Please Don't Show This To My Therapist

          No one likes reading a textbook. Every year students log on to buy codes and books that will most likely just sit on a shelf and collect dust until it’s time to return them at the end of the semester. That’s exactly how I felt buying this book. I couldn’t understand how you put information about social media in a textbook, something just seemed off. And on top of that, it was an online textbook, something I’ve never been fond of. Staring at a screen, losing my place while reading, and forgetting my login information is just so frustrating. To me, there’s just something about having the actual book in front of me that helps me comprehend the information. Although I will say, my back did thank me for having one less book in my bag.       For my principles of social media class, we used Stukent’s “Essentials of Social Media Marketing” textbook and simulation. I had never used Stukent before so trying to figure out how to use the o...

Last week during our final week of sprin g training each class got to lead a practice. We each had a specific day we would be running training. The freshmen ran Tuesday’s training, the sophomores ran Wednesday and the juniors and fifth years finished off the week running training on Thursday. I was so excited to get to create the practice plan and I personally think the sophomores had the best training out of everyone else. It’s safe to say we really got into it. We created and printed out replicas of the papers our coach uses and even organized the drills the same way he does. However, the drills we ran were nothing like the ones he ran during the season. Instead, we played fun games the entire time. We started out with probably the best game of the entire training. It doesn’t really have a name so we just called it the communication game. And let me tell you, it was nothing short of one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Everyone partners up and while one partner is blindfolde...

          I finally completed the Stukent Social Media Simternship program for my Principals of Social Media course this week. This program allows students like myself to experience real-world digital marketing. It guides you through 12 rounds, concentrating on creating organic social posts, paid social posts, collaborating with influencers, and ultimately executing all three types of posts simultaneously. Along with creating media, you also respond to customer messages, examine company data and analyze post success to help with future decisions. You undertake all of these tasks for Buhi Supply Co., a company that specializes in the sale of a wide array of bags. Personally, I would purchase from Buhi, they have some cute products!       All-around, I think my favorite part about completing the program was getting to create my own organic posts. While I enjoyed organizing the paid posts, the rounds focusing on the organic posts were defin...

On Wednesday I was given the opportunity to travel to ONU’s Women in Business Conference in Columbus, Ohio. I honestly didn’t know what to expect, I had never been to a business conference before but I was pleasantly surprised with the entire day.  The event, hosted by ONU alum Stephanie Saghy and Bank of America, began with a panel of Bank of America employees. All women in higher-up positions, it was inspiring to hear their stories of how they got where they are today. None of them really began their employment journeys picturing themselves in the positions they have today which was validating in a way. I feel like at this point in my life I’m supposed to have everything figured out and I don't but hearing about their journeys made me feel better about where I’m at. Each woman offered a piece of advice with their story as well and one that really stood out to me came from Jamine Kozar, she said,  “Don’t be cool. Be yourself.” She went on to explain how after a meeting she wa...

          Last Friday, March 22, I had the opportunity to attend the Ohio Northern University Public Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA) sixth annual social media workshop. As a student looking to pursue a career in marketing or communications, this workshop proved valuable. Throughout the day, I shared insights and key takeaways from the sessions I attended via live-tweeting. Here is a quick recap of my day.  The day began with a compelling keynote speaker, Amy Hertsenberg, who talked about AI-powered digital mastery. It was an amazing presentation illustrating how AI can do the smallest tasks that humans either don’t have time for or dread doing. Hertsenberg had me captivated the entire time.   Following the keynote, I delved into my first session on brand engagement. Presenter Sally Stearns talked about what she calls the three C’s of brand engagement: Connecting, Converting and Cultivating. Stearns did a deep dive into each top...

               Depending on who you ask, my next comment may be an unpopular opinion but I don’t care. X, formerly known as Twitter, is stupid and should change back. If I had to read “X, formerly known as Twitter,” one more time in this chapter I was going to lose my mind. However, I digress. While X has changed the delightful blue bird we all grew up with, it continues to help business promote not only their products but their visions as well. Here are some strategies for businesses to use when creating their X account.  Less Promotion, More Conversation      “Talk less, smile more.” Just kidding, in this instance, businesses are going to want to leverage X to start conversations with their customers in real-time. This can be as simple as posting a poll with a question about what color item customers want to see next. Being able to have conversations with customers is also helpful when it comes to good customer service. ...

     In the last 20 years the term “social media” has changed many times. From its humble beginnings in a Harvard dorm room to its widely known and controversial development, social media has seen its fair share of changes over the years.       Growing up in the generation of the iPhone I’ve never not known technology. In elementary school, they taught us how to type on computers before teaching us cursive. I had my first phone by 5th grade and laptop by 6th grade. While social media was originally used for communication, it has quickly grown into many different networks, branching out into marketing and selling as well. A whole new career has been made out of this idea of social media; what it is, how to use it, and why people should use it.       And while this newfound success in the world of social media has been great for lots of people, it is creating a-- mainly generational-- gap within the workforce. Older generations tend t...