Learning from Facebook Insights

 Facebook collects data from everything we do. It can be disturbing, but also a benefit for a business. From a business standpoint, Facebook's Insights allows us to see how our content is doing with our audience and lets us maximize our impact.

Examining your post reach gives you the opportunity to see what content is reaching your audience. You can use this tool to see what days and posts had the best performance. The more likes, comments, and shares that you receive, the more feeds your posts will be added to other feeds. Facebook sees this as a sign that people are interested in what you offer and will share it in other feeds. As a business owner, you can also determine what is not working on your business page. You can analyze what posts received negative feedback, such as hide posts, report as spam, and unlike page. Facebook sees this as people are not interested and reduce the feeds that you are on. This is your opportunity to dig deep and reevaluate what you are liking and posting.

The point of your posts is to engage your audience. The more engaged they are, the more likely they are to follow your page, like posts, and share your content. It also helps to determine your demographic and target your ads and content. Once again, Facebook sees this as a good thing and generates more feeds. By creating content that engages your audience you will also be driving more traffic to your business website.

By analyzing all of the data that Facebook collects a business can use this tool to grow their business. Tweaking the content that doesn't work to be more effective will keep the audience engaged and coming back for more!

Comments were left on the following Facebook business pages:

James Annear, Weed em & Reap Florals, Ionian Account Management, Atlanta Cafe, The Lucid Nap, PC Corp, Prod by Terrell, FINTAL Recruitment, Gina Tompkins Voice, and Trulyours Designs.

Takasugi and Associates, LLP Target Market - Week 4 Part B

 Did you know that small business accounts for 99.8% of businesses in California? And Millenials account for 1/3 of entrepreneurs? As a small firm, we provide personalized service for small businesses and entrepreneurs that is often underserved by larger firms. 

Takasugi and Associates, LLP is a small accounting firm located in Riverside County. The target customers are privately owned, fast-growing businesses with fewer than 50 employees and revenues between $300,000 and 2 million dollars. We provide financial planning, accounting services, payroll, trust accounting, and tax preparation to individuals and their businesses in Riverside County.

The goal of Takasugi and Associates, LLP is to reduce the business owner's stress and to help them achieve financial stability. We strive to build a strong client relationship built on trust and to create value for clients. We provide a seamless process so the client can focus on the day-to-day and grow their business.

Armstrong Garden Centers VS Rancho Vista Nursery - WK 4.A

 Armstong Garden Centers were started in 1889 in Ontario, California. They started with roses and then moved on to ornamentals and fruit trees. Today they offer a variety of plants and garden-related items in California garden centers. It is possible to attend different classes as well as receive design consultations .

Armstong's demographic is the general gardener looking for quality plants that are suited to that particular region. They offer more than just one type of plant and you can order online and pick the items up at your desired location. You can also pay online and set up a consultation at your home. There are 31 locations to choose from.

Rancho Vista Nursery has one location and has been in business for 40 years. They specialize in over 500 succulents. There are no links to purchase items online and then pick them up. The Farmstand is currently closed due to Covid restrictions. Currently, only resellers with a permit can call to make an appointment.

Rancho Vista Nursery are "curators" rather than growers. They specialize in one genus of plants that have been featured in world-class gardens. Their demographic is targeted toward resellers that are looking for unique succulents. There is no call-to-action per se, resellers call to make an appointment. 

Armstrong Garden Centers website is full of colorful pictures and ideas for any level of gardener. Whereas Rancho Vista Nursery's website is more austere. They have one page that contains general information and is geared toward people who are interested in a wide variety of rare succulents. 

Succulents are intriguing to many gardeners. But those who crave more of a variety would be wise to visit the Farmstand. 

Developing a Brand - Week 3 Part B

 What is branding? Branding is the essence of your business. When you carefully craft your branding, you can control the perception of how potential clients see you. It includes everything from your logo, the colors you choose, and what customer you want to target.

As an accounting firm, the first thing I need is to determine my niche. I want to help small business owners within my community. I strive to build a strong client relationship, trust and to create value for all my clients. 

Now that I have determined my niche, I want to build a professional webpage that represents my firm. As a CPA, I want to be more traditional. The logo is simple, just Takasugi & Associates, LLP in black Helvetica on a blue background. I chose a blue background because blue conveys stability, trust, and loyalty. The page has to be clean and easy to navigate.  

About Us will allow potential clients to see why we exist. I want them to know the experience behind the CPA firm and how we can help the owner and their business. Our story will help us connect with the client and begin to build trust. Plus, it is an opportunity to inject some of our personalities.

To build brand recognition, I will include a blog once a week. The blog will contain helpful information for businesses and personal benefit. Showcasing knowledge and expertise promotes a better connection and builds trust with potential clients. The blog will be shared on social media platforms.

My brand will be consistent across all media platforms. My logo and color choice will be the same on the website, LinkedIn, Facebook, and QuickBooks ProAdvisor. I want clients to be confident that what I represent is what I deliver.

Week 3 Part A: Aesthetics, Design, and Branding

Best Electronics

 https://best-electronics-ca.com/

Where do I begin with Best Electronics? My first thought was "What a jumbled mess!" There was a lot of large, bold print and it was difficult to separate what was what. There also was endless scrolling with no back-to-top link. In addition to a lot of bold print, they used multiple colors which were distracting and would switch from left alignment to centered for each section.

I do not believe this website was professionally done. The page does not feel cohesive. Although it is a a reference to the Atari 8 bit family, I think that the website would benefit from more separation between headlines and the subjects. The fonts should also be the same color and the headline in bold, placed above the text. Customer feedback would look better in a grid, perhaps with a different colored background as well as a smaller, non bold font.

Gates N Fences 

http://gatesnfences.com/

Gates N Fences had some positive aspects, but overall it was drab. The website lacked contrast and seemed small and scrunched together. The pictures of their work were spread randomly throughout and not the best quality of photography. There was not much separation between sections and the headlines were in blue font, the same size as the fine print.

It appears that a semi professional designed this website. The logo was consistent in the links, and there was left side navigation. The page logo and banner represent what the company is about. I would work on more separation between headlines and better quality photographs. I would also use a grid to separate the photographs and the type of gate or rail groupings. Headlines should use a larger, bolder font.

National Park Service

https://www.nps.gov/index.htm

This was the first website I clicked on. I had no idea what NPS stood for! I was drawn in immediately with the bold contrast of the beautiful pictures. The first link I went to was the 20th observance of September 11th. The contrast and simplicity drove me to want to explore more of the website. The logo was a little small, but represented on each link. Every page link contained a short description and photograph that made me want to explore what it contained. This page was definitely professionally done, but then, money buys a better product. It contained bright, clean pictures, a three column grid and good separation between each. At the top of the screen there was a search option as well as a pull down menu.

Apple

https://www.apple.com/

Apple's website was crisp and simple. Their concept was fulfilled. The Apple logo was in the top left corner along with links to products, services, support and your shopping cart. There was room to breathe with plenty of separation between headlines. There was plenty of color contrast between each headline by the usage of light and dark, as well as bold colors. The entire website was easy to navigate and it also included a sitemap in the footer. Once again, I would say this was a professionally produced website with all of the bells and whistles!

The design of a website makes a huge impact. It was easy to be drawn in and comment on Apple and the National Park Service. Simplicity and bold contrasts make a more engaging experience. I also realize that quality photographs help to reinforce the brand. It is also important to have easy navigation when there is a lot of content.

 Business Research - Week 2 Part B

Social media is an essential way to drive interest and revenue for any business. As an accounting major, I found it informative to see how accounting firms, small and large, use social media to enhance their business.

Lawrence Lathrop, CPA

http://www.nautiluswealth.com/

Lawrence Lathrop has been a CPA since 1981 and is the sole owner of Nautilus Tax and Wealth Solutions. He founded his business in 2006 and serves the local community of Canyon Lake and surrounding areas. The website contains multiple pages but no links to social media. The business would benefit from a social media presence.

J & T Accounting Services 

https://www.jandtaccounting.com/

J & T accounting services is a two person firm. They have served the local community for five years and have ten years of experience. I was able to find 15 Yelp reviews. The social media icons at the bottom of the page link to Wix, a website builder. The business would benefit from a social media presence and not a link to their website builder!

Hughes Ferguson Grigg, LLP 

https://hfgcpas.com/

Hughes Ferguson Grigg, LLP has two locations located in El Cajon and Lake Elsinore. It consists of three certified public accountants and has been in business since 2006. The top of the website contains links to their blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Facebook  -  3 followers. The page was created in October of 2020 and contains five posts, the last being August 25,2021.

LinkedIn - 7 followers. No posts.

Twitter    - 0 followers. Since the inception of their Twitter profile in 2020, there have been three posts,  all related to business and personal tax suggestions.

Hughes Ferguson Grigg, LLP does not utilize social media very well. The posts were the same on Facebook and Twitter , but the number of followers and posts were very low on all platforms.

Withum

https://www.withum.com/

Withum is a national CPA firm founded in 1974 with 1,300 employees. Their website has multiple pages and at the bottom of the main page are links to their social media pages, as well as their blog and podcasts.

LinkedIn - 16,436 followers. The last post was September 1st with a link to their Podcast and other posts. There are multiple posts weekly.

Twitter - 2,530 followers. The last post was September 1st. Withum has posted 6,350 tweets.

Facebook - 2,663 followers. The last post was September 1st.

Instagram - 1,636 followers and 1,599 posts. 

Withum has a strong social media presence, but not a lot of followers. The posts range from recruiting, podcast webinars, work culture, diversity, and business technology and are consistent throughout the platforms.. Their social media seems more focused on the employees and their support and culture. The most informative information for businesses would be from the podcasts.

Deloitte

https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en.html

Deloitte is one of the Big Four accounting firms. Founded in 1845 and now having 334,800 employees, they provide multinational professional services. Links to their social media can be found in the bottom left corner of the main page.

Facebook - 1,537,511 followers. Their page is well used and consists of multiple posts, the last being September 7th.

Twitter - 132.2K followers. Deloitte connects with many topics over their 18,000 tweets. The last tweets were September 7th. They post multiple tweets daily.

LinkedIn - 8,273,794 followers. Most of the posts are business related , with a strong focus on business  and AI. There are multiple posts daily.

Instagram - 36,000 followers. This page is about life through the employees eyes.

Deloitte has a large following in social media. LinkedIn provides more business geared information, where the other platforms provide more of a personal touch. Facebook and Twitter are consistent with the content on both platforms and post regularly.

In my overall research I discovered that the bigger the firm, the more social media is used. Larger firms provide a mix of information and add a personal aspect by spotlighting employees and activities. By doing many posts, they keep followers engaged with the new content. If professional information is required, LinkedIn is the best source for businesses.

The medium sized firm that I researched uses social media, but does not have many followers. Ferguson Hughes Grigg, LLP only started using social media last October. While they have a presence, they only have a few posts ( 3 and 5 to be exact). The posts are business related and ways to help small businesses but they could really post more information to help draw in potential clients.

The small local firms are those needing  better usage of social media. This is a way to help showcase their knowledge and expertise for small businesses. A small CPA firm today cannot rely solely on word-of-mouth. It is important to get their information out there and draw in more clients.

I think that it is important for a business to keep their clients engaged and wanting more. Small CPA firms could take a from larger firms and post content that not only educates clients, but also puts a personal spin on content. 

Week 2 part A : Business Communication with the Consumer

 Social Media has redefined how businesses communicate with consumers. In the past, a business would rely on direct marketing or word of mouth. Social media has given the consumer a powerful voice that reaches many. Businesses can use this voice to determine the consumers' wants and needs as well as address any dislikes or complaints. It provides a focus group that is available 24/7 and can help to grow a business and increase its revenue. Engaging consumers through social media helps strengthen the relationship and create a buzz around the product or service.

I don't really like to go out and shop anymore, so much of my shopping is done online. I researched reviews for two of the local places I do like to shop at Aldi and Costco.  Yelp was my primary source of reviews. Aldi was mostly positive reviews. Customers commented on the prices and staff, good-tasting food, and the fact that it was clean and well-stocked. It appeared obvious to me that Aldi monitored the reviews because in the first year there were more negative reviews regarding long lines and cashiers with bad attitudes, but these reviews decreased significantly. Costco reviews were interesting. there were a lot of complaints about the tire shop and the food court. I have to agree that service at the tire shop is lacking! But, you can get a great deal on tires and a pretty decent warranty. Most of the complaints were during Covid and in my opinion, kind of silly. Everyone seems to have extreme opinions when it comes to Covid issues.  Most people appreciated that it was less crowded and less busy than Temecula and other stores, as well as good customer service. I take reviews with a grain of salt because everyone has different opinions.

I generally do not leave reviews. If I do leave one, it is positive. I believe that good service or a good product should be rewarded. People in customer service put up with a lot and hear more negative than positive. I do like to read product reviews. Reviews help me determine whether the sizes are accurate or if the quality is good. If the positive outweighs the bad then I am more likely to purchase that product!

For my own business, I would listen to the reviews. I feel that it would be important to thank those that provide positive reviews and to research those with negative reviews. Following up with issues by reaching out to those that are dissatisfied and trying to resolve them could create a good experience and my business would be rewarded.

I left Yelp reviews for the Lake Elsinore locations of Aldi and Grocery Outlet. I think that the service has been good and I find unusual items at both stores. I like that both stores are a treasure hunt and you never know what you will find!