Project Purpose and Objectives
The purpose for this project for Ashley Homestore in Idaho Falls, was to kickstart their social media pages after a long period of lack of posts and engagement. The objective was to create a content calendar and social media posts for Ashley to use to begin consistent social media use and gain more customers in store.
The Product
I have included two Facebook/ posts I created for Ashley’s social media that highlight some of the collections showcased on the showroom floor. I have also included a template for customer reviews. The content above focuses on design, and working with the Ashley national brand in order to create a page that is cohesive and uniform.
Challenges
This process was fun, and I was able to learn and develop new skills, however I did face some challenges during this process. One of the biggest challenges I had to personally overcome was the element of design. I did not have much previous design experience before this project, and doubted myself several times before actually showing some of my finished products off. Another challenge that I encountered with this project was the change in plans with this project. My original goals for this project, and what the end result became were different than I had planned. I originally planned to post the content I created, but there were some technical difficulties that made me unable to post. Rather than feel like I could not complete my project, I took the opportunity to keep creating and working with members of the Ashley team to make more posts that align with what the store has available for showcasing.
Project Process
I began my project by doing some research. I followed closely with Ashley’s national advertising, as well as researching competitors in the area. After analyzing competitors Facebook and Instagram pages, I decided to start working on a content calendar. I included different ideas spread throughout a week that included posting, reuploading things to stories, and having each page engage with each other. I also met with the manager and owner to discuss my research on competitors, as well as some of my ideas. Once I completed the content calendar, I began creating posts. I did a lot of work going around the showroom floor of the store and taking notes of products and collections. I was able to use some Ashley resources to get professional photographs of products, as well as logos. I used Canva to create all of my content.
Overview of My Experience
I enjoyed my work on this project, and felt like I got a better understanding of social media and graphic design. I also felt like I got great experience working with different members of Ashley’s team. I got to coordinate with the sales manager and floor designer to really push products that were new or that they wanted to highlight and gain traction to. I also got a much better handle at design, which I did not feel confident going into. Working with the tools Ashley had available helped make my designs look professional, and I feel like these designs really stand out versus what Ashley IF had originally been posting, as well as their competitors.
My Insights and Takeaways
One key takeaway from this project for me, was just how crucial it was to work with a team, and how collaborating with different members of the team helped improve my ideas and my designs. Feedback was essential for me during the planning and designing phase of this project. I was able to do a lot with the different feedback I was given. I also got better insights into how complex the social media process can be. After research, and creating a content calendar and posts, I understood that especially for a business, social media is important and takes time to do right.