Austin Zhang's CSIT 155 - Spring 2025 Class Blog

     Throughout the years, Google Business Profile continues to evolve with new features that help businesses establish a proper and successful online presence. In 2025, Google introduced several updates, including QR codes for customer reviews, AI-generated backgrounds for posts, improved video verification, and better customization for service listings. These features were designed to make it easier for businesses to engage with customers and improve their visibility in search results. After exploring what Google Business Profile offers, it’s clear that these tools could be highly beneficial for all businesses of any size.      One of the biggest additions is the QR code for customer reviews. Businesses can now generate a unique QR code that directs customers straight to their review page. This makes it much more convenient for customers to leave feedback, which can help businesses build credibility and attract more visitors. Restaurants, in particular, c...

     Throughout the platform's existence, TikTok has taken social media by storm. The growth and popularity have skyrocketed leading not only aspiring content creators but also established businesses to venture in and invest in TikTok advertising. With that being said, I have had a lot of past experience from both a creator and viewer standpoint and can confidently say that TikTok is absolutely a valuable and necessary platform for business promotion and growth.     Besides potentially YouTube shorts and Instagram reels, TikTok has mostly dominated short-form content. This is arguably the most dominant social media advertisement strategy as it doesn't require a long attention span and can be very entrancing if well-suited to promoting in an entertaining, useful, and/or creative manner. Although I deleted TikTok when I recognized how addicting it was to scroll through short and catchy videos, I re-downloaded it to evaluate content from different sized creato...

All businesses can help build connections with their audience through other forms of media. This can include the likes of vlog's, podcasts, and blogs. Adding real human interest and personal connections to forms of media can be very important in not just receiving customers but building life long supporters. As my business is a cuisine chain, I believe that one way in building it up could be with vlogging daily duties. I've seen many street vendors out there who record themselves cooking for customers and monetizing them. These have always interested me as it shows not only the inside of a chef's world, but also their daily interactions with customers. This can build a very familial vibe which can be very attractive to potential customers! I believe it's good to add in personal touches once in a while but not too often as it may be overwhelming to an audience whom may assume some sort of media rebranding. I think the best way is to create separate accounts that focuses ...

Post #1 : On my first post, I used the hashtags:  #joinusforabite   #delicious   #waitingforyou . I didn't really find these hashtags from inspiration as I just found them fitting for the specific post that I made.  Post #2 : For my second post of this experiment, I used the hashtags  #curry   #indianfood   #yummy . I also thought these were fitting as It could help reach a big demographic with our ample food selections. I also used an NBA star in Stephen Curry in a funny image to help with promotion. Post #3 : For my third post, my only hashtag was  #austinsnoodles . I wanted to not only test but also build up the use for this hashtag as people may start using it for free promotion as the business grows.  I tried making all three of these posts at midnight to confirm my suspicions. As my cuisine will definitely be a chain within the United States, I would expect an American demographic. With that being said, posting at a time when most are a...

1. Panda Express : Panda express is a well-known Chinese restaurant across the United States and upon researching their Instagram account, I found that they actually don't include hashtags at all in their posts. Although accumulating 300k+ followers, their posts all seem to be underperforming, especially from a follower count to likes ratio. However, they post relatively often (once in a couple of days) and have had posts once in a while that seem to hit the algorithms' sweet spot Upon checking out these posts, I've found that their success is mainly attributed to posts relating to special national events such as Valentine's Day or when they make "meme style" posts that seem to target a younger audience. This is potent, and they should be doing this more as a social media app like Instagram will definitely be dominated by a younger demographic! Ultimately, upon looking through, it seems as though Panda Express does not use any hashtags, and I probably won'...

My Facebook account is quite literally not working and I keep getting suspended, any help would be great as I still haven't found a solution :( Additionally, since I can't leave comments with no logged-in account, I'll be writing my comments here: Jared Spurlock : I really admire the healthy goal of your business, promoting fitness and outdoor activities for better physical and mental health! Looks great with nice scenic photos that capture an outdoor mood! Colby Parry : Similar to Jared's page, I appreciate how your business is dedicated to the health and wellness of customers. Everyone should be encouraged to workout, and you're doing a great job of promoting these healthy habits! Coco Dry : Dancing has always been a popular trait that many out there, including myself, have strived to learn/improve upon. Your Facebook page has great energy and tutorials for those in need! Additionally, dancing is an amazing form of exercise as well, so you're also helping to a...