Ben Hesch
Overall Thoughts
Going into this simulation, I had an understanding of Mimic Social and how they typically run their programs. I have done multiple of their simulations in the past. I will say this was my favorite simulation of all of the ones I have completed. I felt that this simulation brought a certain amount of realistic qualities that were unique and kept you intrigued each round. I enjoyed it for the following reasons.
- Realism
- Learning Opportunities
- Diversity
- Growth
Realism
This simulation felt as close to a social media manager as you could get. I felt that they had a good understanding of what a digital marketer is tasked with and they made you feel like you were on a real job. The scheduled posting platform was accurate and they gave you great content to choose from when making a post. They gave you great content to get you off your feet right away and they didn’t try to make it too challenging to the point where you felt like you didn’t know where to go next. You had to keep the boss’s goals in mind when making every decision and I feel like that is common in the marketing world. I enjoyed that they gave you hints and tips that truly made a difference in the real world and not just the simulation.
Learning Opportunites
Throughout the simulation, each round offered something new that forced me to learn. As I grew I was faced with new challenges and by going through those challenges I picked up on the things I did well and the things I could have improved on. It also helped each week that we discussed in class our successes and failures. By hearing other people’s stories we were able to grow with each other and everyone got better because of it. The simulation also offered great articles, graphs, and case studies that helped bring insight into the tasks we were faced with.
Diversity
One thing that stood out about this simulation compared to others was how each round offered something new. Rarely did I feel like I was having to do the same task over and over. Of course, you have to make posts in almost every round, but with each round came a new goal and therefore a new focal point with the content produced. The simulation did a good job of making you grow while at the same time pushing you with a new idea and task. I felt that one round I got pretty good at making posts that got engagement, but then I was tasked with focusing on making sales and that pushed me to do better.
Growth
This pushes me to my next point which is growth. Each round I felt like I was learning and becoming a better digital marketer. Because each round offered something different, I was forced to grow. I enjoyed the fact that they implemented influencers into the simulation because this is something that is totally different. I truly believe that this simulation gave me negotiation skills and I feel that I am more knowledgeable about the influencer world. Social media is constantly expanding and this simulation helped to foster a mindset that grew with the ever-expanding world of digital marketing.
Critiques Of The Simulation
No simulation is perfect and I think it is impossible for any to be. This simulation did have negative features that I feel could be improved. For one, I do think that they could touch upon their influencer rounds. At certain points, I felt it was glitchy to reach a deal with influencers. The simulation gave an average rate that the influencers wanted per post, but I often found that the rate was really low and they wanted much more. I also think they could improve their analytics quite a bit. Often time I couldn’t see what I did for each round which made it hard to see my growth. I could see all my posts, but they were clumped together so you couldn’t see which round you posted what. I think it would help to see how you improved over each round. I really enjoyed the customer service portion of the simulation. I do wish it was a bit more in-depth though. It seemed pretty easy when they gave you three automated answers to the customer’s question. I think that portion could be developed to hopefully help students learn more about interactions with customers.
Final Thoughts
When considering learning about social media, I don’t think there is a more in-depth, realistic, hands-on approach than mimic socials digital marketing simulation. It offers realism that I haven’t seen anywhere else. It builds on each round and challenges the student to learn more. Overall, it is a great learning tool that I will take with me for the rest of my career. I think that if Mimic Social continues to update the simulation with the latest trends and data, it will continue to be valuable to anyone who uses it.