I am on a journey. Don’t Stop Believin’ that I can Faithfully complete my journey. Usually it’s a journey that Only the Young take, but here I am starting it in my 40s, After All These Years. Ok. Enough of the Journey titles, although they are one of my favorite bands, but I digress. I am on a journey. A journey to complete my degree in graphic design. I made the brave decision to finish my degree when my youngest son was a senior in high school and I thought, “It’s now or never, Jen!” So I did. And here I am. Currently I am in a class called Social Media & Marketing Communications. I am starting this journey within a journey this week. One of the requirements of this class is starting and maintaining a blog. We have been given topics we must blog about so today I am posting my first one. I am to discuss a day in my life using digital media. Let me tell you, it’s a full day.
There are a myriad of sites and applications I use often. I tend to look at technology as a help to me, not a hindrance. I don’t let it control me. I control it. I use it when I want or need to and put it away when I can’t, or feel like I shouldn’t – and that is different for everyone. So with that said, here we go. I have a few “business” accounts that don’t really do any business yet. One is an Instagram account, one is a Facebook account and an Etsy shop. I check them daily. I create hand lettered art and watercolor paintings that I post to those accounts. I post to them as often as I create something. Sometimes that is daily, often it is less than that. However, I do check Instagram every single day for inspiration. There are so many great lettering and watercolor artists and I love looking at them and trying to glean from them. I also check the Royal Caribbean website, Disney app and/or website, Twitter, YouTube, my banking app, SNHU, Amazon, Apple, news sites, listen to music via Apple Music… I could go on. I also play one game on a daily basis: Candy Crush. I am obsessed and I typically play at least once per day. It’s a game where you match candies and reach goals for that particular round. Addictive.
I typically have positive reactions when using digital media. A negative reaction might be checking my bank account and it doesn’t have as much as I’d like it to have, am I right? But seriously, for me, I think negative reactions might pop up mostly in Facebook. I think it can appropriately be called Bragbook and sometimes people post things that make their life seem perfect, when you know it isn’t, can be irritating. Facebook has tempted me to not like someone because of their Facebook “brand” so to speak. Terrible, I know, but I’m being honest here.
I feel that my two main social media sites and using the web for different purposes satisfies my digital media needs. I have no need to be a gamer, or listen to audio books. I will read books in a digital format however. I just won’t listen to them. My mind wanders too much.
Another prompt question: Do you receive emails from companies…? Um, like a thousand a day! Ok, I’m exaggerating a bit, but you get the idea. I receive emails by companies I have purchased from on a daily basis. If it has a discount listed, I might open it and look at it. If it has a discount AND free shipping, oh my. Watch out. A purchase is likely to happen. I have put things in my cart, knowing I had to pay shipping, but when it listed that shipping price I emptied my cart and walked away. I hate paying shipping! It’s ridiculous, I know. I do have a funny little story about emails. Recently I started getting marketing emails from Maserati of Central Florida. I have never been to their website or even looked at their cars. I took a screen shot and posted it to Facebook with the caption, “I don’t know why Maserati thinks I’m rich enough to buy one. If I open that email and it says, ‘$100,000 dollars off your next Maserati!’ then we can talk!” lol Needless to say there was no such discount in that email and I did check, just to be sure!
I think it has become absolutely necessary to use digital media in marketing. Companies that want to connect with their target audience and build relationships with them will use digital marketing and social media to do that. I think of Royal Caribbean. If you go to their Facebook page and comment or post, they will most likely respond. They get hundreds of comments, but they still take the time to respond to many of them. That makes the customer feel appreciated and noticed. It goes a long way.
Sunshine Designs by Jen 