Social Media Reflection

Over the course of this semester I have promoted my blog on two different social media sites: Facebook and Twitter. 

This was my effort to mirror the marketing strategies that I thought were effective in the campaigns I was following in order to draw attention to my own work. This was much more challenging that I thought because often times I found myself being redundant. After reflecting on my posts, I realize that the main rhetorical appeal I used was logos. I simply informed my audience of the the new blog posts each week, and attempted to display a level enthusiasm that I hoped would catch on. 

I think I was successful in being consistent, and always giving updates about new posts and providing direct links to my blog. However, there is always room for improvement. Although the wording of my posts differed slightly from week to week, I think that the uniformity of my formatting could be perceived as somewhat boring. Ironically, this is often what I criticize Maroon 5 for. After taking a step back, I do realize the difficulty in effectively attracting an audience and maintaing readers' attention through creative marketing strategies. If I had the ability to do it differently, I would revise my captions to make them more engaging and interesting for my audience, just like I am proposing for Maroon 5 to do as well.  

Weekly Round-Up #10

This week, The Voice introduced the all-new "Playoff Round," which followed the infamous "Battle Rounds" 1 and 2. It was important for The Voice to have a prominent presence on Twitter this week in order to promote the new addition to the show. As always, The Voice consistently posted and tweeted throughout the airing of the episodes, as well as all week. This post, in particular, displays effective marketing strategies. The tweet reads, "@usher plays @adamlevine a compliment and this face happens," with an accompanying picture of Adam Levine and the caption, "me?" This is effective for two reasons. Firstly, this post reflects a funny and endearing moment from yesterday's episode of the show, which evokes pathos among the fans. In addition, this post continues to enhance The Voice's image and credibility as a fun-loving and enjoyable show. Secondly, the picture posted has a direct reference to the show's Tumblr. By connecting various social media sites in one post, the show strategically exposes its audience to its multiple platforms.

Next, Starbucks embraced Spring and the warm weather with the following tweet: "Iced Green Tea Latte + 1 pump vanilla = Spring in a cup. #ProTip." Attached is a zoomed-in picture of the iced green tea latte in front of some pink flowers. This tweet is a really effective way to capitalize on the changing season, and put viewers in a good mood. I mean, who doesn't love warm weather right? In doing this, Starbucks evokes pathos within its customers. Additionally, by hashtagging "#ProTip," Starbucks is giving its consumers an inside look into the tips and tricks of the company, which will definitely attract attention.

Lastly, Maroon 5 had a slow week in terms of posting. However, the following tweet definitely caught my attention: "#albuM5 is in the works! More details coming soon!" This tweet is followed by a picture of a poster advertising the new album. I think this tweet is actually extremely effective. The post is intentionally vague in order to keep fans wanting more, and spark anticipation about the album. The band also used a clever play on words by incorporating its name (abbreviated "M5") into the title of the album. As a Maroon 5 fan, I didn't even know that another album was in the works, so this was definitely surprising and caught me off guard. This is the type of reaction that the band should try to evoke with every post. All three brands did a great job this week, as I was both pleasantly surprised, and thoroughly impressed.

Weekly Round-Up #9

This week, The Voice continued its streak of engaging and creative tweets. Specifically, the one below states "Follow us on Tumblr at nbcthevoice.tumblr.com because we're different. Yah, we're different. #TheVoice." Not surprisingly, I am extremely impressed by this tweet. In an attempt to attract followers to another one of its social media platforms, The Voice has successfully differentiated itself, which was clearly the intended goal. By using lyrics from a well-known pop song, the show effectively captivates its young audience, by making a reference to pop culture. Additionally, the show makes it easy to follow the Twitter page by embedding the link within the tweet. The Voice truly has a talent when it comes to gaining the attention of its audience, and continues to assert its credibility by consistently posting in an appealing way.

This week, Maroon 5 posted another bland tweet regarding an upcoming performance. Although Maroon 5 strategically posted a direct link for fans to buy tickets, that isn't necessarily enough to influence someone to buy one. The band's lack of enthusiasm via social media is very disappointing considering how charismatic and outgoing the band members are. It seems as though the band is very nonchalant when it comes to advertising on social media, but that is a hugely missed opportunity for them. If this post had a little more enthusiasm, or used a clever caption, or was accompanied by a picture or video, this post could have been more effective. These are the types of branding strategies that can influence ambivalent fans to actually go out, buy tickets, and support the band.

Lastly, Starbucks didn't post much this week, which is surprising considering how consistent the band usually is via social media. This specific post reads, ""traveling for #SpringBreak? Visit out unique and beautiful stores around the world." This post is simple and straightforward, which makes is efficient in conveying the intended message. However, I think Starbucks can do better. While this is a great attempt at unifying consumers of various backgrounds, the blandness of the post contradicts the diversity within its audience. If Starbucks had posted a picture to accompany this statement, or even included a personal anecdote from a customer (as in previous tweets), this post would have made a lot more of an impact.