Looking Back

Looking back at the entire quarter I feel that there are three main points that stood out for me.

First, social media marketing is an effective and legitimate marketing tool.  Before this class i didn't really understand the Facebook and Twitter craze.  Facebook seemed like a great way to stay connected with friends and family, but I never really saw the potential for marketing.  I was so used to the rather ineffective and seemingly arbitrary advertisements that appeared on the side of the screen, but never thought about how companies could use their own pages and comment feeds to market a product or service.  More than anything, I saw the ability to "Like" a company page as a way to tell your friends what you are interested in. I now see the viability of the company page as a way to deliver messages to the consumer.  Twitter was a completely useless tool for me when I began this class.  I never cared to read anyone's "Tweets" about what they were doing, where they are, etc.  Looking at Twitter as a way to also deliver messages to consumers, whether marketing material or crisis information, has really changed my opinion of Twitter.

Second, the idea that effective marketing with respect to social media is a conversation.  This really helped me understand the use of Facebook and Twitter.  After hearing Gary Vaynerchuk talk about using search.twitter.com to see what people are saying or asking about specific topics, and responding to these threads to build a relationship, I definitely understand how useful both platforms can be.  I think back to all of the times I have posted something on the Home Depot site about a project I am working on and receiving a response from a Home Depot associate, and I really see the power in that communication.  Carrying this idea into more than questions about specific products and into a conversation about a specific company makes complete sense.

Third, the viability of mobile.  I saw the trend of mobile technology, but never thought about the integration of effective marketing through mobile outside of annoying popup ads and apps specific to a company.  Taking the mobile craze and using it to create a fully integrated company experience is brilliant.  I really think this is an area that organizations like Pacific Science Center and Seattle Aquarium could really capitalize on.  Introducing games or interactive displays on mobile devices that incorporate the experience had in the organization can open up a lot of doors.  It would allow the learning to continue outside the walls of the different complexes, and keep the organizations at the front of the consumers mind, even when they aren't physically at the place of business.

Overall I was very impressed with the material I was presented and the level of instruction I received.  i feel that much of what I learned in this class will benefit me in my career regardless of whether or not I am working in a traditional marketing role.