What I Can Do for You as Your Digital Marketer

My Highest Performing Post Breakdown:

Out of my 13 blogs this quarter, The Enticing World of Ecommerce was my most popular post with 288 impressions. The demographics of those who viewed the article were predominantly students and professors, but around 11% were categorized as a “salesperson” or “administrative employee” this makes sense as the main topic and tag used for this article was #walmart and #amazon.

Outside of Bellingham the article performed well in Portland and Seattle. What was interesting was that 5 different companies were associated with my article viewers: Western, Lighthouse Mission Ministries (my internship), Good Chance Creative, Seattle Sun, and Happy Lemon USA.

Bigger Picture:

These analytics were derived from the free Linkedin account, with a paid subscription specific viewers and profiles would be shown. However, the information given still gives a good look at my audience. If I were a business or further trying to grow my profile this information would be useful in content marketing.

For example, with the location demographics I know nearly all of my audience is PNW based so in future articles I could tailor them to relevant topics for this region as well as having content specific to a young adult college student audience. By doing this it allows my viewers to see themselves in my posts and be further engaged in what I have to say. This audience is a reflection of myself so when appropriate I could also use “I” to further build that connection and personality with my viewers.

Brands who show personality create stronger lasting relationships with their audience not only guiding them through the conversion funnel but to a place of loyalty. These consumers feel a sense of attachment to the brand and have a strong opposition to opting for other brands if their preferred option is not available. This loyalty is important to build since it’s cheaper to retain customers or convert an existing audience than outsource and continually bring people in.

Building Loyalty:

To build this loyalty social media is an impact tool as it’s an informal platform where personality is encouraged. In addition, direct messaging encourages brand consumer interactions on a small-scale personal level. I run a small business Irie Illustrates, where I sell drawings and other various streetwear inspired stickers and greeting cards. My work fits into a specific market and because of this Instagram is not my main platform for sales.

However, it’s a great way to show my own personality and facilitate conversation with my supporters whether that be them requesting a commission, reposting my work, or inquiring about future events. These conversations happen efficiently and quickly. My posts are an extension of myself showing my process and behind the scenes, something I otherwise may not show on a more polished and professional online portfolio.

My Strength in Digital Marketing:

My own business along with my internship work at Lighthouse Mission and other extracurriculars have allowed me to develop myself as a T shaped marketer. I have a good grasp of the varying facets of digital marketing from content to SEO and everything in between. Within social media though I have developed a strong sense of how to build brand awareness on these platforms and facilitate effective and lasting consumer relations. I hope to further grow my experience and expertise in this field throughout the rest of my time at Western and into my career.

At my internship a large part of my job is creating digital content. Mainly in creating infographics that draw the viewer in, give them the necessary information and then incite them to convert (donate in this case). Rather than solely reaching a new audience many of these posts I aim at those who are already following. Due to Irie Illustrates and Lighthouse being different businesses with differing core values the type of posts is obviously different, but their nature is similar in that they act as a call to action and reminder. At the nonprofit I focus on Pathos which is the act of appealing to one’s emotions to in turn incite a desired action. This is done with stories of those helped or specific requests based on the season or immediate need.

Overall, the main takeaway when it comes to running a social media account for any brand is ensuring the “value add” your content provides does not end at drawing the consumer in. It’s important to not overwhelm their feeds with promotional sponsored content, but rather keep the content engaging, authentic, and focused on who it is meant for. The core focus of your business must be known so that you build around it rather than away from it. In my own business I know the core of my followers are sneakerheads and those heavily involved in the fashion and streetwear world. For this reason, I keep my process videos and art focused content still centered around this interest by incorporating my own sense of style into the content I create.