Some cute procrastination

I got very bored tonight and really did NOT want to do my Consumer Behavior homework, so I started watching cute kitty videos online. These are some pretty cute ones that I've found (all that non-created content sharing! These videos are not mine and I don't have any affiliation with the creators.) And yes, I do spend a lot of time watching cat videos. They are a big part of my email chains at work because well... catz rulz da interwebs.

This next video is from a really awesome place in Pittsboro, NC called Carolina Tiger Rescue. If you're in the area, it's a really cool place to visit. They are all about the right reasons and they do things right! :) Preservation of large cats and saving these big QTs from bad habitats (IE: in people's back yards.)

http://www.carolinatigerrescue.org/

CTR on Facebook

I'll Start with a Review

As I'm not entirely sure where I'd like to take this blog in terms of content, I'm going to start with a short review of a training program I've taken recently: Market Motive and their Online Fundamentals and Social Media practitioner courses.

Market Motive OMCP Training

I signed up for the simple plan, which costs $299 dollars a month (and not having a lot of money, this is the only month I'll be purchasing!) I'm not going to provide any screenshots of the dashboards, etc., because I feel that is something the website and company should provide rather than me! (Plus, I don't want to show stuff that I'm not supposed to. :])

Website: http://www.marketmotive.com/

1. Easy of Use:

• The programs, videos, and course content are very usable.  I had issues with the videos only playing the Market Motive general introductory video each time I tried to load a new video (after purchase.)  I was able to post in the discussion forums and get the problem solved. It turns out a few other people were having the same issues, and when you're paying by the month every second of time is valuable (literally.)  After I posted in the forums, a member of Market Motive staff reached out to me and compensated me for the troubles (which is great customer service.)  The dashboard you land on once logged in is well laid out and easy to use, as well. The pages do not take long to load and you're able to find what you're looking for easily. 

2. The actual curriculum: 

• I learned a fair bit of information but that is coming from someone with no experience (other than educational) in the marketing, SEO, and Social Media fields. There were many parts of the courses that I felt were rehashing material that had already been presented.  I went through the fundamentals and social media courses and I felt like many of the videos in the SM courses were ones that I had already watched. The quizzes can be taken as many times as possible until you pass them (and they are able to be reviewed to show you what you've missed.)  The tests, however, can only be taken 3 days or 1 week after failing in the Fundamentals and Social Media programs respectively.  I understand keeping the integrity of the program, but with a time frame of a month for $299, the length of the wait times seems as if they are trying to squeeze a few more dollars out of their "students."  There are some great points that are made and if you don't have any experience in the fields, they are great to use to introduce you to the topics.  With that said, some of the videos do seem to older in regards to information, etc.  The LinkedIn section of the SM course was minimal and I felt that much more information could have been presented.  One drawback that I saw was the inattention to the paper training materials (which could also just be bad editing.)  There were many spelling mistakes or wrong words used in the downloadable guides. I'm not one to talk about terrible grammar, but when you are an organization you should have checks and balances to catch mistakes (especially when mistakes are pointed out in the discussion forums.)

3. Pricing

• I cannot say I did much research into other programs, but the $299 dollars seemed reasonable when looking into training for an OMCP, in the beginning. Luckily there is no testing to get the OMCP (for now), so the minimal testing that Market Motive offers is on spot for the price range. They do have a full program for $3,500, but that seemed a bit far-fetched when the videos are available online and are able to be watched at a personal pace.  If I do not pass the Social Media test tonight, I'll be canceling my program without "finishing" the program because I'm not willing to pay another $299 to take the test (which I would have to wait another week to finish.) 

Overall, I'd say it was worth it for a month. If you've got corporate sponsorship or a fair bit of money, I think it's worth it. If you just want to get an overview of one topic, a month membership isn't the worst thing you could do, but for what you learn you might be able to learn from reading a textbook that a Higher Education institute would use. 

Thanks! :)

Post #1

Hello all,

And welcome to my silly blog.  It's quite late and I need to get to bed, but I just wanted to get an initial post up on the blog to get things rolling. I haven't decided which route I want to take with this blog yet, but I'm sure I'll figure it out as the days go on.

The layout is temporary while I work on making a new one.  Being in school and all it's going to be difficult to make sure I post and get the site updated. We'll see. :)

Thanks everyone,
Shanna