17 Tabs Open, 4 Non-responsive, and I don't Know Where the Music is coming from...

In my infinite wisdom, I decided that I should venture into doing something other than Facebook and Instagram media learning. Upon looking for ideas, I came upon an old friend - HTML and CSS. They have been a staple language I can figure out quickly enough to coincide with the digital marketing media that's needed.

Story book design

So, why HTML and CSS? I'm already fairly proficient in HTML 4, and CSS 2, as I've used them since the dawn of time whilst running various websites (I used to have a military aircraft website back in the day), and so the natural progression of this knowledge is to brush up my skills with the latest versions, HTML5 and CSS3. 

Now, here's where it becomes interesting. I know that I can, in theory, use all three of these as a beginning block to showcase my knowledge and skills, but implementing them is another matter. I'd like to be at the point where I can run a website, have this blog moved across to it, run Facebook and Instagram campaigns to advertise it well, and use SEO from Google or another source to optimise my website.

All good in theory. Website. Yes. Advertising. Yes. Blog. Yes. Background processes. Yes. It's the getting to that point that can be frustrating at times. I'm now a month into my independent studies, and although I've made quick (and good) progress, I do feel I'm either making things happen too fast, or that I'm over-studying. To my point of the title, I feel rather like a web browser. With 17 tabs open, 4 that are non-responsive, and music is coming from somewhere, but I don't know where.

With that being said, I'm loving learning again, and realise now that, at almost 37 years old, I could have and should have done something like this a long time ago. But, it's not good to dwell on the past. And I don't. I'm having a positive year this year.

What Time of Day?

As we all know, Social Media works 24/7, but for a business, you have a demographic, and that demographic works at certain times of the day. So, you need to make sure that demographic sees your posts and presence at the right. But what time is the right time?

Let's take an example. A window cleaning company. Simple thing, you might think. Post at any time and you should see a variety of people that may want their windows cleaned. True, but not accurate enough. If you run a test on your business Page for Facebook, and post several times during a day or two, you will get insights on those posts.

Insights on Facebook

Said insights should show you how many people have seen the posts, what the demographic is, and any interactions you get from it (likes, comments or shares). Now, my Facebook Page is just a test bed for me to see how things work, so I don't expect any interaction, but I can still see that on the whole, some of you have seen my posts.

Back to the Window Cleaning. So, you've spent the last couple of days researching when best to post on your page, and you find that evenings and weekends seem to be the best spot to place posts. It is ideal to post daily on your page (just for relevance), but these are your prime spots. You can then set up a series of scheduled posts (assuming you will be busy at the weekend with work), or make an ad campaign to advertise your business on Social Media during the weekends or evenings.

With this is mind, my next objective on this business page is to kind of open it up to more than just my friends list (you've all been great just so you know), and advertise on Facebook and Instagram.

Now, I'm a bit dubious of doing this. There are a few reasons why:

1. I don't actually own a business.
2. The Page I run is purely test bed material.
3. I'm not that keen on letting the world know it exists just yet.
4. I'm not in it for any gain, other than experience of running a campaign.

So, my dilemma is this, do I run ads on the Page, and make a conscious effort to make sure people know it's just a test, thus not gaining the experience of running an ad, or go ahead, run the ad, make people aware, and make sure I know how to run it all properly?

I'm still yet to decide.

In House or Third Party Apps?

Various Social Media Content Providers

My question today is this: we all use Facebook and Instagram. But do the normal apps allow us to post easily across the platforms, or can a third party app take the crown?

Facebook

It's weird, Facebook. It will allow you to post to Instagram, but in a roundabout kind of way. You can only do it via the website, and it only allows from a Facebook Business Page to an Instagram Business Account. It doesn't allow for personal accounts at the minute.

There are settings you have to do like sign in to Instagram from the Facebook Page, and then selecting an image every time, so it can be posted to Instagram.

Instagram

Instagram is easy to follow, and allows you to link to Facebook. When you create a post in Instagram, you can select on the message section to share to Facebook (and others), by using a slider. Simple.

The only downside I have figured is that when you tag someone in Instagram, it doesn't convert it into Facebook speak (linking to the adjacent page on Facebook), and for some reason this bugs me.

Third Party Apps

There's a whole plethora of third party applications you can use while on the go:

• Buffer
• Sociallix
• Plann
• Hootsuite
• Crowdfire

They all allow for different levels of ease of setup and functionality. Some are better at it, quicker at it or simple to use, and others... well, they aren't bad, let's put it that way.

For me, a third party app is only good enough to use if you can use all features, and while the free versions of these apps allow the basics, most of them you either have to pay for the full version, or subscribe a monthly fee. Not a big problem, if you have the money spare to do so in the first place.

One thing these apps all have in common. The function of not being allowed to post to Instagram directly. They all allow it via Instagram itself, so you might as well use it on its own. This feature is something Instagram has been working on, as they are working on the API frame to allow it.

Outcome

My conclusion is that while I like features from all the apps, and they all do a fairly good job, for me only using Facebook and Instagram as a test bed, they don't cut the grade for me.

In a real world perspective, if your company uses a lot of social media presence, and more than just Facebook and Instagram, then yes, they work perfectly for whatever your needs are. Always handy to have them on the go too.

Final thought: Personally, I will be going back to using just Facebook and Instagram to post from there. At least for now, until I start working somewhere that I need to use others with. Again, it's something that is based on the needs and what you are used to using.

Study Tips

Great Study Tip

Afternoon!

For those of you that have been on this blog since the beginning, you'll know that I am studying for Facebook Certification.

The trouble is, I find it hard to study for new things; I'm a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to getting certain things done. I have to sit down, and concentrate hard in order for things to go in my brain.

We all have different techniques too. Some of us use noise to their advantage. Some of us like the quiet of a library. There are some of us that write things down, and those that don't need to bother (lucky sods!) But well all learn differently. Working where I work currently in a school for children with Autism has taught me that we all learn at different speeds, and different ways. It's something to be known that we are all different.

Here are a few tips I have found useful in my study for this certificate:

• Write it down: Always write things down. You may never remember them, and it can be helpful to come back to.
• Make a list: if you're not sure what parts to study, make a list. Sometimes there are ready made lists for you to follow.
• Use the best style to teach yourself: Use images if you have to, use text, use video on YouTube, etc.
• Find your niche: If you like to play music, sit on a chair upside down, or sit at a table with masses of unkempt papers everywhere to learn, that's fine. Just find what way is best for you to learn.
• Never rush: If you have no set deadlines, and your coursework is like mine where it is online, free and just includes an exam at the end, take your time. I've learnt that the hard way as I'm like a bull in a China shop.
• Little and often: By this, I mean use your time effectively. Don't put it all on one day. Something you can learn by experience.

I'm finding it difficult to learn by writing things down all the time. Especially with this Facebook Certificate, as when I do a practice exam to test my knowledge, it gives me a list of bits that I have missed. Great! You would think so, but I don't want to have to write it down again and again. My notes have doubled, so I'm re-writing them now into a small note book, and marking the main points with index markers so I know what to read when I'm revising.

My quest to fulfil this exam will succeed. That's the last thing I will say.

NEVER GIVE UP!

Interlinking on Social Media

Social Media

So, my journey on Facebook Blueprint continues, and as I learn more about how social media works (from a business perspective, I mean we all know how to use Facebook, right?) I figure out that everything is interlinked.

As much as this can be a blessing, running an ad campaign across multiple media outlets (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc) could be costly. But from one, you can manage a whole plethora of ads to multiple points of access.

Now, this may seem brilliant, and it is; the use of ads in one place as opposed to 5, 6 or 20 is a major upgrade. But sometimes the reality is just that people don't always have the time to set it all up, or they just don't use the different types of social media. So is it really worth the bother?

Well, yes. If previous experience in job roles I've done is anything to go by, then using many types of media, including online, can have massive effects on a business. Sure, I dare say there are a lot of big companies that don't use certain social media; an example being Apple not having an official presence on Facebook until 2013, but they did elsewhere. This doesn't mean anything, as it certainly hasn't hurt the reputation of the brand (Apple).

So, for me, although I'm interlinking everything I can (I currently run a Facebook business page, Instagram business account, Blogger blog and constantly updating my LinkedIn account), it's not always necessary to have such a big presence online. The old saying of "less is more" is always relevant.

Having said all this about interlinking social medias together, we all use different styles and types of social media as we are all different. It's what we're comfortable with, and what we already know or are willing to learn. Sometimes, it's a case of being shown how to do something on one that draws us to it. I never used Instagram until my wife showed me what it was all about. My personal feed has over 300 posts now, over the course of around 5 years.

Interlinking is brilliant for some things though. I can post on Instagram, and have it sent to Facebook. I just wish sometimes that links in one would work in the other. Like when you tag a company in Instagram, it should convert it to the relevant account on Facebook. Maybe I should suggest that to be done?

Studying Hard...

Studying hard...

Morning!

As I scroll through what I've learnt so far (I'm looking specifically at Facebook and Instagram at the moment), it's easy to see how far I have got.

I've learnt that a Facebook Page is a valuable tool to any small business or individual based on their needs and their customers' needs, and also that there are many ways to interact with a customer base.

So, onward with more learning, as it will enable me to discover new ways to interact with people. Setting up my Page, A Little About Me., allows me to explore this world, as for me, learning on the fly is how I seem to learn best.

What I need to do is add more people to my Page, assign Editors (they can help me to moderate the page), and draw people in via networking. Networking a site or Page sounds easy, doesn't it? I can assure you that you can do as much networking as you wish, but getting those people you have networked with to either [for me] like my page, or to sell products is more difficult. This is where eye-catching displays, interaction with people's comments and using insights can help. Sometimes you need all the help you can get.

As I said before, onward with the learning.

A Little About Me.

A Little About Me.

Hello there!

My name is Barry Lee.

So, this is my first proper go at a Blog.

For some reason, I’ve always wanted to do one, but never fully got around to it. I always thought it would be super time consuming, and not worth the bother. But, in recent times, I have found it easy to set up, and also with this being my first post, I have some material that I can pull up and use for a few posts.

What I’m trying to do is learn how the background of the Blog works. For me, this is important, as it should provide the skills I need for a new job. You see, I’m about 15 years out of practice with computers, and for me that’s not a good thing, as I want to go into the IT sector for work. That doesn’t mean that I cannot do a thing with them. I mean, I’m still proficient with Microsoft Windows (having used every version of home computing Windows since 2000/XP, and a few Server editions too), and use it on a daily basis in my current role at a school for children with conditions on the Autism spectrum.

But, having said that, the industry, and computers in general, have changed significantly with the introduction of Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites. These have all come along since I learnt my BTEC back in 2003-2005. We’ve had the inclusion of iOS and Android, being two new operating systems that are run by Apple and Google, respectively. Touch screens, smart devices, consoles even have an operating system since I did that course. So, it’s no wonder I feel a little out of touch with the modern world.

So, it is my aim, that along with this Blog, and a new Facebook page that I created (to which there is a link somewhere here), I re-learn the ways of the source [code], gather the magic and find new ways of doing things. My plan is to learn how to do Social Media stuff, how to integrate it into modern life, how to run things properly through online courses, and to hopefully find another job as a result. This is what 2020 is all about for me.