Analytics

Analytics of a blog are an important thing to stay up to date on. It is also key that you are able to interpret them to others. This skill can be an advantage to you in the future depending on what field of work you are going into. By looking through my analytics for this blog I have noticed that it has been viewed by not only people here in the United States, but also in Germany, United Kingdom, and Italy. It is most often viewed by using Safari, next Firefox, and then Google Chrome. I can tell by going through these analytics that the amount of page views on each post were higher on more current and talked about subjects. The blog post that brought in the most view's was titled "Future of Social Media Marketing." Throughout the entirety of the semester my blog has gained 207 page views. I personally think that for someone who is new to the world of blogging that that is a pretty decent number. 

This blog has helped me to gain experience in not only my writing, but it has also made me realize how important a presence on the internet and throughout social media is today. I really enjoyed the process of posting on a new topic weekly and being put out of my comfort zone. It not only opened my mind to new things, but it also helped me grow personally. Below are a few screenshots of this blogs analytics. 

Future of Social Media Marketing

Social media is a growing area that does not seem to be dying down in the near future. Its easy accessibility makes it welcoming towards its consumer in multiple ways. New things are usually hard to catch on to, and take awhile to get comfortable with. But, even the older generations of today have caught on and are commonly using social media such as Facebook and Pinterest, along with many others. With the help of technology people have begun to find multiple ways to complete their everyday tasks that they deal with. With new and simple to use applications at our fingertips one can pull up a recipe, check the forecast, and buy movie tickets through apps all in a matter of minutes. Overall the public has turned to social media to help simplify their lives. I don't see something that has helped to take away the stress of life dying out. 

Although many people have made predictions of how social media marketing is going to grow in the future, we won't know for sure until we are faced with it. Technology is growing everyday making leaps towards things that compare to xbox's kinect, but to integrate them with computers. I think that this jump will open a whole new area in the world of technology.

Shared in the website that is linked below is some ideas of how social media marketing will continue to grow. Here is a summarized list of what is to come: it is expected in the future that mobile and entertainment morph, marketing programs with reintegrate, content market will grow, and the power of networks will deliver in the coming years. I personally do not see social media marketing dying down, because of the reasons that are listed above. I think that social media will not only maintain but will grow in popularity within the public.

http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/36464.asp#multiview 

Vital Viral Videos

Viral videos are all over the internet now a days. Every time I log onto Facebook I watch at least four new ones. These videos are usually based around things that are funny, painful, heartwarming, or skillful. There are a wide variety of viral videos; the one's that I seem to view the most are the videos that involve children.  They have such a real and honest humor that often shines without any effort. One of my favorite viral videos is of a little girl named Ella, she is riding in the car with her dad while humorously singing along to an Elvis song. Her adorable facial expressions and hand motions are what kept my attention while watching this video. It is titled Ella Mae sings "An American Trilogy" by Elvis Presley. Check it out for yourself here.

I think that this video went viral because it is not only comical but it is also adorable. This is a video that a variety of people would enjoy watching. Viral videos are all about bringing entertainment to a large audience. You have to grab a lot of peoples attention not just a group, or a select few. Another thing to look at is that this video didn't have much planning, the more nonchalant and casual the video feels the more people will find it to be truly entertaining.

Viral videos are often looking to evoke an emotional response; which is something that people can use to their advantage while filming. Another thing that helps a video get seen by many is to keep it short and simple. The one that I chose is a little longer than some other videos that have went viral, but I think it still keeps you entertained throughout the entirety of it. The last thing that I think is key to keep in mind while trying to get a video to go viral is to make sure that it is searchable. You want something that is not only easy to find, but also to share!

Super Bowl XLIX

In the past years the Super Bowl has gained excitement through using interactive advertisements. Multiple brands have involved their viewers and fans through asking them for their opinion on their favorite commercials via Twitter. One brand who was involved with this trend in particular was the Doritos brand. Their promotion left it to the public to make and submit commercials, and then a select few finalists' videos appeared on television. They then geared towards the public again to vote for their favorite one. The winner's commercial was then broadcasted during the 2014 Super Bowl. The winner that was chosen was titled "Time Machine" which can be watched here.

I think that similar contests and fan interaction will take place during this years Super Bowl. I am assuming that other major brands will jump on the bandwagon of having viewer involvement incorporated throughout their commercials. These other brands saw how well it worked last year and will more than likely use it to their advantage this year.

Pantene #shinestrong Campaign

Women are still to this day often viewed extremely stereotypical throughout the media. Pantene's Shine Strong campaign has made a positive impact on women and how they feel about themselves not only in the work place but also at home. Pantene has come out with two very controversial commercial's in the last year that have caused a lot of talk.

The first commercial that I came across brought up how women say "sorry" all too much and often for things that don't really require an apology; such as questions in their place of work to asking for help at home. I know that I am definitely at fault for overusing the phrase "I'm sorry" I use it all too often throughout the day. This commercial displays women apologizing for speaking up in the and then turns it over to where the same women don't feel the need to say "sorry" for things that men wouldn't even think to say sorry for. So the question is this, why do women feel this need to apologize? Through this campaign Pantene is encouraging women to stop saying sorry, to be confident, and to believe in one's self. They want women to take a stand and to not feel belittled by their peers;especially in the work place. They have begun to use the hashtag #shinestrong to promote confidence among women, and to build a relationship with their consumers. 

Another Pantene commercial that I came across focused specifically on the stereotypes that exist between women and men. When a man is considered a boss a women is often considered bossy. When a man is considered persuasive and dedicated about what they are doing, a women is considered to be pushy and selfish. These labels have all been put down on women for things that a man would be built up for. But women need to understand that labels do not define them, and it is up to them to break that negative view that has been placed upon them. 

This campaign and these two commercials in particular caught my eye because I feel that this is an unresolved issue that has gone on for generations and needs to change. Watching these commercials makes me sad that women still have to deal with these kinds of things. I also love how this campaign incorporates its consumers asking women to define what strong is to them. Each answer is unique and special in its own way, just like women. 

Social Media: Taking Over Lives One Post at a Time

Social Media has become more and more popular over the years, whether that is a good or bad thing is questionable. People will post just about anything anymore! 

It has given a voice to anyone and everyone, whether it be a positive or negative one. We often see that during times of tragedy one's post will often become available to the public through news mediums.  I do not agree entirely with making someone's post news worthy in the way that they have. One in particular that has recently been in the news was the tweet's of the teenage shooter from Washington State High School. Sharing his tweets and pasting them all over news articles just does not feel like the right thing to do to me personally. I do not think that his family would appreciate the world seeing their loved one only through his social media posts.  It only gives a glimpse of a persons life; although he posted his tweets publicly, I still don't think its right to include them in national articles. 

Too many of us are allowing Social Media to take over our lives and the way that we live them. I think we all need to take a step back and just look at what we have around us. It is not all about technology and what' s "new", there is so much more to life and so much more that we can get out of going out and living it instead of hiding behind a screen.

 

Apple Pay: Is It Here To Stay?

Apple Pay gives costumers the chance to now pay for things with the ease of using their Apple devices. It sets up costumers with a mobile wallet that is easy to access, but also keeps their personal information secure.  All users have to do is put their device up to the payment terminal, and their Apple Pay card will pop up, then they are asked to place their thumb on the touch ID button, and the transaction is completed. You can use this way of paying not only with online purchases but with retail as well. This service is compatible with the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and the Apple Watch. 

Among the hype of the new release there have been some issues. People immediately started to use Apple Pay when it was released and loved it, seeing that it is convenient and simple to use. Come to find out later on that some of those who took advantage of this new way to pay had been double charged on the items that they had purchased with it. This was obviously a set back, and may cause others to be more cautious about what they purchase with Apple Pay. I personally would be a little nervous about using it for the first time. But with a company like Apple I am sure that they will get things sorted out in no time!