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

1. While I'm mindlessly scrolling down my FYP on TikTok, I see sponsored posts come up regularly. Most of the time, I just scroll past, because you can tell that it is a sponsored post, and I just don't feel like watching someone try to upsell me something. However, there are those brief moments, where I will watch a sponsored post and it will all make sense. For the most part, their "call to action" isn't so much a call to action, but just posting a video that is not hiding the fact that it's sponsored. Sometimes, they'll have the #sponsored on the bottom of the video, but it's not that prevalent from what I've noticed. 

2. Social media advertising seems to be the most effective for me. If I see an advertisement on TV, I am more then likely, probably on my phone scrolling on TikTok already. Most of the the ads that I see come up on TV are for household essentials or medicine, which go on for longer than the ad should go for. Whereas, on the social media side, I notice that there are products that I am more likely to buy because I saw someone use it on social media, ie a ScrubDaddy. I thought that the hype of the ScrubDaddy wasn't worth it, until I kept seeing cleaning videos on my FYP and decided to give it a try. I ended up loving the ScrubDaddy, and would've never caved, if it weren't for those videos on TikTok. 

3. I see this a lot on FaceBook. For me, FaceBook is mainly just used to family that live far away and who don't communicate with one another often enough. On FB is when I see the ads for things that I'm not interested in, or things I have no desire purchasing. FB also likes to push really strange products/services onto my feed as well, whereas with TikTok, I notice that the ads/sponsored posts are products I would look into purchasing. 

Week 12 Part A: Using Business Specific Online Tools

I think for my specific "brand" or "business" would work best for social networking. Since my business is in the social media arena already, I feel as through the MEET Up group option might be the best. 

The meet up group tool allows individuals to follow pages that offer the same type of hobby that they are already interested in. Since my business is in the field of Disney and travel, anyone who likes either, or both, of those topics, might find my blog/business entertaining, and hopefully want to keep coming back for more content. 

There are so many different types of content you can look for on Meet Up, and putting something that you're interested in, and then being able to find someplace where those interests come to life, is so interesting. People can get another sense of the topic, from a different perspective, and maybe even fall in love with that topic a bit more as well. 

Week 11 Part B: Marketing with Other Social Media

 I commented on: 

Kristy's: Encinitas Donuts

On Kristy's post I learned about Twitter, since I researched TikTok and focused on that social media platform. I'm not the biggest fan of Twitter and barely understand the use of the app in general, so I tend to stay clear of the app. However, after reading Kristy's I understand a bit more of why people use Twitter. I knew that the platform was home to a lot of memes and short, weird sayings. Since Twitter has limits, the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" plays a big role in the app. I will also admit that I like how Twitter is a place where you can be weird and funny and post the most randomness stuff on it. 

Towa's: Suzuken Clothing

On Towa's post I learned about how TikTok is the most effective in their eyes. I also wrote about TikTok, since my personal opinion correlates with Towa's and how TikTok is the most effective out of the social media platforms we have today. By posting casual videos, consumers/audiences are more enticed to want to look into that specific product. 

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

I chose to research and learn more about TikTok. It just made more sense to me to go into further in depth research onto that platform, since I spend most of my time on that app compared to others. For me TikTok is the app that I can relate to the most, from the funny videos, to the dog videos, to the videos that post really deep, intrusive thoughts. The algorithm scarily knows me a little too well sometimes. It pushes out content that they know will get me hooked into a certain topic. 

I can watch a video from a small business and want to support them, so I go onto their account profile, and click on their link, sometimes (if my bank account allows me) I'll end up purchasing something from them to support, but majority of the time, I'll screenshot the business and try to purchase something when I have something in my bank account. Recently, I went through an extremely rough, emotional, patch in my life, and honestly, as cliché, and stupid, as it might sound, TikTok, really went into that pain, and gave me the videos that I needed as emotional support during that time. Forbes did an article, and stated "TikTok is downright mesmerizing, and it's all about that algorithm constantly adjusting the feed as you watch certain types of videos". 

TikTok creators are, in my opinion, the most genuine, and relatable creators out of any of the social media platforms. You don't have to change yourself or make yourself into something you're not. You see creators doing real GRWM (Get Ready With Me's), and talk about their lives, and their struggles. More people open up and are raw on TikTok that I've noticed. They don't feel the pressure of getting "done-up" and glamorous for their audience. 

When it comes to TikTok, the engagement level of audiences to creators videos, beat all the other social media platforms, according the neilpatel.com. On the creator side of things, you want to get into a niche topic of videos that you enjoy creating, and people like seeing. If you like Marvel, you can make your videos Marvel related and try to loop in some of your own personality into them. Most of the time, when I'm scrolling on TikTok for hours and hours at a time, I look at the comments for majority of the time, and sometimes the comments are actually funnier then the actual content or the video itself. The users on TikTok are some of the most creative people. 

On TikTok, I see people of every age, race, gender, gender-identity, country, etc. I see more inclusiveness on TikTok than any other social media app. There are people who help you find yourself, within your gender and sexuality, and help you to navigate those feelings, there are people who live in a different country and showcase their countries natural beauties and cultures. When I come across a product on TikTok, I am more likely to click on the link to potentially purchase that product, whereas on IG or FB, I just scroll past. Instagram is slowly getting more and more annoying, in my personal opinion. I don't see anyone that I care about that much on my feed, and if I want to see my friends posts, I have to scroll down a lot, because the top of my feed is always the same like 5 celebrities, and I get tired of looking at their feed, so I will just close the app majority of the time, and head on over to TikTok. 

Week 10 Part A: Researching Email Marketing

1. For my specific business, I think maybe doing a monthly newsletter would be the most beneficial. I get newsletters from businesses that I forgot that I signed up for, and I don't even end up reading them fully if we're going to be completely honest. 

2. For my business, I could provide tips and tricks for travel all in one place in a newsletter and make it all organized for the subscribers. I could also do Disney History for that specific month, and any new Disney news that will be happening within that month. 

Week 9 Part A: Blogs, Vlogs, Podcasts & Webinars

When adding a personal touch to a post, you want to make sure you post once you've established a good following and trust within your followers, and vice versa. For niche topics, adding a personal touch opens a door to opportunity and trust within your followers. They get a little glimpse of who are you as a person behind a screen. For me, I appreciate honesty and hope to be honest to my following. I am also someone who relies on humor and am always laughing or cracking jokes, so adding some funny phrases into my business shows more of my personality to my following. 

Adding personal touches reminds people that there is a human being posting and creating this content, and they have opinions and feelings as well. 

If you are a bigger company and a bigger following, it might not be the best to use those techniques in every post, but every so often, maybe a holiday or something, they can post a funny caption, to remind us that it is someone behind the screen posting these photos, and not just AI. 

 

Week 8 Part B: Your Instagram Hashtag Use

I used multiple different hashtags, from #travel, #travelgram, #travelphotography, #traveling, #disney, #disneyland, and more. I used those specific ones, since they're what my IG account is based around. I haven't really created any around my specific business. I posted at different times throughout the day, ranging from 10am to 7pm, and the 10am one was the most effective. I've learned that I've had to really take into account what time I post, otherwise, it doesn't get too much traction. 

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

For my specific business that I have started, I have noticed that using visual media is very helpful and supports the work the best. On Instagram I looked at: @travelandleisure, @travel, @hey_ciara, and @__travel.diaries. 

@travelandleisure: They post very frequently on their Instagram and it seems to be working extremely well for them. For the most part, they use very minimal amount of hashtags, and they seem to most the same type of content within their page. They place their hashtags at the end of the post, only about 3-5 at a time, if they use any at all, and it looked like they only used hashtags when it was an Instagram Reel. They use the hashtags: #travel, #travelgram whenever they use hashtags, and then add some more if the post calls for it. They have a whopping total of 6.1 million followers on IG, and is a verified account. It seems like their photos of places to travel and beautiful photos of locations/destinations get the most traction. The last time that they posted was 38 minutes ago (as I'm writing this post) and was a photo that they reposted from another account. They seem to be receiving a good amount of comments and the proportion of comments VS likes are pretty reasonable. I will say however, their proportion of followers to the amount of likes they receive on a post isn't the best. The highest number of likes that I saw from one of their posts within the past week was only 38,110. 

@travel: They also post fairly frequently on their IG, and it seems to be working decent for them. They do a mix of reels and actual posts, however, it seems like they do majority of reels, with some posts sprinkled in here and there. They are not a verified account and have 472k followers on IG. They do use quite a lot of hashtags on their posts, after the caption, and they use a lot of nature and travel hashtags. When you click on the hashtags, I don't see them come up as an option. Most of their posts/reels are also reposts from other creators about traveling around the world. As I'm writing this, the last post that they made was an Instagram Reel and was posted 44 minutes ago. 

@hey_ciara: I actually found her page a few years ago and have been an active fan of hers since then. I found her on my personal, private IG account, and she seemed like a genuine human, so I wanted to follow her and her journey. Her IG account seems to be doing well for her, she has 111k followers and is a verified creator. She doesn't use hashtags, unless she's doing a brand deal or something along those lines. She posts every 2-3 days, with her last post being 4 days ago, at the time that I'm writing this. Using the Reels option, seems to be getting her more action on her page. With the proportion of followers in relation to the number of likes she receives on a typical basis, seems to be on the lower side however. She does seem to receive a lot of comments however. 

@__travel.diaries: This page has 1.3 million followers, and posts frequently. I noticed that they usually don't have a caption, just an account tagged, that took the photo. With that being said, they don't have any hashtags. I also noticed that they have their likes amount hidden for the public to view, and they also have comments disabled, which I found weird for an account that has over a million followers and posts frequently. The last post that they made was 11 hours ago. 

Wrap-Up: Some things that I can do to improve my own use of Instagram, is finding hashtags that work best for me and start experimenting with different posts. I can also try to figure out the reels option and start posting more reels. Some hashtags that might work well for my business are: #travel, #travelgram, #disney, and #traveling. 

Week 6 Part B: Creating and Scheduling FaceBook Posts

  I visited Encinitas Donuts, Suzuken, and North County Fam. 

Week 6 Part A: Engaging Your Customers - FaceBook Strategy

For my page, I decided to like the obvious businesses first, such as:

• Disney
• Disneyland
• Walt Disney World
• Disney Animation
• Pixar
• Marvel
• Star Wars
• Disney+
• D23
• Disney Vacation Club
• Disney Travel Professionals
• Travel
• Travel & Leisure 

I chose to first like the obvious Disney businesses first, so the audience from those businesses, and those who show the general interests stumble across my page, and want to check it out. Most of these businesses make sense to like for my specific page, due to the nature of my content and their content. Most of these businesses post upcoming projects that are coming out and what they are working on for the future. Honestly one of the most useful businesses that I liked on my page would probably be the Disney and the Travel & Leisure pages, for obvious reasons. They are just the two that link my page together, and hold my page up. Disney posts updates on their projects, such as one of the most recent ones being the release of Hocus Pocus 2 onto Disney+. The Travel & Leisure page is a news and media website, that posts different types of travels and places from all throughout the world. From staying in a tiny cabin to some language tips for travelers, Travel & Leisure has you covered. 

However, I also decided to like some small businesses that specialize in Disney apparel and merchandise that I have wanted to purchase from. My thought process behind liking these businesses were to hopefully get exposure to both my page and their page, and kill two birds with one stone. I'm always one to help small businesses and purchase from the smaller businesses, instead of chains. Those small businesses include:

• Walt's Wardrobe
• Fantasyland Apparel
• The Lost Bros

I did try looking into more small businesses that are around the same topic, but I was struggling finding small businesses for the topic on FaceBook. 

For the most part I would say that a majority of these pages/businesses post well-worded posts and make it engaging for the audience to stay on topic. The big businesses obviously do well on their posts and have large followings for a reason. Most of them post a lot throughout the week, which is one of the biggest things I struggle to come to terms with when it comes to social media. 

Week 5 Part B: Learning about FaceBook Data Collection

1. Post reach is important because it helps the algorithm and pushes your content onto different backgrounds of audiences. Post engagement is important, because it shows you as the creator, that people are interested in what you have to post and say. 

2. From post reach, you can learn when the best times in the day are to post, and what type of content does the best for you. You can also learn some of the logistics behind posting different types of content and how to make the algorithm your best friend. From post engagement, you can learn what content your audience and viewers actually enjoy watching and seeing from you. 

3. A business can use Facebook Insights to better serve their customers to get a bigger variety of an audience and to get a better understanding of what their consumers what to see from their brand. A business can see what type of content works best for their viewers and what they should be posting about. 

Week 4 Part B: Defining YOUR Target Market

I've decided to mix mental health and Disney into an idea. Disney movies create nostalgia for a lot of people, me included, and a vast majority of Disney and Pixar movies have an underlying message within the film. A lot of times, when I'm struggling a lot more than usual, I'll turn on one of my favorite Disney movies, or just any in general, and I feel a little of the pressure it lifted. This is a fictitious business proposal for this course. 

My target market for this business will be Disney fans, any age, but mainly trying to attract early to late 20s, since I am in that age range, so it'll be easier for me to understand them. People struggling with mental health issues and have a love for movies are also going to be a big contribution for my target market. Another thing I will be looking for in my target market, are those who have a thirst for travel and exploring the globe. 

Mixing all of those different elements together in order to create my specific target market, is going to increase my interest in this business and my drive to create more content dedicated to this specific niche. 

Disney holds a lot of childhood memories and have helped people out of "funks" whenever they need it. For me, Disney is more than just a theme park or movies. They teach valuable life lessons, make me feel less alone in this crazy, messed up world we live in, and make me feel like I have a purpose in this life. They have a sense of warmth wrapped inside, and if I can help people experience a little slice of "the happiest place on earth" in their little nook of life, it'll all be worth it. 

Week 4 Part A: Defining Target Markets

I chose to compare Subway VS Hungry Bear. Some of the obvious similarities between the two websites are that, the main page has the same vibe, and some photos of their popular subs at the moment. Another obvious similarity is that on their "menu" page, they both have their menu cut up into different parts; ie salads, classic sandwiches, and speciality sandwiches, just to name a few. They also both have their company logo on the top right hand of their websites. I think that some of their differences is that the Subway one feels more like a franchise website, especially when it has a tab that says "Find a Subway", whereas, the Hungry Bear one just has the singular shop, so it doesn't have that feature located on their website. I did notice that with the Hungry Bear one however, it does have a place to leave a review on the bottom of the homepage, whereas Subway doesn't have that feature on their homepage. When you first go onto the Subway website, you get hit with an ad for a deal that they are advertising at the current moment for 50% off a Footlong for the new football season. 

The crossover between the two consumers would most likely be sports fans, if they are having a big party for watch parties for the game going on. I would also assume that people who are "sandwich connoisseurs" and who aren't particularly picky with their food options, who want something just easy, simple, and fast, that will fill them up until their next meal in a few hours. 

Overall, I think that both get their product out to the audience in a good and clear way, that makes people enticed to try their product. Subway's homepage is very clean and easy to read, with the logo being in the top corner, out of the way, but you can still tell that you are on Subway's website. Whereas, with Hungry Bear, you get hit with the photo of the sandwich, and their big logo in the middle of the screen when you first open their website. I would've liked to hear about the history and the story of Subway, I think the Hungry Bear could improve on this as well. They both need to expand on their story and why they are why they are.

Week 3 Part B: Developing a Brand

I don't have my own business, and actually don't have any interest in making my own business, however, another one of my classes I am taking this semester is BUS 130: Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management. One of the assignments that we are working on at the moment is to create a business plan. I decided to just combine two of the things that I love the most, Disney and travel, and create a business plan along the lines of those. 

What my business proposal is, is to travel the world and show off the different location Disney films were filmed in/based off, in order to give some context and history to the nostalgic Disney films we all grew up with during our childhood. Some of the feedback my professor gave back to me, was to make a blog for Disney fans and make it a subscription based blog, or even just a book with all the information I collect. 

At the current moment, I don't have a logo that I have developed for said business, and don't have any ideas floating for a logo. The title of the blog or the book would be along the lines of "The Happiest Blog Around", or something like that. I would have to take a greater look in to licensing and trademarks, since I don't have much knowledge on that topic, and would want to make sure that Disney hasn't trademarked anything close to my business title name. 

I would still want to keep it a bit more personal, and make it my favorite colors and my aesthetics, such as different shades of green, brown, and orange, and make it like a fall/winter aesthetic. I wouldn't want to take away from the pastel colors Disney is known for, such as pastel pink, and blue, however, I wouldn't want to compromise another big part of my personality, just for another big part of my personality. I would want all parts of me showing off in this blog or book. 

In the beginning, I would just start off with California locations, since I am low on money and have a low budget, but in the grand scheme of things, I would venture off into different states, different countries, and eventually different continents overall. Going to the different Disney Parks around the globe would also be beneficial, in order for me to compare and contrast the different parks together and see how they all correlate with one another. 

I want to emphasis again, that at the end of the day however, this is all for fun and games, since I have no real interest in starting my own business or anything of the sorts. 

Week 3 Part A

Apple Website: The first thing that pops up when you go onto the website is a memoriam for Queen Elizabeth and not any of the products or services that the company offers. This is a tough one to write down however, because of how deep of an impact the Queen's death has already changed the world in just over a day, and to see how different companies and businesses are expressing their condolences. Personally, I think that Apple did a great job of making this memoriam for the Queen, it was simple and sent their condolences, as the world mourns a 70-year monarch. Their website overall, is easy to use with the tabs on the top of the page, as to tell you what the products are and if you are having issues with a specific product, which tab to tap on. Apple's website usually has colors around, signifying that their products are colorful and offer a vast majority of colors to chose from. 

Toyota: Toyota's website is very clean and crisp. You can easily navigate the site, without much complication. There are tabs on the top that make it easy for the user to navigate the site, such as if you are looking for specific type of vehicle that Toyota offers, you can simply run your mouse over the tab and it will bring up all of the types of vehicles offered. 

Best Electronics: When I immediately clicked onto this website and it got brought up, it hurt my eyes, due to how much wording was on it and the colorful wording changing colors every second in the top left. There's too much going on in just the first looksee, there are no tabs on the top, you have to click on some of the words if they have a link attached, which is just a hassle to most users on a platform. Overall, it is just too much going on, and no one, especially in this generation, has that kind of energy to read all the way through. I couldn't even get to what their services are, it was just a confusing website. 

GatesNFences: For me, this website was very confusing to navigate. The font, first of all, was way too small to read, and caused me a headache when I tried reading it. There's too much going on in the homepage alone, with the tabs on the side, being excessive. Too many tabs, make it harder for consumers and users to navigate the site, and people will more likely exit out of the site faster. 

Overall, I have found out that simple, easy to use websites attract more, and it seems to be the most successful outcomes. You want to chose colors, fonts, etc. to make you website stand out more. The less you put a homepage of a website, and the simpler you make it, it more likely to have users come back and tell their friends about your services/products that you offer on your site. 

Week 2 Part B

 

1. ThreeLittleMingos

1. The Three Little Mingos is a company that sells Disney purchase, such as LoungeFly bags/wallets, apparel, and other miscellaneous items. It also sells other entertainment products, such as Bob's Burgers merchandise. The owners are a married couple, Shane and Kelly, and the three little mingos that the company name is named after, are their three children. 

2. The social media that the company uses includes FaceBook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, located on the bottom of the website. Their TikTok, they post the most frequently, whereas their FaceBook, the last time they posted was back in June of 2022. The last post that they posted on Twitter was on July 13, 2022, the last post on TikTok was 2 hours ago on September 6, 2022, and the last post on Instagram was also September 6, 2022. 

3. The way that this company uses social media is to expand their audience and get their products out there into the world and people talking. 

2. Zucker's Bagels

1. Zucker's Bagels is a bagel shop located in New York City. They sell delicious bagels and have been around for 16 years, first opening in 2006. 

2. I could only find that Zucker's uses FaceBook, Twitter, and Instagram as there main social media outlets. The last time that they posted on FaceBook was in August 19, 2022, last time on Twitter was May 18, 2020, and on Instagram, the last time they posted was also August 19, 2022. They post about once a week on both FB and IG it looks like, however, it seems like it's just the same post, just different outlets. They seem to not have a big following on any social media platform as well. 

3. It seems like they don't have the biggest priority of social media presence and rarely use the different platforms to spread the word about their bagels. 

3. Patisserie Sheree

1. Patisserie Sheree is a pastry shop selling different variations of pastries to people with large sweet tooths. They are located in the UK, however, they do ship globally. 

2. They use FaceBook, Instagram, and TikTok. Their last FB post was on September 5, 2022, their last IG post was September 4, 2022, and their last TikTok was August 18, 2022. IG seems to be the social media platform that they use the most, then FB, and then TikTok. 

3. They don't have a huge following on any of their social media platforms, but it seems like the following that they do have, it is loyal to them. 

4. Sephora

1. We all are well aware of Sephora and how they sell makeup, skincare, body, and hair products to people. Sephora is a huge company with a big team behind it. 

2. Sephora has Twitter, FB, IG, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Snapchat. The last post on all platforms was September 6, 2022. They are so huge, that they have different Sephora accounts on IG depending on the country. Their IG has amassed over 21 million followers. 

3. They are one, if not, the biggest makeup, skin, and hair companies in the world, and their fans are loyal to them. I know that I am one of those people. I sign up for the emails and get their deals and the point system as well. 

5. Starbucks

1. Starbucks is one of the biggest coffee chain places globally. You can't go one block without seeing one popped up. 

2. Starbucks has Spotify, FB, IG, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter. Starbucks is unique in the sense of the other 4 businesses I just shared, because it is the first business that has Spotify. They have Spotify because they have a deal with them that every employee gets free Spotify, and the fact that they use those playlists in their stores for the music selection. Starbucks also has an IG account specifically for their partners, and one that's just their main account. They do post fairly frequently on there, with the last post being about a week ago. They post their new drink and food items, their launches, and in the middle of the seasons to help boost revenue. 

3. As a former Starbucks employee, I can say that people are dedicated to the brand and will spend an atrocious amount of money on a cup of coffee in the mornings. People will post random drink combos on TikTok and IG for people to order, and then it goes viral, making the audience want to try that specific drink that costs too much for a cup of coffee if I'm going to be honest. 

Week 2A: Communication Between Business & Consumer

I think social media does get easier to get noticed, however, I think in some ways it makes it also more difficult to get noticed. If you end up going viral or have a lot of followers already, it is easier to get noticed and have a lot a views. However, if you don't have as many followers, or haven't been able to go viral, you might have a more difficult chance of getting noticed. 

I post both negative and positive reviews on products. When I go on a business website, I look at the reviews, and I admire that people put down negative reviews, so I can read those and decide for myself if I truly want that product. I see how many negative reviews there are, and if they are talking about all the same problems as well, and if they are, I don't end up getting said product. If a business has extremely well service, I will write a positive review of the business if it had good customer service. 

Personally, if I had a business on social media, and if I received negative comments, I would take those and see if there was any solutions to those negative comments. I would take those comments and make them into something that I can use to my advantage and see how I could resolve and grow my business to become better. 

Social media can do both harm and good for a business, and throughout the past couple of years, it has become more prevalent and easier for audiences to see the behind the scenes. People want truth, and when a business lies or gets caught up in controversy, it makes the audience take a step back, do their own research, and see if the morals of so called business is something that they want to pursue and put their own hard earned money/views towards. 

Week #1: Blogs I Commented On

Commented on

Maximiliano Hidalgo Solano: https://csit155-fa22-maxh.blogspot.com

MJ Tinling: https://geekwife-mj.blogspot.com

John Paul Castillo: https://csit155-fa22jpcastillo.blogspot.com

Sarah Weisz: https://csit155-fa22-sarahweisz.blogspot.com

Week 1B: Social Media Use Today

Social media has been on the rise for a couple of years now, and has become a livelihood for some. I use social media to keep in touch with people from different chapters of my life, such as high school, college, work, travels, family, and friends. I think it is something that has become so polarized that we can post whatever we want, sometimes we don't see the damage that it causes some. 

For me personally, I enjoy using social media for personal gain. I enjoy watching funny videos, things I'm interested in, and I also have learned so many things from social media. When I'm going through a rut in my life, I've noticed that what I'm feeling and what I'm going through, others have gone through similar situations. It sounds silly, like I know I'm not the only one who's gone through crap in their life, and I could have it worse, just sometimes, knowing that that feeling will pass and someone else has been in my exact same shoes before, really opens your eyes. 

Social media has its ups and downs, just like life. People post the highs on social media, and can "FaceTune" their life in a way that they want others to perceive them as. No one posts all the negativity that's going on in their life, because they don't want people to know the negative stuff. That's why they only post the "highlight reels", so it looks like they are all that. 

Week #1A: My Blog Theme

I've always been in love with travel. Ever since I was a little girl, I knew that I wanted to experience different cultures and learn how each part of the world works in their own different ways. Travel has been a big part of my life and I wanted to incorporate it into my blog for the semester. There was a small bit of time that I even thought about becoming a travel blogger, and so I thought maybe picking a "travel" theme would help me explore that and give me more knowledge if that is something I am interested in pursuing in the later future. 

I've been to 3 countries already and 10 states. Arizona, California, Washington, Utah, Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Hawaii, New York, and New Hampshire. Italy, UK, and France. I am blessed enough that from a young age, my parents pushed traveling and experiencing new things into my brother and I's life. I'm hoping that this blog will help me expand my curiosity on travel blogs and get an inside scope of how to go about making a successful travel blog. 

I tried to change my background photo into a photo I took on one of my travels, but I was having difficulties with finding a photo that fit the description of under 3MB. Honestly, my computer was telling me that my photos were under 3MB, so I would try them out, but then the blog website would say otherwise, which was getting extremely frustrating. I messed around with the font and the font color. I thought that "courier" font suites my personality a bit better than the default font it had chosen. Green, specifically forest green is my all time favorite color, so I wanted to add some of my favorites into my blog, in order to add some of my persona, to make it more human and relatable.