VOICE+Magazine-Antonice+Strickland

=VOICE Magazine= Voice Magazine East Lansing, MI 48824

@http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=177145459&trk=tab_pro [|voicemagazineonline.com] @http://www.facebook.com/voicemagazinemsu Facebook Like Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Voice-Magazine/128833687164267 [|https://twitter.com/#!/VOICEMag] @http://www.flickr.com/people/voicemag/

By Antonice Strickland
 * __VOICE Magazine Analysis __**

The organization we have been working closely with is VOICE Magazine. We have been their social media and marketing outlet. I am going to do a complete analysis of the history of the organization, what we have done to help this organization social media wise, and what our plans are for the future.

VOICE Magazine was created in 2010 by eight undergraduate students. It was formed to become an outlet for the multicultural community at Michigan State University. The idea was inspired by a group of students who created a magazine in 2006, once widely known as Purpose Magazine. As time progressed, Purpose Magazine was silenced and those students believed that it was their responsibility to reconnect and find the VOICE that had gone unheard for so long. They developed a magazine with the intent of entertaining, educating, and enlightening the multicultural community of Michigan State University while also giving those students a chance to be acknowledged in a positive way.
 * History:**

Their motto is: **Our** issues, **our** music, **our** lifestyle, **our** consciousness. We are **VOICE Magazine.**

To fully cover this organization in an objective way I had to look at what the organization needed from the outside instead of from the inside, especially when the organization you are a part of. So far We have taken VOICE on a journey this semester to gain followers, readership, credibility and membership. Each step was very hard especially when you are dealing with students and setting up meeting times can become difficult even via Skype. But we were able to take time to meet with some of the members of VOICE Magazine including their Social Media Director Chelsea Saleeby and their Public Relations and Marketing Director Alex Boone.

During each meeting we discussed new ways for VOICE to interact with their audience and gain real relationships. We also thought of how Voice could expand and finally become a printed publication. Here is a list of everything discussed, We decided to focus our social media to these 5 sites: Twitter, Facebook, Wordpress and Linkedin. Why we chose each site: Twitter: Twitter is a great and newly effective way to reach far more than your typical small community. Twitter gives you a chance to instantly update your followers on what your doing and keep you updated on what your followers are doing so you can better advocate for them. Especially since VOICE is a publication that advocates for multiculturalism.
 * What we have done: **

**How we use it:** **Twitter:** We have the social media director tweet 3 times a day and retweet at least 4 of our followers. Just so they know we are listening. We have also use twitter to post photos and link from our website so followers and can see what new stories are up. **Facebook:** The legendary Facebook, we have decided to use Facebook much like twitter to reach our audience, but Facebook reaches them on a more intimate level. I say this because Facebook allows longer interactions rather then 140 characters. Your readers have the choice to be your “friend” and open their “lives” to you. Send messages, wall posts and the most important thing, PHOTOS. VOICE has been able to encourage friends to follow them and read their stories sometimes just from the photos that go along with the story. We had VOICE attend a number of events this semester to take beautiful photos. Once the photos were uploaded VOICE received at least 50 friend requests from people just wanting to know what VOICE was or because they heard “by word of mouth” that VOICE was the only publication that covered their event. We also have the Social Media Director posting quotes of the day, or just general greetings to make their friends happy. We also have her saying happy birthday everyday to whoever has a birthday that day. We have received a ton of positive feedback from that rather it is a “like” or a “thank you” in reply. **Wordpress:** This is what VOICE Magazine uses as their website voicemagazineonline.com {link} The page is linked to both facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. **Linkedin:** This site is being used as a professional link for members. We also wanted to use Linkedin to gain more credibility for VOICE Magazine having its own entity. Story posts are sent directly to the newsfeed and members are able to use their titles with VOICE as title for the professional Linkedin profiles.

 **__To Do List for the upcoming months:__**

 1. Find alumni that were a part of the first black newspaper “The Grapevine Journal” to create networks and gain readership.

 2. Start to post on the VOICE Facebook “like” page to draw traffic and more likes than on the Facebook profile page.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> 3. Post newsworthy stories on the Twitter, Facebook profile and like page to make sure they are living up to the standard of informing the multicultural community.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> 4. Follow 10 new people/businesses that you think will be of benefit for the future of your business. This could be other magazines, newspapers, radio stations, etc. Plan to promote, retweet and start conversations with them on Twitter.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> 5. Direct Message each new follower and at least half of the old followers and thank them for following.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">6. Update the Executive Board and Writers page on the website with photos and short bios.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">7. A big issue that the magazine will encounter is receiving funding to print again. That mean our biggest to do is to create a effective marketing plan to gain advertisements to continue to print.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Whoever will be in charge of the ad sales and marketing of the magazine will be in charge of going out to the businesses and making them aware of VOICE Magazine. They will present the first printed version to show that their name will be out there around campus to bring them business. They will also set up reasonable prices for the advertising space to cost the businesses. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Another way to raise funding it to host an event and maybe collaborate with another multicultural organization for it. Weather it is a party, a basketball tournament, a poetry slam etc. show fully engages with the campus and raise money while doing it. Since this is partially an entertainment magazine as well these types of events would be perfect.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Marketing Ideas: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Goals for the future: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1. Gain as many followers on Twitter and on the Facebook like page as on the Facebook Profile page. There needs to major plugs pulled. Deadline August 2012 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">2. Find at least 5 businesses willing to buy advertisement space in the magazine that can go towards printing. Deadline: August 2012 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">3. Create a fresh new website for the school year. Deadline August 2012 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">4. Use remaining magazines for welcome week when the incoming freshmen come to pass out during Sparticipation to start VOICE Magazine of right. And so that the new students are already engaged in what VOICE will print next. Deadline: August 2012 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">5. Most importantly continue to bring aboard new writers (of other cultures). There should be a full board of 10 diverse writers for VOICE. (Utilize the CORES and COPS Liaison to gain representatives from of cultures) Deadline November 2012

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Overall I have loved watching VOICE transition into such a professional and ever changing publication with a focus to influence and represent the multicultural community of Michigan State University. I hope to see positive changes and the organization using all of the software and social media outlets the way we have presented for them.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">I appreciate this assignment/project because it made me come out of my present role and become a social media specialist for a small organization and fully watch what ideas work and what ideas don't work. I was able to learn to thoroughly think of creative plans and figuring out how to implement them correctly. It was very fun and I plan to take all of this that I have learned in to my future career. Week 7 This week we created their applications for a new executive board for next weekso that the guides and plans we had implemented this semester will continue on. The application is very specific with positions and gives a description section over all of the positions. Something we think they will definitely need is a great sales and marketing person. But we will hopefully get to that soon. I am thinking of actually collaborating with the MSU marketing association or sales and maybe set up a little incentive of pay for every advertising space they sale for the magazine. (that actually sounds like a great idea as I typed that out). But yes!

This was a slower week because a few of their members had exams and we were not able to meet and speak with them directly. Their main public relations and marketing director is a senior so he when to Chicago for an interview so everything is somewhat on pause. Until then we are still tweeting and posting on Facebook everything

=**Week 6- VOICE Update!**=

Twitter- Unfortunately, we failed to update with voice but this week has come with a vengeance! VOICE has accumulated over 200 followers over the past 2 weeks which may not seem good but it is! We have been tweeting daily with new stories and daily news updates. Also sending followers to our Facebook friend and like pages. I think something that has worked this week was VOICE attending both the Alpha Hair and Fashion Show and the APASO Asian Heritage Month Kick off event. Posting photos definitely urged people to follow up and like the content. Before the course is over we plan to have VOICE at 350 followers!

Facebook- We are on a roll with Facebook! The photos from the fashion really helped and invited more friends. VOICE Facebook page has emerged to 757 friends. Something that we began doing was: -Saying happy birthday to each of our friends. (to show we care and are truly engaged with the community) We have got a lot of feedback with thank yous and Likes. -Updating status with Good mornings or inspirational comments and quotes to motive our friends. It also keeps us on the timelines. -Joining events on Facebook

Website- The website has not changed as much just because we like the format already. It has the twitter and Facebook like page linked easily for people to click. We also have updated the website with all of the stories that were in the printed version of the magazine so followers can easily share the stories with their friends. Especially students that were highlighted.

Excited to do a complete analysis of this marketing and advertising of VOICE Magazine so we can thoroughly take a look at everything we did for VOICE Magazine, what worked and what didn't.

media type="custom" key="14907312" media type="custom" key="14907268" media type="custom" key="14907222" There is also a photo of a young man holding a sign from a recent event the over 200 students participated in. There were acts of discrimination toward all minority students and student of the LGBTQ community and the demonstration was to make a statement to the university. VOICE Magazine was the only publication that covered this event for the community in the way they did. We hope to take more photos this week of the board working on stories and covering the events with interviews.
 * Week 4:** Here are the photos used to market VOICE Magazine. These photos show how they have accomplished their first printing and have stands on location across EAST Lansing. These photos would lets readers and potential advertisers that VOICE is about business and quality work and standing to their mission of being the VOICE of the multicultural community.

How we used the photos to implement our actions on the mind map:

Twitter: the photos were sent throughout twitter with comments to over 150 followers. Facebook: the photos were also posted onto facebook with captions. Many students have commented with discussions on the photos. Youtube: Video of the march have been placed on the youtube along with interviews of student leaders. Website: there is a multimedia page as well as stories written about the event that will continuously be promoted because of the specific tags selected. The Linkedin has also been created.




 * Week 2 & 3: Website, Twitter, Facebook**

This week I spoke with VOICE Magazine on the specifics of what we are going to do for them. Since our last update wasn't in depth we made some changes. We want to make VOICE Magazine one of the most read and recognized publication on the campus of Michigan State University and this is how we plan to execute that.

We are conducting a music video of the month to bring traffic for music! I want also want to twitpic "random" photos of what things happen as a way to involve consumers (students at MSU)

We have assigned specific events for them to take photos of to continue to show diversity in their publication. I will be tweeting to pub for the event, will be making Facebook posts about the event, and I will produce a video of the event with interviews from both student and members of the Asian Pacific American society "History Month" It should be a great event to attend and a great way to spread and show that they can be diverse.

The new Twitter page is @VOICEMag. I will be using #VM and #VOICEMag to familiarize other tweeters and keep things consistent. The Facebook page is also Voice Mag and the like page is VOICE Magazine.

**Week 1:** **VOICE Magazine**

Antonice Strickland Stephanie Jones Devyne Lloyd

**My Very First Social Media Client**

During my first meeting with VOICE Magazine was very insightful. They have already developed a Facebook and Twitter pages but there are many things they can improve on. They also have a Facebook “Like” page and that may be something we will focus a lot on as well as the traffic through their website.

**The Tour**

I met up with a few members of VOICE on campus to get more information on their purpose and what they would need from a social media specialist. VOICE Magazine meets every other Sunday in the Multicultural center in the MSU Union.

**The Website.**

Then we looked over their website. It hasn’t been updated for a month now. The site seems very user friendly with a very nice layout. They cover a broad amount of information and stories geared towards the multicultural community of Michigan State University.

**Now What?**

Voice Magazine is very interested in expanding their readership online and excited to work with us. We explained to them what our social media plan was for them and what social media outlets we have in mind for their organization.

**The Assignment.**

Gather their current stories and photos that haven’t been published yet, update website with new articles and link website to Facebook “Like” page.


 * Seriously? This is all that three people have come up with so far to help this magazine? This was supposed to be a 250 word post and you should have a second post and a mind map detailing your strategic plan for them. This is an incredibly pathetic effort and I'm not convinced you're going to be much help to these people. I want links and detailed descriptions of everything you're doing to market these people. Very disappointing.. Karl **