QU on High Alert after Recent School Shootings

By Ashlynn Worley

Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.

This has been the motto many schools and universities across the nation are taking seriously surrounding the increase in mass school shootings.

Quincy University has an emergency alert notification system. This is the only way the university can contact students in a crisis situation.

When activated, the system can quickly send out mass e-mails, text messages, and phone calls to notify everyone who opted in.

1,145 students call Quincy University their home away from home. However, a total of 206 students do not receive any emergency notifications. Of those students, 135 either ignored the e-mail or missed the deadline, while 71 students completely chose to opt out.

“Usually one of my friends already knows something I don’t, so I really have to rely on them instead of already opting in, which I should have now that I think about it,” freshman Chris Avery said.

The majority of students who chose to opt out of the alert system are freshman and seniors. The large portion of students who do not receive alerts are unaccounted for.

 

By choosing not to receive the emergency notifications, students like Avery are putting their safety in someone else’s hands.

Megan Jaboor, a sophomore nursing student, said she opted to receive all three forms of emergency alerts.

“Let’s say you’re in class and there’s an active shooter like what happened in Florida, then you will get that alert,” Jaboor said.

Many students feel safe, but unprepared, for a crisis situation on campus. For commuter students like Kristina Wolfe, the emergency alert system is beneficial.

“I think it is important as a commuter [to opt in]. If we have an active shooter obviously I’m not going to come to campus,” Wolfe said. “I feel like QU should have a rundown course or go through some drills so we know what to do.”

QU Director of Safety and Security Sam Lathrop urges students to remember three things: run, hide and fight.

“If we all attack in mass then we can prevail and you can survive a shooting, just because you’re hit doesn’t mean that you always die. At that point in time, you don’t have anything to lose, so if it’s me I’m going down swinging. Run, hide, fight in that order,” Lathrop said.

In the event of an active shooter on campus, students need to have a plan and know alternative routes to exit classrooms and buildings.

The professional staff at QU have been trained by Lathrop in several courses ranging from a tornado drill to an active shooter lockdown.

Donna Holtmeyer has worked as an academic success coach and certified counselor at QU for 10 years and counting. Holtmeyer said she feels safe on campus and in the community, but she encourages anyone who sees something, to say something.

“I think what is most important is that we take the time to just make sure we’re thinking about it [active shooter] because just putting our head in the sand and saying oh, it won’t happen to us, can’t be our response,” Holtmeyer said. “We need to continue to train our faculty and staff so that we’re heightened to those things, and even our students, just so we’re all aware.”

Professor Harry Cramer, a retired police officer, commends QU for having an emergency alert system set in place and said it is “absolutely essential.”

If you want to take control of your safety on campus or check to ensure you have opted-in to receive emergency notifications, consult the Dean of Students before it is too late.

“Of course you’re going to know how to run, hide, stay put, and fight back, but you don’t actually know what it’s like until you actually experience it,” Jaboor said.

QU Security, along with the criminal justice students, will be partnering with the Quincy Police Department in April to hold a campus-wide active shooter training course you will not want to miss.

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Graduate Studies Program Grows at QU

By Ashlynn Worley

The question used to be, what do you want to do when you grow up?

Now college students face the question of, what are you going to do now that you are all grown up?

According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, employed adults who pursed higher education after undergraduate school reported they are happiest with their jobs and find their work more interesting.

Quincy University offers three graduate study programs for students looking to further their education.

Alyssa Vitale, a senior majoring in psychology, said she always knew graduate school would be in her future and she is currently in the process of applying.

“I love QU. I’ve been here for four years and it’s something that I’m comfortable with. I just really enjoy QU and I think I would love to be here for the graduate program as well,” Vitale said.

Prospective graduate students are required to meet certain qualifications such as previously earning a bachelor’s degree in order to be accepted in one of the three programs.

The programs at QU attempt to fit the diversity of all applicants whether they are recent undergraduates or full-time working adults from surrounding areas.

Kevin Buckert, a graduate studies student from Hamilton, is pursuing his Master of Science in Education in Counseling degree.

“I’ll be finishing in the fall of 2020. I was hoping to be done a little sooner but it’s based on when they [QU] can offer classes,” Buckert said.

Applicants have a choice of online or face-to-face classes that tailor to the needs of the students and staff depending on the specific program.

The new Graduate Studies Coordinator Allison Ramsey has only been a part of the QU family for about a month but said she already feels right at home.

“QU is a unique atmosphere and welcoming environment. So far, I’ve had the opportunity to work with most of the faculty in these programs and they are very personable and attentive to students,” Ramsey said. “[The faculty] truly care about our student learning and that’s something you’re not going to get at another university.”

The Office of Graduate Studies held its first informal event in the Health and Fitness Center’s Hall of Fame room for anyone interested in learning more about the programs.

The graduate studies night was an opportunity for students to meet Ramsey, talk with the directors from each graduate program, ask questions, and find out how to avoid the application fee when you apply online.

QU’s Master of Science in Education in Counseling program recently received CACREP accreditation for its quality curriculum.

“I have heard great things about this program because I have a friend who is currently in it and she always has positive things to say. QU is familiar and I know there are great teachers here,” Vitale said.

One day Vitale hopes to become a counselor and possibly even continue her education to earn a Ph.D. in order to diagnose people with mental illnesses.

The Office of Graduate Studies, located in Francis Hall room 121, can assist students looking for graduate programs in other majors as well, in addition to the three programs offered at QU.

QU’s CEO club Sponsors Speaker Series

By Ashlynn Worley

When you think of the word entrepreneur, perhaps you imagine a local, small business owner. Or maybe you picture a famous CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

Instead, imagine someone like yourself.

Four years ago, Samuel Deleon, senior history major, joined the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, also known as CEO club, a national organization. From a young age, Deleon said he always dreamed of starting a small business one day.

“The world is more interconnected than you think and so if you don’t think it [entrepreneurship] applies to you, it could apply to you in any aspect,” Deleon said. “Maybe when you don’t get the job you want or maybe you come up with an idea, you can always start your own business and build around it.”

Dr. Cynthia Haliemun, director of Quincy University’s CEO club, partnered with Score, a nationwide, nonprofit association, to host the Entrepreneurship Speaker Series that is held at the Student Success Center.

The most recent event in the semester-long series focused on entrepreneurship in a global organization.

Deepak Balaji, the special guest speaker, is a native of Zambia and India. However, he started right here in the Midwest region as a plant engineer. He works with one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers, Archer Daniels Midland.

Balaji’s intent for his presentation was to teach students a different perspective of what it means to be an entrepreneur. He also discussed the myths and realities of the business world.

“I wouldn’t say by definition, I’m an entrepreneur. But it’s about thinking entrepreneurially,” Balaji said. “Be involved in as many things as you can, network, just try as many things as you can in college. Don’t be scared of failing because it’s almost like trial and error. Don’t feel shy and try anything new, anything out of your comfort zone.”

Comprised of mostly QU business majors, CEO club members, and a few community members, the recent entrepreneurship event drew a small crowd. Balaji informed his audience the average age of a first-time entrepreneur is 39 years old.

Among the few students in attendance was Landon Ruzicka, a freshman business management major.

“Events like this gives you that real-world, outside the classroom experience,” Ruzicka said.

Community members and students of all majors are invited to the next entrepreneurship speaker series. The CEO club will announce more information about upcoming events in the next few weeks.

“This event was not necessarily entrepreneurial, it was more like life lessons. It teaches you to immerse yourself in different areas that you wouldn’t necessarily be in and have an entrepreneurial mindset. That mindset is indispensable, you can take it and apply it to other areas in your life,” Deleon, senior and CEO club member, said.

For anyone interested in learning more about CEO and its events, QU’s CEO club meets every Monday at 9:30 p.m. in Francis Hall room 207.

In addition to the entrepreneurship series, QUEST/Career Services are also hosting different events throughout the semester. Events held in both series’ relate to one another and can prove beneficial to those who attend.

 

 

QU Hosted Hypnotist in Hawk’s Hangout

By Ashlynn Worley

Julianna Basler, sophomore, had seen a hypnotist show before, but never thought she would fall for it herself.

What started as a quiet, empty space quickly filled with people erupting in laughter. Music was playing softly in the background with murmurs of an anxious audience in the air. Some skepticism surrounded the start of the evening.

Students, staff and even a few community members took a seat Friday evening in the Hawk’s Hangout and gathered around in anticipation of the show to start.

Comedy hypnotist Chris Jones drove five hours from his hometown in Chicago to take center stage at Quincy University once again.

Jones cracked some jokes to break the ice before giving simple instructions on how his performance would work. The crowd gaped in amazement as one by one, Jones put some members of the audience in a deep sleep.

“I felt like I was just out of it like I don’t even know how to describe it. Then, I just woke up when he [Jones] told me to wake up,” Basler said.

In December 2015, Jones auditioned for America’s Got Talent, hypnotized Howie Mandel, and kept it a secret for five months. The day after the show aired, Jones received thousands of emails from people all over the world requesting to be hypnotized.

A QU student actually recognized Jones from a previous performance and asked to take a selfie.

“It was a good crowd. This room was really good because I have been in the cafeteria before and it doesn’t get full and so it’s like, oh OK, but being a little bit uncomfortable creates more laughter,” Jones said after the show.

He not only entertains people for a living, but Jones inspires people. He created a video to help people who are trying to stop smoking, lose weight, or struggle with depression and much more through hypnosis.

The Campus Activities Board is the main programming organization on campus, run by students. CAB is responsible for finding and booking talents like Jones, as well as homecoming and other events.

CAB President Quincy Fuehne said when it comes to advertising for an event and drawing in bigger crowds, word-of-mouth is influential.

“I suggest everyone joining CAB because you get your foot in the door and you get to decide. If you are going to complain about what’s happening on campus you can’t until you come to a meeting and say what you want. This is how you get entertainment on campus,” Fuehne said.

If students want to see a specific event happen on campus, they must get approval through CAB first.

Fuehne also said with the change in administration, CAB has big plans in store for this semester. Future events include an upcoming ski trip and the hawk wild event.

The first 50 people who attended the hypnotist show were entered for a chance to win a raffle prize. The winners received a gift card to Wal-Mart or another local business.

“I would do it [hypnosis] again. I think everyone should experience it because it was totally interesting. It was fun and everyone should try at some point,” Basler said.

The hypnotist was headed back home to prepare for his next performance in Philadelphia. Jones said he hopes to return to Quincy University in the future.

 

 

Quincy Student Discounts Just in Time for Valentine’s Day

By Ashlynn Worley

Valentine’s Day comes only once a year, so just how much are you willing to spend?

According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are expected to spend on average $144 this Valentine’s Day. When it comes to showering our loved ones with jewelry, romantic dinners, and roses, Americans clearly spare no expense.

 

 

However, spending over one hundred dollars for a night out on the town may not fit in to the budget of a college student. Not to worry, because there are plenty of alternative ways to show your affection without breaking the bank.

In the Quincy, Illinois area alone, over 25 businesses offer some type of college student discount. Among these businesses are Dunkin’ Donuts, Fatback’s Smokin’ Racks, Hampton Inn, Designer’s Edge Day Spa Salon and many more establishments.

“Actually, we [Dunkin’ Donuts] get tons of students. I think most of the area and most of the people that actually do come in are mostly students,” Kristin Taber, assistant manager at Dunkin’ Donuts said.

A QU couple recently celebrated their one-year anniversary in December. Scott Prsha, senior, and Marissa Gonzalez, junior, said they may consider changing their Valentine’s Day plans after learning of the local student discounts.

“I don’t think there is a limit as too how much you can spend on Valentine’s Day. I mean, we do not usually go over the top with anything because we are college students, and we don’t have a lot of money to begin with to be spending on extravagant things,” Gonzalez said.

Along with Quincy University, other colleges and trade schools with students on a budget in the local area include John Wood Community College, Gem City College and Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing & Health Sciences.

With proof of a valid student ID, anyone enrolled in college can take advantage of the local discounts all year-round.

The QU couple also mentioned the rarity of a date night between their busy schedules so Valentine’s Day is something to celebrate.

“I definitely think it’s the time you spend together that really means the most when it really comes down to it. You cannot really put a price tag on it because it’s the memories that you make rather than the price of the clothes or the gifts,” Prsha said.

Besides local business discounts, college students can browse through the Dealhack Student Discount Guide; a compiled list of stores featuring hundreds of discounted items just for students. The survey is conducted on a quarterly basis and updated every three months.

In total, Americans are projected to spend a jaw-dropping $19.6 billion this year, a close second to the survey’s record-breaking amount in 2016.

 

 

Typically, college students live on a ramen noodle budget. QU sophomore Cameron King believes splurging once or twice a year on his long-distance girlfriend is worth it.

“I’ve been with this girl for like two years so you always want to do something bigger and better every year. I just kind of have to wait it out, go with the flow, and use what ever money I have to piece something together and I’m sure she’ll love it,” King said.

Save money this holiday season and give back to your Quincy community by utilizing local student discounts.

 

Students Affected by Changes in the Success Center

By Ashlynn Worley

As a direct result of changes made in the Student Success Center over winter break, several students have been forced to look elsewhere for work-study employment.

The decision to hire full-time Administrative Assistant Deborah Stock resulted in some students losing their front-desk jobs or having reduced hours.

“I was kind of frustrated because I needed money and where I was getting my income here has been cut off so like I only have one job now. This actually affected me,” junior Oluwatimilehin Ajayi said.

Stock works Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the front desk. Stock is in charge of the textbook loan program, room reservations, the Campus Programming Calendar, and scheduling appointments for Dean of Students Christine Tracy among other duties.

“I am really glad to be here and am looking forward to working with them [students]. I don’t bite,” Stock said.

The Student Success Center, or SSC, made various other changes that affect students. Tutoring sessions will now be held in the Big Room, Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Students can schedule a tutoring appointment through WC Online.

Students may notice another change in the SSC with the development of the QUEST Center, which stands for Quincy University Experiential STudy Center.

According to an email from Dr. Tracy, “QUEST will include career services, study abroad, internships, service learning, undergraduate research, and credit for prior learning.”

Director of Experiential Learning Kristen Liesen oversees the QUEST Center. Quincy University is in the process of hiring an Experiential Learning Specialist to assist with the service learning aspect.

“This is actually something we have needed for a really long time … They [specialist] will be promoting and coordinating different sites and I think that we will see that service learning opportunities will grow,” Liesen said.

Once a fitting candidate is selected and approved for the job, Liesen hopes to have the new employee starting mid-semester.

The Student Success Center first opened its doors in fall of 2014. Over the past four years, the center has made several changes.

The Offices of Student Development, previously known as Student Affairs and Student Engagement, have moved. Dr. Tracy’s office relocated next to the academic success coaches and Residence Life is now where Dr. Tracy’s old office formerly was.

“They [Office of Student Development] should have sent that email way before we started school to let students know once you walk in the SSC, we made some changes, like there will be somebody at the front desk, and I mean we would still have work-study students throughout the day,” sophomore Aloysius Cooper said.

According to a document released from the Office of Student Development, their vision statement is to, “Challenge and support each individual student to discover their passion and purpose.”

When asked where the future of the Student Success Center is heading, many faulty and staff members agreed the SSC is ever-changing and expanding. In order to be the most efficient, the Office of Student Development has created a one-stop-shop for a lot of student needs.

 

 

 

 

Technology Takeover

Growing up in the 21st century, being categorized as a millennial, it actually aggravates me at times. Do not get me wrong- I have a love/hate relationship with social media, really with technology in general. However, the future is now and our generation and those to come must be prepared for the worst while praying for the best.

In my personal, non-professional opinion, I believe that technology will be running the human race instead of vice versa. Being raised by my grandparents really set the stage for how I approach and use social media. When I walk around campus, I look around and the majority of people have their noses glued to their phones. After reading an article on “brain hacking,” this makes perfect sense. We are literally being brain washed by the apps on our phones to continually keep us coming back for more. “Inadvertently, whether they (Silicon Valley) want to or not, they are shaping the thoughts and feelings and actions of people. They are programming people.” -Tristan Harris, former Google product manager

If we want to find out where in the world Indonesia is, learn how to change the oil in a car, or simply find out how to spell something (type it close enough and spell check will recognize it) or the definition of a word, simply Google it. Most teenagers today would not have a clue how to look up a word the “old fashioned way.” I feel like this has a lot to do with my generation being pegged as “lazy” because we have grown accustomed to finding all the answers within seconds, and at the tip of our fingers to boot. Carrying around a so called smartphone scares me in some ways since I know that technology will only keep advancing. I often ask myself, how far can science go? Will we one day eliminate humans completely if robots and machines can efficiently run and take over almost anything? Humans may one day be the cause of our own demise, well ahead of our time. Another important thing to consider about the use of technology in this time is that currently all our information online is being bought and sold to other companies for the benefit of target advertising and who knows what else. I think government interference and spying on citizens has only skyrocketed since computers with cameras came about, even before then. But, my point is social media was built for all fun and games at first. Now, there almost as many advertisements in my Snapchat stories than there are stories of my actual friends.

A few positive aspects I believe everyone benefits from the use of social media is speed, easy access to information (although how much of what you read online is accurate? Always consider fact checking and vetting any context and sources you use) and also, connections. Based on a social media report from last year, “According to GlobalWebIndex, 98 percent of online consumers (age 16 to 64) globally say they have
visited or used a social network within the last month.” For example, Facebook, the worldwide God Father of social media can connect you with old friends, new friends, and even distant relatives. This social media site is used for entertainment, businesses, advertising, and social interaction. I even have to use Facebook to turn in my homework assignments! However, I see it going as far as integrating all aspects of competing social media platforms and turning it into a one stop shop for social media, completely wiping out all other sites.

AJ Agrawal, CEO, Alumnify wrote an article about what he believes to be the future of social media trends. I happen to agree with a lot of what he says. When discussing the content of posts, there is so much out there to sift through like click-bait, and false advertising, that it makes businesses, particularly social media manager’s jobs even more difficult. Creating the “perfect post” by using Lights, Camera, Action and A.E.I.O.U may not be enough. This day and age, people expect bigger, better things to always come along and replace the “old” version. That is the problem with social media; it can only evolve so far until it reaches a point of extinction or ultimate technology takeover.

 

 

Live-Streaming For Life

Live streaming loosely defined is when people literally “go live” on video via Facebook, Instagram or YouTube and friends can watch in real time and engage with you while you are live. A few best practices for going live on Facebook is to always make sure your phone is fully charged because Facebook Live drains your battery. The longer the better, usually 45 minutes to an hour of live streaming will bring in more and more viewers, increasing your audience and engagement.  These practices can apply to other platforms that allow you to live stream such as Instagram.

When going live, remember to have a fully charged phone and a backup charger might not be a bad idea either. Turning your phone to airplane mode will temporarily block calls and push notifications that can distract and take away from your live stream. Clean your camera lens before going live, observe your surroundings and be aware of lighting and angles. If possible, use a tripod to keep the camera steady, but remember to move it around once in awhile to give viewers that 360 panorama, making them feel as if they are right there with you.

One thing that comes with live streaming is the constant questions and comments. The best way to manage the questions that flood in would be to have a buddy on a different device handling all the Q & A’s as they come in while you continue to live stream. They should not only take care of responding to questions but also be aware of the trolls, and ignore them! As you and your friend pick out comments to respond to, the person in front of the camera should orally acknowledge the person commenting by their name and be sure to repeat their question aloud before answering for the rest of the viewers. This can help assure your viewers that you care and it may answer someone elses question all while engaging in real time.

When going live, keep in mind your audience and the capacity of people your video can actually reach. If young children and minors are captured on video, you may need written permission to put them online. People value privacy and may not appreciate being exposed, knowingly or not, on the internet. Easy to forget but maybe the most important ethical consideration is you and your team’s safety. Staying alive is much better than shooting a great live video.

If you are going live to contribute to the promotion of a brand or business, the more knowledgeable you are on the subject being discussed, the more attractive your live feed is, allowing you to gain a bigger audience. There are many different reasons one might want to go live. When there is breaking news and people need to know and see what is happening, go live. Anticipation news is when all the right elements are there for a great moment to be captured live. Immersive news is when you are there and want to share what is happening in the moment, taking your viewers with you. Interactive news is great for business because people and possible customers can participate and ask questions or leave comments that you can later use to boost analytics and engagement. Then there is counter programming, which is another great reason to go live to promote a business because if you go live at just the right day and time, you can actually steal the competitions audience and drive them towards your business.

I believe from personal experience that people like the idea of live streaming because they are watching something happening in that very moment and feel like they won’t miss a thing. However, people tend to watch for a few minutes and move on if they don’t feel engaged. But, if you consider the day and age we live in with technology literally at our fingertips, we have the luxury of going back and watching a live stream on demand later which can be useful for business purposes. With the internet constantly changing, right now marketing on social media using the feature of live streaming is very successful and useful. Do I think something bigger and better will eventually come along and live streaming will be pushed to the back burner? Absolutely. But for now, live stream your hearts out.

 

Best News Organization’s Social Media Guidelines

Student editors who are managing and maintaining QU Media’s Facebook page must:

1. Be trained and knowledgeable in Social Media Management.  Must be a Junior or Senior in Communication program studying journalism in order to be eligible for an editor’s position.
2. Follow the University’s polices, procedures, regulations and guidelines.  Keep in mind when posting for QU Media, that you are representing our logo, brand, and your audience is the Quincy community and school as an entire entity.
3. Maintain professionalism. Posting for QU Media and to your private Facebook should be kept professional and public. If you post anything related to QU Media on your personal Facebook page, you must include a link to the QU Media website. This also applies to reporters.
4. Be credited for your post. Do not misuse copyright or trademark or use slander. You are liable for any negative repercussions resulting from your post.
5. Vet all stories and sources. Verify facts and make sure you use legitimate sources.
6. Differentiate and distinguish the difference between opinions and facts. Let your audience know when you are posting your personal opinion (editorial) versus a factual based post.
7. All controversial posts must be approved by communication professors. If posting about a sensitive subject, must have approval by all QU Media communication professors.
8. Be original.  Do not share, re-post, or re-blog content.
9. Be aware of consequences of “wrongful practices.” Follow and be conscious of QU Media guidelines and general social media practices while posting. Be responsible. Do not use click bait. Do not sensationalize stories or embellish.
10. Engagement. Your goal as a social media manager for QU Media should be to increase engagement and page likes. Post at least once a day to our Facebook page. Create a live video at least once a week pertaining to any current issues on campus or community. Reply to all comments and use the three strike rule when it comes to trolling on your post.

All About Analytics

Analytics is the measurement of your social media’s engagement, top posts, and other collective, measurable data to help you visualize and determine what works and what doesn’t in terms of social media management. The most important analytic you can measure is probably your top posts and/or tweets. This is very crucial when deciding what your followers are engaging and interacting with the best, allowing you to use this information towards your end goal of increasing analytics.

Facebook analytics are somewhat similar but definitely differ from Twitter and Instagram analytics. When looking at Facebook’s analytics, they obviously measure your post engagement but also your page views, likes, reach, and videos.  They also show what times your post received the best engagement. Twitter analytics show your top tweets, top mentions and top follower. It also measures your activity on Twitter where you can see how impressionable your tweets were over a certain period of time. Another interesting thing Twitter analytics measures is your twitter traffic and bounce rate, which is basically your reach and how long a follower is on your page or engages with your tweet before moving on. Instagram measures your engagement per follower and per media as well as hashtag, follower, and content analytics. As a business or brand, Instagram also compares your competitions analytics.

To be an effective social media manager, one must not base their strategy purely on engagement. Posting ten times a day is not recommended, but instead post two to three times a day and ensure each post is relevant, up to date, and engaging. Making every single post a promotional ad or a “buy this now” is generally ineffective, exhausting and overused by businesses. The best times of day to post can be found in studying analytics. Always identify your audience, understand your goal of growing your analytics, channel specific metrics, and certain tools for channel measurement.

Business’s rely on analytics for many things. Looking at their most engaged with posts helps them to configure a social media strategy that will increase their analytics. They also use analytics to measure reach which is simply how many people their post actually reachs and similar things like best times of day to post and also the type of content that followers engage with most. Business’s use analytics to stay ahead of the social media game with constantly changing algorithms.

As a business, your goal should always be to grow your analytics. You do this by measuring the top posts, tweets, engagement, page likes and views, followers, and reach. Taking all this into consideration when creating that “perfect post” will allow you to up your analytics. From a journalist standpoint, engagement is important but content is key. Using analytics to view your post’s reach can encourage and help you create a “sticky post” which is just something that really sticks with your followers and you use this along with other analytic metrics to boost engagement and can ultimately overall increase your reach and followers.

A big company that helps your measure analytics is of course, you guessed it- Google. They are able to measure analytics on all your social media accounts in detail. Personally, I would prefer to use Google to assist in measuring my analytics because they measure the most minuet details that can be a deciding factor in influence and engagement.

Analytics are very valuable to business’s, journalist, and brands who use social media to spread the word and increase customers, followers, readers, viewers, etc.  I believe the brain behind analytics is a computer although they may be managed by specially trained social media managers. Even to an average, recreational social media user, analytics can be useful in figuring out why or why not your post gets little to no engagement and who your post is really reaching may surprise you.

If I was given the incredible task of discovering and designing a way to measure engagement, I would create a system that tracks every post you make and every post your friends make. There would be certain categories for different posts such as a picture, video, re-posts, and captions only. By separating each category and measuring reactions, comments, and shares per post, then the system would compare your posts and engagement versus your friends and give you tips and tricks tailored specifically for you to enable increased engagement.

Facebook’s “like” button means to me that your post generated and sparked some sort of reaction. Either they literally just liked the post, agreed with it, or could relate to it in some fashion. I think a better way of measuring popular attitude has already been created by Facebook when they added other reactions besides the “like” button. The only thing that is missing now is a “dislike” button and I feel it will come in good time, but may end up creating more problems and reports than Facebook wants to deal with. In the end, analytics is a major part of every business and social media manager’s job in order to increase their brand’s reach, engagement and followers.