Week 17: Wrapping It Up (Finale)

    As we reach the last week of the semester, I’ve been looking back on everything I’ve learned in this class, and I can honestly say it’s been a pretty valuable experience. Social media is constantly changing, and this class really helped me understand how important it is to keep up with those changes, especially if you’re running a business. Platforms like TikTok are blowing up, while others like Facebook are evolving to focus more on groups and ads. I’ve realized that it’s not enough to just be online as you have to be smart about how you show up.

    Running my fictitious business, Austin’s Noodles, gave me a real reason to apply what we were learning. At the beginning of the semester, I was mostly planning on posting food pics and the occasional update on Instagram and Facebook. But as the weeks went on and we looked into how other businesses were using social media, I realized I needed to step it up. I started thinking and progressing into more engaging content, like short videos of the cooking process, customer reactions, or some behind-the-scenes footage.

    One thing that really stood out to me was how powerful storytelling can be. Instead of just promoting menu items, sharing the stories behind some of the dishes or highlighting a “customer of the week” can make a big impact. These small changes can lead to more comments and shares, and potentially even have a few new customers come in and say they found us through social media. It's cool to think about how the digital realm can have such a big impact on real life. I’ve also been paying more attention to what time I post, using better hashtags, and testing out some local ad boosts to reach more people nearby.

    After going through this class, I definitely feel more confident with social media. I’m no expert yet, but I know how to create posts with more purpose, study engagement data, and figure out what’s working. I also learned that it’s better to use fewer platforms really well than to try juggling everything and end up neglecting half of them or doing a rushed/poor job on each due to lack of time and effort. It’s all about balance and choosing the platforms that connect with your audience the most.

    For future classes, I think it would be awesome to learn more about how to make content look better, such as tips on creating graphics or editing short videos using free tools. A little more on reading analytics would be helpful, too, since knowing what’s working behind the scenes is just as important as what your followers see. Overall, I believe that you did a great job instructing this class, and I’m glad I took it as it gave me tools I’ll keep using as my business grows, opening my eyes to just how powerful social media can be when used the proper way!