Week 17-Final Post- Wrapping it up

 First and foremost, thank you for teaching this class. I enjoyed diving more into social media and how it applies to businesses. Going into depth with all the marketing tools and utilizing them has been a great learning experience. I also took delight of reading my classmates real business or fictious and how they would implement on what we covered in class each week. 

My viewpoint on social media has not changed much. I do feel concerned about certain things in regard to privacy. My personal accounts I have a better perception on what I post especially with my kids. However, on a business standpoint, the more I put out there, the better. More exposure turns into clients and generate sales. As apple mentioned, about the privacy policy I think is great unless you are a small business trying to make a name for yourself. I see how it can impact on that. 

Creating a business profile on Instagram and Facebook, has helped discover new customers through the research I learned. For example, how many viewers looked at our page and new followers. Interesting enough, other businesses started following us. In a sense it's great networking which can lead to potential collaborations and new customers. 

Our business had a minor increase with customers. A family came in after seeing our Instagram on special orders of donuts and requested 2 dozen Christmas and Hannukah donuts for an event. We hope this turns out to be a frequent client of ours. Apparently, she searched Encinitas donuts through the hashtag and came across to us. We were closer to her and the reviews on yelp sealed the deal! 

With social media constantly revolving and being the digital way of word of mouth, Encinitas Donuts needs to stay on track with the latest trends. Venturing out on other platforms especially TikTok since many young viewers use it. We can capitalize on that target market and generation. Since we are close to San Diguito Academy high school, it gives us the opportunity to convert the students into customers. Also, we would need to keep creating new content and posting consistently to stay relevant. 

I appreciate the guidance you taught us in this class. The commenting on your group's post let alone creating and writing a blog was unfamiliar to me. I've never written one or even read one. I love the idea of blogging now! Thank you. To my classmates, I value the feedback I got from you about Encinitas Donuts. Next year as the new owners, we will take consideration of all the suggestions that were made. Good luck!

Week 16B: Planning a Calendar of Marketing Strategy

 Our content strategy for the month.

This week 12/11-12/18

• Take some images of customized donuts for special orders. 1 hour. 
• Edit images. Create content. 
• Schedule posts to post at 3am. An hour before we open to the public. 
• Create short videos or reels baking from scratch and all the hard work goes into making donuts.
• Twisted Thursdays. All the twisted donuts.
• Go on google analytics and see how we're doing. How many new followers along with viewers. 

Week of 12/18-12/25

• Hanukkah donuts are special ordered. Post images and video content of the Sufganiyot jelly donuts.

• Follow up with any direct messages or comments from followers. Address any concerns or positive feedback.
• 
  
•      Update our holiday hours and post on social media with some festive contents.
•      Follow up with or Facebook for business page. Add more details if needed.
•      Check our status on engagement and analysis.

    Week of 12/25-1/1

• During closed days, check all of our operational/back of house duties. 
• Create new content with New Year's resolutions poll. Perhaps looking into gluten and vegan free donuts.
• Post " Happy Holiday's from your mom-and-pop donut shop" content. 
• Update when we will reopen. 1 hour
• Go over our Zoho account. 

    Week 1/1-1/8

• Check our conversion on both social media platforms
• Analyze trend from this year's holiday and plan for next year. 2 hours.
• Start forecasting for next month's content. 
• Reaching out to clients if needed.

Week 16 Part A: Developing your Marketing Strategy

 The future of Encinitas Donuts, we will continue to use Instagram and Facebook. It's user friendly for our already clients and even new ones. With Facebook for business, it allows a viewer to read more information about us. Instagram has been convenient for us. We are able to post images and short videos aka reels. The option of customizing a post with gifs, background music, and hashtags. Everything is business friendly. I do like the scheduling tab. Often times, life gets busy, and we tend to forget things. The schedule post timer helps a lot. I also like integrating hashtags with our posts. Being creative and differentiating ourselves and staying relevant. 

Google Analytics would be a great marketing tool to keep track of our audience engagement, what we are doing wrong, and how we can improve. Google Analytics will give us an idea on how our content is engaging with viewers. What we need to change or how often or less we should be posting. Our peak times on how many people looked at our Instagram. Perhaps we can also implement Zoho as another management tool. With Zoho we are able to stay organized. Allocating all of our social media, emails, and finances. 

 Right now, we are enjoying Instagram. I've been using it for personal projects since it launched in 2010. It was a no brainer on how to integrate from personal to business. I enjoy the switch profile feature. I don't have to create a separate profile with a new username and password. Everything syncs to one user account. 

Social Media marketing would play a huge part with Encinitas Donuts. My in laws aren't social media friendly, but that's why once we take over, we hope to gain more business than before. I plan on doing all of our digital marketing and spending a couple of hours of taking photos and videos. Editing and thinking of content that is not too gimmicky. Also, promoting our business at my son's elementary school, especially the PTA and even the school district. I'll being that while working on my Social Media Marketing degree at MiraCosta.

 

 

Week 15 Part B: What we learn from Facebook Analytics

Since I did not have enough page likes, I could not get an accurate data reading for Encinitas Donuts. Our actual count is 55 Facebook page followers along with 25 Instagram followers. Just shy of 45 more. As an alternative assignment, we had to research on how the changes Apple has made to their privacy practices, impacts Facebooks ability to collect data to share with business customers.

Apple updated their privacy by requiring apps to get permission from the user before tracking their data. It's about choices with the user if they want personal information being shared. As an apple consumer myself, kudos to them for implementing this. I don't like my information being shared without my permission for other business purposes. It may lead to a data breach and can lead to spam emails or texts. An annoyance for sure.

           Facebook's rebuttal is that it will, " hamper the ability and reach of businesses to use targeted ads." What to know about Apple's new privacy update and why it's riling Facebook - ABC News (go.com) Many small businesses will be affected. I definitely understand both parties, but why can't small businesses find an alternative to reach an audience on their own? If you have to use other people's data without their permission, then your advertising, content, and target marketing needs some improvement. 

Facebook is concerned on the impact of Apple's app tracking transparency. Sales is a major one. According to, "Facebook said on Wednesday that Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature would decrease the company’s 2022 sales by about $10 billion." Facebook says Apple iOS privacy change will cost $10 billion this year (cnbc.com) Isn't Facebook a multi-billion-dollar company? I understand that Apple is a well-known company that generates millions of dollars every nano second. Facebook can find other ways to allocate more sales. 

 Overall, it's about choices. Apple's consumers have the option of allowing an app to keep tabs on personal data or not. Facebook should take into consideration of consumers privacy. I'm sure once you log in on social media, your personal information has already been collected and shared with other businesses without anyone's knowledge. Sad.

 

 

 

 

            

  

 

 

 

     

Week 15 Part A: What we learn from Google Analytics

 After reading the lecture and data report that was provided for this assignment, I learned that it is beneficial to have a google analytics business account in order to stay on top of everything. From looking into our own data on google analytics, the average engagement time was down by 45.5%, however our event count was up by 640.0%. in the last 7 days. 

It is convenient to integrate all social media platforms and the statistics of what we did right versus missed opportunities and how we can improve. Being more creative with our content, posting consistently, and capturing an audience and converting them into regular customers. The traffic Aquisition tab is unique to see how many are visiting our pages.

Going forward, Encinitas Donuts will focus on authenticity of our brand content and gimmicky. Being relevant and differentiating ourselves from other donut shops would be key. Digital Marketing is rapidly advancing that we need to be well rounded in these areas of data web tracking. My father-in-law has a notebook that he keeps track of sales from last year, how busy it was, and if we had any special orders that day. He then forecasts it for the next few weeks on how much to bake. With google analytics, we won't be needing no notebook to keep track of sales, trends, and etc.

Week 14: social media management tools

 Going over the article that was provided for this assignment, we would consider utilizing Meet Edgar or Zoho as a social media management tool. We like that Meet Edgar has a free trial and that you can schedule your posts to automatically run-on multiple platforms. Although it mentions that it is limited to a few social media platforms, we are ok with. Facebook, twitter, and Instagram is what we already use. We also like that it analyzes our customer engagement with our followers.

Zoho has a neat feature that it consolidates everything into one tool. Managing social media, emails, projects and finances. The standard membership is inexpensive for a month and if we wanted to upgrade it would be reasonably affordable with what it comes with.

For now, our business is thriving. We've had some new faces come in and purchase a few dozen on Thanksgiving Day. Since then, they have been coming back every morning. Going into future we would definitely try all the management tools that come with a free trial. 

I commented in Megan McDonell's blog. Sprouts having the highest ranked social media management tool and a long free trial, is up my alley. Being a small business, a free trial of anything helps. At least we can get a variety of options to choose from if we decide to go that route.

Week 13 Part B: Developing Online Advertising

 

The first ad I made was for Facebook. I wanted to put more awareness of who we are and how we differentiate ourselves from other donut shops. All of the years we've been servicing, we will be open on Thanksgiving Day until 12pm. Close on Friday-Sunday. We are the only donut shop that's open on Thanksgiving Day. In case folks are looking for fresh baked desserts to add on to their meal menu.

My Instagram ad will also coincide with our Facebook by bringing awareness and also engagement with our followers. We will be authentic when it comes to questions or concerns and respond in a timely manner. In the future once we take over, our call to action would be buy a dozen on your first visit you get a free donut of your choice. We ask is that they take picture and tag us and use our hashtags. 

Twitter was another social media platform I chose to create an ad for. I chose twitter because of Elon Musk taking over and all the controversy, I wanted to see how it all plays out. Besides that, we want to connect and engage with more followers. We want to be known as the best fresh baked donuts at affordable prices!

Week 13 Part A: Online Advertising- Analysis of the Marketplace

 A sponsored post that I came across on Facebook was I love Skin Treatments in Escondido. They are all about skin care, mostly facials. What calls my attention is the machine they use to advertise skin tightness and rejuvenation. An actual video of a client getting the procedure done and the cost of it. Their call to action is for a limited time, the cost of this procedure will be $60 as opposed to $250. Normally they require a deposit but this time it's not necessary. It's a strategy to get new clients and turn them into members. Once I clicked on the link, it brought me to their calendar of availability for booking. It also showed pictures of results from members and ratings. Macorner Decor is another sponsored post that showed up on my Instagram. They are a home decor company that personalizes, fun, and meaningful merchandise. What caught my attention were the personalized Christmas ornaments. With the holidays coming up, what a great idea to give as gifts or to even decorate your tree with. I think they're call to action is personalization decor. Not just with ornaments, but with apparel, tumblers, and pillows and blankets. Definitely sentimental gifts. They do use imagery to promote their company which is effective. Once I saw their ad, I actually purchased two ornaments from them. One for our family and one for my husband and I as a 9-year wedding anniversary gift. I clicked on the link, and it brought me to their website. There are four tabs. Ornament, pillow, blanket, and tumbler. All are available for personalization. I feel like the ads were not annoying. I actually liked seeing them as they give me ideas for self-care and gifts. 

In comparison to traditional advertising versus social media, I would say that the skincare company would succeed in fashion/beauty magazines. The market for those who read that type of magazines are usually finding ways to refreshen their skin appearance. As for the personalized decoration company, I think they would also do well in magazines. At least there's imagery of the brand. For someone who is not computer savvy, traditional advertising would be best. Before my grandmother passed away, she would find things in the newspaper or magazine and circle or cut out and show them to me. Then I would have to get on my computer and do more research on what she found. 

I feel that some online advertisements are intrusive. I'm sure it's the algorithm on what I've visited on a page but did not have further interaction with it. I " liked" a friend's winery and a few days later, I'm noticing many bevmo and total wine and more ads on my feed. Weird. Funny thing is we aren't wine enthusiasts. 

Week 12 Part B: Business Specific Tools

 I commented on Alex's post and felt the drive he has for his business. I admire the determination to keep his customers happy. He mentioned about using yelp to stay engaged and if there were negative comments, he would take them as constructive criticism. He thrives on customer service quality. Also using live streaming with Instagram, TikTok, and twitch. All live streaming apps to keep that personal relationship with his consumers. 

Towa who is in my group, mentioned about using music sites to advertise his business. Soundcloud being one that you can stream music a person made for free. As for apple music, the only comparison is paying for it.

Max wrote about Meetups. He and I had a similar experience with finding dance classes. It's a great way to network from a business standpoint and meet people in the same industry as you. 

Pablo is the last person I commented on. LinkedIn is a great tool in recruiting employees through the " jobs" tab. Discussions boards about clothing-related topics and articles about everything. Similar business industry helping each other out with advice or tools to help be successful. 

In conclusion, not every business tool is going to work with some of my classmate's ideas. We all have different establishments and demographics/psychographics. Although, I did find it helpful, that LinkedIn is beyond then a job seeking site. Groups and articles are interesting to read about. I've only used LinkedIn for a year and now I'm constantly on it and reading about marketing stuff. Business trends along with luxury fashion brand discussion boards. 

Week 12 Part A: Using Business Specific Online Tools

Our business has always been part of the Encinitas community. The collaboration online tools I read upon was intriguing. Although. I did not find anything pertaining to my business on the Snack Nation website. I have my own personal LinkedIn account and did some research pertaining to the donut shop. The search groups I came across were, local Entrepeneur's, small business owners, and cake and donuts. The two groups basically explain what we already covered in class. Marketing ourselves and how we differentiate from our competitors. Creating content on social media that's eye opening, clean font, along with being consistent. 

I think Meet Up would be a great asset for us. For example, if there is a up and coming coffee business, we can collaborate with each other. From attending workshops or seminars in the same industry. They distribute their coffee to us along with them offering our donuts to their own customers.  According to my husband, this past September was the International Baking Industry Exposition at the Las Vegas Convention Center. We are already planning on attending next year and looking forward to it. 

Since we do have a store front, google maps has already established our location. Google business would not be a utilized platform compared to yelp. However, things may change when we take over. For now, yelp is what we are currently using. Overall rating, we have 27 reviews. My husband has some ideas to making the donut shop more up to date along with many changes in the future. It's difficult trying to change the mindset of a business owner of 35 years. They're mentality is, " if it's not broken, then why fix it."

Week 11 Part B: Marketing with other Social Media

 The following classmates that I commented on their blogs are Max, Amy, and Emmanuel. Two of my classmates chose TikTok. Both agreed how big the network is in terms of users, influencers, along with promoting businesses. A group member and I have in common is that TikTok was a great app to entertain ourselves during the pandemic lockdown 2 years ago. When businesses were closed, they relied on social media marketing to stay afloat, in which TikTok surpassed the defining moment of hardship.

Another classmate researched LinkedIn. We both see eye to eye as it being a professional social network and less business promoting. Comparatively, we both utilize LinkedIn for potential career opportunities and making connections with ideal companies. One topic that I was not aware of is that you can use LinkedIn to organize offline events. Good to know.

In conclusion I feel that any social media platform will be prominent when it comes to promoting business, networking, and all the great things it does now. It will only advance as the years come even with a new owner of a specific social media platform. Not only is it progressing, but it is sustainable. I really enjoyed this assignment. It definitely made me go in depth about each digital marketing organization.

Week 11 Part A: Marketing with Twitter, TikTok, Google for Business, LinkedIn, and more

 Another digital marketing platform I chose is twitter for business. With Elon Musk taking over, I'm curious to see what changes he makes for improvement on the app. Meanwhile, twitter would be conveniently best for us. We take pride on the images we post on Instagram which can link to our twitter account. In week 8 of class, we learned about hashtags while posting on social media. It coincides with the platforms we already use and kind of mastered it. 

With twitter we understand that it can be impactful or can come with some negative feedback from unhappy customers. For us we would rectify the issue before it escalates worse. We like to keep the integrity of our shop and address any conflict with unhappy consumers. Although, we do have a solid client base, we still want to expand. Trying to keep our reputation afloat we need to make sure all are satisfied in product and service. Anyone can send us direct message via twitter if they want to be confidential. 

For twitter I would collaborate with other businesses and add @ mention to tag one another. Special events such as, the Del Mar Fair or street markets we can shoot a tweet letting everyone know that we will be there. Easy and quick way of communicating to our followers. 

In the link that was provided for twitter it mentioned about limitations on posting videos. 2-minute videos would be ideal. We definitely don't have a problem with that and think that's great. I would not want to over saturate my content of posting long videos. The option of adding a graphic interchange format (GIF) is pretty neat. I think it gives our business a sense of humor. There was one of Homer Simpson passing out with a donut in his mouth because he was full. I thought was pretty funny.

For us to be successful in the twitter platform we would need to be tweeting consistently and joining twitter chat. Coexisting with the hashtags we already use and inputting it into a chat with our business and what we have to offer. Twitter chat would be a great source of networking and potentially gain more followers.

Week 10 Part B: Developing a ENewsletter

 I commented on Megan, Pablo, and Sarah,

Week 10 Part A: Researching Email Marketing

 Being in the food and service industry for over 35 years, email marketing would be another add on to drive more business for us. Ideally, we would email monthly or during major holidays and local events, to spread awareness of what we have to offer and our location. 

The information we can use in a newsletter would be special orders for any occasion.  Last year we had a client who requested 100 dozen Sufganiyot (jelly donuts) for Hanukkah. Another year, we had Scripps Encinitas Hospital asking for 12 dozen donuts for their holiday party. We also offer boba in 20 different flavors and among other items. During the holidays, schools, churches, and companies will have their gatherings prior to the actual celebration day.  This weekend Halloween donuts was our special. Encinitas Unified School District is returning back from fall break and Halloween just so happens to be this Monday, a few orders have been inquired. 

A few newsletters I'm currently subscribed to is Young Living Essential Oils. I partake in these during the colder months. I usually look for promotions for holiday items and stocking stuffers. Also, how I can help boost our immune system the natural way. Another one I look forward to is my son's elementary school newsletter, Wildcat Weekly.  These are sent every week which I don't mind. All the upcoming events and lunch menu is very informative for our family. This week is Red Ribbon Week. Every student and staff member are encouraged to participate each theme of the day. 

I just signed up for our competitor's newsletter, VG Donut and Bakery.  Once I receive a newsletter from them, I will definitely keep the class updated. 

Google Analytics- Extra Credit

 

<!-- Google tag (gtag.js) --> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-PGVCTTSQR0"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-PGVCTTSQR0'); </script>

Hopefully I did this right. 

Week 9 Part B: Using Categories

 The categories I probably use are, " Made Locally, Takeout, Made Fresh Daily, and Donuts." I feel like with my business it's pretty broad when it comes to categorizing. As a consumer these are what I would prefer to view if I was looking for a quick bite to eat and drink. If I were craving something sweet and some fresh coffee on the go.

During the holidays my family and I like to visit my side of the family in Sacramento. When we do drive, my husband often needs coffee and something sweet to keep him awake during the 8-hour commute. As an occasional back seat driver, I like to look up non franchised coffee places. Every so often the kids would indulge in a donut from a local donut shop. Yelp has been our go to app while we're on the road or traveling from afar. Also, when I google search, " quick easy bites on the go" in Valencia, California for example. I was given options of drive through and takeout. I thought was easy and convenient. 

 

Here are the 2 screenshot images I posted on Instagram that is also linked to Facebook. I also commented on North County Fam, Purple Tsunami, and California Rahd Patches. No one else has posted in regard to this week's assignment. 

Week 9 Part A: Blogs, Vlogs, Podcast, and Webinars.

 When a business adds a personal touch to their blog posts, it can appeal to people's emotions because it sets the tone between both parties. Having similar experiences and things in common help break the ice and make the consumer comfortable. Engages them with what the business has to offer, the history, and where it is heading in the future. 

It makes sense to add a personal touch when you are talking about your business. Encinitas Donuts started with two immigrants from Cambodia that wanted to live the " American Dream." So, they started working at a different donut shop to learn to bake and become entrepreneurs. Eventually they were able to save and purchase their own donut shop. I think the backstory is something that's interesting to know especially a local business and its success. I don't think adding a personal touch to every content that's being posted is necessary. To me it sounds repetitive. 

The only way I see it working for our business is to bring other local establishments together that have similar backgrounds. They may relate to the struggle of becoming a business owner that immigrated from a different country. For example, there is a dry-cleaning business next door, and they are immigrants from Korea. Came here in the 80s to live a better life. We often chit chat and they refer their own clients to us if they are looking for donut shop that does special orders.

 Another example is our Padres donut posts. Any Padres fans that may want to come in and grab a customize donut or any sports fan are welcome. The Padres are the main professional sports team, since the Chargers left San Diego. It's been 24 years since The Padres have been in the world series. 

A business I think can use this technique is a Bryll Hair Lounge. On their Instagram posts, I see many clients with nice blowouts. I'd like to see which hair styling tool and products they used. Along with how to get the perfect blowout or beach waves hair. A vlog or webinar that has tutorials would be great. 

The local news I think is a company that would not be able to use the same approach. When reporting an issue or topic, no matter how the news anchor feels, they can't really give their personal say on the air. It may come off biased and one sided. 

Week 8 Part B: Using Your Hashtag

 What an amazing last two weeks we had. The San Diego Padres took down the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers. Padre's merchandise has been selling out from left to right. Local businesses are capitalizing on the friar spirit. Also, Halloween is around the corner.  Upon posting for Encinitas Donuts, we used local hashtags, what our business is, and some that stood out. They are #encinitas, #padres, #local, #donuts, #tidesanddonuts, #pinkbox, and #momandpopshop. I decided to use these hashtags because it represents who we are and how to find us. The previous assignment that we did, #donuts was very common. I added that one and played around with some that weren't so common. I did use some that were already specific to my business and creative ones. This Friday I will be posting one that I think is catchy. So, stay tuned! I scheduled our posts in the mornings when we open at 4am. Although I feel like a few only check their social media at that time, but majority of people are up around 6am getting ready to start their day. I generally post on Mondays because it's the beginning of a new week and during a Padres game since we are still in the post season. Mid-week and Friday nights I will post just to keep the content and fresh and entertaining. I learned that there's an option to include a hashtag when you're doing a short Instagram video. Next post I will make sure to include a few if permitted. 

The group members I posted on were Megan from North County Fam and Sarah from Playground. I also commented on Towa from Suzuken Clothing about his hashtags from the previous assignment part A. 

Week 8 Part A: How to Expand Your Reach on Instagram by Using Hashtags

 My first business that I looked into was Krispy Kreme. It is similar to what I'm using for this class. Krispy Kreme encourages their followers to use the hashtag " Krispy Kreme" to share their sweet moments. Many folks have heard of Krispy Kreme as it has many locations nationwide. Having Instagram and using hashtags are an add on to attract more audiences. They use the generic company's name as the hashtag, however if it is a special occasion then they will include it as well. Once a headline is posted with a picture, the hashtag usually follows after.  When I click on the hashtags they use besides the name of the business, I don't see Krispy Kreme as an option. For example, Krispy Kreme posted Halloween donuts with the #spookyseason. They are currently advertising their Haunted House Collection. I proceeded to click and 5.2M posts used the same hashtag "spooky season". With that being said, Krispy Kreme has 1.8 followers and 4,375 posts. Posting every day. The content that gets the most response was the seasonal and special occasion. Graduation and choctoberfest. Definitely something I'd like to try. A glazed covered chocolate donut. The last post was 6 hours ago. During seasonal occasions they get about over 35k likes vs. 15k likes on a normal post. They get quite a few mixed comments. Some warning customers that the donuts don't appear to be the same as it promotes on their Instagram. Either the design is off, or the portion size is overly exaggerated.

Dunkin Donuts is another business I viewed their Instagram page. They have more than 11,300 locations worldwide. Majority is 8,500 in 41 states and 3,200 internationally across 36 countries. With these many locations Dunkin Donuts have already formulated a fanbase. It's well-known name, having an Instagram is just icing on the cake. Going through the page Dunkin Donuts does not use hashtags in any of their posts, However, the content and headline is catchy. Dunkin Donuts accumulates 2.2M followers and has 2,068 posts. The last post was an image of a glazed donut with a tarantula chocolate donut hole on top of it. On average they post daily depending on the holiday season. Otherwise, it's weekly for them. The spider donut post received 49.1k likes and 465 comments in which the portion of that were negative comments. Consumers complaining about the company changing the rewards system and creating an app. Apparently longtime customers feel that the company is no longer connecting with them and ignoring their frustrations. Hopefully they can solve this issue.

Donut Bar SD is located in the downtown area. They were awarded the most winning donut shop in the US. Chef Santiago encourages Instagram influencers to use the hashtag " donut bar SD, donut bar, best donuts in the world, and Chef Santiago." Donut Bar was featured on The Food Network, Travel Channel, and Forbes to name a few. All of their posts have around 10-15 hashtags. All mentioning the locations, other social media platforms, type of industry, and occasion. In terms of hashtag placement, it's normally a few spaces down from the subheading of the image or video. Also, right at the end of content sentence, a hashtag is followed. When I hit the hashtags bakery and Chula Vista, they do appear on the search. 93.3K followers and 5,741 posts. They post daily, the last post was two hours ago and previously before that was eight hours ago. Halloween and anything with strawberry appears to be the most popular in response and likes. On an average day they generally get up to 150-495 likes. They get a few comments here and there. 

Super Donuts Carlsbad is a local donut shop that's been around since 1983 in the Village. When you come across the page, #superdonuts is placed after the introduction of the business. They use the same four hashtags on each post, " #superdonuts, #donuts, #carlsbad, and #carlsbadvillage. All in which is emphasized on location and food type. The special ordered donuts get the most likes because of how they are presented. Decorative and vivid colors get the most attention. They average about 50-200 likes and less than 8 comments. The last post was August 21 and got 49 likes and 2 comments. They post monthly and are not regular with the other 3 shops I viewed. 

After exploring these common businesses, I've learned that being consistent can help reach more of an audience. Also doing reels or short videos will keep it fresh and entertaining. Creating content that's trendy with our own products can benefit us. Going forward we will be using #encinitas, #momandpopshop #pinkbox #donuts #tidesanddonuts.

Week 7 Part B: How Other Business Use Instagram

 My group members are using Instagram similar to how Encinitas Donuts is. The only difference is we also do short videos. Dark Sided Strength (@darksidedstrength) • Instagram photos and videos and Suzuken (@suzuken04) • Instagram photos and videos have two posts each and were posted 2-3 days ago. They both showcase what type of business they provide. As for @northcountyfam • Instagram photos and videos I definitely can relate to their IG posts. I enjoy reading about local wineries and budget friendly kid's activities. 

A few product businesses I checked out are Tubby Todd Bath Co. and New Era Cap Co. Tubby Todd Bath Co. is a skin nourishment for families especially with young children. Natural ingredients and clean manufacturing practices. This company based in Carlsbad has been a first-time parent go to for skin care supplies. New Era Cap Co. is a hat company that started in 1920 by Ehrhardt Koch. Its firsts designed for the MLB in the 1930s and became a huge demand in head wear throughout all sports over the years. Tubby Todd Bath Co. uses static visuals and short videos also called reels. I feel like the videos are a great way to stay engaged with the brand. Using parental memes, mom jokes, and the sense of humor of being a parent is entertaining! 

New Era Cap Co. uses more images than short videos. Frequently coming out with new color ways, styles, and collaborations of caps. Their page definitely has a fanbase of 1.5 million followers and posts every day, with a total of 3,535 images, to stay on top of their competitors, 47 brand and Mitchell & Ness.  

A service business I came across is Bryll hair lounge. It is a local salon in Carlsbad specializing in luxury and customized hair services. Images are what they use to promote the business. Content of before and after hair color/cuts results are enticing. I enjoyed going through the page and even booked an appointment for myself. 

Mobile Detailing Specialists is another service I checked out. They are based in Cardiff next to Swami's. All images on the business's Instagram of the vehicles that were worked on. Before and after results of the detailing services. Static visuals with yelp reviews seem to be more effective for them. No short videos.  After viewing both product and service businesses, I learned that static visuals are is commonly used. It's probably easier for most business owners to take a quick picture and post. As opposed to making video clips. Either the owners are not social media savvy or already have a legit clientele base. 

The Instagram posts I commented on from Group 4

Suzuken (@suzuken04) • Instagram photos and videos

@northcountyfam • Instagram photos and video

https://www.instagram.com/darksidedstrength