Final Post

This semester has been one heck of a ride!  This class has been the highlight of pleasant things in my life and I regret that I did not have as much time to dedicate to this course and the Seesterhood of the Traveling Nerds than I would have liked to.  I am seriously looking forward to having time to spend on my new blog site, Facebook page and Twitter.

I have learned so much this semester about Social Media and about myself.  I love to blog!  I should have known this already because I love to go on endless rants about myself, others, technology, jobs, businesses, etc.  My use of social media changed dramatically as well.  In connecting this new venture of mine with other sites and personal profiles, I have learned the importance of being political in my personal posts and blogs as well because they can all be viewed and my business is directly connected with my name. 

I am up to 86 likes on my Facebook page right now and I know that number will grow dramatically as I spend more time on it and pay more attention to the people who are currently viewing. My original post regarding social media was regarding the marketing ninjas and how all of it is eventually about making money.  My view has not changed on that.  However, I do not think this is a bad thing at all.  I think that the creators of these platforms have found a way to dodge the cost of the actual media/media and that our money is no longer just being handed up to the television  networks and newspapers because we have found a new and cost effective way to market that does not require these extensive costs.

Final Week Blog Post 1 : My view of Social Media Platforms

For the first post of my final week I was asked to address the following questions:

·  Which ones integrate best with the type of business you have created?

·  Which have you enjoyed using the most? The enthusiasm or lack there of for a type of media is often shared along with the posts we write. This class gave you an opportunity to experiment with a variety of them. Now you can focus in on what seems the most effective ones to use.

·  Which work best on a daily use pattern?

·  Which can you still use effectively on a much less frequent time schedule?

·  How much time do you think your business should spend on social media marketing and why?

To answer the first two questions at one time, I think that Facebook is the most useful for someone who is selling themselves as a service and it is certainly the best integration for me and my business.  It is integrated with my site, my personal Facebook, my friends, my family, etc.  Nearly everyone has a Facebook these days and you can network with all types of people and other businesses as well.  It puts you in Google's search radar and gives you access to all sorts of tools to measure your interactions with the public.

I learned a ton about using the tools and scheduling posts that will make this even more useful for me now!  I also am on Facebook all the time anyway so this makes it much easier for me to keep up with my business and not cut into my personal time.  ;-)

Week 11: Additional sites that can help my business

In addition to Twitter and Facebook that I use often, There are other sites that I can use to help my business grow.  Among those are LinkedIn, GoogleMaps, Yelp, and Google+.  LinkedIn is an excellent resource for my type of business because if I join the right groups I will gain access to articles, information and news in the tech industry that I might not have otherwise seen.  It is also where I market myself best in the industry.  In fact, my personal website is nothing more than a link to my LinkedIn profile.  Check it out!  go to www.awsjen.com and it will take you to me!

GoogleMaps is a great way to advertise even if you do not have an actual storefront.  If you can put your information in with a PO box in your town or your home address even if need be, then it gets you in the system!  It is the first thing you see when you google something in your industry and your town... GoogleMaps comes up with a list of the locations in that area.  So, even for a business like mine, I think it is a good idea.

Google+ may not seem important right now and is not super populated but it is on it's way.  You don't ever hear someone say, "Yahoo that sh@t!".  So, I recommend becoming familiar with and integrated with Google as much as possible.

Yelp, well, what can I say?  It is one of the most used tools in my life!  It is where I go to first to find out about a company that I don't know anything about so make friends with those guys!  If you have any product to offer at all you will want to pay attention to this site and your customer's feedback.  Always respond publicly and try to have a solution not an argument because others are reading!

Week 10: Email Newsletters

I have to say, this week's assignment has been quite a hassle for me because the email site that we used is now blowing up my phone to help me with marketing!  Everything has a price, right?  However, it was a very nifty service.  I have created email newsletters before using Microsoft publisher and it worked out nicely.  With the tools that we all have at our disposal these days, emailing our customers is such a breeze!

If you are at all into cloud technology then you understand the important role that this plays in this form of marketing.  I will spare you the details of the mail servers and being able to quickly create a new email address for a specific purpose but it is a wonderful thing that was not very big back when I was working in marketing.

With publisher, you can use a template like the one that we used and you can create your email newsletter there.  If you have Microsoft Office then you have publisher and you are set.  The best thing about this is that you can also create a suite of mailers, business cards, etc that all match each other and then just run down to your local copy center and print it all out!

Email newsletters are easy and cost efficient but you have to grab your audience and not over do it or you will end up in the spam folder.  Some ideas are to always include new discounts on the newsletter or valuable information so that your clients are actually looking forward to receiving it instead of sending it to spam.  Also, to not send them too often so that they become more annoying than helpful.  I recommend expiration dates on coupons and discounts as well so that it does not become a situation where they just pile up.

Wk 9: To Personalize your post or not to Personalize your post? Is this even a question?

I cannot for the life of me think of a situation where it would not be logical to add a personal touch to a business blog post.  Accounting analytics maybe?  I don't think that even the number crunchers want to be treated like a number these days.  Times have changed and we all want to feel special, unique and appreciated as consumers.  Business transactions create a type of relationship that is professional and personal.  For example, if you know of two dealerships and they both have the exact same car for the same price and the same service contract, etc... One of the dealerships has a sign out front that says, "Cars for Sale" and the other has a sign out that says, "We Appreciate your business!  Come check us out!".  Who do you think you will go to for your car?

Facts, efficiency, cost, quality, etc are all very important factors for a consumer but the personal touch is what sets you apart from the rest.  It what attracts your demographic and it is what sells ice to Eskimos as well when it draws in the people who were not even in the market for your service or product.  Reaching out via posts and touching the minds and hearts of the public could even make them subconsciously  want to have a reason to help your business flourish.  Have you ever wished you drank beer just because that Corona looks so nice sitting on the table on the beach?  I have!
So to me, does not ever make sense not to have a personal touch in a blog post.  That is not to say that you should inject your own personality into each post.  The personal touch should not always be your own, but rather, what your public will respond to in a positive manner.

Week 8

I have a bit of catching up to do!  I set up the Twitter account for the Nerdy Seesterhood and have spent time searching and following different people that could contribute to our cause.  I have created a list for Women in Technology and thus far am following Women in Technology and Women in Cable.  The search is difficult because it often redirects to the actual club for Women in Technology and not just related sites.

I have followed sites like "The New Boston" and "Amazon Web Services" and found them all using the search tools.  It will take a little time to build up our lists but I think this will be super useful for us to network and find information and keep updated on events in the industry.

Week 7: Time to get Visual Folks!

This week, for my Social Media Marketing course, I have to discuss which visual networks would be right for me and my brand.  Oh boy!  So, should I discuss what is actually best for my business, or what I am capable of and/or should try pulling off?  In other words, Facebook, YouTube, SnapChat and Twitter are probably my best platforms to become popular out in the blogging world... but do I really want to start Vlogging?  Do I want to subject the world to the monstrosity that is me trying to talk on a video?  Or should I torture a wealth of people with Snapchats of me trying to get the dog tongue to come out of my cat's mouth? (Yes, I attempt that daily, updates to come)  I am thinking not though!

I am going to say that Twitter would be my best option.  Twitter is actually quite popular in the technology world and the reasoning is obvious.  You have an industry that is a constantly changing and a platform that moves a million miles per hour.  It is basically a match made in heaven!  If you don't believe me, start following some channels geared around Amazon Web Services, Linux, Microsoft, Sony, etc.  I think it is time for the seesterhood to get to Tweeting!  This is clearly a network that our Women In Technology blogs should be utilizing!

The Scheduler for posts on Facebook pages is my new friend!  Never again will I forget a holiday or post too many things in one day!  Here is what I have scheduled this month so far:

One of these is simply so that I do not forget to say Happy Halloween.  I am going to be very busy that day but I want to keep my site fresh in people's minds so I stuck that in there.  The one that you see there with a little bit of code is a joke Python program I wrote just to be funny about Monday's.  I am scheduling it to post on Monday and hopefully it will entertain my nerdy audience and get some shares.  That seems to be the best way to get the word out there.  Posting things that others want to share like useful information or funny memes gets your name out there and if there is enough interesting things on your page then you might get some new likes!  The middle one is just that.  It is just a funny meme about recursion that I posted to go out on Thursday since I will be at school and work that day and will not have time to post anything.

I think this is a wonderful tool and I plan on using it quite often!

Week 6: Networking with Other Businesses via Facebook

Setting up my Facebook site was a lot of fun.  Clicking on each individual person to invite them... not so much!  But this is the price we pay to prevent being spammed with invites so hats off to whoever is standing their ground and pushing through the hate male on that one!  This week I was asked to like 7 business sites and to explain my reasoning for choosing those 7.

I have several different reasons for choosing the businesses that I chose to support with my new page likes.  The first site I liked is a no brainer.  I have a major nerd crush on Bucky Roberts as he has been there to teach me through many a hard night of Java programming and does it with a sweet voice full of little goofy puns and jokes that crack me up no matter how bad my mood is.  Bucky Roberts is a genius and I want to share his posts and videos with my audience.  I would not have passed my last programming course if it were not for his videos.  Although I am doing great in my latest programming course due to having an amazing teacher, I still want to watch the videos that come available and share them with my audience.  

I have liked “Linux Academy” because it is through them and their certification preparation that I was able to make the major career change that I have made and I continue to learn through them.  I also chose a couple of pages that are geared specifically toward women in technology.  I am working to appeal to an audience of women who are interested in the industry but may be a bit intimidated by the lack of female perspective and might not know where to go for learning tools.

I chose to support Harley Davidson not only because I love my Harley but again, I would like to tie together the women who are wanting to step outside of the box while maintaining some entertainment for the men as well.  I am also trying to reach a very specific audience of supporters and I believe that many riders would be supportive even if they are not specifically interested.  I am looking to be connected with pages that will provide articles to share and an audience as well.

Vigor Technologies is the company that I work for and ties into my theme as well. Vigor is the most culturally diverse company that I have ever worked for.  They are huge supporters of my education and want to encourage more women to get into the industry.  I chose to like their page to share that will my subscribers.

All of these pages reach out to an audience that might also be interested in what I have to say.  I could increase my audience by being linked with the pages that I have liked and continuing to post interesting things and working to promote my business.  I was a little concerned with liking the pages of all of my classmates because I am not sure what my audience will think of my liking Wedding Planners or Salons.  I was worried about wearing out my likes so to speak.  But, I don't think I am reaching enough of an audience right now for it to be a concern and I will set my featured likes up so that will help.  I am happy to be networked with these other businesses and excited to see others flourish! 

Besides... I do what I want!!  :-)

Week 5: Post Reach and Post Engagement

The questions this week are as follows:

1. Define the difference between post reach and post engagement. 
2. Why is knowing the difference important?
3. After defining the terms, describe how a business can use Facebook Insights to better serve their customers.

I would like to start by saying that I created my page on Wednesday and five days later we are at 64 likes.  I hope to boost this number quickly but I am limited on time to share and comment and be engaged so we will see what happens.  Our post reach (the number of people that our posts are reaching) is currently at 243.  Our post engagement (the number of people who have engaged with our posts through comments, likes, etc) is at 221!  I am very excited about this because it says to me that almost half of the people who are viewing our posts are responding or "engaging" in some sort of way.  This is an important difference because if you are reaching 400 people and none are responding, you are not appealing to those you are reaching which would mean you are doing one of two things.  Either you are not reaching your target audience or you are not appealing to your target audience.  Either way, something must change!  I am noticing quickly that what time I post is very influential on how many people I reach.  If I post at the wrong times when the audience is not looking then my posts are getting lost in a sea of News Feeds.  I have hundreds of friends who are on my personal page often but this is different and it is new so I need to be more strategic in how I approach it.  

I think that these tools are just amazing!  You can really measure the success of your marketing efforts and make decisions and analyze the data until you have successfully mastered the art of Social Media Marketing Ninjas.  ;-)  

Week 4: seesterhoodofthetravelingnerds.com

I can't remember when the last time is that I have been so excited about a project with my girls!  When I say, "my girls," I am referring to my daughter, mom, and sisters (seesters).  My class on social media marketing has pushed me to start a business.  My girls and I talk daily on Skype, text, etc and we are forever discussing how we must be much more interesting that those reality show girls on TV!

So, since we are all quite nerdy and love to post and rant, I have decided to start a blog and include them on it.  My goal is to make a place that will lure in sponsors with it's popularity but also to have a safe haven for me and my family ladies to spread the word about how to overcome life's challenges, be good parents and have fun no matter what!  I mean that, NO MATTER WHAT!  If life gives us lemons we squirt it in our drink and throw the peels at that jerk! The twist of course is that three of us are in the technology industry so there will be a section to cater to women in technology!

Our ideal customer will be those ladies and guys who are out there thinking, "The struggle is real", and need some encouragement, the single teen parent, the battered woman putting her life back together, the man who wants to know how he should deal with his daughter, and the random person who just want's to laugh at the crazy stuff my daughter's mom says that she cannot post on facebook! We will also be there to encourage women in the technology industry and include random technical blogs about the latest in Cloud Infrastructure, Continuous Integration, Open Source projects, etc.  This site will definitely be for those over 18 because I feel like it should not have a swear filter.   Viewer discretion is advised!

Stay tuned but I have already registered the domain so this baby is on it's way!

Week 4: The Diaper Debate

For this week I have been asked to review the following websites and comment on their demographics and/or psychographics. I found this quite easy because, despite the fact that these two sites represent very similar products, they are indeed completely different from each other.

http://www.econobum.com
http://www.justcheapdiapers.com

I think that in general you can put parents of infants into two separate consumer categories.  Those categories are broke parents and not broke parents.  However, there are many sub categories within these like trendy, organic, negligent, cheap, realistic, paranoid, etc.  I found these two products and websites very interesting because the do have that one BIG crossover demographic which is, "People who need to catch the tiny human's waste."  Still, they are very different in their marketing approach because one of them is catering to the broke or cheap crowd and the other is catering to the tree-hugging, organic hipster parents.  One site is flashy and busy like some place to buy bulk finger puppets, while the other site is family oriented and more about the makers of the product than the product itself.  One site is focusing on the environment and the other is focusing on saving you money.  These are two completely opposite messages going out to two completely different type of people, right?  But these people have one huge thing in common, BABIES!!!

This is a very fascinating comparison to think about and an excellent way to get me thinking about who I am reaching out to when I start my business.

Week 3: Blog Two: My Frequently Visited Websites

This week I have been asked to discuss two websites that I visit frequently.  I really did not realize how many sites I access on a daily basis until I tried to pick two of them!  I spend a significant amount of time on so many sites!  Sites like Facebook, Google, Amazon, AWS (Amazon Web Services), Netflix, MiraCosta, Bitbucket, Chase Bank, Blogger, etc. are just a few and I access these almost every single day!  Since I am supposed to choose two, I went with the most interesting of them all and the two sites that I am quite certain have in some way shape or form a hand in the making and maintaining of each and every one of the sites I am touching every day.  Is that possible?

AWS is Amazon's cloud.  When people talk about "The Cloud" they are usually referring to AWS if they know it or not.  It is the world of virtual machines!  AWS owns and maintains data centers across the world that they basically rent out.  Netflix is one company that uses AWS.  Have you ever wondered how everyone can be watching movies at the same time and it does not slow them down?  They have a highly reliable and scale-able system through AWS that fires up new machines when too many people are logging on at the same time and shuts them down when they are no longer needed.  I am a DevOps Engineer for a Media Broadcasting Technology company that uses AWS so I am on their console every day at work.  If you would like to check it out, it is free to sign up for an account as long as you don't activate any services you should be ok.  Go to console.aws.amazon.com if you would like to see it.  I have included a screenshot of the console home page for you to get an idea of how many services they offer.  Clicking on any one of these services will take you into an entirely new area that covers that service.  It is probably the most intricate, fast and reliable site that I have ever depended on and I am quite sure that is one of the reasons they are the leading cloud technology services company out there.  Keep in mind though that this site is for people who are already customers.  You wont see a lot of marketing frills which is probably why it is so fast.  However, if you go to aws.amazon.com you will see that they have that front page set up for marketing and keeping this console separate is what makes it so efficient.  You do not have to search through propaganda to find what you need.  There is one little thing that I would like to improve on this site and that is the sorting of the services.  I can see why they need to have it this way and have grouped them for people who may not know the name of what they are looking for.  However, it would be great if we could sort them alphabetically to make it easier to go straight to what you are looking for when you know what it is called.

For my second site I have chosen another site that I use at work called Bitbucket.org.  Bitbucket is a web-based hosting service for projects that use either Mercurial or Git revision control systems.  Am I speaking another language? Basically, it is a place where we can collect all of the code for our projects and share and make changes and store the information for version control of our software.  That is why I say that it is another site that probably touches all of these other sites in one way or another.  In fact, I just read an article that 1 in 3 fortune 500 companies are using Bitbuket!  And how do they do their marketing?  Well it most certainly is not through their site!!  So, I googled that and the best I can come up with as far as their biggest marketing tool is.... wait for it...... BLOGS!  Hmmmm So, now this has me thinking and on to another subject for another blog at another time but I will leave you with the thought.  How important IS the money and effort put into the design of your website if you have a solid product and aggressive Social Media Marketing campaign? 

The Bitbucket site is not colorful, it is not pretty, but it is organized well.  And much like the AWS console, if you are looking for the fluff and want to be sold on something, just click on the "Plans and Pricing" or "Documentation" links at the bottom of the page and BAM!  There is an instant change in font size, color, graphics, etc.  It seems to me that they also saved all of the features that slow down your website and put them in their respective areas for those who would like to view them.  Nicely done!

This week I have commented on the following student's blogs:

Skylar hunter

Nina Sokol

Matthew Truss

Jen's Website Review

Here is a fun assignment!  Choose two of the following websites and identify at least three potential problems for visitors.  Then choose two websites and identify what they have done right.

• http://tectorch.com
• http://www.exmouth-view.co.uk/
• http://spotmetering.com/
• http://www.roverp6cars.com/
• http://www.headhunterhairstyling.com/
• http://www.riversideartcenter.org/
• http://apple.com
• http://www.ford.com/
• http://www.toyota.com/

It did not take me long to choose the sites that I wanted to critic.  It just seems that every art center website I have ever visited has been an utter disaster!  I am not sure if it is a budget issue, or if that is just the style they go for.  My daughter has been a dance performer for about 7 years now and because the performances tend to be at art centers, I have visited a lot of these sites.  The www.riversideartcenter.org site is a prime example.  It is difficult to view because of poor coloring.  It is not pleasing to the eye at all and the layout is quite confusing.  The year is not included with dates and since they have not changed many things like photos since 2013, I am led to believe that the announcements could be from really any year!  Boo to this site.  Get your life together Riverside art people.

Next on my list was the www.spotmetering.com.  What on earth is that anyway?  Well, I can tell you what it is not.... CHEAP!  And how do I know that without there being any prices listed on the page?  Thanks to the very crude wording on this page (once I was able to read it and get passed the bright yellow font on the black background) I was very easily able to read between the lines.  Statements like, "When you buy an expensive GUITAR, you KNOW that playing skills DO NOT COME with it!" are pretty much a sure sign that you are about to spend a lot of money on something you don't know how to use.  I don't know about you guys, but I for one do not like being yelled at regarding my attitude about purchases I have not even made yet!  So then, where could I find the answer to my question, "What on earth is spotmetering"?  BELOW, yes I said BELOW all of the lectures about buying expensive things is where they explain what the product is that they are yelling at me about.  I just can't with this website.  

Oh how I love my Ford truck.  His name is Steve and he is a finely tuned machine that I am thankful for every day.  I bet you can guess what website I decided to praise first.  Of course it was FORD!  I did not just choose FORD because I believe them to be the best truck manufacturer out there or because Henry Ford opened the doors for countless others to build and create on their dreams and make our automobiles better and better every year.  I chose Ford because their website is an example of excellent marketing/sales and web design.  The page organization and structure is easy to view and user friendly.  The site caters to both the potential and existing customers with places to order accessories, give feedback, receive quotes, etc.  You can see what is coming out and what has been around.  The only thing I would change about this site is a big FORD Raptor hauling tail through the desert on the cover.  :-)  However, I suppose the point is to draw in new people and not the already hooked truck enthusiasts so, the scrollthrough of "a vehicle for every lifestyle" that starts with the Fusion was probably the smarter way to go.


Jen's Dream Truck - 


Here is another something that I love.  I know, I kind of cheated by choosing sites that I already have good things to say about.  Can you guess what else I am passionate about?  It is my iphone!!  So, I decided to take a trip to www.apple.com to take an objective view of their website.  I wonder how much money they had to pay to buy the name "apple.com" or did they corner that before everyone was buying up domain names?  Hmmmmm.... I am going to google that!  Ok, I am back (speedy one) So according to an article on Quora.com by Erik Fair, they did not pay anything for the apple.com domain name because it was registered prior to 1988 when he started working there.  However, you should really check this article out regarding what they paid for the iphone.com domain!  Wowza! Click on this link to check it out. AppleInsider.com  Back to the subject at hand.  Their site is of course, flawless.  I tried to find something wrong but I just could not.  They Highlight the latest products and information, the pages are all well organized and not too much information is thrown at you at once on any item, and there are no formatting errors.  The colors are easy on the eyes and the speed of the site is excellent as well.  Caching is our friend!

So there you have it folks!  My week 3 blog one assignment.  Let me know what you think!

5 business websites and the social media they are using.

Click on this photo to view the 5 businesses that I selected.

This week I commented on the following group members posts:

Jamie Blaise
Charles Guzman
Adrian Mandujano

Business Communication via Social Media

Have I ever experienced difficulty communicating with a business?  Does a one legged duck swim in circles?!  Of course, I have had many experiences where I got frustrated communicating with a business.  I would say that 9 times out of 10 it has something to do with insurance.  This is typically related to the insane hold times on the phone and applies specifically to companies that only will communicate with you via the telephone.  Yes, Blue Cross Blue Shield, I am talking to you!  I have been on hold for 15 to 20 minutes and then hung up on accidentally by the representative when they finally answered on several occasions.  I don't even like to go to the doctor because I don't want to set an appointment.  It is just too much of an ordeal.

However, there are some healthcare companies who do things differently and are following suit with other businesses that use the internet to communicate.  Kaiser is a perfect example of this.  Kaiser has developed their own type of user interface that resembles LinkedIn or Facebook.  The doctors have profiles, you can actually email them, you can see your test results and order prescriptions, you can even submit reviews and complaints.  This seems to have changed the way their customer service responds as they are being held accountable for their response times and demeanor.  

At the end of the day, responding to your clients in a timely and effective manner and treating them with the utmost importance is the quickest and easiest way to build a good reputation.  Public responses to complaints that show a resolution to the issue and respect for the person complaining is respected by most of those viewing it and will actually end up helping your company rather than hindering it. Written communication also leaves a paper trail so that you can track the progress that you have made with feedback and issue resolutions.

In the examples above, you can see my opinion of the difference in communication styles between two healthcare companies.  The interesting thing is that I really like the doctors with Blue Cross Blue Shield and would probably prefer to visit them.  However, if given the choice between the two companies at this point, I would choose Kaiser because I am more likely to actually go to the doctor and understand my test results and communicate effectively if I have a good user interface and social network to use.

Social Media Platforms are Marketing Ninjas

Social media platforms are like marketing ninjas!  I have been asked to specify what is geared toward personal use and what seems to work better for business.  My head is spinning.  Let's look at this for a moment...

Facebook - You get on for personal use.  You post pics of your kids, like some other posts and maybe agree to join your friend's Mary Kay party.  Wait just a minute!  You joined a Mary Kay party through Facebook?  So, this is being used for business?  That funny meme you liked and shared is phishing your information, your friends are having you like their business pages to get more coverage with their advertisements and suddenly Facebook is offering you t-shirts with #! on them (how did they know you know Linux?).  Well, looks like this one is more business than personal underneath it all...NEXT!

Pintrest - I used to think this was an  innocent way for us all to share and say, "OMG look at these cute shoes" and "I want a fountain of Brides Maids tears at our wedding!".  Wrong again, after reading a classmates blog I realized that this is just us all advertising product after product via the most effective form of marketing, word of mouth.

LinkedIn - Thank you so much, LinkedIn, for being honest about your intentions and providing a place to organize the hundreds of recruiters that stalk our lives once we step into the technology industry.

Twitter - This one is yet another business orientated platform but I have to say, hats off to Twitter!  When there are fires in San Diego, new technology announcements, political debates and of course, Jimmy Fallon being his amazing self I get notified right away and can get instant updates before they even hit the news.  Definitely another business related platform but this is also a great network of instant updates on current events.

Instagram - In my opinion, this is the most "personal use" geared platform.  Still, it's moving quickly away from that.  If you don't believe me, go to a dance competition.  The only reason I even downloaded this application is because of a contest at one of my daughter's dance competitions.

So, there you have it.  The bottom line of my synopsis is that almost every social media platform out there is geared to look like it is for personal use while sneaking marketing propaganda right into your own posts on Aunt Martha's page.

I have been wanting to do this for so long!  I now have my very own blog site where I can just rant endlessly about nonsense!  For today's nonsense, I would like to discuss the reasons I chose this specific template.  The simple answer to that is, "It is Pink and that is one of my favorite colors!".  However, I believe that my teacher would like me to go a little more in detail about it so I will try to elaborate on my pink template as best I can.  

I am a very manly girly-girl at times. I like to keep my home clean, I have a certificate in makeup artistry and I host slumber parties at the age of 38.  However, I think more women should be able to look and act feminine while doing things that are unexpected of their character.  An example of this would be the industry that I work in and the vehicles that I drive.  I am a DevOps engineer who rides a Harley and drives a Ford truck.  I love to fish and camp but  I also like to wear dresses, false eyelashes and select girly looking backgrounds for my blogs.  Is it odd to think that maybe I can attract the attention of some other women with my pretty pink flare and then dazzle them with knowledge?   

Everything that I do though, at the end of the day, is for one big reason.  It makes me happy and makes me feel good about myself.  I think that you can trace every one of my actions back to that answer including my Pink template.