My Reflection for Better Social Media Marketing

    Social media has become more than just a communication tool; it's a key driver of business growth. No longer a simple advertising channel, it now serves as a crucial point of contact where companies can connect directly with potential customers and vividly convey their brand value. However, a vague social media marketing approach is unlikely to produce the desired results. A detailed plan is essential for success.

    Chapter 3 presents a step-by-step guide to effective social media marketing. First, clearly define your target persona — the specific audience you want to reach. The more detailed you are with this, including information like age, gender, race, income and hobbies, the better equipped you will be to create effective marketing content. Once you have defined your persona, the next step is to choose the right platform. For example, marketing a massage chair for people in their 50s and 60s would be ineffective on a platform like Pinterest. Next, you should set specific, measurable goals using the SMART framework. Finally, it's crucial to establish your company's unique brand voice. This ensures a consistent identity across all social media channels, which can help clearly embed your brand in the minds of potential customers.

    I was a member of a marketing club at my home university, Hanyang University. In that club, I handled YouTube marketing for Tenthroom, a nonprofit organization. Tenthroom uses donations to provide housing and economic or social education for young adults who have aged out of orphanages in Korea. Our marketing goal was to raise awareness of the organization and increase donations. Despite high content views, we fell short of our donation target, which was disappointing. After reading Chapter 3, I realized there were several areas where we could have improved.

    The biggest issue was the lack of clear goals. Our team jumped into marketing with only a vague idea of "raising awareness and collecting donations." Because we had no specific, measurable objectives — such as "gain X subscribers" or "raise X million won in donations" — we focused solely on creating and uploading content. As a result, we failed to conduct mid-campaign reviews or gather feedback, and ultimately did not achieve our fundraising goal despite strong exposure.

    Another shortcoming was the absence of a consistent brand voice. While we tried to differentiate ourselves by producing podcast content featuring the stories of Tenthroom’s beneficiaries, we did not establish a clear, unified voice for the organization itself. Viewers could easily perceive Tenthroom simply as a podcast channel, rather than understanding its identity and mission. This experience taught me the importance of setting a distinct brand voice and building a consistent identity.

    This project showed me that social media marketing is more than just creating content. It must be built on clear objectives and a coherent brand identity. In any future marketing project, I will make those two factors my top priorities. I now understand that successful social media marketing begins with strategic planning and an authentic brand voice.

Finding School Spirit at an ONU Football Game

    Hello, everyone! Do you enjoy watching football? Until last Saturday, I had never seen an American football game and barely knew the basic rules. Still, I went with friends to Dial-Roberson Stadium for my first live game. The matchup featured Ohio Northern University’s football team against Heidelberg University. Even though it was my first time, I enjoyed it a lot — maybe some of you reading this were there, too.

    The day before the game, my friends and I agreed to wear ONU-related clothing. Although I don’t own many ONU shirts, I chose my favorite black T-shirt. Before heading to the stadium, we met at the Honors House for face painting. I used orange paint — ONU’s signature color — to draw a bear paw on my left cheek. My friends dotted their cheeks and foreheads with paint, making them look like Christmas lights. I had never put this much effort into a school event, so I was both excited and curious.

    Dial-Roberson Stadium was crowded with fans. I hadn’t realized how popular American football was because, in Korea, it’s rare to see a game; soccer is much more widely followed. Seeing so many people — especially ONU students — cheering made me understand the sport’s popularity. I also found myself comparing soccer and American football. At first I wondered about the large rosters, the frequent substitutions and the heavy protective gear. But as the game went on, I realized football is played far more aggressively than soccer.

 

    Because I didn’t know the rules (and still don’t fully), I focused more on the crowd’s energy than on the game itself. What impressed me most was the fans’ passion. The ONU students behind me chanted players’ names and shouted in unison, creating a sense of community. During halftime, dozens of students in the marching band performed lively routines and great music. This unified spirit helped me, as an exchange student, feel part of ONU, too.

    At my home university, Hanyang University, our basketball and soccer teams are strong but don’t have a marching band or student-led events to encourage attendance. That contrast made ONU’s culture feel unfamiliar but even more appealing. This first football experience left such a strong impression on me that I’m already looking forward to attending the next game and cheering for ONU again.