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.

Blogs I commented on:

1. kyledonnellyy.blogspot.com

2. http://jeliwilson.blogspot.com/

3. cameronsufficool.blogspot.com

Ads!

I think for my personal business, I would not use Facebook ads to help promote and expand it.  My business isn't really a huge corporate company that people all around the world could benefit from.  I have more of a localized company/business so ads  like that wouldn't suit me the best.  I think the best way to promote my business would be in local stores around my area such as flyers in grocery stores and such.  Another useful way would be in local magazines or newspapers.  However, if I were to advertise through Facebook, I would go with the ads that are placed periodically on one's timeline because it seems as if everyone disregards the ads that are on the side of the screen.  If one scrolls down their feed and sees a local ad, I feel like they would be more inclined to try it out!  My budget would be very minuscule because I think social media ads never seem to work.  Everyone seems to regard them as spam or useless, so it would be quite pointless to spend money on something that may not get me any more business.  Below are a few possible ad ideas.  I think mixing humor in ads will make the viewer more open and inclined to buy into your business.

Blogs I Commented on:

http://cameronsufficool.blogspot.com

http://kyledonnellyy.blogspot.com/

http://loricargile.blogspot.com/

Newsletters

I think having a newsletter for my business would be an awesome idea that could help it expand and thrive.  I think a monthly newsletter would be appropriate for my business style. Weekly might be a bit too much and quarterly not quite enough. Having a  newsletter would be a great way to inform existing customers and reach out to potential customers.  It would also give me a chance to see how satisfied they are and what they would want to see more of.

Having a monthly newsletter containing the following would be perfect because it gives me a chance to interact with my clients and potential customers.

Content would include:
Videos
Motivational tips
Exercise tips
Promotions/giveaways
Discounts
Success Stories
Questions/Comments

Categories

Categories would suit my blog perfectly because I could separate different types of workouts as well as specific body parts.  For example, if somebody wanted a high intensity workout there could be a category for that.  If someone didn't want high intensity, but wanted a steady paced cardio workout, there would also be a category for that.  This will help me stay organized and help the viewers easily find what they are looking for quickly and easily.  Lastly, having specific muscle groups in their own category would improve the organization and accessibility.  This could have info and tips on how to properly work the muscle and how to do so and also what not-to-do's.

Blogs I commented on:
Kyle Donnelly
Paul King
Cameron Sufficool

Google Analytics On My Blog

Here is a quick screenshot of google analytics being installed on my blog :)

Business. Big Business. Workout Business.

Personally, for my business, I think it is possible for me to be extremely personal because customers should have a one on one relationship with who I am and what I do.  For example, I could share my morning weigh-in, my afternoon snack, or what I did differently in my workout.  I could also share even more personal things such as problems I face and how to overcome them.  I feel like having a personal blog will really connect with people, making them feel like your friend.  Personality is always a must on my blog for my business style.  I mean, if I don't show my personality, emotions, and thoughts, nobody will want to read my blog posts.  They could just google search their info.  Personality will make your viewers and customers attached to you and overall more comfortable.  I feel like this is the big bonus to having a self-operated business.  You can treat your clients as friends and talk to them as well as be there in the business aspect of things.

How I Found My Connections

After following several people on Twitter, I found that I did not need to use key words in order to find connections to my business.  I am familiar with Twitter and several bodybuilders and fitness models and gyms, so I was able to search their names directly.  I think that seeing their tweets on my timeline will allow me to learn about different events and opportunities to expand my business.  Twitter is an awesome way to expand because the retweet option allows people from all over to see your tweets, even if they aren't following you.  On my personal twitter, I already have a small following of around 8,500 followers so that could help promote my business page.

Similar Businesses

1.) Christian Guzman Fitness; Personal trainer

- He is using Instagram, Facebook and most importantly, Youtube.  He reaches out to new clients by providing new and useful workout techniques and on every video advertises his online personal training and diet program.  He is using social media effectively to build an audience which then transforms into a client base.

2.) Chris Jones, Physiques of Greatness; Bodybuilder, online personal trainer

-Chris uses Youtube and Facebook mostly, but has recently started using Instagram.  He built a large following on Youtube which transferred into more and more likes on Facebook.  On these platforms, he is able to connect with his fans and clients and also give tips.  I think using Facebook for personal interaction is important when running a self business because people like to feel important.  You can talk one on one with people and determine specific workout/diet plans for their body type and lifestyle.

Get Visual

Out of these four social media platforms, I think three out of the four visual networks would be beneficial for my business.  First and foremost, YouTube would have a great impact because I would be able to post workout clips of training sessions.  I could use it to show the effectiveness of a workout and people would be able to get to know me as a person before hiring me as a trainer.  I have seen many successful trainers start or use YouTube to promote their business and give tips and tricks.  Tumblr would also be beneficial because I already have many people asking about my workout plan on Tumblr.  The option of reblogging posts allows several people able to view what you are posting and attract potential customers.  Lastly, Instagram would be effective because you are able to post short videos and pictures.  This way people could be drawn in by the short intensity clips and success stories shown on my Instagram.

3 scheduled posts from Activity Log

1.) For the first post, it will allow customers to meet me and have a free one on one session with me.  This will hopefully attract unconvinced gym goers to decide to train with me.

2.) This second post gives the viewer a chance to perfect that certain part of their they have always wanted to tone up!

3.) Lastly, this post will attract those who can't attend the gym all the time and now have the opportunity to train from the comfortability of their own home.

Why I Chose My 'Likes'

On my business's Facebook page, I liked many different gyms and fitness magazines.  My reasoning for this is my target audience uses both of these things and my business has the potential to get noticed and/or grow.  Gym goers are my primary target; I could capture their attention and even work with them in the comfort of their own gym.  

Fitness magazines are a perfect way to get my word out as well.  By putting a few ads on their page and perhaps even in their magazine, my business will reach the eyes of thousands.  The more people that see my business the better because recognition means growth.  Advertising anywhere my target market goes is the main way to grow in my profession.

Post Rate vs. Post Engagement

The post rate and post engagement features on Facebook are similar, but there is one thing that sets them apart.  With post reach, the statistics show how many people have seen the post you made appear on their newsfeed.  Post engagement, however, shows how many people have actually interacted with the post you made by showing the likes, comments, shares, etc.

Knowing the difference is important because it will tell you how much attention your business is receiving.  For example, if you get 300 views on a post but only get 5 likes and 1 comment, it is pretty clear that you are targeting the wrong audience or your posts aren't up to par.

My Business and Target Market

I do not own it yet, but I would like to start my own personal training business because I love fitness and I enjoy helping people reach their goals and full potential.

My target market is people who are not in shape, or people who would like to further improve their body and physical capabilities.

The problems I help fix are :
1.) Weight loss
2.) Easy and affordable meal plans that anybody will enjoy

Everyone knows that life gets hard; between school, work, kids, family, etc. your fitness is hard to focus on.  I want to help everyone get a jump start back into shape and allow people to enjoy and reap the benefits of being physically fit and live longer healthier lives.  Even if you are in great shape, I can create challenging workout plans from high intensity short workouts to long sessions training the nervous system and gaining strength, I can do it all.  My goal is to help as many people as I can become healthier, stronger, and more confident.

2 Websites I Use Frequently

1.) http://tumblr.com

I have been using tumblr for about a year and I love everything about it. I think it is effective because it makes it possible to see photography from different perspectives and allows you to share your photography with other people.  The have a clean design that is very simple and easy to use.  The interface runs smoothly and the color of the site is cool and relaxing. I visit several times daily due to the wide variety of different photos to see and the people to talk to.  Gaining followers is fun because you get the chance to interact with others and create friendships.  If anything could be improved, I would say adding a chat bar similar to Facebook.  It would make instant communicating a lot easier and more accessible.

2.) http://youtube.com

Youtube is effective because I can watch so many different videos ranging from informational to pure comedy.   Personally, I hate the design of Youtube and the constant updates and changes they make are unnecessary.  It can be confusing to navigate and if you are a new user, creating an account is difficult.  However, what makes me come back is the content it provides.  I can deal with its bad design and difficult interface as long as I am able to view the videos I want to see.  The subscription box could be greatly improved because it often becomes cluttered and is very annoying to have to click two or three different links just to see new videos in your sub box.  But overall, I love Youtube and the content it provides.

Aesthetics, Design & Branding

1.) www.apple.com - correct

• Navigation is easy due to the basic simplicity of the website
• Apple focuses on the main product they are selling yet finding other products or services is still simple
• The color and design remains constant so the viewer does not become confused.

The simplicity of the website is key....I love the fact that I can go to the website and accomplish any task easily and quickly.

2.) www.toyota.com - correct

• The simple design is easy to accomplish any task and navigate comfortably
• Shows pictures/advertisements individually, allowing the viewer to focus on one offer at a time
• The text is large and the color works perfectly allowing the viewer to easily read anything without struggle. 

The design of the website makes me feel comfortable navigating through cars and possibly could make me become a potential customer.

3.) www.ford.com - problems

• The home page is far too busy, not allowing the viewer to focus on what they are trying to achieve
• The use of small text on certain parts of the page makes it confusing and hard to read
• Too many links at the bottom of the page

The website could possibly be improved by focusing on one advertisement on the homepage rather than bombarding the viewer with 3 or 4 different cars.

4.) www.tectorch.com - problems

• There is WAY too much to read on the homepage....very distracting and unprofessional looking
• Ads on the side of the page are irritating and not simple....anyone without knowledge on the products would have no idea how to navigate.
• The title of the website is not large enough....it should be large and inviting to make the reader aware of what they are viewing.

The website could easily be improved by cleaning up the homepage....get rid of all of the writing and create links with basic titles so that mediocre mechanics could easily navigate the site.

5 Examples of Businesses Using Social Media

1.) http://www.supremenewyork.com/

Middle bottom of the page, Facebook | Instagram | iTunes (app)

2.) http://www.louisvuitton.com/front/#/eng_US/Homepage

Bottom right, Facebook | Twitter

3.) http://www.suprafootwear.com/

Top right, Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Instagram

4.) http://balmain.com/

Side right, Twitter | Facebook

5.) http://www.beatsbydre.com/

Bottom right, Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Youtube | Instagram | Google + | Pinterest

Communication Error?

Communicating with large businesses can be a hassle and sometimes may not result in what you are hoping for.  One time, when I was trying to communicate a return with Urban Outfitters, they took an extremely long time to reply to my email.  By the time I actually got a response, I barely had anytime to return the product by their 'deadline.'  It was extremely frustrating trying to complete a process with no help from the company.  If I had been able to contact them via Facebook or Twitter, the process may have been easier to complete.

On the contrary, I have had many pleasurable experiences dealing with businesses through social media platforms.  For example, when the release of a new product that I really wanted was hours away, I tweeted a question to the brand and got a fast and informative response.  This made me happy as a customer to know that the company interacts with it's consumers and because I got the information I was looking for.  Another positive experience was when a brand forgot to ship me a product I had ordered.  I contacted them via twitter and my response was again - immediate.  They quickly shipped me my bracelet and even shipped a complimentary bracelet free of charge! It was an AWESOME experience and social media played a big part, allowing me to communicate quickly and effectively.  

What's best for social media?

In my time of using social media, it seems that Twitter and Facebook are the best platforms for business use.  I have seen many companies try to reach out and expand their opportunities as a business.  They can easily promote products by sharing and/or retweeting the posts which has a high possibility of reaching out to potential customers.

For personal use, I would say Instagram and tumblr are the best.  Instagram is cool because you can follow all of your friends that you might not see as often and share moments with them.  Tumblr is a great place to see other people's photographs and writing such as poems or journal entries.

Why Did I Choose This?

I chose this template for my blog because of its simplicity.  The posts are organized in a straight line as one scrolls down which is easy to read and comprehend.  The blue background is calm and inviting rather than using a typical bland color such as white or black.  If somebody were to come to my blog to find out some information, I want them to feel comfortable scrolling through and reading the content.  I know from experience that if a website is poorly laid out, I have a higher chance of not visiting the site again.

I am very used to the blogging platform, Tumblr.  The blue color was influenced by it because it gives a feeling of serenity.  This layout was also similar to a layout I once had on my tumblr.  The posts are single column and decent sized so the visiter can easily see each post.  Also, I like the way the title stands out blatantly with this template.  This way the reader can see what they are viewing rather than searching the whole blog to find out what it is about.

Overall, I chose this template because it was clear and simple.  There should be no struggle trying to navigate through a website to find any information.  I feel like this layout will portray this standard.