Archive for the ‘2012 Trends’ Category

New markets are arising, is your company ready for the newest market trends?

Monday, November 5th, 2012

The Association of National Advertisers has shared the results of their survey conducted online in June and July of 2012. They were 106 respondents to the survey, and according to the survey, 60% of marketers stated they spent more on new-media platforms for multicultural efforts in 2012 than recent years. In addition, 52% of the respondents affirmed they used a multicultural agency in contrast to 40% who worked with a general-agency for multicultural work.

According to the survey many marketers are now targeting multicultural consumers and new media has growth immensely. Nowadays 59% of the marketers surveyed declared they had created a Spanish-language website, and 22% had created an Asian-language website. In addition, 54% reported targeting African-American consumers, and 37% Asian Americans. Still, 88% of the respondents said they are targeting Hispanic consumers through new media.

The results revealed that the three most popular ways to conquer multicultural clients through new media are the company’s own website (75%), online ads (72%), and search-engine marketing (71%). Still, other types of platforms show development like; 32% revealed that they are using location-based apps in 2012, compared to the 2% used in 2010. In addition, the uses of blogs have increase from 27% in2010 to 44% in 2012.

The survey exposes the different techniques that marketers will be implementing to reach multicultural consumers, 18% said they will add mobile and 22% will try video.

It is clearly that each different brand is trying to adapt to the latest market trends, in order to engage customers and build a stronger relationship with them. As we can see many brands are familiarizing with different backgrounds in order to be perceived as a global brand, in order to expand their market.

Do you belief in the benefits of targeting different cultures? If so, why?

Posted in 2012 Trends, Businesses, Current Events, Everything iSource, Facebook trends, Social Media, Social Media Tips, Web Design | No Comments »

The Dos and Don’ts of Web Design

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

By Natalia Rodriguez

Sayings like never judge a book by its cover and what really matters is what’s on the inside are values that many people should live by, but unfortunately, this is not something that works in the world of digital marketing.

Like it or not, people do judge a book by its cover, and in the digital world, the importance of beauty is magnified. In this world, people only have their eyes to formulate an opinion about the product and the brand. That’s why it’s so important for organizations to invest time and resources in their website.

As a marketing agency with clients in the United States, South Florida and Latin America, we understand that having a well-designed and user-friendly website is a must for the success of your business.

What did it have that mine didn’t?

The appearance of a website is highly important. It can be the factor that can make your audience leave or stay on your website.  It doesn’t matter how credible and honest you know your business is. If your website doesn’t look the part, it’s likely people won’t want to buy from it.

The layout of your website needs to be clean. It needs to have the right amount of white space and high-quality images. In other words, it has to look as if time and effort was put into it. The only thing worse than not having a website is having a website that is poorly done.

Let’s eat grandpa vs. Let’s eat, grandpa

Grammar is a big part of credibility. If your website is full of grammatical and spelling errors, it tells your audience that you don’t know what you are doing. In the real-world, people measure your educational and intelligence level by the way you speak, in the online world, it’s by the way you write.

Take the time to carefully proofread everything you write and to make sure that there are no spelling and/or grammatical errors.

If you’re not nice to me, then we can’t be friends

The third and most important factor is how user friendly your website is. If you have the most beautiful website in the world and it’s not easy to navigate, chances are people will get sick and move on to the next thing. The last thing people want is to try to figure out how to navigate your website. Keep the goal of your website in mind and make sure that your website meets that goal. If the goal of your website is to sell a product or services, make sure that the buying process is easy for customers.

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that your website is the face of your organization in the online world. Your website should be an asset to your business. If it’s not helping you, then you should consider making changes to it.

Tell us, as a user what’s your biggest pet peeve when it comes to websites?

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Posted in 2012 Trends, Businesses, Current Events, Everything iSource, Uncategorized, Web Design | 1 Comment »

Mobile Marketing

Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

By Carolina Perello

One of the downsides of living in South Florida is the traffic. I know I’m not the only one who has been stuck in traffic for hours, and while I know I shouldn’t be using my smartphone while driving, I just can’t help it. With nearly half of Americans using smartphones, chances are I’m not the only one.

As a marketing agency in South Florida, we have noticed that mobile marketing is starting to play a bigger role  in the world of marketing.  But how do you make mobile marketing efficient?

You have to make sure you have the core ingredients: quick, convenient, personal and targeted.

In a fast-paced culture, you have three seconds to get the message across in order to capture the audience’s interest. Keep it simple, brief and to the point. Focus on specific information that will draw the target’s attention as quickly as possible.

The majority of mobile device searches are for local purposes. Make sure to optimize the location if necessary for direct search results. Remember, people are comforted knowing there is always something close by when they need it. (Extra tip: the time most people check their phones for personal updates is around 8-9a.m.)

It is important to keep the target audience in mind. Sure, practically everyone owns a smartphone at this point, but your product/services? Understanding your target audience helps you narrow your content, in turn, getting the message across much faster.

You still want to engage with the audience because even if it might not seem like they have time, they appreciate the feeling of interaction. Adding personal touches to your posts and feeds helps them relate with what you’re marketing to them. Examples?

Mobile devices have made life so much simpler. It would be a crime not to take advantage of what technology has to offer. Mobile marketing is the present of marketing. To fall behind is detrimental at this point. Time to jump on that train!

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Posted in 2012 Trends, Businesses, Current Events, Events in Review, Events in Review, Everything iSource | No Comments »

What to Expect from a “Public” Facebook

Friday, May 18th, 2012


By: Keilany Inciarte

If you haven’t heard the term “Facebook is going public” in the last couple of weeks, you may be one of the rare individuals who hasn’t joined the flourishing world of social media.
Many experts predict that once Facebook goes public, Facebook will have one of the largest initial public offerings (IPO) in history. IPO is the first sale of stock by a previously private company to the public. Today it was confirmed that Facebook shares will be sold at $38 per share. So what will be different?

Facebook will most likely become an even larger company from the capital raised from their IPO. According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook will raise $77 billion to $96 billion by selling shares to the public.
Well, why didn’t they do this earlier if the company will profit from it? Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and CEO, wanted to keep the company private as long as possible because he believes this is the best way to help build the company. With Facebook’s rapid growth in the last eight years since its invention, the company became too large and surpassed 500 shareholders, a milestone that Zuckerberg has been trying to avoid. Zuckerberg has stated in the past that becoming public may impair innovations within the company in return for meeting shareholders’ demands and boosting stock prices.

The Securities and Exchange Commission rule of 1964 states that any private company with more than 500 shareholders needs to abide by the same financial disclosure requirements that a public company does. To put it in a simpler, more straightforward way, Zuckerberg was basically forced into going public, but realistically, it is a great move for the company.

There are several changes that experts say the average user may encounter due to Facebook’s IPO.

Facebook wants to build a stronger mobile presence among its users, possibly leading to the invention of new mobile applications or the acquisition of existing ones. Some say Facebook has reached its peak and that new memberships will start to gradually decelerate, providing a need for other forms of revenue. New inventions will not only be limited to mobile as Facebook is said to experiment with new products, such as the possible introduction of a search engine, one of the most efficient ways to advertise, into Facebook itself. In addition, Facebook will rely heavily on profits from advertisements, leading to the placement of more ads throughout the site. With the addition of applications, brands and media updates to a Facebook user’s news feed, only 12 percent of your friends see your average updates, as reported by Facebook. A possible integration of a paid service in exchange for more exposure on status updates is also being rumored.

Facebook now has approximately 845 million members and has become much more than a social network, serving as a successful media platform for businesses as well.Recently, Facebook has acquired smaller companies like the popular photo-sharing mobile application known as Instagram for $1 billion.

As Facebook approaches a new phase in its history, it’s important to remember that Facebook is not a publisher but a platform.

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Posted in 2012 Trends, Businesses, Current Events, Events in Review, Everything iSource, Facebook, Facebook trends, Social Media Tips, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Creating a Social Media Campaign

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012

By Natalia Rodriguez

Luck may exist in life, but not in social media marketing.

As an interactive marketing agency in South Florida, here at iSource Digital, we understand that having a successful social media campaign it’s not about luck, but about the content, strategy and understanding of the target audience.

One of the biggest mistakes many organizations make when embarking onto a social media campaign is that they go into it with little understanding of how social media works and with unrealistic goals and expectations. They think that to gain people’s interest the only thing they have to do is post random content on their Twitter or Facebook page. But social media doesn’t work like that.

To create a successful social media campaign, there needs to be a concrete strategy in mind. Organizations should establish goals and objectives that are relevant to their organization’s needs.

For our most recent social media campaign for BenQ Latin America (BenQ Latam), the first thing we did was establish a strategy relevant to their target audience. Our objectives and goals were relevant and realistic. We dedicated important resources to the campaign. Thus far (the campaign is still in progress), this resulted in more than 10,000 likes on BenQ Latam’s Facebook page in less than a week, and that number keeps on growing.

“Kony 2012” is another great example of a successful social media campaign. The short film, created and produced by Invisible Children, was launched on March 5, 2012. It didn’t take long for the video to go viral. As of March 30, 2012, the video has been viewed 80 million times on Youtube. By creating concrete goals and strong content and by keeping followers updated and active, the campaign has been able to acquire the interest of the public and the press.

Don’t just embark onto a social media campaign if you are not willing to dedicate the resources and time that it needs. That will only lead to failure, and it could do more harm than good. Concentrate, research and communicate correctly to obtain better results.

Social media can do great things for an organization. It’s one of the best tools out there. Give it the attention and resources it needs, and you will see a great improvement.

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Posted in 2012 Trends, Businesses, Current Events, Events in Review, Everything iSource, Facebook, Facebook trends, Social Media, Social Media Tips, SocialNitro, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Facebook Timeline for Your Business

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

By: Carolina Perello

The idea of switching to the new Facebook Timeline may come uneasy to some businesses. As an interactive agency in South Florida, here at iSource Digital we understand that changes can be nerve-wracking, but it is an investment that’s worth it.

Unlike the previous Facebook set up, Timeline allows your business to represent itself in a more personalized way using features like interactive posts and the new cover photo. Timeline has also made it easier for businesses to keep track of how many people “like” the page and how well they are interacting with it. Additional advantages include milestones to capture significant moments over time along with the feature and pin options that allow you to draw the visitors’ attention. This all may sound complicated (and scary), but no need to worry! I’ll explain in a brief breakdown all of Timeline’s new features and how they will each benefit your business.

The first thing you need to do is choose a profile and cover photo. Think of this process as building the brand identity for you Facebook page. The Profile picture is ideally the company logo or what represents your business best. Along with the Profile picture, the cover photo is also essential in characterizing your business.  Keep in mind that the cover picture is the first thing people will see when visiting your page. There is also a section at the top of your page that includes your “likes,” photos and other additional apps that can be incorporated into your business page.  These features serve as visual aids to the public so they can paint a better image of what your business is about.

In the Timeline itself, people can see the current activities following your business, and this allows them to feel more connected with your business using your profile posts in a timely order. It’s all about staying connected in this fast-paced world where people (especially in cities like Miami) no longer have time to sit down and read a page full of words. Your latest update is what catches the audience attention. Your post is not only what promotes you but what connects with your followers. For example, at iSource we are trying to personalize our posts so followers recognize that there are actual people they can connect with working here and not just robots that type all day and answer calls. Some other features on Timeline are also good to keep in mind, like a pinned post. Pinned posts allow you to keep the most important message at the top of your page for up to seven days, making sure it gathers more attention than other posts. It is also good to take advantage of larger stories to use pictures and videos to capture attention and build interaction. You can also keep track of when people engage most with your content by using Timeline’s insight. This way you know when the best time is to post certain items on your page.

Don’t think of Timeline as the monster under your bed who is out to get you. Instead, think of all the benefits your business will receive from it. Not only will you gain more followers and recognition, but you will also have a chance to develop a meaningful connection with your target audience that no amount of research can give you. We’ve been able to manage iSource Digital’s Facebook much easier since switching to Timeline, and you can use it as an example so that you have a better idea of everything explained on this blog. Don’t be afraid and make the switch!

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Posted in 2012 Trends, Businesses, Current Events, Everything iSource, Facebook, Facebook trends, Social Media, Social Media Tips, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Predictions for the 2012 Presidential Election

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

By: Natalia Rodriguez

In the 2008 presidential election, President Obama’s “Yes We Can” campaign made history.  It was the first time a presidential candidate took full advantage of the power of social media platforms  and used them to directly interact and engage voters. Obama went from being an obscured presidential hopeful to becoming America’s president, and his social media campaign is regarded as one of the most successful social media campaigns to date.

The 2012 presidential election promises to bring the same innovations as its predecessor. With the primary election in full force and the general election just around the corner, the iSource Digital team would like to discuss trends we expect to see from the upcoming presidential campaigns, as well as some tips on how business owners in South Florida can apply some of the candidates’ tactics to their marketing and social media strategies.

One of the biggest players making their debut in the 2012 election will be smartphones. According to Nielson Reports, 55 percent of cellphones purchased from March 2011 to May 2011 were smartphones, and this number has only increased in recent months. Due to their portability and accessibility, smartphones have become the go-to device for many people. As the presidential elections take full force, we can expect candidates to start using these devices to target voters.  Some of the strategies that candidates should utilize are the creation of mobile applications and advertising and modification of their websites to a mobile-friendly version.

Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter will continue to play a vital role in the electoral campaign.  We can expect candidates to use these platforms to engage voters, start conversations, ask questions and get feedback.

New players that candidates should take advantage of are Foursquare and Pinterest. By checking-in to Foursquare, candidates can keep voters up to date on their location, speaking engagements, fundraisers and events they are attending. Pinterest has experienced immense growth in the past few months. This platform allows users to create digital boards by posting pictures of things they like or hope to accomplish. Candidates can take advantage of Pinterest by creating boards that make it easier for voters to see candidates’ policies, goals and what they plan to do if they were to become the next president of the United States.

What can business owners and corporations take from all of this? They should start by paying close attention to the strategies and platforms that candidates are using to engage their voters and try to emulate them the best way they can to engage their consumers. Some key elements to note are the types of messages candidates are using to engage their audience, candidates’ interaction with their audience, key platforms they are using and the design and layout of these platforms (type of apps they use, ascetics of their websites, etc.).

As the presidential election gains momentum, we should expect new mediums to emerge. In the meantime, we advise all business owners in South Florida to pay attention to what these candidates are doing with their social media campaigns and try to apply these tactics to their social media and marketing strategies.

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Posted in 2012 Trends, Current Events, Events in Review, Events in Review, Everything iSource, Social Media, SocialNitro, Uncategorized | No Comments »

PIPA, SOPA and the Future of Piracy

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

By Natalia Rodriguez

A world without the Internet is inconceivable. If it weren’t for the Internet, iSource Digital and other social media and marketing agencies here in South Florida and across the United States wouldn’t exist. However, despite its usefulness, the Internet isn’t without imperfections. One of the main criticisms of the Internet is the lack of protection for copyright work.

To fight the lack of protection, Sen. Patrick Joseph Leahy and Rep. Lamar S. Smith introduced PIPA (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011) and SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act), respectively.

The main goal of PIPA and SOPA were to protect against copyright infringements and piracy. SOPA allowed for the government to seek a court order to any site violating copyright laws, and for the property right holder to send a seize and desist notification, seek compensation and even petition to close the site.

These initiatives caused a public uproar. Internet giants like Google, Wikipedia and Yahoo, law experts and the general public raised their discontent against the bills claiming that these bills will kill the Internet as we know it, and that they violated the First Amendment.

To show their discontent against these bills, on Jan. 18, Wikipedia and Google joined a massive cyber protest. Wikipedia censored its English-speaking site with a message that read: “For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Right now, the US congress is considering legislation that can fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia.” Google added a black block over its logo with a message that encouraged people to tell congress “please don’t censor the web!”

Many politicians also showed their concerns regarding these bills. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was a co-sponsor of PIPA, posted to his Facebook on Wednesday that he was not going to support the bills because of the impact they could have on the Internet. He added: “A strong interest in stopping online piracy that costs Florida jobs, Congress should listen and avoid rushing through a bill that could have many unintended consequences.”

With the digital world in chaos, the Senate has decided to “postpone” the scheduled vote for PIPA that was to take place on Tuesday, Jan.24 . As for SOPA, the House of Representatives has also backed off due to the recent uproar of protests.

Not everyone was against these two initiatives. The three most outspoken organizations in favor of SOPA and PIPA were the Motion Picture Association of America, Recording Industry Association of America, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In a letter to the New York Times editor, The Executive Vice President of the Global Intellectual Property Center, Mark Elliot, argued that websites that steal American’s innovative products threaten more than 19 million American jobs a year.

Little by little, initiatives like SOPA and PIPA have spread to Latin American Countries, where piracy is a huge problem. In Mexico, soon after SOPA was introduced, Federico Döring–a Mexican senator–proposed a similar initiative called the “Ley Döring.”  This initiative also seeks to end online piracy by regulating the Internet.

It seems that we are still far from reaching a solution. As an interactive agency, it’s hard for us to take a stand. On one hand, these acts could protect our clients’ work, but on the other, our day-to-day jobs would become increasingly difficult. We rely on content from the Internet to keep us up to date on the latest digital trends, to share information with our social networks, and keep our business running smoothly. I can’t imagine a world without the Internet, and I’m not sure I want to. These initiatives have opened the doors for a solution to piracy. As they are now, the price to pay is too high.

What are your thoughts?

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Posted in 2012 Trends, Current Events, Everything iSource, Social Media | 2 Comments »

Getting Social for 2012

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

By Natalia Rodriguez

For many people, the New Year symbolizes a new opportunity to invent themselves. The most common New Year’s resolutions are to quit smoking, lose weight and/or get promoted. Like people, businesses also make resolutions for the New Year: increase revenue, move to a better, brighter office, etc. One resolution every business must have on their to-do list for 2012 is getting social.

Like it or not, social media is here to stay. You don’t have to be a marketing agency or social media guru to get on board. Since here at iSource Digital we fall under both of those categories, we’d like to share some tips on how to successfully utilize social media platforms in 2012 to better your business.

1) Take advantage.

If you don’t already use social media for your organization, it’s time to start now.

Social media offers a variety of opportunities for businesses to build their brand. It’s an economical way to stay in touch with your audience, communicate your messages, listen and learn what they have to say about you and your products. It would be foolish not to take advantage of all these opportunities.

2)  Just because you know, doesn’t mean you’re an expert.

One of the biggest mistakes people make regarding social media is thinking that just because they have a personal Facebook or Twitter they are an expert on social media. Doing social media for business purposes requires strategy, research and time. Don’t think that just because you have 1,000 friends on your personal Facebook you’ll have 1,000 “likes” on your business page.

3)  Don’t sell. Engage.

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is that they use social media to sell, and that’s not what social media is about. Social media is about building and creating relationships with your fans and followers. The best way to achieve this is by creating two-way communication with your audience. Make them feel included and important. Listen to what they have to say, even if you don’t want to hear it.

Believe me when I tell you that posting more than three times a day about your brand will drive your fans away.

4) Quality over quantity.

When it comes to social media, it’s hard not to fall into the trap of wanting as many followers and fans as possible. While that’s a great thing, and you should always strive to reach as many follower and fans as you can, it’s important to remember that quality is always better than quantity. It’s better to have 10 followers or fans who care about what you have to say than 1,000 who are only following you so you’ll follow them back. The best way to gain followers who care is by keeping your target audience in mind. Always ask yourself, “What is my target audience interested in?”

6) Stay informed.

Social media is constantly changing. That’s why it’s important to stay as informed as you can. Invest time and effort in educating yourself and employees about new trends and platforms. Try to take at least 30 minutes of your time to read about new trends. Learn something new every day.

7) Have Fun!

The most important thing to keep in mind when utilizing social media is to have fun. Don’t be afraid to try new things and get creative. Our South Florida office is always coming up with innovative ways to engage our clients’ consumers through social media, and we live for the challenge. I know social media can be an intimidating field, but don’t let it push you around. Don’t fight social media; embrace it. Let social media give your business the edge it needs to make 2012 a social success.

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Posted in 2012 Trends, Everything iSource, Holidays, Social Media, SocialNitro | No Comments »