September 2012

Facebook Audience
September 27, 2012 In Blog No Comment

Who is your audience on Facebook? Who is your ideal client? Why would they visit you on Facebook?

These are some of the questions that I ask my clients (1) when I begin their social media training, and (2) before they initiate a social media advertising campaign, like Facebook Ads.

So why is audience so important? I’ll give you three reasons as they relate to advertising.

1. Simple Ad Campaigns

When developing an advertising campaign through Facebook, users have the opportunity to target their ideal client with respect to gender, age, location, marital status, interests and activities.

That means if you’ve already defined your audience, creating an advertisement and selecting the audience will be a cinch! Just plunk your choices into Facebook, and away you go!

2. Develop the Ideal Message

What is your advertisement’s call to action? Does it match/suit your target audience? If not, you may want to reevaluate your advertisement campaign. Make sure you’re using the best tone, and diction that will most appeal to your demographic.

3. Save Money & Time

By ensuring that you have narrowed in on your audience, you are bound to save time and money. No longer will you create advertisements that don’t appeal to your customers, and create advertisements that your potential clients never see.

Take a few minutes now to think about your audience! Post your thoughts below!

Jennifer Baker Consulting

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Why Don’t The Likes Count?
September 25, 2012 In Blog No Comment

I’ve fielded a number of questions related to “like count” over the past few days. In light of this confusion, I have decided to clear up this misperception.

You know you’ve said it: “Wow! We got 2 new likes today… but why did our Page likes only go up by one?”

Acquiring these new ‘likes’ can be challenging. So whenever a new like appears in the administrative panel, you rush to see how the numbers have changed.

And then comes the question many of you have asked: “But when a page ‘likes’ my page, it doesn’t count towards my number.”

The reason behind this is only Facebook Personal Profiles count towards a Page’s ‘like’ count, and not Page to Page ‘likes.’ Think of it like this:

Personal to Page = YES

Page to Page = No

Facebook will, however, provide you with a list of the Pages who like your Page. To see this list:

1. Visit your Admin panel

2. Next to New Likes, click “See All”

3. Select “Pages that Like This”

This will provide you a list with all the pages who have subscribed to your updates.

Jennifer Baker Consulting

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Week 3 – Journal
September 24, 2012 In Blog No Comment

This week we are learning about learner context, which “makes the content concrete and realistic and helps the [learner] understand not only the search strategy, but also how it can be applied on the job” (Morrison, 2011, p. 65). I believe this is an extremely important concept that educators should NOT overlook. While my studies focus on adult learning and education, I believe that young learners (i.e. children and adolescence) require the same type of framing and context in their education.

I remember many instances in elementary, high school, and post-secondary thinking, “…how am I supposed to use this in the real world?” Even at a young age, I craved a clear understanding of how to categorize information as it related to my life in the long-run. If I look back on my report cards, I am sure that courses that I could apply the knowledge, I excelled in, while courses that lacked the connection, I struggled.  That is why when I provide training I provide a clear guideline as to what will be covered, and the intended outcomes. I want to ensure everyone is on the same page!

Morrison et al. (2011) states orientating context “focuses on learner characteristics that is, knowledge, skills, and attitudes” as well as the “perceived utility” (p. 66). Why are the learners sitting in front of you, and why did they sign-up for your course? This is an important consideration! While one person may want to learn how to post an update on a Facebook Page, another individual may be wondering how to retrieve Facebook Insights. In other words, each person is there for a different reason because they each come from unique professional and personal backgrounds.

Wow!

In addition to this, the instructor must consider transfer context which creates “an environment that promotes the application of the newly learned knowledge and skills to a diverse range of situations” (Morrison et al., 2011, p. 68). In fact, “learners are more likely to transfer the knowledge if they perceive that it can help them do their jobs” (Morrison et al., 2011, p. 68)! Well that makes total sense to me because adult learners “become involved in a learning situation by choice,” and choose learning situations that are “relevant to them” (Cranton, 2012, p. 23). In addition, adult learners have “concrete, immediate goals” (Cranton, 2012, p. 23). I ensure that individuals I work with receive the training they sought out, as well as information about the social media platform that will ensure efficient use of the tool!

This is great information that is all coming together very nicely!

Jennifer Baker Consulting

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4 Branding Tips for Twitter
September 24, 2012 In Blog No Comment

1. Change The Background

Although Twitter supplies 19 pre-made background option, users have the opportunity to upload a custom branded image.  So why not get creative (or get your graphic designer to get creative) to develop a background that represents your brand. A simple background that showcases your logo, or an intricate background that includes all your social media contact information – both are great options. I love what Halton Recycles did for their background. Because they have a number of individuals updating their account, they include their photos, names, and Twitter handles so that residents know who they are communicating with!

2. The Header

This is a new change to the Twittersphere as of late September 2012. Users now have the ability to even further brand their image via their Twitter profile. The folks at Twitter have realized that we are a visual generation who constantly seek images to which to relate. While users are still waking up to this change, why not be one of the first in your social circle to make this leap.

Note: The image dimensions are 1200x600px, and a max size of 5mb.

3. Your Profile Picture

Okay folks. This is not the first time I have told you about Twitter Profile Photos. First, find one that represents your brand. This could be your company logo, a variation of your company logo, or your professional photo. Now take this image and upload it! No one wants to follow a yet-to-be-hatched Twitter egg. Kingston’s KEYS Job Centre developed a custom Twitter profile picture to advertise their job postings!

4. A Descriptive Bio

To follow you, to not follow you… that’s the question. By providing a descriptive and relevant Twitter bio, users will be able to determine if you’re an account that is worth following. Include key words about your business, and the product/service that you offer. It is very clear what @MenchiesKTown is providing to Kingston – FroYo!

I hope that you take advantage of these great branding opportunities!

Jennifer Baker Consulting

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Do You Really Need Training?
September 17, 2012 In Blog No Comment

It’s only been 10 days, and this course is deep into theory and rational of instructional design. This week one of the readings focused on the need for instruction and asks, “Why is instruction needed?”

While this may seem like an odd question to ask, it is an important question. This leads me to the needs assessment, which Morrison et al. (2011) states is “used to identify gaps in performance and then determine whether the gaps are worth addressing through an intervention” (p. 32). In other words, sometimes instruction is not the answer. For example, an individual is always late to deliver reports to upper-management. Upper-management believes this is occurring because they have changed computer platforms, and the employee has not received training. In fact, the reason for the employee’s delay is another employee is constantly late providing their portion of the work. While at first blush, it looked as if the employee required training, however, it was another employee causing a bottleneck in the service delivery.  In this case it is important to develop a needs assessment of the situation to see if training really is required, or if it is an externality.

On another note, we also discussed the types of needs. In terms of types of needs my business is considered an expressed need in which “people are often willing to pay to satisfy expressed needs,” like “enrolling in a specific course of workshop” (Morrison et al., 2007, p. 35). In these seminars I am focused on improving an individual’s use of social media.

Further to this point, Cranton (2000) believes it is important for “people to understand their experiences, integrate them with what they know, and make them meaningful” (p. 16). This is an extremely important component to my business! People need to understand the importance of social media, and how the new knowledge will be integrated into their daily lives.

The moral of the story: Figure out why you want to learn. Define a goal for your learning. Seek out that knowledge!

Jennifer Baker Consulting

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