Week 11 Part A - Twitter and Social Media Influencers

I came in to this week's assignment with a few preconceived notions. In the reading and exploration for this week, one idea was flat out wrong and the other is slowly changing. These were the assumptions that I came in with this week:

1. I was using Twitter correctly. 🠈 wrong

2. What influencers do is a scam

Twitter

The beginner's guide to marketing on Twitter was pretty thorough. It helped me see more clearly how Twitter and Instagram differ. I don't have a Twitter account for Rad Math Tutoring, but I was using Twitter to advertise the services for my current workplace. I was using Twitter in a similar way to how I was using Instagram--they both share photos and small quips. I would post at the about the same time of day and include the same content on Twitter as the Instagram post but with limited words.

After reading the guide, I realized that I probably wasn't using Twitter in a way to bring out the best outcome. I don't have the capacity to be successful on Twitter for Rad Math Tutoring, at least not while I'm working my current job and promoting them on social media. It was suggested to tweet 5-7 times a day. That stat was the most overwhelming. If I were solely dedicated to my fictional company (Rad Math Tutoring), then I could spend more time planning a Twitter strategy for all those tweets during the week. In the education field, it's challenging to create new content: educational videos, engaging puzzles, and zingy math jokes. 

Influencers

In thinking about the role of an influencer, is it really so different as a celebrity endorsing a brand? It's not. Fans develop relationships with celebrities in the way that followers do with influencers. There is a bond based on how present, open, and engaging the person makes themselves to the public. Plus, I have to give respect to the people who are able to gather a large following. You have to dedicate time to regularly post and to keep it engaging. While I fully believe someone could post about a product that they do not believe in and do not know well, I hope the public keeps them accountable with brutally honest reviews and comments.

Once I got over the mental obstacle about the process and hierarchy in social media, I thought about Rad Math Tutoring as a blossoming business.  What kind of endorsement path would Rad Math Tutoring take? It's unlikely that a trendy social media personality is going to say, "Wow, math is so fun! I do it all the time now thanks to Rad Math Tutoring." The most genuine route for my brand would be to seek someone in family and child-rearing to promote the tutoring aspect (not necessarily the love of math) to parents with kids struggling in academics. The best thing I could to for the brand in advertising is keep things honest.

 

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