"Emmanuel's CSIT 155 - Fall 22 Class Blog": December 2022

Friday, December 16, 2022

Week 10 Part A: Researching Email Marketing

I think I would send out a quarterly newsletter for my business. The reason why I would do this is because I want to keep my customers informed about any changes my business is going through. For example I do not plan on having a store front. I plan to work at local farmer markets like the one in Oceanside called sunset market. But I also plan to branch out to other parts of San Diego. My quarterly newsletter will contain information about where you can find my taco stand. I also want to have deals on Taco Tuesday or Cinco De Mayo. I think my customers would enjoy that. I also want to release merchandise to go along with my business. I want my newsletter to contain information about any new merchandise coming out. Those are all things I think my customers would enjoy.

Week 5 Part B: Learning about Facebook Data Collection

Post reach and post engagement are both important because you want your post to have a wide reach. You want your posts to reach as many eyes as possible. Post engagement is important as well because not only do you want a lot of eyes on your posts. But you also want people to engage with your post. For example you want them to like your post, and more importantly you want them to re-post your pictures and videos. This doubles the number of views your business gets. What I learn from each is that they both compliment each other. The more reach you have the more chances you have for people to like and re-post your posts. This leads to more free advertisement which is great for any business. Businesses can use Facebook insight to optimize their post. They do this by tailoring their posts to something their audience would want to see. For example I got a lot of likes on a picture I posted on my Facebook for my business. The picture was a bunch of tacos spread out over a table. This tells me that my audience really likes to see pictures similar to these. So in turn I will post more pictures like that to get a large reach and a lot of engagement.

Classmates Facebook pages I commented on

Clark Spencer

Amy Mather

Riley Meyers

Alexis Morgan

Week 4 Part B: Defining Your Target Market

The name of my business will be called Dojos Taco stand. I want it to be a pop up taco stand. Instead of having a store front, I want to be able to be mobile. This is not a real business, I am just creating it for class. I do eventually want to have my own business in this field. I also want to have my own clothing brand in the future. My family has always had their own businesses in different fields. I plan on following in their footsteps.

I want my business to be local, primarily staying in north county. I would eventually like to branch out to parts of San Diego like Balboa park or Barrio Logan. I think my perfect customer would be anybody that is heavy on social media. The reason why I say this, is because I want them to re-post and tag my business so I get more views. I think the bigger social media presence I have the better it would be for my business. More eyes means more potential customers. But to be honest I think anybody that gives my restaurant a try is a good thing. I just hope they do not leave a bad review on yelp because that can hurt my business. Overall I just want to grow a big following online. I think more followers online means more money in the long run.

Week 4 Part A: Defining Target Markets

For this week's blog post I chose the sandwich shops to write about. I lived off Subway when I was stationed in Japan, I also love Hungry Bear so it is an easy pick. I did not really notice any big differences between the two websites. I would say the biggest difference is that Hungry Bear has a map of their only location at the bottom of their page. Subway on the other hand is a chain and has multiple locations. So it makes sense why they don't have a map at the bottom of their website. They do have a tab to help you find a location which I thought was pretty sweet. besides that I do not see any other major differences. They even have a similar contrast except that Subways logo is green and yellow. On the other hand Hungry Bears logo is red and black with a bear on it.

I think Subway and Hungry Bear have similar characteristics but they also have a lot of differences. Subway is a large chain that operates more like a fast food restaurant. With that being said their demographic caters more to the fast food eaters. Hungry Bear on the other hand is more of a local restaurant. They only have one location that operates more like a deli. They also serve beer at Hungry Bear which attracts a different demographic than Subways. Both websites are well designed and aesthetically nice to look at. They are also very easy to navigate, which shows both businesses made it a priority to be user friendly. I think that says a lot when you're a small business like Hungry Bear. It shows that you care about your customers. Subway uses their classic logo on the top left of their website. Hungry Bear also put their logo at the top left corner. I also think there is a crossover in customers. I say this because I am one of them, I love both Subway and Hungry Bear. Overall I think they both have great websites that are well designed and easy to use.

Week 3 Part B: Developing a Brand

This is a tough question for me because I want to start a couple of different businesses. The first business I want to start is a food service business. I plan on making a pop up taco stand instead of having a physical location. The name of my taco shop will be Dojo's taco stand, and the logo will be a cartoon version of my dog in a karate Gi. I want to name my business after my dog Dojo, because I have seen other people do similar things and I think it would be pretty cool. I also grew up practicing martial ats so that is something that is very important to me, which is why I also want to name my business Dojo's taco stand.

The overall color scheme of my business will be dark colors. I don't want to use bright colors because I really want my logo to be similar to a dojo in color and aesthetics. I want to use earthy colors or pastel colors on my logo. I think this will be a good representation of my brand. I also want to create merchandise, and will need a website to sell this merchandise. I want to sell shirts, sweaters, and hats because that would be a great advertisement tool for my business. I also want my website to have a darker color scheme. I want it to be easy for my customers to see. Last week's assignment taught me that having a well designed website is really important. The better design you have the more eyes you will have on your page, leading to more profits.

Not only will I create a website, but I will also use social media platforms dedicated to my business. The social media platforms that I plan on using starting off will be Facebook and Instagram. Social media is a great way to promote your business. Most businesses have caught on, and I plan on doing the same. I think having a social media following would be really important in my case because I don't plan on having a store front. So having an online presence will be really important for me to promote my taco stand.

Starting off my business will not be well known, so having the right amount of strategic marketing will be crucial in my business succeeding. Like I stated earlier I want to create merchandise for my business. I think having merchandise like shirts, hats, and sweaters is a great way to advertise yourself and business, and also make a profit. I did not really plan on having business cards but I think it would be a great idea to have them. You can put your social media information on them and the name of your website. Having business cards can lead to more eyes on your business that you would typically not get without them. I know there have been times when I forgot the name of a business I like, but I was able to find them thanks to business cards. Marketing and advertisement is really important and every bit counts.

I want to start small and be recognized in my own community, but I eventually want to be a brand that is recognized nationally or even globally. Also want to have a clothing brand aside from having a taco stand. Designing clothes is something I have always been interested in. That is why I want to create a clothing brand. There are a lot of brands that have only been around for 8 years but have a global reach. The way they did this was by using social media to garner attention. Brands like gym shark and hypeland have used the power of social media to grow their brand to be globally recognized. I want to do the same in the future. I just don't know exactly what my brand would be called or look like. So for now I will stick to building Dojo's taco stand.

Week 3 Part A: Aesthetics, Design, and Branding.

1. Review of poorly designed websites.

Atari Electronics is the first website I will review and why I think it is poorly designed. Some of the issues that I saw with the Atari website were the size of their font and use of space. That can be an issue because it makes it hard for someone to navigate their page. They do not have any tabs to direct us to any services they offer. You have to just scroll all the way down until you find what you're looking for. The concept and contrast of the website is horrible in my opinion because just from looking at their page you would not be able to tell what their business is about. They just have a lot of writing with no pictures and the contrast of the page is really bad. It is just a white background with black and blue letters. Their contact information is all the way at the bottom and it is hard to make out because of the white background. Overall it is not the best design. What I would do to improve it is have links directing you to different parts of the business instead of having everything on one page like a never ending story.

Penny juice is the second website I will review. I will tell you why I think it was poorly designed and how it can be improved. To start I don't think this website is as bad as the Atari web page. It is not the best but it can still be saved. I like the concept of the page because at first glance I know it has to do with juice products specifically targeted for children. The contrast of the page is what throws me off a bit. I think they are doing a little too much color on their page. All the colors distract from the information they have on their page. Besides that I do not think it's that bad of a page. The reason why I chose to review them instead of a worse one, is because all they have to do is change one thing on their page, and that is the color. They are really user friendly but the color they use hurts my eyes if I stare at them for a long time. I would change the teal background to a darker color to make it easier on the viewers eyes.

2. Reviews of well designed and easy to use web pages.

The two web pages that I think were designed well are the Apple website and the National Park Services website. I think the colors they used have a great contrast and are not hard on the eyes. They use darker backgrounds and use brighter colors on top of the background. This makes it easy to read the information on the website. They also have good repetition because they have their name or logo on every page they have. The font they use is also clear and easy to read. I also like how they both have everything you need to find on their website close to each other. This makes it easy to navigate the website. You can tell making their website user friendly to their users was a priority for them. That means they care about what their consumers think, which is a good sign for any company. The National park website put all their top stories on their main page which is great if you're a daily follower. The Apple website has all their top products on their main page which also tells me they know what their customers want. So they make it easy for them to find those products. The design of both websites is great and I want to have something similar for my business. The aesthetics are also really pleasing making me like them even more. In the future I will definitely use these pages for inspiration.

After this week's blog I think the design and aesthetics of a website are extremely important. The one thing that I noticed was the websites that were designed aesthetically well I spent more time on. The websites that were not that well done I just scrolled right past them. This is good to note because if you want people to really look at your website you have to design it well and make it aesthetically pleasing. For example the Apple website is just cool to look at. That is something I want to emulate when I create my own website.

Week 17: Wrapping It Up

Growing up social media was just being used as a way to connect with others. I don't think people used it to promote their business back in the day. I remember when Instagram first came out, I was stationed in Okinawa and everybody thought Instagram was just a way to add filters to your pictures. Who would have thought that today businesses are thriving because platforms like Instagram and Facebook exist. I've known for the last couple that social media can be a powerful tool to promote your business. But this semester has definitely added to my understanding of social media and how much more powerful it can be.

Before this semester I thought all you had to do was post a cool picture of your business and that was all. I did not know so much planning and scheming went into it. For example I never knew that making a post at a certain time of day and week was crucial in how effective your social media business account could be. This semester I learned that the most successful businesses post consistently and around similar times and days every week. This might not seem that important or it might even be something that gets overlooked. But from what I learned this semester I know when I have my business in the future I will make sure to be strategic with the number of posts I make, how often I post, and what time of day I post.

The reason why I place so much importance in posting strategically, is because from the research I've done, I learned the most successful businesses post strategically. Another thing I learned from my research this semester is that a lot of new business can really benefit from social media. I read an article that stated, new businesses in the food industry can really make a leap in profits by customers just re-posting their food on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. I'm not a big fan of Tik-Tok, it has never caught my attention. It might be because I'm old, but I can't deny that it is a powerful tool to promote your business. I had friends tell me they have gone to restaurants only because they saw them on Tik-Tok. That is crazy to think about, because 15 years ago you would never be able to do that. So in short the most successful businesses use social media to promote their business and it works. The businesses that seem to be struggling also do not have a strong social media presence. This can lead you to assume that social media is the key difference and you wouldn't be wrong.

I found a lot of tools I want to use for my personal business in the future. I will absolutely use Facebook and Instagram because they have such a large following and are the O.G.'s of social media. I will also go on Twitter and Tik-Tok because I can't deny the fact that they are powerful tools to promote your business and get exposure. I will also use google analytics to track my business and see what works and what doesn't, so I can make improvements. I know for some services you have to pay to get access to their premium tools. Starting off I don't think I will pay for these extra services, but as my business starts to takeoff I will definitely pay for these tools because that can possibly help take my business to the next level.

Social media has changed the game when it comes to promoting your business. If you're a new business in any field, I definitely recommend creating a social media page only dedicated to your business. Like I stated earlier a great social media can be the difference whether a new business makes it or fails. They say more than half of new businesses don't make it, so why not increase your odds by promoting yourself on social media. Going forward when I do start my new business I will use as many social media tools as I can, because I don't want to work hard and fail because I did not use all the tools available to me. Thanks to this class I am better prepared for when I am ready to start my business.

Monday, December 12, 2022

Week 16 Part B: Building Out Your Strategy

The two social media platforms that I will put all my focus on for the next month will be Facebook and Instagram. The reason why I chose those two platforms is because those two platforms get the most views. They are also both part of the Meta universe so it is easy to connect my uploads every time I post a new picture or video on my page or highlight real. This is really convenient because I plan to post pictures and videos three times a week for the next month. I even want to post two times a day for those three days. The reason why I want to post twice a day is because I want my business to be consistent on the amount of posts I make. The most successful businesses post consistently and they post at least three times a week. I want to emulate those businesses and their success. I also plan to post short video reels everyday, I want to post videos of my business with music as well to get the attention of my audience. I will post at least two pictures every week and one video. I would also post videos of my customers at my business trying my food. I also want to re-post what my customers post on their social media. I will make my posts at 10am and 6:30pm Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. That is how often I plan to make my posts every week for the next month. I want to gain at least 100 followers every month, and I think it is possible if I post that often and use google analytics to help me reach my goals. I also want to start a clothing brand in the future and plan to use the same model for that business in the future. For now I want to use social media as much as I can to help me build my brand.

Thursday, December 8, 2022

Week 16 Part A: Developing Your Marketing Strategy

My plan for the future is to have multiple businesses, but the first business I plan to have is a food business, like a mobile taco shop. The social media platforms I plan to use are Facebook and Instagram, the reason why I plan to use these platforms is because they have the most users compared to the other platforms. There's a local business in Oceanside that uses Instagram to promote their pop up restaurant. They sell food and drinks out of their driveway and they use social media to let people know when they are going to post up and be open for business. I plan on doing the same with my business because I do not want to have a store front so having social media to communicate with my customers will be important. Another reason I will use Facebook and Instagram is because of their new shop feature which is something I just recently learned about. This new feature allows you to directly sell your products to consumers from Facebook and Instagram. That is why I would use these two specific social media platforms. The tools that I learned this semester will be really beneficial, the one that I will take moving forward will definitely be posting consistently and also using google analytics. I learned that the more often you post the more exposure you will get. I will also use google analytics because I want to see how my business is doing and what I can do to increase its productivity and also see what is not working so I can change it. I did not know so much goes into handling a business social media profiles. But I'm glad I know how to better navigate these tools for the future.

The tool I enjoyed the most posting on my Instagram because it was to interact with other classmates profiles. I think it was really cool how supportive everyone and how having a community behind you can make a big difference for the better. Another thing that I really enjoyed was writing blog posts because I like to write to express my ideas and this semester I was able to do that. I have never blogged before but I plan to continue writing after this semester is over. I want to focus on writing because I think it is the best way to get your ideas out. I also had a lot of friends tell me I should create my own blog. I never knew how to start one but now I know how and plan to continue. I am not a big fan of TikTok or Twitter but I see their value maybe in the future I will get on those platforms but for now I plan to use others.

I think my business should spend a lot of time on social media marketing. I am not a big fan of social media in my personal life. With that being said I know the most successful business has a heavy social media platform. I think once my business gets going I will focus heavy on social media marketing but hopefully I can build a great team around me that can help me with managing these platforms. I am excited for the future and can't wait to build a business and share it with the world!

Week 15 Part B: What we Learn from Facebook Analytics

Week 15 Part B: What we Learn From Facebook Analytics

It is crazy how our phones can track everything we look up. There are times when I am hanging out with my friends and we're talking about a specific thing like Burger King and next thing you know my Facebook is flooded with Burger King ads. Our lives today are not so private, because our phones track our every move! I personally do not care if my phone keeps track of what I look up on the internet, I actually find it useful when I want to buy something and I forget but my Facebook news feed reminds me of it by showing me an ad. But I can see why people might not like that, it is an invasion of your privacy and companies should not have access to your information.

Apple's new iOS 14.5 upgrade gives their users the option to opt out of data tracking across all platforms. That basically means if you search something on the internet or google, platforms like Facebook and Instagram can't pull your data information to use. Facebook and Instagram use this data to customize ads that are designed specifically for you. For example if I google Nike on my phone Facebook takes that data and saves it for when I go on Facebook I will get a bunch of Nike ads and promotions. Like I said earlier I do not have an issue with this personally but I can see how this is an invasion of privacy.

I do think people should have the option to choose whether or not their data gets taken and used for advertisement and who knows what else. In 2010 the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs said in one of his last interviews before passing, that people have the right to know what they are signing up for and that they have the right to know what these company's are going to do with their data. The current CEO of Apple Tim Cook said that the data industrial complex is making it that we are no longer in control of our lives and going from customer to the product. I don't like that these companies are able to get my location but the other stuff I do not mind.

The wall street journal made a list of the data Apple took from consumers compared to what kind of data Facebook messenger takes from their users. The list was really different, Apple only takes your phone number, on the other hand Facebook messenger takes about 15 things that includes location, financial information, physical address, photos, videos, etc. After seeing that list I can see why people would not want these companies to harvest their data. On the other hand I can see how stopping companies from taking our data could affect businesses, especially small businesses.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg said that this new Apple iOS update will be devastating to small businesses that depend on this data harvesting for exposure. I think that is why this issue is so complicated because on one hand you don't want your data to be harvested and used in ways you wouldn't want to, and on the other hand you don't want to see small businesses go under because of this new update. Mark Zuckerburg last year launched a feature on Facebook and Instagram that allows brands to sell directly from Facebook and Instagram. I think this will help businesses get around the Apple update and also keep companies from harvesting peoples data. At the end of the day I am all for people having their privacy and being able to decide how their data is being used. But I am also all for small businesses being able to promote themselves on social media. Only time will tell where this issue is headed and to be honest I think Apple and Facebook will have the last say and not the people.

Thursday, December 1, 2022

Week 15 Part A: What we Learn From Google Analytics

I think the most important features Google analytics offers you is the ability to see how many people interact with your page. It also gives a percentage of the amount of traffic your page gets on average. Google analytics takes the guess work out and lets you know if your business is engaging with your consumers. If you are doing a good job then the engagement percentage should go up. This lets you know that whatever you're doing is working. On the other hand if your engagement goes down that would probably let you know that you should do what you're doing because it is not working. This could be crucial for a business on whether they make it or not. For my business I would definitely use google analytics to help propel my business and better understand my audience. Google analytics also shows you how many page views you're getting. This is important because the more views you get the better chance you have at making a profit. I spoke to a local gym owner in Carlsbad and he told me his number one goal when he started his business was to be the number one page when you search gyms in San Diego. I think he has accomplished this because when I search gyms in North County his business page is at the top of the page. It seems to be very beneficial because he told me business is booming. When I have my own business I will one hundred percent use Google analytics to help manage my business. These tools have made it so that you can maximize your business and its success.

Week 14: Social Media Tools

I don't use and social media management tools because I do not have an actual business, but if I did I would probably use Hootsuite or Loomly because they offer a 30 day free trial. I talked to a couple of local small business owners and all of them except one use a social media management tool. The 4 out of the 5 who do not use these tools do not use them because they don't know about them or they don't know how to use these tools. some of them also did not want to pay for these management tools because they don't see the value in these tools. The one person that does use these tools is a gym owner in Carlsbad. He pays a person to manage these social media management tools. He told me these tools are beneficial because it has helped double his membership sales ever since covid started.

If I were to use one of these tools it would probably use Hootsuite because they have a 30 day free trial. They also offer a free plan which could be great. The biggest con I think is that some additional services might cost more money. If you are going to pay for it I think 50 bucks a month is not bad compared to the other platforms. Loomly is also free but I read better reviews on Hootsuite.

Classmates posts I commented on.

Alexander Garza