Final Blog Post

Overall, I think this semester has been a great learning experience for business moves in the near future.  Even though my business was not real, I have learned many useful social media sites and tactics to use when I plan on starting a business.  I loved this class because it let me have my own freedom.  I had all week to do my assignments when I had time and I had the freedom to write what I actually felt rather than a strict right or wrong answer.  I feel like this helped me learn a lot more because I was open to interpretation and did not fear getting the 'wrong' answer.  Lastly, I am glad I took part in this class this semester because business and technology are my passion and I was able to participate and effectively learn and pursue these topics in a school setting.  Thank you for teaching me and taking the time to read my thoughts and feelings.  Cheers.

Variables

For Always Fit Personal Training, I think I would Facebook would best suit my business style.  Even from day one, Facebook has been my top choice and it remained the same.  Instagram and Twitter would have to be my other top choices to the simplicity and user usage on both platforms.  On Facebook, I think the strategy of queueing posts would be great for me since I don't spend much time on Facebook.  I also think the ads would be a great way to promote business growth.  For Instagram and Twitter, I think hashtags are the best way to interact with my customers.  I think having contests for the biggest improvements each month for six months would be a great way to keep my users active.  I could use a hashtag like #alwaysfitprogress so I could keep track of the posts people put up.  Since I don't use social media such as Facebook or Twitter too much, I wouldn't spend that much time per week on the platforms.  Maybe for Facebook, an hour a week, queuing statuses for the month.  On Instagram and Twitter, I would only spend maybe two hours together.  For instagram, I could post 2-3 pictures per week and Twitter, I could tweet for 15-20 minutes a few days a week as well.

Next month of usage:

Facebook - Every monday, I could queue 5 posts for each weekday & Saturday.  The posts would include coupons, advertisements and updates.

Instagram- Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday I would post pictures.  The pictures would be of potential meals, exercise tips, and customer progression.  And of course, Sunday would be selfie sunday :-)

Twitter- Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday I would get on Twitter and reply to people's questions most importantly.  I would post about upcoming training sessions and coupon deals.  I would also promote my other social media platforms so I could grow on each different site.

A Review...

This semester, I enjoyed using Facebook for my business for several of reasons.  The first reason is it's simplicity. Since Facebook has been around for forever, it was easy for me navigate and work with.  I also like the feature of the admin panel.  I feel like this feature gives you all you need to know/use right at your fingertips.  Lastly, I love the feature of being able to set status posts ahead of time, like they are running on a queue.  I think this is the best for a person with a busy schedule because you can go on once and set several posts to be posted throughout the week, month, etc...  I think my least favorite to use would be Twitter, simply because it doesn't really fit my business type.  Don't get me wrong, I love Twitter for my personal life, but looking at a business aspect, I don't think it suits it very well.  Lastly, even though we didn't get to work with it, I think Instagram would be awesome for my business.  The fact that you can post pictures and short video clips would be easy for me to post tips and advertisements.  With Instagram's growing popularity, I think expanding my business through that social media platform would produce the most success.

Google Analytics

I think one of the best tools provided by Google Analytics for my blog is the feature that shows the amount of new visitors each day.  This way, I can gauge if my business is growing steadily or not.  If the numbers stay the same or start to drop, I know that I need to make some changes in order to please the viewers.  Another useful tool is the time spent on each page of my website.  This will allow me to see what customers prefer to see and what to steer away from. If the viewers stay on some pages longer than others, I will know what is more appealing and I can add similar features. Lastly, I think the social overview is extremely useful because it can show me what form of social media is the most successful for me.  If I figure out that my Instagram followers are more active and engaged than my Twitter followers, I can make adjustments and hopefully communicate better with my Twitter followers.

Coupon Deal

I think a coupon that gives customers discounts on their first couple workout sessions would be the most beneficial coupon for my business.  For example, if my coupon offered 50% off regular priced sessions for the first 3 training sessions, the customer would be much more inclined to try it out.  I think that once I get the chance to work with someone and workout with them, they will become accustomed and comfortable with me and much more likely to continue.  A coupon is the perfect way to gather in a new customer base and hopefully grow and expand my business.

Social Media Tools

Learning about other social media tools was amazing because there are so many different ways to expand and grow, yet most people only stick to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!  Many of the tools were new to me and I think could help my business grow.

1. Google +:  I think Google + is an awesome idea for my business for the Google Hangouts feature.  With a business like mine, I think creating a relationship with my audience is a key factor.  Nobody wants to workout or take advice from someone who they are unfamiliar with or don't feel comfortable around.  Meeting potential customers on Google Hangouts would be awesome to build relationships and expand my company.

2.  Although my business is not large, I think Groupon would be a great way to promote sales and reach out to customers.  If someone were to get the offer to have a month's worth of training for only the price of one single session, I think it would really motivate and encourage people to try it out.  Especially with the holidays coming around, a great gift would be some workout sessions for that person who has always wanted to get into the best shape of their life.

3.  Linkedin also seems like a great tool to use to help my business grow.  The fact that it allows you to connect with other people in your profession is the best part of it.  By doing so, you can work together with other people and make connections.  For example, I could meet another personal trainer who is trying to expand his business and potentially team up and work together.  This could lead to great success and even maybe the growth of a chain company or maybe even the start of a new gym.  The key to success is who you know and how you communicate.  I think Linkedin is a very underrated tool that could be the key factor to a successful company.

4.  Although not the most helpful, I think Yelp could also benefit me to a degree.  If people want to learn more about me, reading reviews is the make or break.  If your business gets great reviews, your business will thrive.  However, if it has bad reviews, it could plummet.  So as long as you keep a good relationship with your customers and create a comfortable environment and be as helpful as possible, good reviews should come flowing in.  I know that if I see a good review on a certain company or business, my likelihood of visiting that place is much higher than if I went on impulse.  So yes, I believe Yelp would be beneficial to the expansion of my customer base.

Marketing Social Media

Marketing on social media can be very tricky, but if executed properly, could imply huge success for you and your business.  First off, developing a fluid and strong mission statement is important because that will grab the audience's attention immediately.  I think one of the most important ways to market your business is through interaction with your audience or customers.  Whether you visually connect with them through videos or have open chat sessions, I think it is a great way to let people open up to you and hopefully recommend your business to their friends.  Another key aspect of marketing is listening and asking questions.  Ask your customers, "what would you like to see out of me?" or "how can I improve my business to make your life easier?"  This will show that you are willing to make sacrifices for the customer and portray a strong sense of loyalty and character, which is valued.  Creating a Linkedin account is another excellent way to branch out and expand your options.  It allows you to create specific ads and messages for each type of audience you have.  Honestly, I think taking the honest route of hard work and communication is the best way to expand your business, having payed ads is just a bonus that could make your life a little easier.