and who uses it for what their chosen project may be. To fully describe everything I learned here would be redundant and I would rather show you my finished product.

PINTEREST

Introduction

What is Pinterest?

• Launched in March of 2010
• Free website but you must register to use
• Users may upload, save, sort and manage images (pins) and other content through collections (pinboards)
• Share on Pinterest, it is a pin
• Share someone else’s pin, it is a repin
• Group pins together by topic and it is a board or pinboards

• A business may use Pinterest to reach a target audience
  • What is the business objective?
  • What will the business achieve by using Pinterest?
  • Create your boards to share products/services by pinning
  • Content core informs your audience of what you care about and your brand’s specialty
  • Companies that currently use Pinterest:
    • Better Homes and Gardens
    • Scholastic
    • Michaels
    • Whole Foods
    • And many other nationally known

Who Is Using Pinterest?

• 81% of users are Female and 7% are Men
• 40 is the average age (majority are under 40)
• 30% share of all US social media use
• 50% of Pinterest users are from the US
• 1 of 2 Millennials use Pinterest daily
• Shoppers, savers and planners are the most dedicated users of Pinterest

Share of Pinterest Users

• 93% of active pinners said they planned to use Pinterest to plan for
• 50% have made a purchase after seeing a promoted pin
• Almost 85% of searches happen while on a mobile device
• Almost 80% of users say it is useful to see Brand content on the site
• Users spend 29% more on retail purchases than those who do not use Pinterest
• 

Social Media Usage Share

•   If you have a message, do not post during work hours
• Include a call to action (80% of viewers will not interact otherwise)
• Best time to post is between 8-11 pm
• 

 Top subjects of the day:

Businesses and Pinterest

• 175 million active users globally
• 57% Pinterest users are also on Instagram
• Favorite Topics:
  • Art, Art supplies and Hobbies (48%) o Flowers, food, drinks and gifts (47%) o Home, garden, pool and spa (45%)
  • Health + Beauty (45%)
  • Clothing + Apparel (37%)
• Pins to use:
  • Helpful
  • Beautiful
  • Actionable
• Awesome visual Pins:
  • Use prices in your images
  • Use 735 px X 1102 px for size
  • Use the Pinterest Button
  • And color matters!
• What to Write:
  • Use just over 300 characters o Always add a link and a price o Write Calls-to-Action
  • Use keywords for searching
  • Mention others
• Special Types of Pins:
  • Promoted Pins
    • Increase your traffic
    • Engagement shows increase of 2-5%
  • Buyable Pins
    • New Feature!
    • Users purchase product within Pinterest App (Shopify users)
  • Rich Pins
    • Allows you to define additional info using meta-tags
    • Five categories
      • Product
      • Recipe
      • Article
      • Movie
      • Place
    • Repins
      • Over 80% of all pins are repins
      • Grow content by collecting great content
• Is your audience on Pinterest?
  • What is your product, message and target audience?
• How do you determine if the target audience fits the bill?
  • Is your product of interest to Pinterest users?
• Do your business objectives match what Pinterest has to offer you?
  • Can you spread your message on Pinterest effectively?
• How do you find the business objectives?
  • We want 65% of our audience to be the
• How will going on Pinterest benefit my business?
  • What is the business objective?
  • Then, is this media channel going to help me achieve my goal?
• How do I create my Pinterest boards?
  • First you need an account!
  • Add boards:
    • Topics that your audience care about
    • Content which is the value that your business provides
  • Make Content Pin-Worthy
    • Pin to most-browsed categories
      • Food & Drink
      • DIY & Crafts
      • Home Decorating
      • Home Feed
        • 100 Trend Predictions for 2018
          • Food
          • Travel
          • Home
          • Kids & Parenting o Women’s Style o Men’s Style
          • Health & Wellness
          • Beauty
          • Celebrations
          • Hobbies & interests
        • Times to Pin
          • Saturday morning & 8-11 p.m.
          • Any day 2-4 m., 2-4 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
          • Fridays at 3 p.m.
        • How to set Marketing goals on Pinterest
          • Goals should relate back to your business objectives and contribute to success
            • Increase percentage of millennials reached to inform them of your product?
• S – Specific- set firm numbers & percentages to hit
• M – Progress supported with data
• A – Agreed Team agrees on goals to reach.
• R – Ambitious but attainable.
• T – Time based. You need a
• Measure your Success

o What metrics will you measure?

You can schedule your pins to the best available time for your pin.

Summary

 Who uses Pinterest?

• 81% are women and 7% are men

Pinterest is not for planning weddings but more!  Pinterest has a 75% increase in viewers from last year, and not just saving crafts!

• 115% – Products they love
• Style Ideas – 38%
• Art – 50 %
• DIY Projects to try – 35%

Businesses can post content about their product or services, and information will be circulated.  You can schedule your content and sit back and review the results and tweak for optimal strength in   the search engine search.

Sources:

Sharp, Evan, “Helping a quarter billion people find inspiration” , Pinterest Newsroom, https://newsroom.pinterest.com/en/post/helping-a-quarter-billion-people-   find-inspiration, Accessed October 2, 2018

“Dreamgrow Digital”, https://www.pinterest.com/dreamgrow/, Accessed October 2, 2018

Chen, Jenn, “15 Pinterest Statistics Every Marketer Should Know in 2018”,  https://sproutsocial.com/insights/pinterest-statistics/, Accessed October 3, 2018

Smith, Aaron, “Social Media Use in 2018”,  http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/, Accessed October 2, 2018

Hauff, Ashton, “How to Use Pinterest for Business: The Ultimate Pinterest Marketing Guide”, http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/, Accessed October 1, 2018

I would like to also suggest two other Blog Posts  my classmates also submitted for our assignment.

Social Media Ebook

Group Ebook – How to use Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn for marketing

Attached is the E-Book my partner and I created for this assignment.

Instagram&Pinterest

In Digital Design this week,  we learned about formats, design and files that are used in marketing.  Out assignment was to search out examples of what we learned.  Why? Because to be an effective marketer, I will need to utilize the best vehicle for my message.  Simply put, I need to visualize the concept of what I would like to convey to my audience.

This is an example of a brandmark and is used in an ad I found on the internet.  Can you see the company logo that it is advertising?  Need a hint?  It is the Taco Bell image in the triangle in the front.

Another example I have is the Logotype, where I have saved the opening “Google” page for today, which honors Martin Luther King, Jr.

Leila Maidana-Holen

                                               “My faith demands–this is not optional—

                                              my faith demands that I do whatever I can,

                                                             wherever I am, whenever I can,

             for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference. “

– Jimmy Carter

What is a Mission Statement?

For me, when I see that question, the first thing that comes to mind is that I want to be the best person I can be.  I want to accomplish many things in the rest of my life and I want to be successful in school, work and life.  I excel at getting the most out of life, and I never say “no” to a challenge.  I would love to visit Egypt and the pyramids, and Paris in the spring.  Beyond that, I want to be happy, always a smile on my face, and to be considered a good friend.  The quote above by Jimmy Carter is one that I embrace, because I too want to make a difference.

I try and treat people fairly, but sometimes I need to have a connection with them first.  I would like to be treated like an equal, but I know that sometimes people tend to look at you differently if you are not one of the regulars.  I was raised that you are put on this earth to be a helper, be respectful and try your best.  I feel I have done that in my life.  And I want the world to be a better place for those who follow us.

I know that everyone has a bad day, but I do not want their frustrations to flow over into life, and affect me.  I try and make others feel better, but that is not always possible in life.  I have walked away from my share of “messes” but at least I tried.  I never tell a person “no” if they ask me for help and it is a reasonable request.  If I do not get a good vibe, I will refuse and hope that they do not take exception to my refusal.  One has to do what they feel is best. I desire a job in the non-profit sector because I feel that there is where I would serve the community the best.

When I graduate from school, I hope that I will be working with a non-profit in a marketing management role, raising money for their causes.  I am an introvert, but when I am passionate about things, I am fierce in my commitment and I am extrovert when I need to be one.  I feel that some days I will fail, but as the days pass and I am closer to my dreams, I feel that I will do well.

My goals short term are to finish school and obtain a job.  Long term goals include working for five to seven years in the dream job and walking away with the feeling that I accomplished something and made a difference.  I want to make a difference and I want to leave a mark in the world.

I do not feel that this is a final draft, as I feel that I am a work in progress and will never be truly done, as it is liking opening your eyes in the morning, you never know what life is going to throw your way and you need to go with the flow.

Life is best enjoyed and no matter where you land, you should make the best of it and bloom.  I once saw a dandelion blooming between the concrete sidewalk cracks, and to me, it was a person trying to bloom and grow somewhere you never would expect to find someone blooming.  Life is about taking chances!

My final thought is that in searching for my motto to live by, I found a website with inspirational quotes and readings, www.Beliefnet.com, which inspires a person to be their best.  We should all have that motto in life.