Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics

Social Media Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics

The overall strategy for Choices focuses on engaging the audience in platforms that did not originally exist. This includes Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Even though Choices does have a Facebook page, it will be completely revamped to the point of needing to create new. The following three strategies have been defined as valuable and attainable for Choices.

Objective 1: Increase Choices page likes on Facebook by 500 likes in six months.

Strategy 1:  Create publicity for Choices by working with local social media channels.

• Tactic 1.1: Invest $300.00 in a social media campaign promoting Choices services.
• Tactic 1.2: Ask for promotion on local blogs and local channels and in exchange provide free resources to parents and teachers. Promote the reviews on Facebook.
• Tactic 1.3: During the weekly local blog post provide a direct link to Choice Facebook page.
• Tactic 1.4: Post original blog content to the Facebook page on a weekly basis.

Objective 2: Create an Instagram and gain followers to 500 within six months.

Strategy 2: Convince target audience that Choices is a reputable, non-judgmental resource for both parents and teachers.

• Tactic 2.1: Create a branded hashtag for all photos posted to the site, and for those posting about Choices. (#Choiceslife, #ChoicesforWV – or something similar).
• Tactic 2.2: Post one photo per day about the Choices including client shared photos.
• Tactic 2.3: Cross post the Instagram photos to the Facebook account.
• Tactic 2.4: Ask guests to Instagram about Choices including selfies with Choices staff or locations.

Objective 3: Gain Choices Twitter followers by 500 in 6 months.

Strategy 3: Create Twitter to reach new fans and share information about Choices.

• Tactic 3.1: Cross post from Instagram to share photos from the branded hashtag.
• Tactic 3.2: Host a monthly live-tweet of training sessions for resources for parents and teachers.
• Tactic 3.3: Use popular hashtags to reach a wider audience.
• Tactic 3.4: Use Twitter to create games and trivia in order for followers to win prizes.
• Tactic 3.3: Use popular hashtags to reach a wider audience.
• Tactic 3.4: Use Twitter to create games and trivia in order for followers to win prizes.

Buzz Building

Building Buzz for Choices could be slightly difficult. It is a state funded agency and only certain individuals qualify.  However, since my target audience is young moms between the ages of 18 to 26 it may be easy. The biggest thing is to make sure every client is taken care of.

One way to build more buzz feed could be by using multiple social media platforms. Among these several different platforms it could be beneficial to create a company exclusive hashtag that would stand out to the community. When creating a creative hashtag it will create business identity and allow others to share your hashtag. Business identity is very important and can be used greatly when building buzz.

Anytime you want to gather an audience’s attention you should keep them in suspense. This could be done by offering prizes and rewards for clients. For instance, if you share a status, article, picture, etc. then you could win a prize. Keep it interesting and suspenseful and make it something worthwhile.

Lastly, use customer/client feedback for your own good. Create a blog or incorporate your feedback into buzz building. Show comments of others that will intrigue others to know more. Consumer feedback is any businesses best (or worst) tool.

Building buzz can be difficult, but it can be done. Keep it intriguing, engage your costumer, and utilize all feedback.

Target Audience and Visual

Selected Target Audience

Choices mainly caters to young woman and young couples in the age range of 18 to 26. The services offered are for any individual, but life circumstances typically account for the younger age range. Even though it would be difficult to focus on an age range other than 18 to 26, it shouldn’t be an issue. Choices has failed to make their services known to all, therefore, using the target audience of 18 to 26 should be beneficial.

In particular, this project will target young women within this age range. Most of these woman will be single and will be in the poverty class with an income of $15,000 or less annually. They are either employed part-time or not employed at all. Most of them are probably in college or school program of some sort. All of them will live in West Virginia because Choices services are limited to those who reside in West Virginia.

Visual Outline:

	Video	Audio
1.	Teresa sits at her desk.	Hello, my name is Teresa and I am the office manager here at Choices. Let me tell you a little more about what we have to offer.
2.	Teresa stands and walks down the hall.	Choices is where individuals who qualify can come and speak with a case worker about help paying for child care and other child care needs that they may have.
3.	Teresa goes to Sarah’s office.	Hey, Sarah! I am telling our audience a little more about what services we offer. Can you briefly tell us what you do?
4.	Camera moves on Sarah. She is sitting at her desk.	Yes, Teresa! I am available during the week to talk with new and existing clients. I am here to help determine whether an individual qualifies for assistance in paying for child care. I am also available to help recommend child care centers and go over any concerns or questions a parent may have.
5.	Camera moves back on Teresa.	Thank you, Sarah for sharing. If you are a parent struggling to pay for child care, do not hesitate to stop by and speak with one of our great case workers like Sarah. We are here to help!
6.	Teresa goes back to her office and sits at her desk.	Thank you for watching. It has been a pleasure to tell you a little more about Choices and what we offer.
7.	Choices logo and information come up on the screen.	Please visit us at our website or feel free to call or email with the information on your screen. Hope to hear from you soon!

Social Media Plan

Opportunity Pitch

For many years, Choices has worked directly with parents, child care providers, businesses, and community organizations to help promote the availability of quality child care services in the area. Choices provides parents with child care referrals for quality childcare, as well as resources on various parenting issues. Along with offering support to parents, Choices also provides child care providers with valuable training and supportive services (Choices 2013).

Currently, it appears that Choices does not have a social media plan. A good plan would be beneficial to the company because they are small and their services are supported tremendously by the community. Choices currently utilizes Facebook, but no other social media platform. The little content they do put on Facebook is not exactly what people are looking for. I feel they should try to reach the young adult demographic with a strong strategic social media plan. Many people needing the support of choices are young moms between the ages of 18 to 29. With appropriate social media usage, this can be accomplished.

Social Media Assessment

Facebook: Choices Child Care Resource & Referral

For Choices, Facbook is their one and only form of social media currently being used. The Choices Facebook page only has 265 likes. I find this to be a major problem, because Choices does serve a very large area within West Virginia, 8 counties to be exact, with two major cities being Parkersburg and Clarksburg.  It appears that the company only posts on Facebook about 5 times a month, but some months only have 1 posting. When they do post, it often times occurs in the morning or afternoon hours. Each post typically does not get comments and only about 5 to 12 likes. Most of the posts include shared pictures, newsletters, or other informative articles.

For example, if you look at the above article they shared back on July 29, it received no comments, only 8 likes and 2 shares. Choices does not seem to make an effort to post anything specific about what they are doing or post anything using their own thoughts and words.

Above is another example of what is often shared by Choices. In this case, it received 10 likes and 3 shares. That is the most activity that any of their posts have ever received. I think that they should post more about the support and services they offer. It would be nice to see more photos and information that is directly related to them.

The following example is of what they have in their Page Info profile.

It is good that they have the contact information posted for each location and I really like that they have their Mission displayed. They also have a link to their direct website, but their website needs some serious attention. It is very outdated and very hard to navigate. The website is managed by WVDHHR, therefore, there is not anything that Choices can do to update it other than requesting it be done by DHHR. I do not know the legalities of it, but it would be nice if Choices could operate their own website, but offer a link to the WVDHHR site.

Overall, Choices needs some serious attention and help with their social media activity. They serve a huge region and West Virginia and their services are very needed in the community. Many people do not even know what they provide. With the following objectives I believe Choices can become very active with social media.

Social Media Objectives

Objective 1: Increase Choices page likes on Facebook by 500 in 6 months.

Objective 2: Create an Instagram and obtain 500 followers in 6 months.

Objective 3: Create a Twitter and obtain 500 followers in 6 months.

References

Welcome to Choices Child Care Resource & Referral. (2013). Retrieved September 16, 2015, from http://www.wvdhhr.org/choices/index.html

 

 

Entertainment/Hard News

Entertainment: Divorce Selfies

Twitter: Attempting to put the past behind us, divorce selfies are catching on for a good reason #divorceselfie #movingon #thepastisthepast

Blog: Getting divorced? Cope with it by taking a selfie!

Hard News: Kim Davis says she is not giving up her beliefs

Twitter: Kim Davis is not giving up on Jesus! She will stay strong till the end! It is even worth the jail time! #jesuslives #jesuswins #loveloses

Blog: Kim Davis says, Jesus will win and love will lose!

Instagram Shots

#MOVhistory

#livelovemov

#livelovemov

Net Neutrality

Since 1990’s, internet traffic has increased a lot due to arrival of picture and mp3 based sites. Also, video streaming and peer to peer file sharing has become more common since 2003.Youtube and other free video content sites started using a good amount of bandwidth, to which ISP’s demanded to charge them for making their content available over the provider’s network. Net Neutrality can be simply called ’Internet equality’, ‘Net Equality’ or ‘Internet Neutrality’. In common parlance, it is the principle that all data on net, websites and services should be equally treated by Internet Service Providers as well as government, without any kind of discrimination on the basis of user, website, content, and application or communication mode. It is the idea that ISPs should not enter into any paid agreements with organizations like Netflix in order to mode their content faster than others. Net neutrality has always been a topic of debate as it can be both positive and negative. For some big companies it is highly desirable for reasons like guaranteeing quality of service, while for others it is equality.

Arguments in favor of net neutrality

Along with consumer advocates and human rights organization, many internet application companies like Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, Vonage etc. support net neutrality regulation. Google published a statement in 2008, opposing market power of broadband providers to control access to content and other applications. They further compared the situation to that of the telecommunication market, where companies are not allowed to control who their customers call or what those customers are allowed to say. The Sites which favor net neutrality propose to have an equal platform for every content on the Internet, in short they demand ’Open Internet.Net neutrality is a highly important component for open internet. The idea of an open internet reflects that anyone can access any resource on the internet. This predominantly include open standards, transparency, and lack of internet censorship and low barriers to entry. The proposal to open and decentralized Internet will make every Internet app-site equal and hence would affect the popularity of big sites  which were earlier famous for some unique feature like the availability of high speed streaming videos. At the same time, Open Internet would raise the working level of few small sites. Obviously, the internet giants will oppose net neutrality while the smaller sites will favor this concept. To operate the internet on net neutrality, supporters of net neutrality want cable companies to act as common carriers. This means that cable companies would be required to allow Internet service providers free access to cable lines, like the model used for dial up Internet. They also intend to make sure that the cable companies cannot screen, disrupt or filter Internet content without a court order. This in turn would allow FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to enforce rules of net neutrality effectively. Furthermore, Net neutrality advocates argue that allowing cable and telecommunication to act as gatekeepers i.e. being able to control speed of loading of websites, as well as letting them to demand a toll on quality of service would create an exploitative business model and would also slow down innovation in online services. Further, they also argue that by charging certain sites, ISP’s may be able to block those who are unable to pay. Also, the advocates assert that every content on the Internet must be treated same and must move at the same speeds. Presently, the order is meant to set a precedent that all ISP’s as well as communication companies cannot impede customers from using their networks the way they desire unless there is a valid logic. In addition, there are various laws and provisions that prohibit anti-competitive blocking and controlling of internet services. According to Lawrence Lessig, net neutrality ensures that the Internet remains a free and open technology, promoting independent communication. Monopolization of the Internet would suppress the diversity of independent news sources and the generation of new and innovative web content. Therefore, in order to promote innovation in web content and other online services, it is necessary to ensure net neutrality by limiting control of ISPs and network owners.

Arguments against Net Neutrality

Those who oppose net neutrality includes owners of cable and telephony companies, hardware companies as well as some renowned Internet engineers. They argue that interference of government in the operations of ISPs would limit investment from the private sector and could throttle innovation and technological advancement. Many Internet giants who oppose Net neutrality do not completely deny the idea of Net Neutrality, but propose to have a regulated internet platform. They believe that rule and regulations are necessary for The Internet, else bandwidth might be parceled out by Internet providers, thereby creating a bifurcated Internet which will only be beneficial for wealthier ones while others will have slow and degraded connections. Without adequate regulation, Internet providers will sell out a variety of bandwidth to giant sites. Some sites like YouTube, who streams much data in three months as the world’s radio, cable and broadcast television did in one year. These sites are risked by Net neutrality. In addition to this, Net neutrality would prevent broadband nature from being built, which would limit available bandwidth and thus endanger Innovation. Also, access to certain protocols or lower levels of access would make net usage more neutral, with respect to the needs of those individuals and corporations specifically seeking differentiated tiers of service. From the consumer’s perspective, an open and free internet has become the necessary platform for free communications, speech and commerce.  It is the utmost important technology and therefore its control should not be given in the hands of any corporations. To protect consumers and online innovators, enforcement of Open Internet rules is essential. Every individual must have freedom to communicate without any discrimination on networks. Newt Neutrality is important for businesses also in advertising their product, creating a market, distribution and connecting with consumers. It is important to establish policies that protect consumers from network traffic discrimination.

Privacy on the internet…… is there such thing as privacy on the internet? From what we have learned in class the last few weeks, I think not. I think it is sad there is no online privacy, but it is what it is.

Social Media Breaches

Assignment 1:

For my social media breach I decided to borrow someone’s phone. I presented myself in a state of emergency (panicked) and asked if I could borrow their phone. I had to do this two times, you will see why in the coming paragraph.

This is what I said, “Hey man, can I borrow your phone? Mine is dead and I need to make an emergency call! My car was just broke into and I need help!” The first individual responded, “Hell no! I am on a prepaid plan and I cannot afford the minutes!” I said, “Emergency calls do not take minutes.” He responded, “Get the fu** away from me before I kick your fat white a$$!” I didn’t say anything, I walked hurriedly in another direction as if I was looking for someone else to ask! (I didn’t realize this assignment was going to potentially cause me to get my a$$ kicked!)

I was so disappointed I had not got that on video! Is Parkersburg that violent or did I just ask the wrong person at the wrong time?

I started getting my phone out to video the next person, but then realized – DUHH I am asking to borrow their phone because I do not have mine.

I picked out my next individual (and nervously) approached them in a state of distress. I said, “Hey, can I borrow your phone? Mine is dead and I need to make an emergency call. My car was just broke into and I need help!” This individual responded, “Oh my God! Here, yes you can use it!” I took the phone and called up my brother (who I warned ahead of time) and started talking about the birthday party we had been to last weekend. The individuals face was hilarious! I have never seen such a dumfounded look in my life. I continued talking and then the individual stopped me and said, “I thought your car was being broke into?” I said, “What are you talking about? I am trying to talk to my brother…SHHH!” The individual said, “Give me my phone, a$$hole!” I went ahead and hung up on my brother and gave the phone back. I thought they were going to deck me. When I handed the phone back they said, “Thanks for making me late to my appointment, you jerk!” Before I let them walk away, I explained I was doing an assignment for my class and I apologized. The final remark to me was, “Go fuc* yourself and your assignment!”

WOW! Really? People cannot take a joke!

I wanted to get a picture of the second individual as they were walking away, but I didn’t want to piss them off any more than I already had.

I have never had an assignment that I had so much fun with! How hilarious! I am laughing writing about this right now.

Honestly though, I am very surprised with the responses. The first one was crazy! What? Kick my fat white ass? HA! The second one was not as surprising to me. Stories like this are so farfetched it is nearly unbelievable. Let me tell you though, it happened and I am lucky I did not get shot up.

Assignment 2:

For my live tweet I decided to sit in the front of my office at the end of the day. People were getting ready to leave. The live tweeting was based on conversations between Tim, Chey, and Heather (for the most part). I used the hashtag #livetweet and #joul117. I probably should have created something different, but it is what it is. This assignment is a lot of work for someone who doesn’t have Twitter or any other form of social media like Facebook, Pinterest, etc. Although, I am impressed with myself! What an accomplishment! I live tweeted for the first time ever!

I even got some tweets back and one favorite tweet! I am not the best live tweeter, but not bad for round one 🙂

Celebrity/Politician Social Media Use

With this assignment I have had the opportunity to analyse a celebrity’s social media activity and a politicians social media activity. The celebrity that I chose to analyse is Rob Dyrdek, professional skateboarder and TV Star. I viewed Rob’s Facebook page and I saw a variety of pictures, posts, and shared articles. Several of his pictures were promoting his show Ridiculousness and the upcoming 7th season. Along with that he posted many pictures and articles about the DC*USA brand. He did have a few pictures of family, including his nephew and wife. Overall, it appears Rob has used his social media page to advertise DC*USA brand and the show Ridiculousness. In my opinion, he probably chose this media platform because he could reach a wide variety of age group.

The politician I chose to analyse is Mike Huckabee. I took a look at Mike’s Facebook page and found many pictures, posts, and shared articles. Several pictures and articles were promoting himself for the presidential election as well as pointing out many of Hillary Clinton’s flaws and mistakes. He also posted many things on his trip to visit the Israeli Prime Minister and visiting Israel. While in Israel he ran into TV Star, Willie Robertson from Duck Dynasty. Mike is a well know politician and religious speaker. His intentions with his Facebook page is to share his opinion on the upcoming presidential election, point out others flaws, and give some insight on his religious beliefs. In my opinion he chose Facebook as his media platform because of the age group he can interest. As we know, Facebook is filled with the older generation and the older generation is the generation who is interested in politics (most of the time).

Rob Dyrdek and Mike Huckabee are very different in media sharing. Rob is using his social media for fun. He wants people to watch his show and wear his brand so they can laugh and look “cool.” His intentions are to make to smile. Mike Huckabee is using social media to bash other politicians and to promote his thinking. He is using social media for his own self gain.

-That’s the big difference, one is posting for others, one is posting for self gain.

Nervous

David here. Starting this new class with Olivia and this is all very new to me. I do not use social media and I am quite nervous about this class. I hope I gain a greater knowledge about social media. AHH!