Week 8: Proximity channels and industry-specific social networking sites

Proximity Marketing Channels: bringing deals to you as well
as powerful word-of-mouth reviews.

This week we talked about both proximity channels and industry-specific social networking sites.

I encourage you to read the discussion boards and see how your classmates have utilized various proximity marketing channels both personally as well as for some ideas on how you can incorporate these channels into your own businesses. Due to the time constraints for this accelerated course, I would have loved to dive deeper into mobile communications, but I think you got a good taste of it through proximity marketing channels.

The assignment to review industry-specific social networking sites was very interesting, and I learned about a lot of new ones I had never heard of. That's why I am listing some of your classmates' blogs below for you to also review. I see some new faves I may be bookmarking later on.

Check out these blogs to learn more about a variety of industry-related social sites:

• Active Rain by Janis Butkevics  (real estate)
• BakeSpace by Casey Goldstein (food)
• Biznik by Amanda Cavanaugh  (small business)
• Biznik by Stacy Shanks (small business)
• eduClipper by Jake Stresen-Reuter (education)
• FanIQ by Gavin Saul (sports)
• FICPA Connect by Dave Cone  (Membership-based association platform)
• Fitocracy by Lisa Hope (fitness)
• Flixster by Alexis Willey (entertainment)
• FohBoh by Alexandra Rich (dining industry)
• FoodSpotting by Erin Tracy (food)
• getGlue by Emily Rios (entertainment)
• govLoop by Victoria Betz (government/service)
• It's Hospitality by Casey Grenet  (hospitality)
• The Knot by Lauren Roberts (wedding)
• Learnist by Blythe Duckworth  (education)
• Learnist by Julie McKinney   (education)
• Learnist by Kristin Rizzo (education)
• My Yoga Online by Jason Belo (fitness)
• NaNoWriMo by Amanda Winkle (self)
• Sermo by Laura Markowski (medical)
• StyleHive by Lesley Geyer  (fashion)
• Untappd by Sean Burke (beverage industry)
• WeddingWire by Lacee Utt (wedding)

We are into Week 9 as we talk about planning! Social media, emails, and website content don't just magically appear. The best companies have a strategy behind every touchpoint, and that means having an integrated plan for all channels. I look forward to your discussions on the resources you would use to begin to plan your posts, and then actually showcasing a hypothetical plan for Disney's Animal Kingdom in the Week 9 assignment.

Week 7 Recap: Social Media Channels and IMC

Another great week guys! I think you can now call yourselves IMC experts. It was very interesting to see how some brands are hitting it out of the ballpark with social media and are utilizing it fully with hashtags, an IMC approach, cross-channel promotion etc. It was even more interesting to see how many of them weren't quite up to par!

Some tidbits to take away from this week:

•  IMC is more than just logo and imagery -- it's about the overall content and campaign (and much, much more, but that would be a whole other course!). For example, although Target may be currently running Halloween specials, they still have other mini campaigns they have to maintain the marketing for to keep all aspects of their business going (i.e. Target Baby or perhaps they could have an October pink campaign for breast cancer awareness). Even if the main campaign is Halloween, a post about Going Pink on Facebook, a tweet reminding you to donate, a Pin board with Pink ideas, or a YouTube video on how Target donates to research should be part of the Pink campaign's IMC plan.


• On the majority of your analyses, Google+ was the winner when it came to being pushed aside. Sadly, if brands had a Google+ page, they barely interacted with it. There is DEFINITELY room for improvement on this channel for some major brands. I think your understanding of how beneficial a Google+ page is for a business when it comes to a presence on Google, SEO, etc. will set you apart from other job candidates.
  
  Search Social Media and IMC on Google, and guess what comes up! Google Plus posts -- an example of how Google Plus does help with SEO!:
  

  Oreo, Fiat, and the Jaguars: How they do with IMC and social media ...

  

  https://plus.google.com/.../posts/1ui5EYoMgHv‎

  Blythe Duckworth

  3 days ago - Oreo, Fiat, and the Jaguars: How they do with IMC and social media #fiat #oreo #standunited #socialmediamarketing Cookies, Cars, & Football: Taking a Deeper Look at IMC and Social ...

  NBC, ULTA and Pottery Barn demonstrate IMC: Consistency is key ...

  
  https://plus.google.com/.../posts/bP3irCKppxc‎

  Julie McKinney

  3 days ago - NBC, ULTA and Pottery Barn demonstrate IMC: Consistency is key for social-media-hopping customers. I've picked three brands that use an integrated marketing ... NBC, ULTA and Pottery Barn demonstrate IMC: Consistency is key ...
  
  
  
• Several of you chose brands that have different accounts for varying countries or sub-brands (i.e. Nike). This is an important item to consider whether your brand is as large as Nike or much smaller. On a smaller scale, it may relate to two store locations, two businesses within one location etc... Is it better to maintain one page, or have separate ones for each location? It all depends on your brand and there isn't one right answer. However, the majority of larger brands have one main account as to not dilute fans over several different pages.
  
• When planning to launch your brand on a social channel, definitely consider scalability and long-term plans. Will you expand in the future? If you do, would the business name be the same? It's a lot easier to plan your strategy in the beginning than try to encourage your fans to "Like" your new re-branded page. I ran into this issue at my previous job. Each location of the business had a completely different name, thus the branding was all over the place. Because of this what user/page name could I go with as I launched social channels?! It was one of the reasons my boss hired me --- to bring the branding under control!

Highlights

There were some great entries this week. And everyone received either an A or B! I encourage you to check out your classmates' blogs this week to see what your fave brands are up to.


This week, we are continuing to look at social media channels, but specifically ones created for specific industries. I am looking forward to your mid-term projects on your assigned social media channel as well - reminder: they are due this Sunday at 11:59 p.m.

Week 6 Recap: Content Communities

As you now know, content communities have crossed over into the social realm whether themselves as a platform, or through their features that allow you to share back to your social networks.

Jimmy Fallon and JT going hashtag crazy.
Save it for the Content Communities, boys!

I loved last week's bonus point assignment on Instagram and from your feedback, you did too! It was so easy to click #UFSocial to see all the pics in one place. Newsflash: That's what hashtags are for! They shouldn't be used verbally. (I'm looking at you Jimmy Fallon and JT)!

I really enjoyed reading everyone's posts this week! You all have some great goals ahead of you. I encourage you to tweet your post or even send it to the companies... you never know!

Interestingly enough, everyone chose Pinterest as their Content Community board to post to. Shows you the popularity and ease of that platform! You have inspired me and I will definitely be getting back onto Pinterest and updating my boards, and creating one of my portfolio work! Now if Lily will just nap a bit longer so I can get that done!

There were so many blogs this week I would love to highlight! These are just a few!

• Lesley Geyer's Blog
• Clorox, I have faith in your products, but your content needs a little help
• Why I Would Love to Work for Michaels Wedding Section
• Selling Myself as a Critic

And... the Creativity Award goes to.....

• Dear Conan O'Brien
• Dear Harper Reed

Week 6 and all bonus activities are fully graded. Have an awesome week, and Go Gators! I am looking forward to a night game in the Swamp... the energy is electric!  

Week 7
We are well underway into Week 7 as we dive into Social Media. We'll be looking at how social media channels are additional platforms/multimedia communication tools to spread IMC messages in addition to some of their features.

Deadlines

Discussion post is due Thursday at midnight, assignment post is due Sunday at midnight. Mid-term projects are due on October 13!

Week 5 Recap: Blogs and Email

As we dive deeper into the channels that support an IMC-driven campaign, you can now see how email marketing and blogs help deliver content in various ways.

• Emails are a form of push marketing, bringing content to the user. 
• Blogs pull the customer in, hopefully with well-written, useful content. This helps SEO efforts, keeps a site fresh, and gives your company a voice as well as place to engage with your customers.

This week's assignment

Great job analyzing your 5 favorite blogs! I encourage you to check out some of your classmates' recommendations on blogs. I think I have some new favorites and will definitely be subscribing to some of your favorite blogs!

Please, read the feedback/comments I provide you. I am giving you tips on what I am looking for, what I liked, what I expect -- it will help your grade as well as hopefully provide you with some insight.

I have chosen the following student blogs to highlight this week. They answered the assignment questions, utilized additional articles/resources/links to bolster the points they are making, and have great tags on their posts. It was really hard to narrow down to just a few to highlight--- there were some great ones this week!

• Blogging Right Along
• Five Blogs that Keep Me Coming Back
• What's Important in a Blog
• Blogs: Uniquely Building Brand Awareness

I am looking forward to those of you participating in the Bonus Point Instagram Challenge this week! Here's to a great week 6! Speaking of which, this week, you will be receiving an email from UF with a mid-semester survey on this course. Please take the time to fill out. 3 bonus points will be added to your grade when you complete the survey!

UF Intro to Multimedia Communications Instagram Challenge

Here's a fun way to earn up to 5 bonus points to your grade!

For 5 days, beginning on Tuesday, September 24, when you upload a photo to Instagram, you will earn 1 point. You can participate every day, or skip days.

In order to get your bonus point(s), you must do the following:

• Upload a photo on Instagram based on the day's theme
• Use a caption
• Use tags as listed below and add any others you want that are appropriate
• Make sure photos are appropriate since we are tagging as part of the UF program!
• Feel free to share your photo to your other social networks if you would like (not required)
• Visit the discussion board in e-learning labeled Instagram Challenge. Create 1 post for yourself and let me know what days you participated in and provide your Instagram URL link.

PHOTO-A-DAY THEME
Tuesday: Black & White
Use a caption and Tag photos with #UFSocial #blackandwhite #challenge

Wednesday: Love
Use a caption and Tag photos with #UFSocial #Love #challenge

Thursday: Pink 
This particular day's themed photo strikes close to home. One of my high school classmate's father, Bob Levinson, is being held hostage in Iran. This Thursday, September 26th, is Pink Shirt Thursday to support the cause to bring him home.
Use a caption and Tag photos with #UFSocial #PinkShirtThursday #HelpBobLevinson

Friday: TGIF
Use a caption and Tag photos with #UFSocial #TGIF #challenge

Saturday: Gator-related 
Use a caption and Tag photos with #UFSocial #gators #challenge

Week 4 - Websites Recap

We are one fourth of the way through the semester! Wow!

This week we reviewed push and pull techniques, and how websites play a role in IMC. As you can see from your assignments this week, social media is just one multimedia channel in the grand marketing plan. Although social media engages, the website is where you want your customers to go to be fully immersed in your brand at every turn with no distractions popping up on a news feed! It is the home base for content delivery.

Websites can improve a brand with content, items to engage the customer such as chat or contests, cross-promoting social sites, and they should pull in a customer by having them sign up for an e-newsletter, text alerts, anything to capture their info (pull) so they can push info to them. A coupon code never hurts!

This week, I'd like to highlight these blogs for some great writing and insight into brands' websites. There were some great blogs this week, and I can't highlight them all, but I encourage you to check out your classmates' blogs. All I know is after this week, I want to go to the mall and hit up Kate Spade, Anthro, Pottery Barn and more!!

When it comes to push marketing, Oreo's website crumbles

BarackObama.com: A Brief Discussion

Google Marketing 101

Alexis also brought up a good point in the e-discussion that our own Florida Gators do a wonderful job at posting on social networks to direct followers back to gatorzone.com which houses some meaty articles for sports enthusiasts.

Looking forward to your responses this week as we look at some more multimedia channels that help reinforce the brand message -- emails and blogs.

Week 3 recap: Integrated marketing - a must in today's saturated world

I love IMC! I've always enjoyed putting together an entire project/campaign and working on several areas. IMC allows you to learn so much about multimedia options from video and mobile to print and websites. You may not be an expert in all the channels, but some experience in each can definitely help you on the job search. I know I'd rather hire a candidate who has journalism background, perhaps some design, and can upload to a website than just strictly a writer. In this age of IMC and new technology, you must possess a variety of multimedia skills!

Don't forget IMC and branding is more than social media and websites. It encompasses ALL channels: direct mail, billboards, point of sale, television, radio, on-hold phone messages, in-store audio, banner ads, blogs, packaging, store signage etc. Or what about Abercrombie where you come out of their store SMELLING like them?!

What's wonderful about these offline channels-- you can easily tie them to online ones with #hashtags on commercials, social media icons on packaging, URLs listed in ads, or QR codes on displays. Each medium you use should always provide a way for your customers/users to find another way to connect with you as well.

You had great posts for Week 3! I encourage you to read your classmates' responses to the discussion question in e-learning as well as to check out their blogs.

Just some highlights from this week from your classmates:

• Pottery Barn Knows the Way to My Heart: Integrated Marketing Communication Done Right!
• Jack of All Multimedia Spades: Kate Spade New York 
• Oreo's multimedia is a slam dunk...or twist!

 
I love this infographic and wanted to share.

Online teaching requires planning

My former professor, yet always a mentor, Dr. Julie Dodd wrote about how my UF class was developed this summer. There was a lot of planning that took place in my first-ever online class and she goes into step-by-step detail. Her blog is also just a great overall resource for educators.

Check out her blog, Thoughts On Teaching/Teaching, Jobs and Internships to read more!

Welcome!

Welcome UF Social Media Grad Students!

For those of you who are new to the program, welcome to UF and Go Gators! For those of you who are in your second semester and beyond, welcome back and Go Gators!

I am really excited to teach this course and provide you with what I think is a well-rounded approach to multimedia communications. What we'll cover is content I have encountered in my career "out there," what new technologies there are and what you need to consider from said technologies, as well as general information a mass comm/social media professional needs to know.

More details on the course are listed on the syllabus and in the e-learning platform (Sakai).

This new medium that is social media is constantly evolving. That being said, look here for posts that supplement your course materials. You won't be quizzed on these items etc. but they will be important for you to know about as you delve into your social media career or even could be great points to discuss in interviews. Just think of them as "Tips of the Day."

Anyways, welcome again. If you are enrolled in the course, you should receive a welcome email from me the first week of class.

Here's to a wonderful semester!
~Jaclyn