Week 1 Part A : My Template

I am the type of person who is constantly re organizing anything I can in my life. I am always rearranging my room, my car, and updating my calendar. Knowing this, I know without a doubt that I will be changing something on my blog theme or even choose an entire new theme.

For the first "draft" of my blog I chose the “Travel” theme; however I customized it. I wanted my blog to appear warm and inviting, but also have a sense of calmness. I initially wanted a background of nature or a garden. I have always loved the outdoors and when I think of gardens, I think of birds chirping and soaking in the sun while surrounded by the sweet smells. I essentially wanted this feeling in a photo as my background. However, there were none that appealed to me, so I settled on what looks to me like a watercoloring painting with different shades of orange and green.

Green is my favorite color and also a symbol of nature. I thought this background would also tie in any touches of green I wanted to include on my blog. As for the watercolor element, I’ve always been one to do arts and crafts and take on new creative projects. I even went through a watercoloring phase and still will do it from time to time. Watercolor paintings give me a sense of calmness. I picture a serene setting of a person somewhere outside, with soft music playing, painting in the shade on a warm day. The customization I did to my theme allowed me to get that feeling I wanted when opening up my blog.

I believe that the best and most popular social media platforms for personal use are Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter. I think it depends on the person, but some also consider dating apps social media. In that case, of course all dating apps are for personal use and not business. The ones that I know of that are popular are Bumble, Tinder, and Hinge. 

As for business use, I think Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, TikTok, and Pinterest are excellent tools. Which app is best for a business is circumstantial. The business must factor in their goal is on the platform, their target audience, and the type of posts they plan to make. For instance, TikTok would be used when targeting a younger audience and hoping to sell something that aligns with their common interests.

There is definitely a lot of crossover of social media platforms that work for both business and personal use. In my opinion, what makes a business social media account the most successful is making it feel personal. Relating and identifying with the customer is a great way to keep them engaged.