Evaluate the Final Blog Presentations

Each student is required to complete this assignment by using the Comment section of this blog.

Include your name and GUST ID to get credit for your answer.

There are two parts to this assignment. Please answer both questions below.

1.  Other than your own blog (final) presentation, which presentation do you believe deserves the award BEST BLOG PRESENTATION? Please describe the blog, include the student’s name (if you know it) and explain why the blog/presentation deserves this award. You must be specific.

2.  Which blog do you believe has the most potential for success but was not the best blog presentation? Please describe the blog, include the student’s name (if you know it) and explain (specifically) why you would expect this blog to be successful.

Please note that attendance will be checked for the presentation days and if you were not present you cannot receive a full mark for this assignment.

Dec. 2 Guest Presentation: Why Social Media Platforms Are Essential For Business!

Omar Daghlas, regional operations manager of Transworld Business Advisors (TBA) Middle East, will be our guest speaker on Wednesday 2 December at 12:30 pm in N1-010. Topic: Social Media Platforms: Why They’re Essential for Business!

Omar Daghlas

Mr. Daghlas holds a bachelor’s in marketing communications from the USA and has expertise in sales, product development, project management and marketing campaigns. He managed a franchise project for a major telecom group in the region, and recently joined TBA and provides support for TBA offices in the region.

Come here him speak about TBA, but especially come to learn about how he utilises social media platforms to build businesses. He will include a case study about a Kuwait-based business to demonstrate how media are used as an e-commerce platform.

Come prepared to ask questions! This is a good way for you to gather information that you can include in your final assessment marketing plan.  

Know What Your Customers Value

If you attended the Service Hero seminar you may remember seeing the Dimension Attribute Map. This is an important learning moment and I don't want you to miss it. 

The chart (at the bottom) shows points of value to consumers with the Website being the least important and Reliability being the most important in the Food Service industry. In other words, food service customers value reliability, value (of the product/service), speed of service, staff characteristics, etc. more than they value product quality, location of the restaurant or cafe, the call center or the Web site. 

Why is this significant? Let's say you own a food service business, or your client owns a food service business. If you or your client emphasise the wrong "dimensions" of the business -- in other words, you invest money in your call center and product quality, and you sacrifice (invest less in) reliability and value, you are not investing in the business dimensions that food service customers value most. You're putting your money in the wrong places! 

What do you learn from this? First, you must determine (by your own surveys or by industry data) what customers in your niche value most. Food service customers are different from other customers, i.e. auto service customers, clothing customers, etc., so it's important that you measure customer preferences for your specific business or industry. 

Once you know what customers value, then you will know where to invest your money (or you can advise your client how to invest money) in the dimensions of the business. Unfortunately many businesses miss this value learning moment. 

Read This If You Choose To Create A Video Blog For Your Final Assessment

If you choose to create a video blog, or vlog, here are some articles that you’ll find of interest. From wikipedia, to how to make a vlog, to success tips, you’ll find a variety of good ideas in these articles as well as other articles that you can source out on your own.

I particularly like the step by step instructions offered in this Social Media Examiner article where you can learn how to load your videos to Youtube as well as imbed your videos in your blog.

Keep in mind that if you choose this option you must create 3 original videos and post them in your blog and on Youtube. You still need to create a marketing plan for promoting your vlog.

For the video logs I will pay close attention to the quality of your videos, including sound, music and video content. My expectations for videos added to the content blogs are not as high.

Final Assessment: Modules 2 & 3

Continuing with your Final Assessment instructions . . . 


You will see (AP) throughout this article. I am including (AP) to help you understand items that should be on your Action Plan. When you see (AP) you will know this is something that you must include on the Action Plan. In future modules, I will not include (AP) -- I want to see that you are capable of identifying Action Plan items on your own. 

Module 2: Choose Your Theme

For your Final Assessment, you're going to create a commercial blog following my specific requirements. (You will not actually "go public" with the blog -- you can keep it private). How well you fulfill each requirement will be reflected in your final grade.

You begin this module by selecting a theme for your blog. For example, you can create a blog about fashion, or automobiles, or dishdashas, or scarfs, cooking, auto racing, gaming, etc. You have the choice of a traditional content blog, or you can make a video blog.

You can essentially create a blog about any theme of your choice -- but I need to approve it. Send me an email to tell me the name of your theme. You do not need to attach a document. Simply send me an email with Subject: My Theme. Tell me the theme of your blog and whether you intend to make a traditional blog, or a video blog.

That's all you've got to do for Module 2: Choose Your Theme. 

Module 3: Handle the Mechanics

Throughout this assessment there are numerous technical requirements -- I refer to them as "the mechanics of the project" and you must "handle the mechanics." 

First (AP), visit Blogger.com where you will create your commercial blog and (AP) create your free account. If you're not familiar with this utility, spend some time learning about how to use it. Blogger.com provides lots of information to help you create a "dazzling" commercial (monetized) blog. You can also view supportive videos to teach you how to use Blogger.com. You will find them on YouTube.com.  

Invest an hour or so of your time to (AP) learn how to use Blogger.com, and the features it provides. The quality of your blog will depend partly on how well you can use Blogger.com. Part of your grade will be based on how well you use the features/tools of Blogger.com (these are part of the mechanics). 

Select (AP) a template for your blog: Look through the many different options offered on Blogger and select a template that's appropriate for your theme. Once you select a template you can begin creating your blog. (Don't know what a template is? Go to Blogger.com and find out!)

Next: (AP) Choose a title for your blog. The title is up to you. You may prefer a descriptive title, i.e. Quality of Education at GUST . . . or you may prefer a creative title, i.e. 248am. Up to you. The title must relate to your theme. You'll need to (AP) write some text to describe your blog -- the description appears under the title in Blogger.com. On the GUST Internet Marketing Blog (which I'm using as an example) the description is under the title and it begins, "Created for GUST students . . . " Do not copy this description -- it is only for the GUST Internet Marketing Blog. You need to write a description specifically for your blog. The purpose of the description is to let people know what your blog is about. Take time to write a description for your blog.

The description for the blog appears under the heading of the blog as you can see in the above illustration.

Next: Once you've created your Blogger.com account and selected and created your blog template, go to your blog's Dashboard view (Blogger will show you a link for Dashboard in the top right corner of the blog screen). (AP) Spend time in the Dashboard view -- you will see that you have lots of options related to creating your blog; learn why each one exists and how to use each option. . . Select Settings and then:

1  Choose "Yes" for: Add your blog to our listings

2  Let search engines find your blog

3  Show Quick Editing on your blog

4  Show email post links

5  Select "No" for Adult Content

Be sure to Save Settings!

I will emphasize here the importance of understanding what you are doing. Understand how Blogger works. Understand the various options that Blogger provides to you for creating your blog. Understand how to use those options. Failure to do these things will likely result in a lower grade for your Final Assessment. 

Now: (AP) Click on Formatting (at the top of the page). Choose the selections as required. For Time Zone select Kuwait. For Language select English. Other choices are up to you. Save Settings!

Then: (AP) Click on Comments. Show Comments. Give "only members of this blog" permission to comment.

For Comment Moderation select: Never.

For Comment Notification Email type in your email address. (Blogger will notify you when someone comments on your blog). 

All other choices are up to you. Save Settings!

Next: (AP) Click on Permissions. Add me as an author who can post to your blog. Under Blog Readers, select: Anybody. . . . After you've added me as an author, email to me the link to your blog. Subject: My blog link.

You will notice other Blogger.com pages including Archiving, Site Feed, Email & Mobile . . . you should (AP) review those pages, but you are not required to make any selections on those pages.

Next Step: (AP) At the top of the page select Design. This page allows you to add and arrange the elements of your blog Home page. Follow the directions. The decisions are mostly yours to make as to which elements you include. However, you must include Search, About Me, and Gadgets (AP) (select four gadgets of your choice to add to your blog). Arrange the elements wherever you want them to appear on the page. Don’t know how to do this? Read the tutorials on Blogger and on Youtube.com.

One more step in this module: (AP) Create your Profile, or what is commonly called About Me. See Gadgets. Under Edit Profile check "Share my profile" and check "About Me." Add your Name and a Description. Check "Show on this blog" Add the geographic information as requested. Write a brief introduction about yourself. Add your photo, too (if you haven't already). And be sure to Save!

If you've succeeded thus far, you've completed three modules . . . the hard work is still to come!

Watch for Module 4. 

Final Assessment: Module 1


Module 1: Develop Your Plan

As professionals, one of the most important lessons we can learn is this one, as expressed by American football Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant: "It's not the will to win that matters - everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters."

You want an A in this course -- everyone does -- but you must be willing to prepare to win (i.e. earn) the A. Now is your opportunity to do just that!

The first module is simple enough: Develop Your Plan! Your plan should be completed before 23 November. Create an Action Plan in a Word document. Title the document: YourFirstName_GUSTID_AP.docx. Click here for a Sample Action Plan. The Action Plan will consist of the steps or projects that you must complete as you fulfill the requirements for your Final Assessment. List each step or project and include a date as to when you will complete that portion of the plan. Contact Ms. Majda for assistance with your Action Plan.

Few people plan. Instead of reading, thinking, and then creating a plan, too many people dive into the work to get it out of the way. Or they wait until a day or two before the project is due and then they get busy. Doing that won't earn you an A! I'm recommending that you take the time to think through the steps of the project (make your plan) before you start.

There are six modules to the Final Assessment. When they are posted on the blog, spend time reading and re-reading the information, making certain you understand it, and then list the action steps in your plan, along with a completion date. Here are the names of the six modules:

1  Develop Your Plan (you're now reading this module)

2  Choose Your Themes

3  Handle the Mechanics

4  Monetize Your Blog

5  Build the Content

6  Market Your Blog

There's a lot of work to be done, but if you plan carefully you will be able to complete the project with time to spare!

One more time: Make a plan before you begin! That's module #1!

Email your final Action Plan (Subject: Action Plan) to me no later than 23 November (sooner if you want feedback faster).

Now get ready for Module 2. 

Final Assessment: Introduction

Congratulations!

You've come a long way in Marketing 410 (Internet Marketing), and now you're ready to begin the final test!

The Final Assessment is a major project. It requires you to create a commercial (monetized) blog using Blogger.com. You are not required to publish the blog publicly, but you are required to demonstrate that you know how to create a commercial blog.

How to Earn An A?

During the next several days watch this blog -- it will include new information about your Final Assessment. The Final Assessment includes six modules, plus this introduction. Note: The Final Assessment is not a team project -- it's a solo project. You must do your own work. Do not plagiarize.

For each module, you must follow each step precisely (exactly) to earn an A. Both our TA, Ms. Majda, and I will be available to coach you through the process.

The Final Assessment is a work in progress beginning now. You must work on it every day between now and the time of the deadline.

Get ready for Module 1.