Google AdWords Certified!!!

Today is a very exciting day for me as I am now officially Google AdWords certified! However, the process in becoming Google AdWords certified was not an easy task at all for me. The first step in becoming certified was passing a 100 question Google AdWords Fundamental Exam that covers basic and intermediate concepts, including the benefits of online advertising and AdWords, and best practices for managing and optimizing AdWords campaigns. I was given a time limit of 120 minutes (two hours) and had to get at least an 80% on the exam. I managed to get a 87/100 (87%) on my first attempt which was pretty exciting!

After completing the Fundamental Exam, the next step was to pass just one more advertising exam to be AdWords certified. There were five different advertising exams to choose from: Shopping, Search, Display, Video, and Mobile advertising. I decided to take the Shopping Exam. This exam consisted of 63 different questions and had a time limit of 90 minutes (hour and a half). Once again, I was ordered to get at least an 80% on the exam in order to pass. The Shopping Exam covers basic and advanced concepts, including creating a Merchant Center account and product data feed and creating and managing Shopping campaigns. To my surprise, I passed the very hard exam with a 55/63 (87%).

After passing the Shopping Exam, I am officially Google AdWords certified! Google AdWords is where you or a company can “be seen by customers at the very moment that they’re searching on Google for the things you offer.” However, you only have to pay when they (the customer) click on your site. For example, let’s say that Jack owns a soccer cleat company and wants more people to visit his website. All Jack has to do is sign up for Google AdWords and he is almost guaranteed that more customers will access/view his website.

When he signs up for Google AdWords, Jack will have the option to run a few different kind of ads. First, he can run an ad that would be played before a Youtube clip. This is a unique way to share what his company is all about because Jack would be able to run his ad in front of his ideal customer. For example, he could run an ad before any soccer related video in hopes that people will click on the link that will bring them to his soccer related site where they sell soccer cleats. The second kind of ad Jack can run is a App ad. This type of ad is where Jack can promote his app (lets assume he has one) by running ads across the entire Google network. The third kind of ad Jack can run is a basic Search ad. These type of ads appear next to search results on Google. And finally, the last type of ad he can run is known as a Display ad. This is where he can show up where his customers are on over two million websites and apps. If Jack runs any type of these ads, he will surely have more people viewing his soccer cleat website.

I am super excited that I passed this Google AdWords exam because as many of you know I am pursuing to become an advertising professional myself. Becoming certified in Google AdWords will be for sure something that I am able to add to my resumé. I highly encourage people to become educated with Google AdWords and take the exams I did if you’re pursuing to be an advertising professional as well!

Citations:

-Hann, B. (2011, December 2). Google AdWords [Digital image]. Retrieved December 7, 2016, from https://www.ledfrog.com/technology/2011/12/cheat-google-adwords-thousands-day/

-Hams, K. G. (2016, December 7). Google AdWords Shopping Certificate Screenshot [Digital image]. Retrieved December 7, 2016.

-Hams, K. G. (2016, December 7). Google AdWords Shopping Advertising Exam [Digital image]. Retrieved December 7, 2016.

-Hams, K. G. (2016, December 7). Google AdWords Fundamental Exam [Digital image]. Retrieved December 7, 2016.

 

Networking Event

On Thursday, November 3rd I was able to attend the Brand Summit Workshop at the University Club in the Devos Campus at Grand Valley State University. The event was part of the Advertising and Public Relations Speaker Series here at my University. I was very happy that I was able to attend this workshop because it was the perfect opportunity to network with professionals and other Ad/PR students.

The main topic at the event was about branding. They emphasized that branding is very important in the field of advertising. We were actually able to sit down with our peers and actual professionals to help build up our branding skills. I learned a great deal of things that I will be able to use to my advantage in the near future.

Later on at the event, one professional came to each table and helped out with a brief advertising campaign. I thought this was very cool because I was able to really see how a professional views things compared to how I view things. I learned a lot at the event and I was very happy that I was able to attend. I will most definitely attend other events like this  in the future.

Infographic

Hams, K. G. (2016, December 5). Watch a soccer game [Digital image]. Retrieved December 5, 2016.

A visual image such as a chart or diagram used to represent information and data is known as an Infographic. With the help of Piktochart.com, I was able to create my very own infographic. Piktochart.com is a free, easy-to-use infographic maker that helped me make my infographic above.

As you know by now, this blog is mostly branded towards sports. Therefore, I was able to create an infographic that allows people to learn how to watch a soccer game. With four easy steps, people will know how to properly watch a soccer game and will be well on their way to becoming a massive fan of the sport. The steps are as followed: Find a game, pick a team, do minimal research, and finally appreciate what’s happening. I personally found creating my infographic on this website very easy and fun to use. I highly recommend people to check it out! I will post the link again below!

Piktochart.com

Technology in Careers

Indeed Logo [Digital Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2016, from Indeed.com

In todays competitive job market, it often can be hard to find a job right out of college. I decided to look on Indeed.com using the key word “Advertising” to see what kind of jobs are out there. To my surprise there are a ton of jobs out there, but many of them require different qualifications.

Going through the many different jobs on Indeed.com made me very excited for life after college. In the not so very future, I will be applying for jobs so this was very good practice. It was nice to see what kind of qualifications companies are looking for when they hire people. A lot of companies look for similar things in the advertising world so its important that I know most of these things.

Marketing and Communications
-Arbor Circle
–Link to page

– Traits and skills
-Bachelor’s degree in marketing, public relations or communications or related field
-2+ years progressive experience in marketing and communications
-Excellent project management and organizational skills
-Excellent verbal & written communications skills
-Ability to present on behalf of the organization in a variety internal and external settings
-Working knowledge Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop / InDesign), Microsoft Office & paid marketing channels and technologies, content management systems (Drupal) & digital marketing
-Proven success in creating and promoting written and visual content.
-Experience working with marketing budgets and forecasting/reporting results.
-Valid and current Driver’s License and auto insurance
-Experience in nonprofit setting a plus.

Public Relations Account Coordinator
-ACGI Limited Careers
–Link to page

-Traits and skills
-Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, communications or related experience strongly preferred
-0-3 years experience in marketing, public relations, sales or customer service
-Ability to perform duties independently, without supervision – but know when appropriate to seek guidance
-Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
-Ability to work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment

Communications Coordinator
-Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.
–Link to job

-Traits and skills
-Showcase their strong commitment to DGRI’s mission and enthusiasm for city building principles, economic development, transportation, parks and public spaces, urban revitalization, diversity and inclusion by collaborating with the Chief Outcomes Officer and program staff to develop communications strategies, tactics, materials and messages;
-Use their strong writing and editing skills with relentless attention to details, spelling, grammar and punctuation to support and advance DGRI’s external communications program across a variety of platforms, including print materials, newsletters, media releases, social media, video and more. Our ideal candidate will have a proven ability to move messages in an engaging way;
-Employ their experience crafting social-friendly headlines, web production and constituent management databases to manage DGRI content on all applicable platforms, particularly Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as develop, execute and monitor strategies and analytics to grow DGRI’s social audience and engagement.;
-Collaborate with the Graphic Designer to manage scheduling, design and production of various print materials including marketing materials, fact sheets, special reports and other organizational or project materials;
-Develop program-related media releases, distributing to key media and managing media inquiries;
-Have strong interpersonal communication and teamwork skills with a pleasant demeanor and a positive energy about them. We’re looking for the consummate professional and collaborator who can coordinate with partner organizations to support cross-promotional efforts.
-Have some scheduling flexibility to support events outside normal business hours. You’ll be in the center of all the action!
Ideally, have bi-lingual abilities. Proficiency in Spanish is a positive consideration.

 

Mlive Media Group
-Copy Editor
–Link to job

-Traits and skills
-High school diploma or GED
-College degree in journalism and knowledge of Associated Press style, or a relevant combination of education and experience
-Excellent grammar and spelling skills
-Effective written and verbal communication skills
-Ability to multi-task and work within daily deadlines
-Attention to detail. Basic word processing skills
-Editing speed must be adequate
-Creativity for headline writing is essential
-Newsroom experience, such as reporting or copy editing, is a big plus
-Online skills, such as blogging and familiarity with social networking sites, are a plus

Valpak Careers
-Advertising Sales Consultant
–Link to job

-Traits and skills
At Valpak of West Michigan our team is our most vital asset and we understand that a satisfying career is a marriage between an employer and an employee with similar goals. If you are looking to work for an established sales organization, one who is a leader in our field, then Valpak is a great place to be! If you are looking for an outside sales career with local and corporate company training, a great suite of products, services, sales tools and unlimited income growth potential then you should apply to Valpak of West Michigan.

21st Century Job Market

On Wednesday, November 16th I was able to attend an event called 21st Century Job Market in The University Club room at the Downtown Devos Campus. The event was hosted by Doug Ireland, CEO of You Launch U and Bruce Bendinger, who is the author of The Copy Workshop Workbook. Also, five additional Grand Valley State University Advertising and Public Relations Alumni were in attendance to help out with the event. I enjoyed listening to both the speakers and alumni talk about the ever so changing 21st century job market here in the United States and the advice they had to give.

A lot of interesting points were addressed at this event. Previously to the event, I thought I knew a lot about networking, interviewing, and the importance of resumés and had a pretty good understanding of the job market. However, after attending  I realized I only knew the very basics about these things.They discussed that many employers at places go through hundreds of resumes sometimes and they just fan through these large stacks of résumés so it’s very important that we have something that makes us stand out.

I found this event very beneficial and I was happy I was able to attend it. As a junior in college, it’s very crucial that I start looking into these types of things because I will be looking for jobs here very soon.

Job Strategy Event. (2016, October 30). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from https://www.gvsu.edu/soc/module-events-view.htm?siteModuleId=E0BD9589-932A-3EAF-6F8AD94787D23373&eventId=F7EBAC0C-E1AC-809C-C292F930BB2568E9

Hams, K. (2016, November 16). Networking Event [Digital image]. Retrieved November 29, 2016.

 

Adobe InDesign CC 2015

In today’s competitive world, finding that dream job can be somewhat tricky. However, one pretty common way to land a job is by networking and knowing the right people. It’s all about who you know nowadays not what you know. An easy way to make yourself more memorable and stick out to employers is to have some sort of professional business card.

Using Adobe InDesign CC 2015, I was able to make my very own physical professional business card. On the front of the card, I used my personal branding in the design by putting my name nice and bold and added the GVSU logo (where I attend college) from Google. On the back of the card, I added some more personal information which also helped in the process of branding myself by including: email, telephone number, and my Twitter account. The final result is below! Hope you enjoy! (:

GVSU [Digital image]. (2016, May 12). Retrieved November 14, 2016, from https://www.gvsu.edu/uclub/

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2016, from http://www.adobe.com/InDesign

Social Media Management

Screen shot: Hams, K. Oct. 26, 2016.

Recently in my CAP 105 Technology in Advertising and Public Relations class at GVSU we are learning how to use social media management tools to improve and keep up with out social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram). For our assignment, we were required to use either Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to schedule at least five social media postings using the hashtag #CAP105GVSU.

I decided to use Hootsuite just because I thought it was a bit easier to navigate with. I linked my Facebook account with Hootsuite and scheduled five different status updates that would be posted at various times throughout the day. Most of the statuses were just random thoughts that I had throughout the day and constructed them into a status update. I really suggest using one of these websites if you do not have the time in your day to post a tweet or Facebook status but want to stay active on your account. I really enjoyed this assignment and will definitely be using these sights here in the future.

Brand Yourself

Our assignment for Cap 105 was to create a Brand Yourself profile. After creating a profile, we were able to see what our search score was and see what the top search results were that included our names. It then gave us some suggestions on how to improve our search score and help make our names online more positive.

I really enjoyed this assignment and creating an account. I learned that there is a professional Australian Footballer (which I assume is called Rugby here in America) that has the same first and last name as me (Kyle Hams). Obviously this is not me so I am trying to overflow Google with content that is about me and not this other Kyle Hams from Australia.

“Login.” BrandYourself.com. N.p., 23 Oct. 2016. Web. 27 Oct. 2016

“Google.” Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.

 

Your place to find everything soccer (Results, Predictions, and games).

My words

• Soccer…1M-10M
• Swimming…100K-1M
• Water Polo…10K-100k
• School…1M-10M
• Health…100K-1M

Google AdWords

• Soccer Results…100K-1M
  -The fastest place to find your daily soccer results.
• Soccer Ball…100K-1M
  -Find posts on the latest soccer balls that Adidas, Nike, and Franklin are making.
• Soccer Games…100K-1M
  -Miss the big soccer game last night? Get all your updates and score here.
• Soccer Cleats…100K-1M
  -A place to get information on the latest and greatest soccer cleats.
• Soccer Predictions…100k-1M
  -Want help with your fantasy soccer league? This is a place where we will give you our best insight on soccer predictions.

References:

AdWords. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2016, from https://www.google.com/adwords/?channel=ha

Wayne Rooney Wallpapers [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2016, from http://wallpapercave.com/wayne-rooney-wallpaper-2016

 

Final Cut Pro Project

For this particular assignment, we were to create a short film using Final Cut Pro for a GVSU CAP 105 course. I am on the Grand Valley State University Club Water Polo team so I thought it would be pretty gnarly to take some footage of what a typical practice looks like for us. Attached below is a short storyboard of what exactly happens during the course of the short video and of course I attached the short video.

 

I open the film with a panoramic view of the Hudsonville High School Pool (where we practice). I then slowly transition into what a normal warm up looks like for a water polo player. We swim a few hundred yards to warm up our arms and legs, go into passing a water polo ball around, then shooting on the goal with a goalie in net. Towards the end of the short film, I took a few clips of the team doing a scrimmage against each other. Enjoy 🙂