Google Analytics Certified!

So I’ve recently received my Google Analytics certification! Google Analytics is an incredibly powerful tool which can be used to help keep track of your website traffic and endless data points. From how people get to your site to which page they end up leaving your site from; there are endless possibilities. The precision this tool has allows you to make decisions focused on a small city or a whole state.

I began taking the course early in the week and it only took me a few days of about an hour a day to complete the course. The lessons consist of written articles and videos teaching you the ins and outs of Google Analytics. To receive your certification you have to take an exam that’s about two hours long consisting of different situations and tasks such as determining the number of visitors came to your page through email or google searches. I completed the exam in about an hour and a half with a score of 97% percent on my first attempt!

Knowing how to use Google Analytics has allowed me to expand my brand in more ways than ever before. Using the endless data points available I can choose where to focus my time more efficiently. Whether it’s focusing on how people get to my site and making it more effective or editing my website to make it more intriguing to keep visitors on my site and keep them coming back.

The biggest advantage I had with Google Analytics was the keyword tools. Knowing which keywords were getting the most or least hits helped me assess which I should use more often or use less of. Incorporating these keywords into my blogs and titles will help them have better hit results and in turn bring more visitors to my blog.

I highly recommend anyone who is trying to find better ways to promote their websites, businesses, or brands to look into Google Analytics and receive their certification. The possibilities this program opens up for you is endless and can help improve your brand across the web!

 

(2017, April 4). Retrieved April 5, 2017, from https://analytics.google.com/analytics/academy/profile?c_id=6

Google Analytics Certificate of Completion [Certificate representing the completion of the google analytics course]. (2017, April 4). Retrieved April 4, 2017, from https://analytics.google.com/analytics/academy/course/6/certificate

 

Relay For Life

A few weeks ago I attended the Relay For Life put on by the campus in association with the American Cancer Society. Relay For Life is an event where different student organizations team up to help raise money in support of cancer research. This year Relay For Life took place in the field house on Grand Valley State Universities campus. Teams set up tables, tents, and games within the inside of the track. As you walk or run around the track you can stop and participate in different games and fundraising efforts ranging from dunk tank to food and bake sales. All the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society and the goal is to be the team to raise the most money.

The relay runs from 6 P.M. to 6 A.M taking dedication to stick all the way through. I arrived to relay at about 1 A.M. and stayed till just a bit before 6! During my time there I walked roughly two miles, enjoyed baked goods and walking tacos, and had a blast just hanging with friends and making new ones! There were different competitions such as human hungry hungry hippo, dance-offs, and the last event of the night was a big dance party on stage where everyone stopped what they were doing and went on stage to let loose.

Above is a selfie I took at the relay pretty late in the event. I was really tired but I had a blast and so happy I was able to apart of great cause and meet some awesome people.

 

 

 

[Relay For Life logo w/ American Cancer Society logo]. (2017, April 2). Retrieved April 23, 2017, from https://calendar.lafayette.edu/node/23302

Tweeting with TweetDeck

Managing your social media has never been easier. With TweetDeck you can schedule endless amounts of tweets for days, weeks, or months ahead of time. Alongside scheduling tweets, TweetDeck also divides up twitter into columns. This allows you to have multiple areas of Twitter open at once such as the home feed, notifications, discovery, and activity.

Being able to have multiple tabs open at once helps with efficiency of finding out what people are talking about and how you can join the discussion. This powerful tool can help you build your brand and promote you product or service quickly and easily. Not only does TweetDeck help you easily schedule tweets and stay on top of your social media, but it also saves you a ton of time which you can use to work on your product or business in other aspects!

Technology in Careers

In an age of technology, it is crucial to keep up to date with the latest programs and software. Many careers today require a knowledge of programs such as the Microsoft office suit, POS systems, and other programs specialized for different careers. The necessity for these skills has made finding jobs more difficult for many.

Below I’ve made a shortlist of jobs and the requirements. Many of them below require skill in Microsoft Office. Although, a select few have requirements of specialized programs such as POS and catering/beverage management programs.

Online there are thousands of certifications to be earned. These are usually assessments ranging from multiple tests to short quizzes and test your knowledge of different programs. One popular site with a huge array of these certifications is Hub Spot.

 

 

Sales and Event Coordinator

Big Rock Chophouse & The Reserve

Indeed

• 2+ years of relevant work experience in event marketing and coordinating

• Proven knowledge of industry tools, such as P.O.S., cater event programs, Word and Excel

 

Social Media and Brand Marketing Specialist

Moosejaw

Indeed

• 2 years of experience of  social media ad operations
• Strong Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint skills
• Use of social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube)

 

Social Media Manager

Fathead LLC

Quicken Loans and our family of companies 

• Five years of experience in a social media or digital marketing role
• Strong social media copywriting and/or visual design skills

 

Marketing Coordinator

Meijer

Indeed > Meijer 

• 3 years experience in marketing or comparable experience
• Microsoft office skills – High skill in excel

 

Concessions Coordinator

Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park

Indeed

• 2-3 years hospitality experience with a working knowledge of food production and bar service
• Skilled with computers including POS systems with a windows based format

 

 

 

In Business with InDesign

InDesign from Adobe is a great program which can be used to create anything from resumes to promotional material. These includes things such as posters, pamphlets, and postcards. Also, an essential part of businesses, business cards can be made easily for any kind of business you have. The small canvas gives way for thousands of different designs for anything. Some people even move away from the traditional business card and really think outside the box.

I’ve recently used InDesign myself to create my new business card design. Using InDesign gives you many different features and tools to help you build your design as best as you can. I began with the logo I previously made for my blog and went from there! I chose to stick with the same color scheme as my blog to keep a consistent image.  Using the guides it was only a short while before I had my business card organized and designed.

Below is the finished product!

InDesign is an extremely helpful and powerful progam that anyone can learn if they take the time. The benefits are endless!