From here to there on the road to digital success

When my professor for ADV850 Public Relations Management, Professor Wald asked who had taken or was taking NMDL, he spoke highly of this class, saying this was gonna be the most interesting and practical class of our department. At frist I doubted whether he dramatized the issue, but after today's mid-term test, I found that I am now able to think about social media in a much more panoramic view, using social media systematically to conduct PR activities or carry out online marketing. There is still another half term waiting for me, but I know that I am going to learn more about the most important media nowadays and finally use this to help build my career.

I didn't understand why my advisor recommend this course to me, because I am in creative preference. But after the second assignment, I gradually found this class is tirly connect to other classes I took like ADV 353 and CAS203.This class is just like ADV 486, the campaign class, with more detail and guidance.I took an intern last year as a graphic designer and gave some extra help on their social network, I found it is not easy to be a good social network manager. My intern company paid a monthly payment to google to keep their social network pages on the top of google searching but worked poorly. I trully believe this class will be very helpful for their future developement.

Class in Novi definitely set the tone for class this semester, and I look forward to learning everything there is to learn! I'm definitely working on incorporating twitter into my life on a daily basis. Before this week I felt I was fairly connected, but after joining LinkedIn and Google, I realized there was many opportunities I was missing out on. I am interested to see how this new platform will continue to grow and the impact it will have in the future.

After last weeks assignment, I realized that there is a lot more to social media than I could have ever imagined. I thought most people just focused on sites such as Facebook and Twitter because these are the pages that most businesses publicize and the social media sites that the traditional media also use. However, there are so many different outlets in the digital world that are able to reach a very targeted group of people. I found that you can tailor specific information to any kind of audience on some online platform because there are numerous sites and blogs available for every possible group. I realized that it is so easy to alter information based on immediate feedback from your target market so you are able to provide the best content in order to really connect. Plus, it's much more cost effective than most forms of traditional media. I am definitely excited to learn more about social media as the semester goes on and put in the work to establish a better knowledge of multiple online outlets, especially blogging!

Insofar, this class has been great! I’m glad that MSU offers a class that is progressive with new media.  I think more classes should take this approach since media is so dynamic. Some of my other classes that I have taken consider the Internet to be “new media,” which seems hardly the case. I remember visiting the computer lab in elementary school over a decade ago, and things have only grown since then. There are so many different platforms that are available to connect with potential customers and other individuals with common interests. If I have an unanswered question, the first place I go is Google.  I think that we rely on the Internet more so than any other channel of media. I feel that more traditional channels are oversaturated with advertising that can easily go unnoticed and may be interpreted as annoying. Instead of forcing a one-way conversation onto consumers, it’s time to interact via the Internet. No matter the distance, you can be instantly connect with a large consumer market.

I am looking forward to building networks and developing understanding of all the tools that are available. At first, I took this class solely because of its online format, but now I understand why it’s so appropriate.  I hope to use the format of this class to my advantage by networking with other students and gaining useful resources. I also want to work on my own personal brand, because it is vital to identify myself to potential employers. I’m excited to what is to come!

I was excited to enroll in this class. The lecture on the first day was great. It really encompassed what social media is all about. I was looking forward to start my first assignment when I got lost in the website and felt discouraged. Things are not where they should be. As an interactive art director and a graphic designer with over 15 years of expeience in visual design and communication, I sometimes feel lost on this website. Derek did mention that the website is still a work in progress and I would love to see more intuitive navigation and sections. Nonetheless, I like the assignments and I hope I will be able to navigate my way through soon enough. As a visual communicator, this class will push me to write more (actually to start writing) and communicating through words instead of images. This class will teach me to use my left brain and not rely on my right brain all the time. So, let's roll.

Funny that I just found the blog that we're supposed to comment on.

Our world of technology is racing forward exponentially, with not a stop in sight. It is up to us to take advantage of these wonderful opportunities and utilize the connectivity of our world. I find it so amazing that distace is no longer an issue. Growing up, attending summer camp, I would make a lot of friends from different states. We would say our goodbyes, and they would be long and emotional, because we knew the next time we would see them would be the following summer. We'd exchange addresses in hopes of recieving some snail mail. As I continued going to camp, the Internet came about, and Instant Messaging was the new thing to do. Now, after camp, I would spend hours and hours chatting my camp friends from the comfort of my computer. It was great. As time went on, MySpace and Facebook came to be, and not only could I talk to my friends via Facebook chat, but I could also follow their lives, and learn about what they were doing throughout the year. Skype had also become one of my new favorite things, allowing me to video chat my friends, and talk to them as if they were sitting next to me. The miles that had once separated us dissolved. I am so greatful to be able to utulize these benefits that have been presented to me. I look forward to seeing what comes next, and how it will influence my life and the lives of others.

Going into the class I was really excited to learn more about new media in a social and digital context, but I was also a litle skeptical. I of course have a facebook account but I really did not want to get a Twitter. The last few weeks I was amazed to see many T.V. programs, along with various commercials that ask the viewer to follow them on Twitter. This new type of social media is growing by large amounts. It truly is the new way for companies to advertise. It not only reaches a large amount of people, but it allows people to have the option to view what they want, whenever they want... which essentially can increase the frequency of the ad. Social media and digital marketing, in todays world, are essential for a companies success.

After two weeks of being part of the New Media Drivers License course here at MSU, it's safe to say that I've got a ton to learn. Before I heard about this course I had already created a Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube profile. I never imagined I would use any of these in other ways than connected with friends and family, catch up on news, or learn about the early release of music or movies. Now I have added LinkedIn and a Google Profile to my arsenal of social media accounts. I am still unsure about the future use of all these accounts because of short life of other social media sites such as Myspace. Although all of the sites I currently have accounts for are already showing their benefits, I continue to question the lifespan of sites like Twitter and Facebook. When will people get sick of reading by tweets or finding out what I'm doing on a Tuesday afternoon? The optimist in me sees these sites continuing to dominate social media and be a valid way to advertise, market, and build my personal brand and possibly my future employers brand.

I have had a Facebook profile for a few years now but have always used it just for fun but I am now learning much more about branding myself and I think that this class will really help me with becoming more marketable in the business world. I have already learned a lot about LinkedIn and Twitter and how they can help me to succeed in this industry. I think they are extremely powerful tools that will help me to expand my network greatly. I am very new to blogging and Google profiles. I love to write but never really shared my writing on the web, which I am really looking forward to learning how to do! I know this class will show me the best ways to do that and I am excited to learn. I am glad to see this kind of class. This is the kind of class that should not be limited to just a few majors, I think anyone trying to enter the working world could benefit from a class such as this. With the internet and online profiles becoming a must for working individuals, I think learning to best market yourself so that when a potential employer "Googles" you, they will find the best things about you. Although online profiles may not be as great as an in-person interview, it is a great way to get your foot in the door to get that interview in the first place.

I definitely hope that with practice I will become more comfortable with all of this. Other than facebook, it is all new to me. I see the great possibilities it brings, but feel completely over my head. Last semester was my first introduction into advertising (as well as my first semester at State), and this is my first introduction to utilizing media in marketing. I always thought of twitter, sorry to say, as quite pointless. I am starting to see that it is not so, but waiting to see more first hand. I love the idea of using all these resources to better reach people. It just seems overwhelming.

I am ready to dive in, not just get my toes wet, and see just how much I can do with all these resources literally at my finger tips.

Before I went to the first day of class, I thought I knew everything about social media and the internet. However, I realized that I there is a big complicated world out there when it comes to the internet, social media, search engines, and online marketing. Digital advertising is such a booming industry that it will be critical to know as much as possible about the subject in order to suceed in the advertising field in the future. The goal of online advertising is to get the brand message out to the target audience in an individualized way compared to television where advertisements are seen by the masses whether they care or not. Becasue of the internet and new technologies, marketing will always need to be innovative and, therefore, will always be changing.

Social Media is a new challenge for me. I went from having zero accounts to four accounts over the course of two days, so I am teaching myself how to manage each. I know with time I will start to get better at it. Each form of Social Media is vital in the Advertising, Communication, Marketing, and Public Relations industries. Experimenting with each will only help each student enrolled in this course exceed the expectations of future employers.

I really am glad that within the first week of this course we were required to make these four social media profiles. Although most people have at least 2 out of the 4, it forces you to really look into and utilize the ones that you don't use as often or learn new things about ones that you "abuse" at times, such as Facebook. I have definitely slacked on my Twitter account but now I am excited to use the new features and connect with people other then celeberties.

I've always been pretty "in the game" of social media, if you will. I always had Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter long before my friends ever did. However, what I didn't realize is just how quickly it would catch on and how beneficial it was/is for me to have profiles on all these sites. Social Media has been a great marketing tool and has also allowed me to connect with people that I never would have been able to without these sites. It allows me to portray myself the way I want to be portrayed and make myself known to people (mainly employers) that I would have otherwise not have gotten the chance to know. How important is social media? Let me put it this way...the first question I was asked on my interview at a record label recently was to "rate myself on a scale of 1-10 on how much I knew about each social media website". Judging on that alone, I'd say social media is very important and a very beneficial tool to me able to navigate and campaign with.

After building my social media profiles this week I realized how big the social media scene is. Before this week I felt I was fairly connected, but after joining LinkedIn and Google, I realized there was many opportunities I was missing out on. I am interested to see how this new platform will continue to grow and the impact it will have in the future. I am curious to find out if all advertising and marketing will be transitioned into social media eventually. For the time being I think it is important to maintain presence in both the new media solutions and traditional media. In this time of transition, it presents an interesting challenge.

It's interesting to see how many people either except new media or refuse to embrace the change. New media is part of our world whether we like it or not, but I truly think its prime opportunity for many advertising and PR agencies to capitalize on it. It's like a blank slate for new ideas. Reaching specific people is getting easier and easier with the amount of information that is gathered through a variety of social media sites. All of this information could make way for new brand strategies and a much higher ROI. I'm excited to see what I can learn from this class and be able to apply it to jobs in my future. Hopefully this will give me a leg-up on the older folks in agencies!

After working in mostly print/broadcast/radio media at an internship this past summer, I was intrigued by the growing trend toward digital advertising. The widgets, interactive banner ads, and various Facebook applications only fueled my desire to learn more about this aspect of the business. As my college career comes to a close, I was beginning to worry I wouldn't have enough experience to feel confident applying my skills to the digital world of advertising and marketing. Class in Novi definitely set the tone for class this semester, and I look forward to learning everything there is to learn! I'm definitely working on incorporating twitter into my life on a daily basis, as well as reaping the benefits of information regarding the industry and seeing what major companies are up to. I'm excited to see what this semester brings!

As a senior Marketing major, I've learned about the increasing importance of digital marketing for companies. However, I never quite realized just HOW huge it is until I started my job search. Many of the jobs I've researched involve heavy use of online marketing. Why? Because it is the fastest, easiest, and cheapest way to reach a target audience. Luckily, my Marketing Internship at MSUFCU has already given me beginner experience as a marketing blogger and social media businessperson. Taking this course really excites me, because I know it will suit me up for the workforce that so demands expert social media skills.

I'm not going to lie, the thought of always being connected terrifies me. Why do people always need to know what I'm doing? But I think this class is going to make change my mind. After class in Novi, I wanted to be more connected. I finally learned how social media can benefit me. I hope this class teaches me how to effectively use social media so that in the future I can help my clients use social media and digital marketing. I am excited to use digital marketing to get results for my clients.

In the last week I have set up more social media profiles than I ever have in my life.  Before for this class all there was was facebook, and I had a twitter but lets just say that I didn't remember my password when I tried to log in again.  By making all these profiles and becoming more socially active online I now see social media sites as opportunities to get involved.  I really can't think of a reason to not to set up a LinkedIn account. It takes about 10 to 20 minutes to get some basic information down and the worst thing that can possibly happen is nothing. The truth is though that if you try and put some effort in you're bound to make a few cool and helpful connections.  Social media why not?

I've been on social media sites for a long time, although, with the exception of Facebook, I hadn't really immersed myself in all that they had to offer. Twitter seemed like a glorified Facebook, only for the purpose of sharing 140 character statuses, and LinkedIn seemed very professional and a bit intimidating. I have a blog, but it was for a class, and it seemed like pulling teeth to get me to write in it.  But now, I've really started to research and see what all of these sites are really capable of, and it's quite a lot.  I'm graduating in May, and this class is making me realize that I can optimize my opportunities just by getting myself out there on the internet. You're really right. It's all about "doing" if you want to get anywhere.

After creating each of my social media accounts, I have found that "doing" really is extremely helpful.  The more I experiment with and use my twitter, blog, etc. I learn more and become much more comfortable useing them.  As I have searched for resourses for this week, I have learned so much information about social media already.  I have always been encouraged to use these forms of social media but never saw how it would benefit me.  I am excited to continue to learn more as the semester goes on and really feel that this will benefit me in my future career!

This class has already taught me a lot about achievement in social media, and the importance of utilizing these tools. I hope that by doing and working hard to succeed in this class I will be able to use social media to my advantage. I know it has helped some people in their job searches and I would love to be a part of that growing trend of online hires. I think this class is a fantastic opportunity that I know I will not waste! 

I am really excited for this class! I am constantly hearing about how this is the future for PR and marketing and I have felt I was ready for it.  After the first class I finally felt I would get the total overview of the new media world.  I have a blog but and ready to find ways to improve my blog in my writing style and become more comfortable with posting things online.  I am also really ready to learn how to use twitter.  This class is really going to help me succeed in my future!

I totally agree to succeed in business using digital marketing and to be willing to try new things. It is a sort of trend that everyone use and communicate with people, moreover share their idea through this social networking. But I am pretty much old person minding before starting this course even if i use facebook or other mass media. However following this course for building account and profile, i understand why it is important to be succeed in business especially. I am actually first time user for this twitter, so it was hard to use this "twitter". I am expecting to expand knowledge more about social networking and more comfortable with using twitter.

I am excited to embark on a social media adventure. After reading the posts on this blog, I feel like I have already learned a good deal of new information about a few of the social media sites. I'm excited to build my personal brand and really understand how and what to use Linkedin for. I love that this is a hands on experience because I truly believe that is the best way to learn. I have considered creating a blog from time to time but never actually carried out the action, so this is a great opportunity to do so. I also think this class will give me a more accurate view on how to utilize each social media site. 

Social media is where everyone is, or where everyone needs to be. It fascinates me, but it also is intimidating. I feel that I am fairly decent navigating online social media, however, just in the last couple of months I have learned new features that I never even knew existed. I envy the people who are social media experts. I am excited to learn more about social media and be able to be one of the people that others go to for information.

Before taking this class I thought I knew almost everything that was needed to know about social media because I had a facebook, twitter and linkedIn account. The presentation that was given on Saturday kind of gave me a reality check.  I was not familiar with half of the social media mediums until I was told in the seminar. I also did not know google was psychic in a sense. I am really excited to take this class because it will not only help me in the professional world after I graduate but it will help me in my current classes as well. I am working on a few group projects in my other classes and learning all of this social media information, especially with google, it will really benefit me and help me in my campaigns I am creating in my other classes. 

Also, growing up, I have always been told that it's not what you know so much, it's who you know. Sure the knowledge will get you pretty far in life but without the networking links, it will be a tough challenge to reach the top. I am really excited to have the privilege in taking this class because I'm not only forced to learn about the different types of social media but I am able to learn how to use them correctly.

Since I am not a haevy social network user, twitter and linkedin were unfamilar site with me. And I had to spend more hours than I expected to understand those sites to create the account. In fact, I am getting to know about twitter a little, but linkedin is still really hard to figure out what is it for. However, I am looking forward to familar with those social media network becuase I strongly agree with that new media is getting advanced rapidly, and it is obvious that I need to learn it for myself.

Although I have been using social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for a couple years, I really hope to learn more about the strategy behind these platforms. Many social media specialists criticize our generation for knowing how to use the tools without any real strategy behind it. Ok, so teach me! I would like to see how using these tools could benefit companies and be part of the overall marketing program. One thing I really don't know a lot about are google tools and SEO. I look forward to learning how to effectively implement these things into a companies plan.

It's funny, I thought that I knew a lot about social media given that I am on both twitter and facebook. However, after seeing Michael's presentation the other week, I'm questioning that notion. I didn't know google was capable of half the things Michael was saying. It had me wondering what else I could do with facebook and twitter. I first realized that twitter had a larger capacity during the summer while "interning" at the Dance Institute of Washington. My cousin was the manager there, so that's pretty much how I got the job. Anyway, I knew that different companies had twitter profiles and facebook profiles. I thought it would be a great idea to create a profile and use it to generate money and publicity for the school. Though I set up the profile and even called a staff meeting to teach them how to use it, my plan failed. The staff wasn't too interested in what I had to say or even twitter itself despite my upbeat presentation. So I tried to tackle the issue on my own, however with no real training in the subject of social media I didn't get far. I'm saying this to say that if I knew then, what I'll know by the end of May, I could have said I spent my summer as a social media coordinator. Heck, I could have probably even gotten a pay raise. At any rate, I am excited to see what I can do this year with social media.

I am taking this class not only because I have an interest in my personal life using social media but also because I think it will help me stand out as a a candidate to advertising agencies that I would love to work for. Old ways of advertising are not dead but instead incorporated into digital media. Digital is not just one medium, but rather a medium that explodes into other mediums and to be able to tell a company that you have had some sort of training other than posting status' about the quality of the food at Brody Caf, is very valuable. It tells them that there is something about you that makes you different in the selection pool and that you can actually contribute to the ongoing conversation about social media and digital marketing. DOING the work will give you examples to show employers, for example just recently I was applying for an internship at an agency and they asked me to provide all the links of my social media sites. Because I had gone to the Saturday session I was able to provide them with shortened and personalized links to my facebook, twitter, and linkedin, something that may have set me a part from other students applying for the position with long URLs.

Everyone continues to comment on the practicality of this course, and if I didn't agree I wouldn't be taking this course. Learning about social media and networking is one of the single most important aspects of marketing and PR these days. Last summer as an intern in the PR division of a large company, we worked closely with the marketing and e-commerce teams to divise social networking plans for our new twitter, facebook and blog. Although I was familiar with all three of these mediums, I knew that it was vital that before I started looking for a career I learn the "ins and outs" of social media because it is truly where companies are headed today.

It was pretty hard to understand how to use social networking website such as Twitter and Linkedin for me, because it was risen a few years ago and its system was new for me unlike the Facebook; however, after creating the account of them, I realized that it is wonderful things to communicate and inform with others in easy way. The more interesting thing is that social networking website is not only used among people, but it is also used for marketing to make the brand image. Now, I followed some companies on twitter and they have replied my questions about products. Its communication is easier and faster than e-mail, so it make consumers feel satisfaction. Personally, I know the usefulness of Linkedin to employers and employees, but its system is a little hard to understand it. I hope I can learn more about Linkedin through this course.

Like a lot of other people pointed out, this class seemed a little intimidating at the begining. I wasn't sure if the skills that I used would actually benefit me after I graduate in 2012. Even as I start to look for jobs, I have found that companies really do value these skills and need people who have knowledge of social media. Having this extra information will be sure to give me an edge over others who are competing for the same positions that I am.

The first day of class, was extremely overwhelming. Even after doing the first two assignments for this week I am still very unsure about my abilities in social networking. I have only had experience with Facebook and have never even considered creating a Twitter account. Although I am still learning how to use mediums like LinkedIn and Twitter, I look forward to excelling and using them more regularly like how I use Facebook.

Before this year I was only really interested in Facebook in regards to social media, however I have been trying new things all year like using my Twitter account and LinkedIn even before this class started.  Already I have been networking and talking to people I never would have been able to connect with before.  I am excited about this class and want to learn the right way to professionally network.  I know that these days getting a job is all about who you know, so I need to know and learn about new people in order to help myself grow.  I am more excited about this class than any other one I have taken because I believe I will get something really great out of it.

I've pondered the idea of this "Driver's License" and exactly what it means to have this certificate. I think this course is one of the most practical courses I've ever had the luxury of taking. I'm not going to say that I am "forced" to do the assigned work, because I do have a choice not to do it, but I value the power a 4.0 has on a grade report and I value the advancement of my personal education, so I will be doing the assigned work. I think this course will also show each and everyone of us a new "creative" side that many of us, I am guessing here, didn't think we had. I don't want to say our writing skills with be tested, more that they are going to be enriched not only for this course, but for our futures as well. Blogging, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Google Profiles, Yahoo! Profiles, ect... are all very powerful tools that could destroy a potential future or help lie the foundation to a successful future. We have all the tools we need to succeed and the best part about these tools is that they are easily accessible and albeit certain Linkedin functions, free! Free is always better. 

After reading many of the comments I have seen a trend in what people are saying. Everyone is 'so excited to learn how to use social networking sites.' I myself am excited to, but I am also a little apprehensive. When I first started using Facebook, I was not thinking about getting a job, building a brand, or how public my information would become. Now I love my Facebook too much to delete it, but I am starting to become very concerned about how it will affect my job search because everything I have posted and have pictures of is not exactly professional. My solution so far is to create a new 'professional' Facebook that hopefully will deter potential employers from my other page.

Like Derek says, to succeed in this business you need to be smart. I am taking this class to learn how to be smart about social networking, and that is what I am most excited to learn about. I love everything about interconnectivity and really social networking is the only way I get my news lately, so if I can integrate my love for it, along with a comprehensive, thought out strategy for utilizing these sites, I will feel like I got out of the class what I expected.

This post touches on my favorite aspect of digital marketing: the instantaneous results. For a company to be able to make any kind of change and then know, almost immediatly, what its customers think, is amazing. You can watch your company's trends on Twitter, monitor comments on Facebook and even learn how consumers are interacting on your web site.

I think a lot of people are interested in working in advertising because it's fast paced, not the same thing everyday. You can't get more fast paced than the digital space. It's exciting, and if you learn how to use it properly, you will be able to catch your customers attention at the exact moment that will hold their interest and gain their trust. So, bring it on NMDL! I'm ready to learn it.

I've always been excited about social networking. However I am even more excited to be able to learn about ways to build my personal brand and learn PR and Marketing skills to enhance my social advertising and marketing skills. I am new to marketing but as a recent graduate, submitting resumes and aplying for jobs, I've noticed that this is a field that is booming. I'm glad I get to explore this outside of my major to make me more marketable and to give me a ways to incorporate what I learn in this course while using my NMDL to my field of interest. I am amped about this and I hope the rest of the class is too. 

Now I am taking a hard time, and I am fighting with Twitter, Linkedin, and facebook. Actually, I was really excited to learn more about social media, and how I can effectively use it. I thought I will be an export soon in social media. However unfortunately it was not easy to learn and understand how to use the networks..

Creating new accounts was difficult to get unique ID, Also, posting profiles was really complecated. there were so many options. but, the most difficult work was choosing the best pictures..... I had changed pictures so many times to find the best one...keke...I think others do it a lot too. I am sure.....sure....sure....!!!!

It is just beginning. I feel there are so many things what I never seen before. I am ready to get in.......

I realized I need a smart phone.  To participate social media like Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin, a smart phone is essential.

Two years ago, I was working as an intern in Burson-Marstellers, Beijing, China. One of the interesting programs I engaged was the establishment and monitory of HP's first mini blog, which was called Fanfou. At that time, I didn't realize that I was working on something called "social media", neither did I realize, when I first came here, that the unfamiliar concept of social media was something that I've already touched two years ago.

Now, I'm here. I no longer feel strange with the concept, and what I want to learn is what is it, how can I use it, and what can I get from it. When most Chinese organizations are still spending large amount of money and time on online advertising, more and more American people have already found the new way of marketing. I'm looking forward to the content and experiences this course could bring to me.

I am really excited to learn more about social media and how I can effectively use it in today's society. Since I am studying Marketing it is interesting for me to learn how by with just the use of Facebook or Twitter how it can make a product or brand become very successful. This summer at my internship with Team Detroit, I was able to see how they created the Fiesta movement and how it was one of the first ways to create awareness by giving people the car and certain tasks and all they did was blog about it, and because of it many people knew about the Fiesta. Social Media is an important aspect to understand in this society and I think this class will benefit me in the long run!