Learning Through Observation

I have had to deal a lot with digital marketing in my current job. To learn how to post for a technical company filled with engineers and software programers, I looked to the competiton for examples on the language and interaction. One major thing I learned is, if you post the content people need or want, the followers will come to you. The key is to talk about relevant content for the industry and usually needs to be useful and follow with the topic trends. So many of the competitors used original content that made their social madia voice into an "expert" voice. 

Also, the key to digital marketing is talking to the consumer. My company uses a platform called Hootsuite that allows me to keep up with topic discussions where I can write back to people personally. This skill is used by everyone in the business who has their brand out there. At the end of the day, every business has one goal: Keep the customers happy.

I have had to deal a lot with digital marketing in my current job. To learn how to post for a technical company filled with engineers and software programers, I looked to the competiton for examples on the language and interaction. One major thing I learned is, if you post the content people need or want, the followers will come to you. The key is to talk about relevant content for the industry and usually needs to be useful and follow with the topic trends. So many of the competitors used original content that made their social madia voice into an "expert" voice. 

Also, the key to digital marketing is talking to the consumer. My company uses a platform called Hootsuite that allows me to keep up with topic discussions where I can write back to people personally. This skill is used by everyone in the business who has their brand out there. At the end of the day, every business has one goal: Keep the customers happy.

Digital Marketing was extremly prominent today, because it is cyber monday. I have seen numerous forms of digital media. When I logged on to my facebook today I noticed an ad from Macy's stating buy one pair of shoes get the second free #cybermonday. I recieved an e-mail from urban outfitters that was titled "hurry, cyber monday is almost over!." I noticed a promoted ad on twitter from walmart that was also referencing deals that they had for cyber monday. Needless to say, a vast variety of companies are utilizing digital marketing. I have learned from this that the more exposure you get, the better. In order to recieve more revenue, you need more exposure. Everyone successful company is now utilizing this.

I experience digital marketing from the moment I wake up. I always check my email first thing, which will have a coupon or promotion from one of the stores I like. I also check my Facebook account, which has many different sponsored posts. I also often check websites like E! News to read posts from those that work there about what's going on in Hollywood. I've been exposed to it so much that I do not even notice anymore. Sometimes I get a little creeped out when an ad on Facebook for shoes I googled 2 hours ago pops up, but this is actually quite a genius method. Digital marketing SELLS.

I engage with digital marketing most directly through site like pinterest and instagram. Its easy for me to get carried away looking at interesting photos or customer testimonials. Typically one thing leads to another and I may be reading a blog or sigining up for an email list. I'm a sucker for deals so the offer sounds good I'm not likely to dicline. If I've learned anything is that artistic or unique personal testaments to products can really interest potential consumers. If its a cute pair of yoga pants I don't want to see just that pair on a hanger I want to see a yogi doing something amazing in an exotic location while wearing the pants. Just like I want to see my favorite chocolate bar transformed into a cookie with an attached recipie. You need to give your audience more then just the product you need to encourage engagment through curiousity. 

I have a personal policy about my digital distractions. During the work day I only digitally distract with work content. I take about 15 minutes during the day to check in to my personal life. After work, I begin my "outside" life. One lesson I've learned, which is entirely irrelevant in this context, is that I am trending toward having less of an actual "outside" life. Take me back to 1990; I needed something and I had to find it at the mall, the library, even the phonebook. Last night I purchased online, researched online, and lurked online - without leaving my spot in front of NFL football.  

My personal digital distractions often start with an e-mail. Saturday: An e-mail arrived with a music festival update; checked out bands on youtube; detoured to online music purchase; detoured to e-bay search; looked up airfares; booked hotel room and rental car; bookmarked festival lineup rumors website; checked at least 10 band FBs and websites; sent messages to friends to join me; and so on. In doing all those tasks, I'm sure I leaned toward airlines, car rental sites, hotel chains, etc. that have targeted me with their marketing.

Do you realize what people are doing at work? Even a little cyberloafing can turn into a bad habit.  (this is written off-work hours, but posted mid-day) Class work falls somewhere between personal time and work time since it's a little of both.

I believe that I am most influence by digital interaction through YouTube. I watch and Subscribe to many different types of YouTubers, but the ones that I most often watch are family vloggers. Within a video there are Brand deals that they talk about, such as if you go to this website with a forward slash with their YouTube name on it, you can get a 20% discount on your first purchase. I always see and hear about these deals, but I never really realized that it is a form of digital marketing. I've realized that no matter where you are in the world, something as simple as watching a youtube video will market to you in one way or another. 

I online shop often, so I get different coupons, sale alerts, and new clothes emails everyday. Sometimes I wish I wasn't subscribed to so many because it makes getting to more important emails difficult, but they can be helpul at times. I'm currently looking for a new coat since it's starting to get colder, and today I got an email from a website I like offering 25% off all coats. This is one of the benefits of receiving emails from several stores. I definitely think clothing websites try to entice potential buyers with flashy or interesting graphics, sales, and coupons.

I subscribe to several different websites for coupons and promotions.  I notice when I get emails from Bath and Body Works for example that they always have an interesting subject title which makes me curious to check out what they sent me.   I frequently receive emails about some of their products being on a special sale for one day only.  In my opinion, Bath and Body Works has an excellent digital marketing team because they send out emails every day and sometimes more than once about all the deals going on. Whenever I see the word "sale" in the subject line, I never hesitate to check it out.  Their emails always are colorful with graphics and seem to include good news all the time.  I think the lesson learned is the wording of the email.  Making a sale sound like its never going to happen again is part of their competitive technique because consumers feel like they need to drop everything they are doing and go to the sale.     

Yes, we can learn from observation, observation also can bring us social market skills. Take my personal experience as an example, I followed some brand I usually shop at Facebook and Twitter, get email subscribtion for deals and promotions. Althought it makes me cost more on those informations, thinking about online marketing strategy, product company can observe our online shopping behavior to identify whether we are their target audience. Building a strong postive relationship via Facebook and Twitter or email with us, make more business profit. 

Observation is definitely a great way to learn but I think pairing that with real applications or working along while observing could be even more beneficial. Sometimes yI can observe something and remember it for a couple days but then when you go back to do it I may have forgetten some critical steps but if I had worked an example similar to the work I need to do I will remember it 100%.

I am totally agree that observation is the best way to learn. Only through observation, we can find out more new stuffs and make a progress. For digital marketing, observation is so important and necessary. digital marketing is always changing so we have to update it as soon as possible. For myself, I log in Facebook, Twitter and check e-mail everyday. In the e-mail, we will get the instruction form the professor and TA, get the productive information from sales and some advertisement or coupons. My favorite brand is Ssense that is a website of fashion. Ssense sells a lot of fashionable and luxury clothes, shoes and bags. I will go to this website several time for a week. I like their interview section in the homepage because I can observe more information from it. 

My digital interaction is usually emails from stores that I shop at. I am constantly getting emails about speicals or new products and a lot of the time I get annoyed... but it does make me click on their website to look at new inventory. They are insisitent, but hey it works!

Thinking about myself, I am a sort of active social media user. I checked my email and facebook everyday, sometimes read blogs and twitter. I realized that our life is full of media sales and digital marketing. For example, Nike usually come out special editions with twitter, which means customers can only buy those special edition through twitter links. In this case, they gain focus and it became a effective way to build up its popularity of twitter. Emails with special deals or sales are more often, since I can find those emails everyday without doubt. But sometimes I just delete them without seeing inside. Digital sales and promotions should consider getting more effective.

 I think observation is very closely related to the environment you are raised in. In this case, everyone today is exposed to more digital media than ever. Our environment consists of constant interaction and rapid development in technology. Understanding digital marketing is a skill that everyone successful should have. Personally, I enjoy keeping up with the latest fashion trends and brands. I receive many emails from online shopping sites, and I have noticed the site Revolve Clothing always catches my eye. The site is very user friendly and composed effortlessly. The lesson I learned from this digital interaction is that it is difficult to make yourself stand apart from other brands.

Since the ability exists to look at such a variety of sites, I find myself staying dedicated and following a very select few brands. After analyzing the brands I find myself drawn to, each brand expresses their products through luxurious, sophisticated design. I believe each brand I interact with should make it clear that they take pride in their products/service offered. This idea can be enhanced with digital marketing, as well as allowing the brand to continuously evolve. Keeping up with digital marketing trends is crucial. I was also extremely impressed with Free People and Love for Lemons campaign on Facebook. The combining of these two brands is an example of how online media exposure offers opportunities for a company to expand and grow. Clearly, this is just the beginning of digital marketing and I am very interested to see where it will take us in the future.

Observation is an important skill that can apply to any situation like learning, working, and etc. Indeed, I just realized that I am observing and learning from digital marketing professionals every day. I like watching youtube videos posted by beauty gurus, and often I saw them reviewing beauty products stating that they were sponsored by different brands. It is getting more popular that companies promote their products through these bloggers/youtubers probably because it is an easier and less costly approach to the targeted audience. Therefore, I think we need to be aware of that and determine whether these reviews are trustworthy. We should understand that these reviews are only references so we have to do more research and make decisions based on our judgment.

I agree with that observation is one of the best ways in learning. Especially in the digital marketing area, observation is the key to form the interaction between audiences. In order to generate a effective way of communication, it is significant to observe what would attract audiences. To produce well of the content of new of new media requires a lot of observation through lives. Paying attention to life experiences and what the other acts helps a lot in creating ideas. I often receive e-mails from a couple brands that I usually shop for, I would usually pay attention to the tune and the techniques they used for each sales. Sometimes I will get attracted, but sometimes don't, I usually would think about how it successfully attracts my attention or how it fails to do so. I will try to learn from it by the experience of observing through internet marketing.  

I completely agree that one of the best ways to learn a skill is from social learning theory- through observation. I experience digital marketing every single day of my life, it is something that is unavoidable. Today I had a digital interaction with the blog Cupcakes and Cashmere today. This blog contains fashion, beauty, decor, food, DIY, and there is a section called "series" that consist of Ask Emily, Things I Love, 5 Things, Personal Posts, Weekend Wardrobe, etc. The blog I read was Monthly Beauty Buys of September. The 3 products she recommended are new discoveries that have quickly made their way into her permanent beauty arsenal. These products are Armani Liquid Bronzer, Pssssst Dry Shampoo, and Kat von B Blush in Bellisima. A blog is a great way to advertise products, ideas, and brands because you are not getting bombarded with e-mails from different companies. You can go to the blog on your own leisure time and you get to pick which categories you are interested in and choose what articles you want to read about. Through digital marketing I have learned that I do not have to leave my house to learn about all these products and topics, everything is right at my fingertips. Through reviews and comments I can educate myself on the products and learn from other people what they liked and what they didn’t like. Digital marketing opens up a million doors for people that want to research before purchasing a product or people who are too lazy to go to the store.

I definitely agree that we really don't know how much exposure we have to digital marketing; we're too used to it! I always thought that inspiration literally stems from everything you experience; from watching a ballet in Europe, to smelling the aroma of a bakery at dawn, or meeting a new friend for the first time. I read this article on Time on 10 ways to find inspiration, and at first I thought none of these things could work. But trying them was really eye opening at the very least. You never stop to think how much the world around you is changing and how it'll give way to the "next big thing." I work at H&M right now and everywhere you look, there is some form of digital marketing; whether it is a large sale advertisement or an introduction to Fall fashions, or a screen with portraits of our current fashions. There is a different one everywhere, so the difference in pictures will invite you to read the others and hopefully buy into that deal or ad. Usually, almost every customer asks about these deals in one way or another and it really shows how innate it is for us to communicate digital marketing every day. H&M also has a big standing on Instagram where they interact with the customers and it really shows how casual they are with their followers, like friends. That is the kind of vibe and environment H&M works in, and that is consistant with how they act on social media. 

I realized I was exposed to digital marketing everyday. I liked the Facebook pages of my favorite brand such as Starbucks, Amazon. I love to see beautiful pictures and promotion from Starbucks Facebook page. If the seasonal beverage comes out, I immediately get the email about this deal. If Starbucks starts a new promotion, I wanted to be informed as soon as possible. I also got lots of email with special deals, notification and updated information everyday from many different brands. Digital marketing allows me to interact with the brands. The digital marketing is the best marketing strategy nowadays since everyone has accessibility, so people are willing to interact with the brand.

Not only am I exposed to digital marketing everyday but I also interact with digital marketing on multiple outlets. Instagram is a social media outlet that I interact with on a day-to-day basis. For example, today I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and came across a photo posted by Urban Outfitters telling of Alt-J's new album released today along with a giveaway of a Crosley turntable hand-painted by the band. Not only was I exposed to Urban Outfitters store, but I was also inclined to interact with iTunes to purchase the new album AND was exposed to the brand Crosley-- 3 birds with 1 stone. Without looking back and thinking through my interactions, I never would've guessed that I could be exposed to so many digital marketing technique through one picture posted on Instagram. 

I have come to the realization that I don't do as much observing as I should. Just writing this post, I am making a goal for myself to slow down through my daily life and do more observing and less looking past things. I would like to get as much out of this course as I can and would appreciate any advice that you would like to share that you have gained through your personal experiences. 

You cant go throught a day anymore with out being involved with digital marketing. When you check your email, most of the time you will have a handful of emails from companies telling you about deals or new products they have available. Also when you go onto your social media accounts they now use your interests and advertise them as banners on the side of your news feed or sometimes right in your news feed. One leason I have learned from socail media is it can be over used and people tend to ignore the ads. They are all over everything so people just tend to not notice them anymore. 

My digital action is very two faced. I am either focused on my digital "friends" through facebook, or focused on my business through my business Network and Website. 

Something i really try to do, which is very hard being that i am not very tech/website building savy, would be to update my website. Seems as if i paid someone to create it for me 3 years ago, and while it functions good, it is outdated and lacks information and quality that my cliental could greatly benifit from. 

Ross! Any chance you could give me some advice on how to direct more traffic to my website to increase my digital interation. The lesson i have learned from what i have found, is in business, if you arent thinking outside the box, and updating your website frequently, things become outdated FAST. Updating websites is a key in furthuring traffic and business to make more money. 

            Digital marketing has become a part of my everyday life. Some brands on social media I interact with, others I ignore completely. There are a few brands I interact with pretty often such as: Victoria’s Secret, Lush, and Aerie. All of these companies I follow on Facebook and read up on their posts so I can receive discounts and coupons. I've noticed that my newsfeed has more advertisements with brands similar to the ones I follow already. I have learned that by using digital marketing correctly to target specific customers, and by offering them deals, they will more than likely come back for more. 

I don't think anyone really realizes the amount of digital marketing that they are exposed to on a daily basis.  I receive tons of emails from stores telling me of their special sales they have going on, which convinces me to go and buy something.  Anytime I go onto Facebook there are advertisements throughout my newsfeed which is another form of digital marketing that we are intentionally being shown without us really fully realizing it.  I think especially after taking this class I am going to be more aware to the digital marketing that I am seeing everyday.  I have learned that there are so many ways that things are marketed to us and through observation we can see the things that are being marketed, especially now that we know what to look for when it comes to digital marketing.

I received emails from various companies as an advertisement every day. I usually don’t open because most of them are just an advertisements or information I don’t need. I ran in the color run last week. After I registered the color run, that advertisement was often showed up on many website I saw. I didn’t have negative image for color run but I felt the ads were persistent. The ads have even showed up after the race was over. I hope the organization adjust the volume of ads especially for the customers who were registered. To optimize the volume of emails and ppc ads and contents of ads will improve customer engagement. 

Observation is king. People say that we learn most not when we talk to someone or communicate with someone but rather from observing others, situations etc. While there's a difference between making assumptions and logical theories, it goes beyond just trying to figure out what's happening. Observing can help in learning about your own lack of knowledge. More than often I see something that could only be described as mind-blowing but I also feel so stupid for not knowing about it before. Like learning about a new product that most people knew about but you were one of the last few who didn't know anything. Marketing and sales especially is all about observation. Marketing something irrelevant can result in people being sold something that they dont need or believe in.

I find this happen a lot especially when I find missionaries on my door step trying to sell me something about their faith when I have zero interest in converting from my own faith. At times like those I realize that these missionaries would be better off in third world countries where people aren't so educated and are more open to learning about new faiths.

In another instance Ive more than often interacted with people through comments and realized how different people are online when compared to their offline persona. Ive observed that people are speak more openly online perhaps due to the anonymity it presents. Like making derogatory comments about women's assets or compulsive swearing.

Being exposed to digital marketing everyday, it sometimes doesn't even make you realize all the advertising you see. On Facebook, they advertise based on what you search or 'like.' If something catches my eye, I will click on the advertisement. For example, I like to look at shoes a lot and an advertisement for Journey's came across my page. So naturally I am going to click on it if I am interested in shoes.
Another way is through instagram. If I look at what my friends like, and see clothing, I am probably going to look at it and follow them so I can see more of their selections. An example of this is Forever 21. I follow them so I can see what clothes they are marketing to learn knew trends and styles.

On twitter, companies pay to advertise on your timeline so you can see it as your scrolling through. If it catches my eye, I will take a look. One in particular that I like is the Bud Light twitter account. They always have great tweets around the holidays.
I've learned that it is important to advertise and try to interact with potential customers to grasp their attention to your product.

I got an email today from Victoria's Secret and several other online brands I have made purchases from in the past. They are helpful to me because they let me know when deals and sales are going on, and I don't have to go out and search for it myself. I think that is a lesson I've learned from it. To be successful in digital marketing, you need to reach the consumer with a personalized offering tailored to their interests and preferences, and you need to invite them to interact with the brand and shop the way they want to.

I think that digital marketing is just part of a routine that were used to now since were so used to being involved with social media. Today I found a coupon that I used and at checkout I ended up recieving another coupon to use at a later date. The brand that offered this to me was the company Vans which has a very good digital marketing strategy. I think it has a lot to do with how they present what they have to offer. It catches your eye. And saving some money it a big plus. I wasn't even looking to buy anything today and I ended up paying almost $100. I would say they got a pretty good sale for just being able to catch my attention.

My favorite brand the follow is LF Soho. This is a high fashion designer based in New York city and they have established such a strong and vibrant identity for themselves that it is hard to miss is. I am in charge of social media and marketing for a Fashion company in New York as well currently for my internship and I take inspiration from their blog posts and even have begun to develop my own voice for the company without being afraid to be a little out of the box and use words and pictures that out to the audience. I learned that there are no limits with digital marketing and there is no wrong way to do things. There just must be your way and you must find it. Once you established your goals and are completely identified with the brand, you can really get the creative juices flowing and the sky is the limit. I learned that people love to "feel" something when seeing your posts. When talking specifically about instgram, today I posted a picture of a fashion icon and put a quote that represented the picture, and well as what our brand stands for. Being proud and unique is so important! Also, hash tags open doors. This is how people are interconnected through these platforms with their similarities. I learned also that liking and following back are courtesies and you have to give to get. Well, atleast in the pre-mature stages. I interacted with a "instafamous" fashion blogger and I was trying to mix being cool with being professional and it was a difficult, yet doable, mix. I have learned so much from this class and first hand experience with social media on a daily basis and I completely agree with the fact that it just takes a matter of paying attention to master the essence of digital marketing.  

The most prominent one I can think of would be the digital strategy of Bath and Body Works and furthermore L Brands (BBW & Victoria Secret).  They provide a sense of urgency in their email blasts moving customers to head straight to their nearest store and catch the sale before it ends.  They have different deals every day, providing different reasons to shop at their establishment every day. I receive atleast one email from B&BWs a day telling me the bundles I can get by making a purchase that day, and I'll tell you, many times I hop in my car and buy some new products.  They make their emails inviting and engaging, almost like you can smell the scents through your phone.  

Today I was exposed to a new website, through a friend on Facebook. This was the epitome of great internet marketing; after finding the website I spent $25 and signed up for their website! INternet marketing and digital engagement does not always go so smoothly, but seeing this workout as well as it did is a good example of successful engagement online. 

I think it is near impossible to avoid digital marketing in 2014.  With that being said, I have been exposed to many brands through Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and even Google.  When companies advertise in blank spaces on the sides of websites, or put up banners at the top of articles, I don't really mind.  These ads don't necessarily have an immediate impact on me, but definitely keep the brands in my mind when it's time to spend some money.  And then, there are the pre-roll ads before videos.  These ads tend to annoy me more than anything else.  I don't click on a YouTube or CNN video to hear about what dog food I should be giving my pet.  In some cases, the ad can even be inappropriate before a video.  These ads tend to even draw me away from a product when going out to spend money.

I get a ridiculous amount of email per day from different stores I've shopped at. It's gotten so annoying so I've been unsubscribing anytime I receive one. I have been interacting with more brands on Twitter the past few months, especially keeping up with Nike, The North Face and other health and wellness accounts. Digital marketing really is just a part of my everyday life now and isn't something I think twice about. 

Everyday I get so many e-mails from different companies I have shopped at and I hae to say, it gets very annoying. Some companies send me an e-mail every single day and eventually I unsuscribe. I think a blog is a better way to advertise a brand or product because you can explain what it does in small posts and it is not intrusive and annoying. I chceck companies blogs often and I anjoying reading about their new products on there.

I am constantly exposed to digital marketing. One of the major ways I am exposed is through emails. I am constantly recieving emails from retailers on what is hot right now to buy or how the biggest sale of the summer is happening right now. I get about 20 emails per day about sales such as those from retailers. The emails are informing but I usually delete them right away unless they somehow catch my attention and then I am forced to open the email and probably look at or purchase whatever they were talking about. So it does sometimes have positive outcomes if the email is catchy enough.

The most frequent form of interaction I experience is email blasts about this "great deal" here or that "awesome savings" there. While it is great to get the information, the ampunt of email blasts I get per day about company promotions is down right irritating! It has taught me just how important inbound marketing really is. If I ever start a company, I REFUSE to purchase email lists. I don't ever want to be that email that gets deleted or forwarded to SPAM before it even gets opened. Being bombarded by emails has also taught me that even when your customers wilingly volunteer their email to you, to be considerate of what you send them and how often you send it.

I'm pro twitter and instagram advertisement because it is completely the discretion of the follower as to what they see because it is their choice to follow your information.

I get tons of promotional advertisements every day. It came to the point where I had to create an email account just for the promotional offers. That email address currently has 2,166 unread emails. I only check it when I’m shopping and looking for coupons. One day it’s going to look me out because my inbox will be full. A lesson I learned from this companies will always be fighting for your business, even though most people have become numb to it. 

I am exposed to digital marketing everyday, especially during my internship. I currently intern at a media agency working on the ad operations team. One thing I do, is link an ad's creative to the placement and generate HTML tags that I send to the sites to post them on their pages. This is a direct look at how digital marketing works, and I get to observe the people around me at work which is teaching me great amounts. However, I did interact with a brand on social media when working on my project. I spent a lot of the day researching TOMS and it's current digital footprint. I've learned that digital is becoming a huge part of campaigns and more money is being spent digitally than traditionally. It's heavily incorporated in our lives now, and is becoming invisible.  

This is a great post because I just interacted with the brand I'm doing for my digitial strategy project in the class. I love their culture and Moosejaw's presense on the internet. I learned that in order to work there, you have to be relaxed and not have a 9-5 attitude. What I really like about Moosejaw is that a simple interaction could probably turn into something so much more! I'm now going to apply for a position at the East Lansing store!

Every morning I wake up with tons of emails from various brands containing coupons, sale information and other deals. Most of the time, I just delete them before even opening them because they're companies I don't need anymore. However, sometimes if the subject has something that catches my interest or I am in the market for a product from one of those brands, those emails can come in handy if you can handle searching through them.

Though I like many products from many brands, I only follow a few brands on social networks. I like brands that can relate to customers. Most brands I've checked out use social media to post information that the consumer already knows or recieves from another medium. Social media should be used to enhance the experience of using the brand and bridge the gap between the company and consumer. This can be something simple as "favoriting" a consumer's post after the consumer tagged the brand or reposting a good review of their product on Instagram. Social media should be used to show a consumer that the brand is listening to the consumer, for without them there would be no brand. 

My favorite brand to follow on social media is the e-retailer @NastyGal. Not only do they post interesting content, but they interact with consumers. I constantly see a stream of retweets of consumers' testaments to the products and they always respond with witty comments. It's like talking to a peer, that's how personal they are with their consumers. Regardless of the brand image, the brand should always aim to relate and connect.

I hardly notice the digital marketing that takes place in my everyday life. I never even really think about it. Having to think about it I have had many interactions today including one that really caught my eye. On Instagram I looked at clothes from a store located in downtown Rochester. From observing this I notice that them demonstrating what the clothes look like on people make them more appealing. It’s not a stick thin model but someone that actually works in the store and this makes it more realistic for people viewing their account. They give you information to call, their email, and how much each of the products cost. I really think this is a good way to advertise their brand and they seem to be successful. 

I find it true I am always learning by observation, especially with my daily social media apps. I notice a lot of brands I follow on Instagram, for example Sephora, is always posting pictures of what is new, trends, tips/tricks, celebrities endorsing their products, and any deals that are going on. This means they are always keeping their followers engaged by posting things they will want to see and read about. I am also a VIB member at Sephora and I constantly get emails to review products I have tried, how many points I have, new products "suggested" for me, and sales/specials they have coming up. I also get a special gift and other specials when it is my birthday. I also have "liked" Sephora on Facebook and I notice they are always posting lots of great articles, interatcting with their followers, and posting frequently. I also like Cosmopolitan on Facebook and I have also noticed with them that they are always posting many links and articles that have interesting titles and keep followers engaged. I always see them in my newsfeed and have to click because they look so interesting. I think this is very important because when you keep your followers engaged and interested they will come to you, which is similar to an inbound marketing strategy. What I have learned through observation is that it is very important to keep your followers engaged and build a relationship with them to the brand, and they will keep coming back to you.

Today I got a few emails from a bunch of different travel agencies that offer planned tours to Ireland and Machu Picchu. For the last few days I've been trying to find the best deals for a guided tour of either of those places (since I'll be travelling alone if I even do go). I got one email that really caught my eye: "Save $200 off your trip if you sign up by July 31!" Now I knew that I was no where near ready to sign up for trip by July 31, but nonetheless, I clicked and went and researched their trips anyway just to see if maybe I could afford it by then. My bank account laughed at me. But I just had to double check because what a great deal, right? How could I squander this limited time opportunity? So, here I sit, realizing why they make me sign up for emails before even being allowed to look at their trips. Because they work. If I was close to having the money, I would have signed up to save that $200.