Week 16, Post 1: Planning Your Future Strategy

• Which social media platform have you enjoyed using the most? The enthusiasm or lack there of for a type of media is often shared along with the posts we write. This class gave you an opportunity to experiment with a variety of them. Now you can focus in on what seems the most effective ones to use.

I really enjoyed working with both Facebook and Instagram. It was really cool to make a fictional business and promote it through visual media and made-up events, etc. I also liked connecting with other businesses on both platforms, even if it's just as simple as a page like, or a follow. I liked that I could use my own dog in some of my postings as well, since being a fellow dog owner is relevant - and helpful - to my business. One of my Instagram posts, for instance, featured my dog enjoying a birthday cupcake from a local business called Dexter's Deli. I tagged them in the post and they liked my post and shared it! It was neat to be able to engage like that with a similar, real life business, even though mine is fictional. On Facebook, I must have done a decent job of promoting myself, because another business from Kansas City found me and threatened to sue me due to name copyright (keep in mind, I had thought up the name 'Bar K' on my own, before I discovered their business during my research; I assumed it would be fine to keep the same name since I am in a different state, and also my business is fictional, but I digress). In any case, Facebook proved to be fun too, and their insight tools make it pretty cool to track your traffic, etc. 

• Which social media platforms integrate best with the type of business you have created? Which tools from the semester would you implement in your online marketing strategy? Explain why you would choose these tools. 

Overall, I would say that Facebook and Instagram integrate the best with the type of business I am going for. They are both very visual platforms, and make it easy to engage with people. I would definitely use Facebook analytics/insights, as it is neat to see your posts engaging with the public. I would also utilize Facebook ads as well, as Facebook makes it super simple to create an ad and then track it. 

• How much time do you think your business should spend on social media marketing and why?

My business should spend a pretty decent chunk of time withsocial media marketing. As stated in my previous blogs, my business is very 'word of mouth' based, and it is very important that I engage with people online through visuals. My audience is also fairly young (mainly ages 21-35), and younger people spend a lot of time on social media. I think it's fair to say that I should be posting at least once a week, if not more, on social media to keep people engaged. 

• Plot out a rough draft plan of the next month of content across the sites you’ve chosen, and how they might grow or sustain your business. Be as detailed as possible, including daily or weekly time requirements to meet the goals

With it being the holidays, there is a lot of content to work with, as my business would be hosting Christmas and New Years events, etc. I would probably aim to post at least twice a week, one post featuring/reminding viewers about an upcoming event, and one highlighting our current offerings (happy hour, etc.). I would utilize appealing photos of our drinks and products, as well as of our customers and their pets. This would keep my audience engaged with our business, and curious about what we are doing. It would not hurt to post a third time, even if it is something informal such as a question/suggestion to engage the audience further (this could be a post asking "How are you spending your Holiday?" or "Show us a photo of your dog posing with Santa!" etc.). It would be important to monitor these posts as well, and actively engage with comments or questions that people post. By responding to them, it makes a business seem more personable, and people like that.