Professional Blogger

What a great guest speaker we had last week.  Lori was not only informative, but also very interesting.  Although the subject of her blog was not particularly relevant for me (my children are grown) I found that her experience and insight into blogging as a profession very helpful.  Some would think blogging might be an easy job since you can do it from home and make your own hours.  It appears to me that you have to be very self-motivated, have something interesting to say, be informed about your topic, be willing to take criticism, and to commit much time to the process.  If you love the topic, which I could tell Lori does, it makes the job easier and your blogs will come across as sincere. 

I enjoyed hearing that some have been very successful at blogging and can make a good living at it.  Although it was very clear that not everyone can support themselves with blogging.  Finding sponsors that you believe in and will support you for any length of time seems difficult.   Obviously it is important to be very selective in what products or services you represent.

Thanks for the great information!

Cutest Dog Ever!

Does everyone think they have the cutest dog ever?  I know I do.  This is Duece and he is the sweetest dog ever.

VLOG

Below is my first ever attempt at a video resume.

Following on Twitter

I am up and running on Twitter and have chosen several sites to follow.  I started with CNN so that I can stay current with international news.  I chose DrivePalmDesert to receive updated traffic notices in my area.  Several Twitter sites I'm following are local organizations that are pertinent to my career.  I am currently following the Twitter site this is my responsibility, VisitPalmDesert, as well as PalmSpringsCA and PalmSpringsUSA.  Following these sites keeps me current with information being posted in my area and being able to track what my staff is posting on our Palm Desert Twitter.

For personal use I am following the TravelChannel so that I can dream about my next vacation spot!

Goodreads

If you like receiving great reviews and recommendations for personal reading selections, I have found a great community called Goodreads.  They analyze data including the tastes of their members and predict what books are best for you.  If you're an avid reader, I suggest giving them a try!

Marketing You!

Marketing yourself can assist with your learning opportunities, work and personal networking, and career building.  When marketing yourself (or your business) it is important to provide a diversified marketing program.  If you're using social media, you should do your best to participate in several formats, not just one social media outlet.  

Using these social media outlets you can build your brand by providing consistency in the messaging on each of these sites.  Use the same photo, have a theme throughout, and be active on all mediums.

First Blog Post Ever!

What an exciting opportunity to learn something new.  I recently received an additional assignment at work which requires me to run an entire marketing program without any prior experience.  I have commited to learning as much as possible and that's why I'm in this class.  I hope to complete the marketing certification program at UCR and become a true marketing professional.  This, my very first blog ever, serves as my first step in this exciting new experience.