Many Mumblings With Makayla

As a former X user, I had no idea they had a marketplace on the platform until I read about it in our Essentials of Social Media Marketing textbook. When I used X, I never even realized it was a strong contender for business promotion. However, I used it when it was still called Twitter and when it changed, I didn't even have it downloaded anymore. Looking on the platform, I found that there are lots of ways for businesses to use the marketplace on X to drive their sales up. The shopping feature on X is not just about pushing out content and getting sales; it also offers businesses valuable insights into customer behavior. Through observing engagement, clicks and replies, businesses can gain a better understanding of what resonates with their audience. Additionally, X allows customers to share feedback and opinions about products or services. This open line of communication gives businesses the opportunity to make adjustments or improve their brand based on customer preferences and...

Well, Machinal has come to a close and my chaotic life of four hour long rehearsals everyday is no longer. Part of me is sad because I loved the show and my cast/crew, it was a very good group to be with in these past six weeks. However, I will be very glad to get back to my regular routine where I'll actually have time to do something other than rehearsal.  First off, the show went amazing! We had a few bumps in the road like people getting sick (a lot of people getting sick) and some on-stage mishaps, but overall it went flawlessly. This play, albeit dark, has such a powerful story that I was so glad to get to be involved with and get to share with our ONU community. Now that it's over, I will put it on the shelf of all my stage experiences and look on it fondly when I miss it.  Now onto our regularly s cheduled programming as a college student. I love having free time because I can focus on myself and the things or hobbies I want to do, but usually cannot because of my invo...

Instagram began as a mobile app that allowed users to share photos with filters, giving everyday people the ability to create aesthetically pleasing content with ease. Fast forward to today, and Instagram is much more than just a photo gallery. It's a multifaceted social network that integrates videos, stories, reels, shopping, and more. This evolution has turned Instagram into a dynamic platform for both personal expression and business growth. One of the most substantial business shifts Instagram has fostered is the rise of influencer marketing. With the ability to grow massive followings, influencers have turned their social media presence into full-length careers. Brands have quickly realized the potential of partnering with these digital celebrities to promote products and services. Whether it’s through sponsored posts, product reviews, or affiliate marketing, influencers are now a cornerstone of Instagram’s business ecosystem. The influencer model is effective because it incr...

This semester I am taking a directing class where I will learn how to, well, direct! Directing is a passion of mine that I have yet to explore until now. In this class we will start small by working on scenes from the play, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. This classic play has so much to offer a director because of how well-written the characters and the story are. We were each given scenes that are about four pages long and will get to block them however we wish to. This gives me lots of room to play around with and I get to create a story that is mine.  Our main task for this first showing is for us to clearly display the "spine" of our scene, meaning the overall message or meaning of the play. The spine I chose was the characters' want to find peace and freedom within themselves. In the story, each character wants the same thing, peace from the obstacles that weigh them down. Yet they cannot release the burdens they carry to fully commit to obtaining that pe...

When it comes to advertisements within social media, what is the first thing you think of? Maybe it's all the ads that pop up when you scroll on Instagram or Facebook. Do you think of celebrities promoting certain brands by using their products or wearing their clothes? These are all things that cost money for brand marketers and have to be allocated in a budget.  When determining your budget, creating a list of the resources you'll need for your advertisement activities is a good start. In our book, Essentials of Social Media Marketing, it states, "such tools may include social media publishing tools, monitoring tools, reporting and analytics tools, graphic design or video production software, social selling software, etc." This may sound like a lot to get started, but it is all necessary when entering the industry. Setting a budget that aligns with your business goals is crucial, but it’s also important to consider the cost-per-click, which is the price advertisers ...

Ladies and gentlemen we are finally coming up on our tech week for our show, Machinal, and like always, it will be a tough one.  For those of you who don't know, tech week in theatre is the MOST stressful week of a rehearsal process. It's when the acting combines with the technical side of theatre such as: lighting, sound, set design, costumes, etc. When all of these elements come together, we have a performance. This is our final week of rehearsal before we are catapulted into the chaos and will be taking the stage on Thursday, February 20th. The schedules for tech weeks usually look the same for most shows, following a format of long hours spent doing spacing rehearsals, cue to cues, and dress rehearsals. Our schedule looks no different.  Spacing rehearsals are pretty straight-forward. This is when the cast rehearses on the stage they'll be performing on. It's especially important for the actors because they need to be able to translate everything they've built u...

I have officially made my second podcast! It was such a fun experience, and I had an incredible guest join me to discuss how to run a professional social media account that promotes a theatre company's season. Madi Schenk, a junior musical theatre major with a minor in multimedia production, shared her insights into the role of a social media manager. Madi has experience as a social media manager for the Marion Theatre in Marion, Ohio, where she worked over the past summer. Her tasks included designing posters and playbills, making cast announcements, and capturing video and photo content during rehearsals for social media. Madi spoke about how the design aspect of her job may not seem directly related to social media, but it’s a valuable skill. She emphasized that design skills can be used to create eye-catching posts. She also stressed the importance of staying active on personal social media accounts to keep up with trends and relevancy. Her personal strategy involved scrolling ...

The magic of records is something that cannot be replicated by streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music. There’s something about the quality vinyl provides that makes it stand apart from the more common way to listen to music. It’s more convenient to pull out your phone and play a favorite song, but that’s what makes listening to records a treat, it takes more effort. I started collecting records when I was 13, and my sister bought my first two for me for Christmas. I got my record player and two albums on the same day: Imagine Dragons’ Night Visions and Queen’s Greatest Hits . That day, I almost wore them out because I listened to them so much and couldn’t get enough of the sound. Obviously, I was not born in the era when record players were more common, but there’s a level of nostalgia when I play my records that’s unexplainable to me. Though I don’t have as many records as I’d like, I’m growing my collection little by little each year. I’ve almost completed my set of Imagine ...