As the end of my reading is nearing, I had to read the last two chapters of “Measure What Matter.” The chapter that highlights how to measure for nonprofits discusses how to measure behavioral change. It states, “member behavior can take many forms: renewals, donations, web traffic, e-mail responses, phone calls, attendance at trade shows, votes, and so on.” It is key that the following costs are measured monthly and are compared to media activity. The following are areas that can be measured. I hope you find them as informational and important as I do.

1.       Cost per donor acquired

This is the area where you count the number of new donors each month. Then you take that number and divide it into the total amount that will be spent on those donors.

2.       Cost per volunteer acquired

Track the number of new volunteers that are added each month and divide that into the total amount that was spent on recruitment.

3.       Cost per contribution

How much revenue comes in with every solicitation you send out? Track the cost of solicitation itself along with labor and marketing efforts.

4.       Cost per attendee

Count the number of people that come in daily or weekly to your nonprofit. Also, track the amount of traffic coming in after certain marketing and communication activities.

5.       Return on investment of a website

Track the cost of the website along with its maintenance and the donations that come in from the website. Subtract this number from the total amount of donations coming in overall. When you make changes to the website this makes it easier to measure the ROI.

This information is very important for the nonprofit organizations. I hope you all find this information helpful when working with nonprofits and measuring the amount of change in action with the organization.

Elephant Love

As you can probably tell from the header image I have a deep love for elephants. This love started for me in about second grade. I distinctly remember learning about the areas certain animals live in and having to create that biome for a specific animal. I chose an elephant and that is what started it all. I was trying to figure out what to do for my next post and it just came to me. I wanted to share with you all some of the fun facts I found along with some images of adorable elephants. Enjoy!

1.       African elephants are the largest land mammals on the planet.

2.       Females African elephants undergo the longest pregnancy of 22 months.

3.       Elephants do not like peanuts despite what all the television shows say.

4.       Asian elephants do not run. They keep at least two feet on that ground at a time.

5.       They can recognize themselves in a mirror.

6.       Elephants can get sunburned. They throw sand on their backs and head to keep bugs off and prevent sunburn.

7.       They have evolved a sixth toe that starts off as cartilage, but as they grow it becomes bone.

Video Marketing Statistics

Video content has been increasing online and businesses are wanting to take advantage of this opportunity. Videos are more expensive to create, but are more flexible when creating images. The style of videos range from advertisements to how-to videos and product demos to fun videos that catch client’s attention. An article on Social Media Today contains an infographic with some of the stats found about what businesses are using video marketing. I just wanted to share a few of these with you all.

1.       The number of video views that take place on a desktop is 86 percent, while only 14 percent are on mobile devices.

2.       The number of videos published by businesses is on average 18 each month.

3.       Over half of the videos published last year were under two minutes long.

4.       The top five percent of videos retain an average of 77 percent of the viewers to the last second.

5.       The number of businesses that use intermediate or advanced analytics to measure performance is about 35 percent.

It is interesting to see these number and be able to reflect on times when I have watched some of these videos and how dominant they are becoming in today’s society.  I highly encourage all of you to check out the rest of the statistics in the infographic. Feel free to comment your thought or opinions below!

Relations in the Local Community

After college, I want to work in a small town building up local businesses through design and public relations. I find it fitting to discuss some of the things I learned from this week’s reading in Measure What Matters. I hope you find some of these as helpful as I do.

1.      Determine who your neighbors are

It is important to note that communities are no longer just the people around you, but they can be virtual groups of people as well. Neighbors can be a variety of people including: customers, vendors, partners, external advocates, nongovernmental organizations, and others that your company has a relationship with.

2.      Know how relationships influence your organization

It is key to ignore those relationships that put you at risk or in danger. If you lose the trust of the community it can be hard to regain. It can be done though through an apology and admission of wrongdoing. When you have a good relationship with the community, they can be a support system and back up your business in time of crisis.

3.      Focus on the key publics

The key publics can include anyone from customers to financial analysts to the media. It has become expected that business have a global outreach program in place. If an organization does not have a good metrics plan in place, then it is easy to assume everything is fine and dandy. It is not until something goes wrong that you notice things should have been determined ahead of time.

With the desire to work in a small community, this information is great to keep in mind. I hope you all find it as informative and important as I do.

Pinterest’s Move to Get Rid of the Like Button

Pinterest recently announced that they are going to remove the “like” option off their site. This could mean big things for those that track likes as part of their performance. The following quote is taken from the article on Social Media Today. It states, “There are lots of reasons why people like Pins on Pinterest. But because we have both a Save button and a Like button, it hasn’t always been clear how they’re different. After doing a bunch of research with Pinners, we found Pinterest is easier to understand when we remove the Like button altogether.”

They explain the difference between liking a pin and saving a pin. When you like a pin, it is moved to a different tab that only you can see, but when you save a pin, you add it to a board and anybody can see it.

Pinterest found that nobody really cared about the option and decided to get rid of it. They are also starting to move away from being common social media network. They state, “While other companies want you to live in a virtual world, Pinterest encourages people to live in the real world. We like to say, be yourself and not your selfie. There are many services out there with the mission of helping you connect and share with friends; we’re the one app exclusively in the visual discovery business.” Pinterest is starting to move away from social and is focusing now on the eCommerce potential.

Personally, I am in favor of this new change. I like the idea of just being able to save pins. I was more confused when I realized there was even a save option on Pinterest. So, what do you think? How do you feel about this change? Feel free to comment below!

Softball and Puppies

As the end of the semester is quickly appearing I find it important to take the time to do the things you love and to relax a little before the overwhelming stress kicks in. Last Monday I got the chance to go out to Robb Park with my father and hit some softballs. Softball has always been a huge part of my life, but sadly this is the first year I have not played. Being able to go and be on the field again was such an amazing stress reliever.

Not only did I get to do what I love, but we also found a lost puppy. For those of you that do not know, Robb Avenue in Lima is an extremely busy street. I was able to catch the pup before she ran into the street. The first thing I looked for was her tags, which she did not have. Then we started looking around to see if anyone appeared to be looking for her. That failed us as well. After about an hour or so we decided to call the dog warden and ask what we should do. The final decision was to take her to the Allen County Dog Warden and hope the owner look for her.

In the two hours, the puppy was with us, she never made a sound and was very scared. I was able to run and play with her, which made both of us happy. She was such a sweet girl. All I can hope for her is that her family finds her, or she gets adopted by an even better family.

Just remember that no matter how stressed out you may get, it will all be over soon. Do the things you love to do. Oh, and puppies make everything better!

Pinterest’s Newest Infographic

Pinterest just released a new infographic that covers the new data on their audiences. They are a growing marketing option that may not get the attention that they deserve. Statistics show that

Pinterest now has over 175 million monthly active users and could possibly get $500 million in ad revenue this year alone. I just wanted to share a few of the new statistics that were released. Enjoy!

1.       The number of people that look at saved content while in stores is 67%. With this people are two times more likely to say time on Pinterest is well-spent.

2.       Pinterest is being used by seven in ten millennial women in the United States.

3.       It is now being shown that Pinterest is being used highly by men and women. Women account for 68% of people that use Pinterest and men account for 40% of new users.

4.       Pinterest is mainly used on a mobile device via the app. This mean that 80% of Pinners use the app.

I found these statistics highly interesting as I am one of the women that use the Pinterest app daily. I hope you found this information interesting as well and I encourage all of you to follow this link and check out more of the information that was shared.

Three-part Social Media Revolution

As I continue to read “Measure What Matters” I learn so many details that are highly important. This week I decided to share with you all the three-part social media revolution. Social media requires this shift to occur throughout different processes.

1.       Redefine the now

The idea is to define timeliness. The response turnaround needs to be done quickly. Timeliness in today’s world is responding and dealing with a problem before it goes viral. Be authentic.

2.       Redefine PR, Advertising, Marketing, and Corporate Communications

Technology is a big part of this. It allows decision-making to be based on the reputation. Also, it is important to communicate to the right people. If you can connect with a smaller group of the right people it is more beneficial. With advertising, you are just getting information out to people that do not necessarily care out you or your product.

3.       Change how we quantify success

In social media, the number of impressions is impossible to calculate and does not matter. The key is to build relationships. these relationships are between people and products or organizations. With this it is important to calculate the engagement between the two.

I hope you find these shifts as important as I do to the world of social media. Feel free to add and comments or suggestions below!

Lent and Chapel

Being a Catholic means that I partake in Lent each year. Lent is a religious observance that begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts for 40 days. It is a time for reflection and preparation before Easter. By observing these 40 days, Catholics replicate Jesus Christ’s sacrifices.

Each year I try to give at least two things up as my sacrifice. People find it odd that I start off with two. I choose two because I tend to bail out on one, whether it be because I forgot or just plain failed. Every year I give up slushies and that is what I tend to fail with. This year was different though. I started off giving up fried food and slushies. I failed and ate fried foods because I honestly forgot. I made it my goal, to give up slushies because I have an unhealthy obsession for them. I am proud to say that for once in my life, I made a sacrifice, nowhere near the sacrifices that Jesus made, and followed through with it until the end. Yes, it was challenging, but rewarding at the same time.

Also, the Ohio Northern University had an Easter service that I had the opportunity to partake in. I was not originally asked to do this, but because a friend had to leave early, I got the opportunity to sit up on the stage and paint a scene for Jesus Christ. When it was all done, I felt a strong sense of being watch over and pride for having to do something that may seem like such a small gesture compared to the sacrifices others have made.

I ask all of you to take time over this holiday break to reflect and think of the true reasons we celebrate Easter. Feel free to share any of your experiences with Lent. Happy Easter!

Coding for Content Analysis

In “Measure What Matters” they state that media content analysis, “is one of the most valuable and commonly used tools in measurement.” Content analysis can be done by a human or automated with computers. The problem with computers though, is the inability to differentiate between irony and sarcasm, and they cannot notice regional variations. I just wanted to share with all of you the most common elements that are coded for.

1.       Type of Media

There are dozens of channels in which your company can be discussed. The creator of the conversation has authority that influences the circulation of the publication. Social media makes it so the most influential sites may have few readers but they can be picked up by larger sites that carry more weight.

2.       Visibility: Prominence and Dominance

The more visible a brand is the more likely it is to be remembered. Prominence is the location of the first mention of a company. This can be found in the headline, top 20 percent, or the bottom 80 percent.

3.       Tone

The tone is the attitude or opinion and article expresses. These can be broken down into a few categories including: positive, neutral, balanced, or negative.

4.       Messages Communicated

Any conversation about your brand can convey a wide variety of messages, whether good or bad. You want to track key messages and their opposites.

5.       Sources Mentioned

This is all about influencing the influencers. So, who is quoted in your coverage and what do they say?

6.       Conversation Type

The nature of conversations can tell you a lot about what people have to say about your company. It has been shown that there are 27 types of conversations that can take place.

                I hope these elements can help you know what your company is looking for when they are coding for content analysis. Feel free to share more about this topic in the comments below.

Working at the Market

Last summer I had the opportunity to work at my best friend’s family farm market. I never knew how much went into making the whole store come together. Like many other things, working on the farm has many ups and downs. Some of those include cleaning, sorting through produce, working with customers, and creating displays. I learned several life lessons and important tips that I would like to share with you all.

1.       Counting back change

This is one skill many people overlook and no longer think is important. Counting back change is a big part of having money skills. It helps with basic math and customers are happy and in shock when they see a cashier is counting back change to them. It shows you know what you are doing and care about the customers.

2.       Working with people

When you are dealing with customers it is all about them. No matter what else you have going on, keeping the customer happy is the idea. Be polite and interact with them. They may need help but do not want to ask for it.

3.       Display is important

When you have a display set up, it draws people in. Attractiveness pulls people in. Once you have a customer intrigued by the look of the store, you also must keep them interested in what you are selling. The setup within the overall display is key. At the farm, it is important that the produce is full and colorful. Anything that is older and running low looks bad to the customers.

Keep it clean and the aesthetics well done.

These are just a few of the things that I learned while working. They worked to open my eyes and to see the big picture of what my hard work does in the end. I am excited to be working for them again later in the summer and to see what new things are in store for me.

Have you ever had a job that taught you many things you did not think of in the beginning? Feel free to share thoughts and opinions in the comments below!

McDonald’s and Snapchat

When you think of using Snapchat, you typically think about controversial content. McDonalds has decided to implicate a new tactic called Snaplications.  This is a new way for people to apply for a job. The idea came because many of the people who apply, at jobs like McDonalds, are younger. 

They created a new Sponsored Lens that allows a potential employee to take a selfie with the McDonalds uniform placed over it. From there they get one snap to say why they should be considered for the job. After the Snap is sent, a link will pop up taking you to the application site.

The campaign started in Australia, due to the large number of Australians they employ. This tactic is huge because it is a way for them to reach their target audience. Social Media Today quotes, “We’re the largest employer of youth in the country, so we’re trying to look for new and innovative ways to recruit crew people.”

In Australia, there are over four million users on Snapchat. This seems to be the perfect pairing of these two companies. So, what do you think?  Would you be willing to apply for a job through Snapchat? Feel free to leave your comments below!

Five Ways to measure ROI

 This week’s reading of “Measure What Matters” includes a section that clearly identifies ways to measure ROI. ROI is the return on investment. I found these facts important and wanted to share them with you all.

1.       Sales or Revenue

This is where you can use your web analytics and customer relationship management to tie actual sales to social media activity.

2.       Cost Savings

More organizations are experimenting with social media for marketing, recruitment, or customer service. By listening to conversations, you can better identify candidates or more quickly solve customer problems.

3.       Paid versus Earned Search Rankings

One of the advantages of a proactive social media campaign is that it makes your brand more current and more relevant, two criteria that determine how high up your brand will appear.

4.       Cost Avoidance

Any company can be caught in crisis. Good relationships can mitigate its extent and duration. The best way to measure would be to examine what happens to competing organizations in your marketplace.

5.       Social Capital

For an individual, the more relationships you have the better your life is, the longer you live and the healthier you are. Good social capital means that information flows more easily, innovation and efficiency increase, and legal costs go down.

I hope you all have learned something, as I have, from the readings. Feel free to add and comments and keep looking from more tips from “Measure What Matters.”

Twitter's Egg Avatar

I found an article on Social Media Today stating that Twitter has recently announced the change from its default egg avatar. They have now made the avatar a generic, gray silhouette. This change occurred in efforts to encourage more people to upload a profile image.

 I have not been on Twitter for long, but was a fan of the egg and what it stood for. They are saying that the egg “was a playful way to reference how eggs hatch into birds that send all the Tweets you see in Twitter.” Like many new things, a push for personal expression is being looked for.

Along with changing the avatar, Twitter recently released a new function that allows users to block all tweets from all egg accounts. The egg logo allows troll and harassers on the platform, which is trying to be eliminated. Many people tend to like the egg and do not want to change it. Twitter had to work hard to find the most generic image to use.

I am sure about all of you, but if I saw a generic, grayscale image I would be encouraged to add a photo. Let me know what you think about this change in the comments below! 

Turophiles and Cheese Facts

The inspiration for this blog comes from my unhealthy obsession of cheese. I am that weird person that can sit down and eat a block of cheese and have no problem doing so.  Personally, my favorites are Colby Jack and a variety of Amish cheeses. I decided to look up some interesting facts about cheese so I can share them with you all. Enjoy!

1.       Cheese date back to before 6000 B.C.

2.       You can be arrested for eating certain cheeses. The United States FDA has stricter aging standards than the French.

3.       Eating cheese before bed can help you sleep.

4.       Scientists in Poland discovered people were eating cheese even before the written word existed.

5.       From June 1935 to March 1937, Wisconsin restaurants were required to serve cheese and butter with meals.

6.       People who are lactose Intolerant can eat cheese.

7.       Cheese is rich in calcium which put mineral back in your teeth.

8.       In Wisconsin, cheese waste is combines with rock salt to prevent roads from freezing.

9.       The US regulates the holes in domestically produced Swiss Cheese.

10.   People who love cheese are called Turophiles.

I hope you all found these facts about cheese as fascinating as I did. Feel free to leave your comments about cheese or a food you have a strange love for below!