Taylor Jackson
Media Buying Assistant
Post 1
As an integrated strategic communications major, I have both an interest in advertising and public relations. I have found that I have acquired strengths in both of these areas that would benefit any job I get. With that being said, I am trying to put my degree to use. I have been exploring various companies to see what exactly they have to offer whether they are an agency or large corporation in which I would be working in a specific division of.
I have narrowed my job search to Houston, Texas, which offers a wide variety of employment opportunities for any field. Being a very cultural city, many of the agencies have a wide variety of clientele. I have seen some advertising and public relations agencies that cater strictly to restaurants or oil and gas companies, and then I have noticed some that are all inclusive and pride themselves on being a diverse company that can offer something to everyone.
Looking even further into potential companies, I also noticed a difference in what each one focuses on as far as how they run their business. Recently, I just interviewed with a small advertising agency called Brivic Media. They have been around for about 20 years now, have six employees, and about 20 accounts varying in size. Their specific focus is on research, strategy planning, and media buying. They also pride themselves on focusing not on going out and getting new clients constantly, but really putting everything into their existing clients.
That was probably the first small agency I have been around. Before that I have only really been educated on larger agencies such as The Richards Group, Moroch, and Tracy Locke. You can tell a huge difference on what they feel is important to focus on versus what smaller agencies feel is important. Building a real relationship between the client and agency is something I feel is really important. This benefits both parties because the client becomes more trusting in you and the work you are doing, and it also allows the agency to get a better feel of who the company is and how to better market them.
With all of this background information I have gathered over the years, it has made it easier to figure out exactly what I don’t want to do. Although I favor public relations slightly over advertising, I really like strategic planning, account services, and research part of advertising. Knowing why we want to target a specific audience or what our purchasing behavior may be is something I have really come to enjoy. Instead of just putting ads on a piece of paper and calling it great, I know why we made that ad.
Being diverse in my skills has made it a lot easier to look for jobs. I didn’t want to limit myself to just knowing how to do one thing really well, when I can learn to do more that could benefit my overall work. Now that graduation is approaching, I am really hoping to put to use the skills I have acquired here at TCU and become a successful member of the strategic communications community.
BLOG
Post 2
When many people think about social media all they can associate it with is the excitement it brings. All of the new friends and followers you make, the pictures you post, the videos you can watch, it is something fun and interactive. I think that was the goal of social media when it started, but it has turned into something much bigger than just that. While interacting with various social media sites, we must now consider the physical and mental harm it causes us.
I remember my first encounter with social media, it was in middle school and I thought it was the greatest thing in the world. I had a MySpace account and an AOL IM screen name. I didn’t have very much privacy since I was only using my family computer, and because of this I was limited to the time I spent on it. As it became more and more popular among my friends, I tried to get my hands on it as much as possible. Eventually I became a part of more social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Vine. On top of that, I got my own laptop and smart phone in high school so social media was at my fingertips constantly.
As my obsession grew, I began to form actual emotions about what I saw on the social media sites and when I wasn’t able to be on them. I can say without a doubt I suffered from FOMO, fear of missing out. I knew I probably shouldn’t be on the Internet as much as I was, but I had developed a terrible habit. This is what many experts call a part of the dark side of social media. You become addicted to the Internet and what it can give you. Many people suffer from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and hostility. A loss of social skills is also a huge factor in many.
Many people begin to believe they are only themselves when they are on the Internet. The FOMO occurs anytime you aren’t on the sites because you feel like you might miss a status, photo, or something else important. With the constant addiction to social media this also leads to social media fatigue. In many worst-case scenarios, this has even been known to kill people. Many people suffering from this don’t eat, don’t sleep, and rely on energy drinks. This has led to health problems that shouldn’t even be present in the young adult population.
The dark side of media is a very dangerous thing to enter in to, and we are all guilty of it. Learning to control your social media use doesn’t mean you have to give it up, just use it in a responsible way. For a lot of people this means deleting the social media apps from your phone so they aren’t constantly available. Any little bit can help us become more responsible social media users. That way we can all still interact with each and other and have fun with the new things it brings us.
Post 3
While writing this blog, I thought it might be a good idea to discuss the benefits blog marketing can bring to a company and their products. Many people tend to focus on the big, flashy ways to market their company and products, but they often forget about connecting with the consumer. Blog marketing is one way you can do this and more. A company blog can showcase a more creative side to your company in a very cost effective way.
You want to always be as transparent and as honest as possible, and blog marketing can do this for you. Many consumers want to discuss things with other consumers and the company they might be buying from. People want answers, and even if they aren’t looking for them, becoming more familiar with a company on a more personal level can lead to them becoming actual customers. Creating goals for your blog can be really beneficial while trying to attract readers and build your blog site.
Blog readers present 16% of people in America, with most of those people being young adults and parents. Blogs present a very unique and cost effective way to reach a consumer online versus just a purchasing website. Blogging is unique in that is allows you to connect on a more personal level with the company. It makes the buyer more confident in their purchases and more willing to buy. You want to get bloggers to notice your company and begin to mention your company; to do this effectively you must give the readers what they need.
Blogging is also a great place for people to advertise in. Say you are trying to market your very specific food product and want it to go to a very specific target market. Buying an ad on a food blog is something that insures your ad is going to the right people. The average cost of blog ads vary from 150-200 dollars a week. So even though it isn’t free, it is still very cost effective. Properly placing your ad in a blog is crucial, so make sure you do some research before buying ad space. Blog advertising can be very effective if done properly.
The main goal of your blog is to convert readers into paying customers, maybe not right way but eventually. A blog will provide your company with fresh content aside from just a plain website. Of course with managing a blog there are a few things you want to avoid. Try to avoid making it too promotional, yes you want to market things, but not in an obvious way. Don’t forget that blogs take time; you don’t want to create the blog and then never update it. Try to avoid making it too “senior executive” or “inside”, it is less relatable for the reader. Blog marketing can be a great tool for a company if used correctly. Just remember to be real, be transparent, be honest, and reflect your company culture in everything you do.