Working with the Alzheimers and Dementia society has been rewarding, struggling, and overall a great opportunity to put what I have learned over the last 5 years of school to work. While working for a non-profit it was tricky working on a really tight budget. We spent days creating and writing grant proposals and that is hard work. Over the semester there were many up and downs within the work being done. I spent time doing many things. From writing grants, creating educational videos, volunteering, and teaching LuAna how to use social media more effectively. I was also an IT guy going around and fixing many technical things.
Focus Points:
There was not really one singular focus point for me in this project. I wanted to put in as much knowledge as I could to help the Alzheimers and Dementia society grow, but also take the time to learn new skills. It was like working at a PR firm where you don't really have a boss. It was more a collective group of people working together and bouncing ideas off one another until a good plan was agreed upon.
I spent nights editing photos and videos, as well as looking over the new website before it was published to make sure it was correct and ready for viewing. With many projects going on at once it would get hard to remember what needed to be done at times and I started using a calendar again for the first time in probably a year or two. I have been one to procrastinate assignments in school because I new I had to a certain date to get it done and would just do it the night before. However, with the ADS I was never given a timeline or due date so it was more about me being disciplined and making sure I got done what I promised I would get done.
When I started the project I wanted to have something to show for my hard work. I have a new website, a couple videos, pictures, and a lot of volunteering at different classes offered by ADS. However, I did want something that would be measurable over time to see a true look at how much I was able to help something. The only thing I could really measure over the time would be the Facebook analytics. I made goals to try and achieve. These were:
- Reach 1000 likes on the Facebook page.
- Double amounts of like per post on average.
- Make an effort to be more recognized on Google.
- Post at least 3 times a day using different kinds of posts.(Photos, quotes, videos, etc.)
- Teach the whole staff how to use Facebook correctly and use it according to Social Marketing Theory.
All these pictures show the highlights of the Facebook page over the last quarter.
I was able to achieve some goals while others I was not able to achieve one hundred percent. I had set a plan in place and did my best to follow it. I have observed over the past semester how much effect I was able to have on the ADS and I feel like my time there really helped increase their ability to better run the non-profit successfully.
My program learning objectives where:
1- I am going to help produce short online videos that will provide daily brain exercises for those looking for help. I will be helping produce, film, and post them to online websites such as youtube, Southern Utah Live, and also use social media sites to help spread the message of the Alzheimer's and Dementia Society.
This first objective is a objective that is still in progress. It was hard to get the people I wanted in film into the studio to get the videos done. I have half the videos done but will finish the other half in January. However, I was able to help their social media awareness.
2- I will be helping the organization with making there social media sites more useful to them by providing knowledge I have learned in my New Social Media class. I will use Facebook and Google analytics to help better direct traffic to their site and help spread the word about the organization.
This was a great objective. It was something that people need to know how to do. I was successful in helping ADS in understanding what was needed to help the non-profit grow trough social media sites. I also showed them the importance of using Facebook and Google analytics to help meet their goals.
3- I will be looking to apply a couple communication theories(Social Marketing Theories) to my work but these are undecided at the time being. Also use skills from organizational communications to help organize different projects and events within the non-profit.
This was a great objective for me. I was able to apply Social marketing Theories to help the ADS and it was great to use knowledge I gained from communication theory.
4- I will use my knowledge of Media Ethics and Law to make sure what the non-profit does is ethical and lawful.
The knowledge I had in Media Ethics and Law came in handy when writing grants and with knowing what we could and couldn't do with the videos we are making.
5- I will also be attending their weekly board meetings to better understand what their goals and objectives are as an organization, and if I have something that may help I will give suggestions to help further their cause.
Attending the meetings helped gain a better understanding of what they wanted and what I could do to help them.
6- I help provide input in re-branding. I have provide knowledge on how to research new names and locations for the non-profit.
Right now they are going through a rebranding effort to find a name that can help them with SEO and separate themselves from the bigger alzheimer's and dementia non-profits out there.
7- Social Marketing Theory comes down to 6 objectives:
This first objective is a objective that is still in progress. It was hard to get the people I wanted in film into the studio to get the videos done. I have half the videos done but will finish the other half in January. However, I was able to help their social media awareness.
2- I will be helping the organization with making there social media sites more useful to them by providing knowledge I have learned in my New Social Media class. I will use Facebook and Google analytics to help better direct traffic to their site and help spread the word about the organization.
This was a great objective. It was something that people need to know how to do. I was successful in helping ADS in understanding what was needed to help the non-profit grow trough social media sites. I also showed them the importance of using Facebook and Google analytics to help meet their goals.
3- I will be looking to apply a couple communication theories(Social Marketing Theories) to my work but these are undecided at the time being. Also use skills from organizational communications to help organize different projects and events within the non-profit.
This was a great objective for me. I was able to apply Social marketing Theories to help the ADS and it was great to use knowledge I gained from communication theory.
4- I will use my knowledge of Media Ethics and Law to make sure what the non-profit does is ethical and lawful.
The knowledge I had in Media Ethics and Law came in handy when writing grants and with knowing what we could and couldn't do with the videos we are making.
5- I will also be attending their weekly board meetings to better understand what their goals and objectives are as an organization, and if I have something that may help I will give suggestions to help further their cause.
Attending the meetings helped gain a better understanding of what they wanted and what I could do to help them.
6- I help provide input in re-branding. I have provide knowledge on how to research new names and locations for the non-profit.
Right now they are going through a rebranding effort to find a name that can help them with SEO and separate themselves from the bigger alzheimer's and dementia non-profits out there.
7- Social Marketing Theory comes down to 6 objectives:
- Creating Audience Awareness
- Targeting the Right Audience
- Reinforce the Message
- Cultivate Images or Impressions
- Stimulate Interests
- Induce Desired Results
All of these I was able to apply in some way and they were able to help me and the ADS grow and become more knowledgeable.
My Ups and Downs:
There were many ups and downs while working with the ADS. I would say the great points was finishing the website, watching the director of the ADS become better at using analytics on Facebook and Google. I say the bad was lack of communication at times. It was hard to know at times what exactly the ADS was looking for and it would be hard to find out because it would be hard to get in contact with them. I struggled a lot with the video parts of things and spent a lot of time working on my skills. I was also able to use my knowledge of photography to take photos which I feel was a good highlight to my time with ADS.
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