Growing up in the world of Social Media, I didn’t use it
much. I just liked to be on Facebook,
see all the happenings with my friends and keep to myself. I have accounts on other sites because that’s
what people my age are supposed to do, right?
I was never active like most of my friends, I believed it was silly and
just seemed to be waste of my time. I
now know that’s not right and when its used correctly it comes with so many
benefits. Social media allows you to
connect with people you would not normally do so in everyday life, it bring
together people with the same interest or connects you with people who can
teach you. I have begun to realize there
is so much more than I ever allowed myself to understand.
Thevanillabeanblog knows how to reach her target audience and understanding them,
and is able to communicate with them through her recipes and photos. She posts the most amazing recipes but spends
the time to walk you through as if you were standing in the kitchen with her,
she diaries it with photos too. Through
her passion she has created her brand (Scott, 2015, p. 36). It is as important to understand your
audience as to reach them. We are a
consumer centric society, and consumers want to feel like your message is about
them and no just trying to get your brand out there (Kerpen, 2105, p. 47).
Engaging your
audience is important. People on
your blogs want to feel like they are being head and that you are
listening. If consumers, follower, and
friends decide to leave a comment or ask a question its important to be open to
the two-way communication. She also
allows herself to engage with her audience on other sites, she is on Pintrest,
Twitter and Facebook, it was smart not to limit to one medium. Seeing the same thing on all mediums can get
boring, but Vanilla Bean Blog doesn’t do that.
To stay relevant it’s important to be genuine and passionate
but know your audience and how to engage with them. Social media is important to the success of any
business, brand and organization because it’s a new way of communication.
References:
Kerpen, D. K. (2015). likable social media, second
edition; McGraw-Hill Education.
Scott, David Meerman. (2015). The New Rules of Marketing
& PR. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 5TH ed.
http://thevanillabeanblog.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis week you touched on targeting your audience and how to best reach them. This made me think more about understanding social media and the analytics behind it in order to create an appropriate strategy. An example of research that might be helpful to inform targeting is "38% of Internet users now access social media via a mobile device. If your brand’s account or your social media images aren’t optimized for mobile, you risk losing a significant portion of your potential audience. Having a mobile-friendly profile is the bare minimum. If you want to increase the number of click-throughs and pageviews, schedule your content to go out at the optimal times for mobile use. There’s a debate on when exactly that is, but a general trend observes people browsing social media on their smartphones before or during their morning commute (8-8:30AM) and at lunch (12:30PM)". (Sorokina, 2014)
ReplyDeleteEngaging content is important, but engaging in the right place at the right time is also critical. Timing seems especially important with social media due to the similar newsfeed structure across most platforms. If you miss a post, there is a good chance you won't see it again unless it is reposted or your network engages with it. Planning content in alignment with a strategic editorial schedule could really help increase the impact of your messaging.
Thank you for sharing this blog! The imagery makes me very hungry! It's really nicely laid out and has a great combination of words and graphics.
Reference
Sorokina, O. (2014). Social Media Statistics You Need to Know to Target Your Audience Better. Hootsuite. Retrieved from: http://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-statistics-for-social-media-managers/
Michelle,
DeleteI found a very interesting article about how important imagery is to social media. I personally love photographs and imagery so I am more likely to read something or want to read a blog if something LOOKS interesting. I don’t spend much time, even with the mobile availability on social media and when I do the person that just keeps scrolling down the page until something jumps out at me.
In the case of Vanilla Bean, images are what makes her blog, not just her professional photography but with her recipes. I am a visual person (or a perfectionist) and when baking/cooking I need to see what is should look like.
I agree with you on the timing of when you post is really important. If I only check social media in the evening, I am not going to have the energy to find and see what you posted at 7am. This falls into really understanding your audience.
Thanks for the blog, it was a good read.
I forgot to include the site I mentioned which explains the importance of the visuals.
DeleteBullas, Jeff. (2012, May 28). 6 Powerful Reasons Why you Should include Images in your Marketing – Infographic. Retrieved on February 12, 2016, from http://www.jeffbullas.com/2012/05/28/6-powerful-reasons-why-you-should-include-images-in-your-marketing-infographic/
Vicki,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, let me thank you for introducing The Vanilla Bean Blog! I've checked it out and already love the photography, their logo, and their recipes. I can't believe I've never even heard of it! Second, I'm excited we have so many people in our group who appreciate the fine culinary tastes of pastries, haha. As I type, I am indulging in some delectable dutch chocolate- chocolate chunk cookies and could not be more satisfied. The Vanilla Bean Blog does reach their target audience, as you explain, and stays true to what their blog is about. As I scrolled through their pages, they truly let their readers engage in the content, and if you want to explore more, you simply have to hit "read more" and you get the recipe that goes with their amazing picture, which is a great idea.
In the beginning of this class, I think most of us were on the same page to getting used to blogging. It seemed like such a foreign topic to us, but think about this: In our previous classes as well as this one, we had to do forum discussions quite often. Isn't that the same thing as blogging, just another word for it? We are putting out our ideas, and we were all able to do it, so this should be no big deal, which you are doing a great job!
The Vanilla Bean Blog answers those questions Kerpen states, "The important question is, What do you consumers truly like? Consider what they care about. What do they value" (Kerpen, p. 45)? If the reader opens the Vanilla Bean Blog, the consumer already should have a great idea as to what the blog is about, and they know what they like- baking. They care about great pictures that go with the recipes and value the opinion of the blogger and trust to steer them in the right direction. I really enjoyed your post, thanks again for the info for the page!
Danny
Source
Kerpen, D. (2015). Likeable social media. (2nd ed.). United States: McGraw Hill Education
Danny,
DeleteI am so glad you LOVE her blog, I feel for it the second I found it. I just felt like I was reading my perfect blog, the one that I wanted to aspire to be like.
I believe that engaging is super important. If I take the time to try to read and reach out to you (saying more than just I like the recipe or something similar) but substance, you should take the time and respond. Like I have said before it takes a lot for me to really open up on social media but when I do I would like to feel as if I am being heard.
Like discussed on your blog, visuals are so important and Vanilla Bean really captures you with both her words and pictures. I am really glad that I started breaking out into the blogging world, who knew it was so fun!
Vicki,
ReplyDeleteGreat post and thanks for sharing The Vanilla Bean Blog with us. Between you and Danny I am desperate for baked goods!
I really like the sophisticated look of the blog and their logo. It gives me a sense of the brand and what to expect from the recipes. On a cursory glance, I can tell it is more of a rustic and elegant brand.
You brought up a great point about two-way communication. David Meerman Scott (2015) noted, “remember that people don’t care about products and services; instead they care about themselves and about solving their problems” (Scott, 2015, p. 191). Engaging in two-way communication addresses your audience’s concerns, questions, complaints, and praise, placing the company in a positive light. Even if there is negative feedback it is important to address it, and rapidly. It shows the brand is listening and cares about their consumers.
Sarah
References
Scott, D. M. (2015). The new rules of marketing and PR. (5th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sarah,
DeleteI think I found my inspiration of what I want my blog to ultimately be, baking and/or photography. Initially that is what drew me to her blog, but I am a sucker for anything classic or rustic.
Communication is important in any aspect of our life and social media is no different. We, the consumers want to feel important. I rather read a blog or a page knowing that they are not just trying to sell me a product, it becomes a huge turnoff. I rather feel like they are taking the time to understand me, listen to me and make it about me. If we have that connection there is a higher chance that I will end up buying your product (Scott, 2015, p. 196).
You should try a recipe Danny or Vanilla bean and let us know how it went.
Reference
Scott, David Meerman. (2015). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 5TH ed.
Good conversation - too bad the baked goodies are not downloadable!
ReplyDeleteEveryone touched on key points; the personal/emotional connection, two-way conversation, linking across social media sites, the importance of mobile use consideration, and understanding algorithms to get your content noticed, liked, and shared.
Enjoying Scott's (2015) realistic approach as he walks us through getting started and managing social media; in chapter 10 "Your Are What You Publish..." he states "What matters is leading your site's visitors and your constituent audiences to where they help you reach your real goals, such as building revenue, soliciting donations, and gaining new members" (pg 163). In this post alone, thevanillabeanblog.com has gained two new followers through the common interest of baking and her down-to-earth approach.
In her blog from February 6, while discussing baking and family Sarah Kieffer writes "Martha Stewart Living sent me some pieces of from the Stockholm Indigo Collection (from the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s) to highlight, and Cassie willingly put on an apron and held some tarts for me. (thevanillabeanblog.com)" She includes links to Martha Stewart's site and her new collection at Macy's - two big players sending her samples give her site credibility. Let me rephrase that - Martha Stewart, the queen of baking, sent her product to use and promote. I would say this definitely hit some of Sarah's S.M.A.R.T. goals.
Scott, David Meerman. (2015). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 5TH ed
http://thevanillabeanblog.com