Simulation/review of class overall!

THIS IS MY LAST BLOG EVER! I’m kidding—but seriously, this is my last blog for the semester! I might continue writing blogs in the near future; however, this is the end of my journey for now. I enjoy writing blogs, but they take a reasonable amount of time, so I’m unsure if I’ll continue, depending on my availability. Since this might be my last blog for a while, I wanted to take the time to reflect on our simulation and the class overall. This semester, my social media class has used a simulation to help us explore and understand what it’s like to manage a professional business. The further we went in the simulation, the more difficult and specific it became. The company we managed was called Buhi Supply Co., a business that sells all kinds of bags—like backpacks, satchels, luggage, totes, purses, and more. As the simulation progressed, the tasks we had to complete changed, allowing us as students to better understand the tactics a social media manager uses to create the most outreach and following possible for a company. There were three main tasks we had to complete, and I want to go a bit more in depth about them.

Our first task was to post organic content about Buhi on any social media platform to create as much awareness—and earn as much money—as possible. To know what platforms had worked best for Buhi in the past, we analyzed brand guides, audits, and other resources. I found this part interesting because I could see what Buhi had tried before, what worked and what didn’t, and build my strategy from there. After doing some research, I concluded that to generate the most revenue, I needed to post on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. This made sense, considering those are three of the most popular platforms, but for some companies, Pinterest, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok work better, depending on their size and goals. 

After organic content, our next task was to create paid social posts, which was a little more difficult. For this task, we picked a platform, chose the image or video we wanted to post, selected our target audience, and decided how much of our budget to spend. The paid posts would run for a week, so the trick was to spend as much money as possible to maximize profit. The final task was to find influencers who would promote the company to their followers. This was my least favorite part. With the set budget, it was tough to find influencers who would deliver good results without overspending. I also didn’t love this task because I found it unnecessary—I actually made more money when I didn’t use influencers at all. To be honest, when we were first told about the simulation, I thought I’d hate it. In my personal life, I don’t like making social media posts, so I assumed this assignment would be similar. However, I genuinely enjoyed it. It showed me a different side of social media that I knew existed but hadn’t really experienced. I liked learning how a social media manager works, and thanks to the simulation, I now feel confident that I could manage social media for a company—something I never thought I’d say.

Overall, this class has been a wild ride, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed discussing social media, learning about the background of each platform, and understanding how each can be beneficial in its own way. I’m excited to take more classes in the future because I believe social media is one of the most essential tools for building both your personal and professional brand. I’ve learned so much during this course, and I hope to continue growing my social media skills so I can use them effectively in the professional world. This may be the last time you read one of my blogs—and if it is, I wish you the best in your next adventure!