Google Adwords Campaign Update

After a crazy week of uncertainty do to some chances at the Skin Cancer Institute, our campaign is finally up and running.  Our campaign began September 28, so as of right now a little over 24 hours. At first I felt worried because I wasn't seen any results.  I did see some changes in Google Analytics however.  But this afternoon, on the 29th I saw we got 2 clicks!  That was after moving the budget from $5 a day to $6 a day.  After seeing an increase I decided to move up to $6.50.  I am also thinking about going up to $7 just for the weekend to really hit the walk they have on Saturday.
But I did see a change in Analytics.  Overall referring sites have dramatically increased from Google! That means are adwords are working and its really engaging people!  Also, the bounce rates seems to be going down and website traffic has gone up a lot.

My focus is the registration adgroup.  The bounce rate on analytics has gone and more people are clicking on the site from adwords.  Overall with just about 24 hours of being live, the campaign has changed and his progressing!  This is very exciting to start seeing some changes.

The mystery behind "Monetizing Social Media"

How does a website generate profit?  One basic idea is ads, but in class we learned it goes more than that.  It's providing services and products to the worldwide web and hoping that they buy into it.
As I do my daily research of whats new and "good" in the world with technology, I stumble upon this...http://designmind.frogdesign.com/blog/the-hidden-cost-of-free-problems-with-the-personal-data-economy.html .  All within in 10 min of leaving class I find an article that I wasn't even searching for relating to costs of the open web!

We think things are free, but we are paying by giving out our information! The mass web collect our data and see how they can use the user, as a target.  That being advertisements, emails, anything to get the products and services of their clients to the right market (customers).  We can hope that businesses only gather our data to be able to sell what the provide, and not turn into mass hackers that steal identities and priceless information.

This idea was not brought up in class because this is an abstract thought that I don't think any of us really tapped into.  Our personal information is worth a lot! It is our lives, which is turned into a marketing ploy and plan for companies to use as their model on who to sell to.

But today's class was still very interesting.  It shows more on how technology, business, databases, and profits all connect which is MIS!

Here's a Thought... Google vs. Yahoo vs. AOL

We can say that Yahoo and AOL failed because of their lack of keeping up with the market. But what makes Google so special?  I think the fact that they focused on innovating their search engine, apps, google chrome, and their Docs database really helped them.

Yahoo and AOL have the common theme on focusing their personal website on news  and other extensions, while Google grabbed news from other sources.

Why do you think Yahoo and Aol struggle while Google is overpowering them?

social media is changing my life!

Since before this class I've always been interested in social media.  But upon discovering resources last year  here at the university and with previous internships. Most of my blog posts have had themes, and thats social media for social good, or social ventures or social entrepreneurship.  Because that is what I realized is why I want to major in social media.  Along those lines, this past weekend I attended a Global Brigades leadership conference.  Global Brigades is a NGO that empowers students to volunteer abroad and to continue with the mission of sustainable development outside of that week long mission.  I've been the Fundraising Chair for Global Water Brigades Arizona for a year now.  I've tried to use social media tactics to try and market GWB Arizona, spread the word about our mission, and also see if anyone is interested to take part or contribute.
I've used Facebook, DoSomething.org, Crowdrise, Jumo, Empowered, etc.  I've leveraged creating social media pages on different types of fundraising tools to give people any chance to stumble on it.   These websites allows social entrepreneurs to utilize social media in order to enhance their vision.  Crowdrise for example allows users to make a profile and fundraise through their sight from other users on the sights or other people you know.  Social media is a game changer but now instead of helping big companies become more popular, it is giving small companies a voice too.

A New Approach

This week has been filled with finding so many new resources having to do with social media.  For some reason that I didn't intend it to be, all my social media accounts had different posts on what I was finding.  Facebook I posted about women in technology and twitter I posted on social good and innovation.

If you look at our MIS 496a Facebook group you will see the two women in technology articles, website, and videos I posted.  I found these just by browsing through Google's student section.  I was so happy to find this though!  So many women are trying to fight to get more women involved in the field, and here we are doing the same in class!  There is a women in technology conference, inspired by a Grace Hopper, that I hope to attend one day.

Besides from this business MIS class, I'm also taking a Entrepreneurship and Innovation 200 class.  I knew that both classes would some how intertwine on the business end, but never did I think it would in so many ways!  Most innovations occur because of advancements in technology.  I thought it was really interesting that the intro videos and articles that I've had to read for innovation, also applies to what we are learning in MIS class.

Which leads me to my interest in Social Media for Social Good.  I think I posted in my previous blog my interests in this class because of NGO's and social entrepreneurship.  My evolution last year as a student came in steps.  First I became interested in MIS because I knew that I was already familiar with it through my previous internships by working with databases and so on.  But then, I realized that it is also mainly used in social media and e-commerce which is something that I was really interested before I even heard about MIS.  So after a great volunteer trip I had over spring break I became really interested in working with NGO's so started doing an informal internship with Global Brigades.  Through more research over the summer I found that most NGO's today are using social media and networking to enhance their businesses through this new coined term "social entrepreneurship."  After I learned about the many companies doing this today and how they are taking an approach on bettering the world through advanced technology mediums, I realized I found what I really want to do.  I want to use social media and technology to close the gap in helping NGO's prosper.  Something along those lines.

Twitter has especially helped me find companies and other people who share my interests in technology for bettering the world.  Mashable has a whole page dedicated to "Social Good" http://mashable.com/social-good/ .  And to add more on how awesome Mashable is, the host a Social Good Summit in partnership with UN foundation.  They have keynote speakers all day talking about what their company does or how they have done their part in social entrepreneurship and social good.  One day I will attend that conference, but in the mean time, I'll be watching it on livestream.  You should too!