FINAL WEEK!

Has your viewpoint of social media changed?

I don't think my stance on social media has changed, instead become more comprehensive and knowledgeable of how it is utilized and operates. Social media is interesting because of the shift in paradigms most people have gone through in the last decade or two. Early internet days had many people scared and wary of putting coveted information out. Though times have changed dramatically and now data is of the essence, with so much of it that now it is a case of it being digested and compiled. With such a high influx of user data in such a short period, it gives us what could be a glimpse into the future. Marketing plans can now be monitored and improved upon with ease, making strategies and other practices more effective. This can lead to positive and negative effects that will only take time to discover. 

As a user of social media, I am nervous about the ways these companies will continue to connect themselves within your daily lives without wanting them to. Along with all the tools that allow for more significant data extrapolations, the unknowing influence the environment has on your experience will continue to develop, creating more opportunities for marketers. As a future marketer, this adds potential to the growing social media marketing fields but adds concern to just about everyone else. It is interesting the way social media can and will continue to affect our personal and my professional life.

Do you have a better understanding of how to use it successfully to develop a business?

Definitely, I know a lot more about the ways businesses optimize and brand themselves to be consistent and represent themselves with the most effectiveness. Businesses are so easy to make nowadays that it is easy to replicate and take inspiration from those who aren't doing it correctly. Taking this class has explained the many shortcomings of these new online businesses and showed them ways to navigate and collect data to make informed decisions. 

Did you find social media for businesses, services and products you want to use yourself?

I found many services that can help optimize your web presence. Keywords and hashtags are VERY important to get correct and keep building off of. Certain tools I found due to this class help find the specific long tail and short tail hashtags needed to help your page get discovered. These hashtags are a great way to get new people to your page, which is the ultimate goal of social media. 

Another type of service I found due to this class was various design tools that help businesses stay consistent with their branding and whatnot. These services, such as Figma, Pixabay, UnDraw, Unsplash, Pexels all help create engaging and exciting photos to bring businesses to the next level. If it weren't for this class and the flexibility and creative nature, I would have never been encouraged to find these beneficial tools that I will surely be using for the rest of my life.