Final Reflection

 

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This class has been truly indispensable. Although I am not seeking out a marketing profession, this class has proven to be extremely insightful and enlightening. It has familiarized me with the basic fundamentals of social media and online marketing in ways that will prove to be beneficial for years to come regardless of which profession in which I find myself in the future. Not only has this class done an excellent job of familiarizing me with the fundamentals of social media and online marketing, but it has progressively built upon those fundamentals, and in doing so, has helped me come to a holistic understanding of online marketing best practices and strategies. Additionally, this class has encouraged me to evaluate issues within the realm of digital and social media marketing through the lens of my Biblical worldview. It has also encouraged me to let my faith act as a guide that directly informs the way that I personally practice online marketing practices and strategies.

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Biggest Personal Takeaways

As I’ve mentioned already, this class has covered a lot of different topics that pertain to online marketing knowledge, best practices, and strategies. This section will serve to highlight the pieces of information that I found to be the most valuable. 

1. The Sporadic Nature of the Online Environment: My first big personal takeaway is that of the ever-evolving and constantly changing online marketing environment. As future marketers or administration members with marketing duties, it is critical that we keep up with the changes that frequently occur in the online marketing sphere. Social platforms frequently update algorithms and features, consumer behavior is always changing, new technologies, and new competitors are constantly appearing. If we do not keep up with new developments, we will be left behind and success will cease.

2. The Importance of Search Engine Optimization: Prior to this course, I had no idea what optimization was, how it worked, or how it impacted search results. Now, thanks to this class, I truly understand just how important search engine optimization is to individuals, small businesses, and large corporations looking to expand their visibility and increase revenue. Regarding SEO, my biggest takeaway is that SEO is a continuous, long-term investment - it is not just a one time thing. As the internet, customer preferences, and algorithms continue to evolve it is vital that companies continuously adapt both on-page and off-page SEO strategies and practices.

3. Social Media is a Powerful Marketing Tool: I have always known that social media has the capability to be a tool for marketing, but through this class, I have learned just how powerful of a marketing tool social media can be. Over 5 billion people use social media, meaning that its reach is extremely expansive. Social media also allows for real time engagement with customers through responses and content sharing; this allows companies to build strong relationships with their audience and customers. Lastly, social media allows for very narrow targeting through the collection of user data. By using this data, companies can target super specific customer segments.

4. My last big takeaway is the importance of strong leadership in the profession of online marketing. Strong leadership is essential in online marketing for a few different reasons. The first reason is that in a constantly changing environment, a consistent vision must be held. This is one of the roles of a leader in digital marketing: to be able to adapt to new trends and developments while not losing sight of long term goals. The second reason is the need for a unified voice. A strong leader is capable of ensuring that, although a company may be marketing through different channels, a unified brand voice and image is presented to audiences and customers. The last reason is the need for confident, data-informed decisions. Strong leaders are capable of consulting their data analytics teams and making confident decisions that are based on concrete data, not sentiments or general ideas.

This class has opened my eyes to the importance of online marketing and the impact that it can make for individuals, small businesses, and massive organizations. In my future profession, most of my responsibilities will likely not be directly tied to marketing; however, that is not certain. Because of this class, I feel adequately prepared to meet any marketing challenges that I may face in the future.