Posts Tagged ‘social media marketing in miami’

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 »

St. Patrick’s Day 2012

Friday, March 16th, 2012

Here at iSource Digital there is nothing that we love more than a holiday where we get to drink beer at the office, thank you Ari!  St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect reminder that life is more than work and that having fun is a must, especially when you live in Miami.

A lot of people think that living in Miami or in South Florida life is all play and no work, but those who live here know that’s not necessarily the case. I’ve been living in Miami for almost a year, and I haven’t been to the beach in moths! Days like this is the perfect opportunity to have some fun and enjoy yourself. Go to your favorite restaurant, let loose, wear the most hideous green outfit you own and enjoy what this beautiful city has to offer.

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Posted in Current Events, Events in Review, Events in Review, Holidays, 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 »

But You Can Call Me Carmelita

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

By Katherine Schober, Account Coordinator

Like most recent graduates, the job search was an exciting and overwhelming process. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma, I wasn’t sure where I’d end up. But still, I packed my bags. Finally after more than enough interviews, I made the long drive to the beautiful sunshine state, where shorts are almost always in season and wearing sandals in December doesn’t mean frostbite. I am embracing the sandy beaches and leaving the heavy winter coat and snow boots behind. With more places to Check-in on Foursquare in a five mile radius than in the entire town of Norman, Oklahoma, adjusting to the large city of Miami, Florida has been easier than I expected.

The size of this city is only one of the changes I’ve had to get used to. There is a strong presence of cultures from all over the world in this city. I have spotted families from Russia, Argentina, and Cuba in my apartment complex alone. These people may not speak the same language, but they have a common ground. Miami is truly a modern-day melting pot, where anyone from anywhere can come to reinvent themselves. With that in mind, I’ve decided that this culturally-diverse city demands something of me, of all its inhabitants; to be the best version of ourselves to make up the best city in the state. I’m in a new place, with new faces, a new job in downtown Hollywood, FL, and a new name? Well, maybe not a legal new name, but maybe a nickname to embody this fun and fresh new path my life has taken.

Allow me to introduce myself: I am iSource Digital’s newest intern; a determined gal from the south who dreams of success and is best known by friends for a feisty personality. My name is Katherine, but you can call me Carmelita.

My first week as an iSource intern has flown by. I’ve taken it upon myself to rename my position “The Human Sponge,” as I am soaking up any and all relevant information about the industry. I’ve become so focused on experiencing everything I couldn’t be taught in a classroom, which of course they don’t tell you in school, happens to be a lot. The way we advertise and communicate continues to change drastically, and a university’s curriculum should reflect those changes. The use of Facebook, for example, has gone from a database of student profiles to a directory of people, businesses, and common interests. Social media is not something to be ignored, by universities, advertising agencies, or their clients. For the past week, I have been using sites like Facebook and Twitter to implement marketing strategies that help a client reach their target audience and company goals. I thought because I had been on Facebook for years and taken part in the occasional “tweet” that I knew everything worth knowing about these social media venues. Wrong. I was incredibly wrong. Don’t even get me started on the programs that are available to help manage accounts and schedule activity. I was shaking my fist (with some choice words) toward the social media class I never took. Fortunately, I’m a fast learner and feel more confident in my knowledge and experience with social media after just one week. Working for an interactive agency is opening my eyes to the world of digital marketing and even after a short time, I already feel confident that when my internship ends, I’ll be ready.  That being said, I’m still far from seasoned in agency experience, and so with much to learn, my “sponge-hood” continues.

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Posted in Everything iSource, Social Media, SocialNitro, The Life of an iSource Intern | 1 Comment »

Social Media Day 2011 Meetup – Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Social Media Day Meetup gives you the opportunity to engage with your local social media peers in-person, rather than just virtually! “The global event is a celebration of the advancements we make in technology that allow us real-time connectivity with our business partners, consumers, and customers.” (Sun-Sentinel.com) Meet people in your area that are following the same topics, reading the same articles, and engaging on the same social networks. Talk to other professionals about the influence and future of social media. Will Twitter out-live Facebook? Will Foursquare continue to grow at its current rapid pace? What do you think about Seth Priebatsch’s “game layer” concept? Join in the discussion on using #SMDay on Twitter. For more info, contact via Twitter @SocialNitro.

  • What: Social Media Day 2011
  • When: June 30, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
  • Where: Irish Pub, 305 S Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale
  • Details: Global event is a celebration of the technological advancements that enable everyone to connect with real-time information, communicate from miles apart and have their voices be heard. We invite you to celebrate by socializing with your online community offline!

Register/contact:  Mashable Meetup

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Posted in Events in Review, Everything iSource, Social Media, SocialNitro, The Life of an iSource Intern | No Comments »

#GettingSchooledOnTwitter

Monday, June 20th, 2011

by Juan Roman, Business Development & Sales

With social media taking the marketing world by storm and quickly replacing outdated ways of communication, I am now surprised that I didn’t turn to Twitter earlier, especially since my degree is in marketing. As a Facebook user, “The little blue bird” represented a confusing mix of “status updates”, containing @ signs and # signs, followed by a million words strung together. I was never really sure who the message was coming from or going to, let alone know what abbreviations like RT or DM meant. For these and other reasons, I resisted twitter for as long as I could. After college, I moved to Miami and began my internship @SocialNitro, working mostly with social media marketing for small to medium-sized businesses in the greater Miami area. As I’ve learned more about social media marketing for restaurants and retail, as well as the integration of social media marketing with digital marketing campaigns, I quickly realized that I had no option but to dive into the Twitter craze.

The whole experience reminded me of the many times I switched schools as a “shawty.” I typed www.twitter.com into the URL bar, feeling slightly reminiscent of the times when I took a bus to a new school. I went in knowing it was a place where I would learn a whole new lingo, meet new tweeters, and form connections with people. Much like I would be assigned a spot in the classroom, I was assigned a profile that, in order to set myself apart from the estimated 200 million users on Twitter, I was able to personalize with different colors, images, and even put my name on it. Since I wasn’t really sure how or what I should Tweet, not wanting to seem “socially awkward” and irrelevant, my first day I just observed other tweeters interact on my home screen. Asking my fellow tweeters for help was not an option. In school, obvious questions never seemed like a great icebreaker; I thought twitter would be no different.

Through observation, I began to find answers to most of my questions. For example, I learned that #AStringofWords was used basically to categorize messages or “trending topics.” Just knowing this meant I no longer had to worry about being irrelevant. Like a “shawty” with newfound confidence, I felt ready to raise my hand and participate. It’s only my 4th week on twitter, and after abstaining from it for a long time, I have rather enjoyed it. Although there’s still a lot to learn, it’s clear that I’ll continue being part of the twitter community for a long time to come. Lastly I came to the conclusion that my school days would have been much better if girls walked around with hashtags on their foreheads announcing their mood… maybe not appealing but certainly helpful.

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Posted in Everything iSource, Social Media, SocialNitro, The Life of an iSource Intern, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Fashion Takes-On Social Media

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

by Christie Barrocas

In the fashion world, “One day you’re in; the next day you’re out.” That’s not the case when it comes to social media platforms. Social media is here to stay, and brands are recapturing the interest of consumers with social networks. Social media is a powerful tool for fashion brands and retailers. It is changing the way the fashion world reaches their audience and markets their brand image. Fashion brands are communicating with their fans and consumers on Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Social media has improved the image of the most exclusive brands by focusing on awareness, loyalty and engagement. Also, consumers are rapidly moving toward online and mobile commerce. Fashion brands can’t afford to miss out on the social media revolution, especially since clothing has one of the largest values of all e-commerce businesses. Some of the retailers taking advantage of this revolution are Oscar de la Renta, Victoria’s Secret, Donna Karan, Kate Spade and more.

In order for fashion brands to stay in business, they must convey interest in their customers. By fashion brands being virtually connected, fans and consumers are able to share their experiences and make suggestions. “Companies know when they engage your friends and fans, they should do so care and with a full investment of time. They must be consistent with their social interactions and be emotionally available to their customers. If you don’t empathize with your customers, you’ll become irrelevant to their social lives, and you’ll lose them.” (CBS) An aspect in which this applies is customer service. People voice their experiences with brands through social media, and businesses are able to engage. This allows the company to remedy poor consumer experiences and leverage positive ones as word-of-mouth marketing.

The viral marketing capability of re-tweeting is something an advertising budget cannot buy. Digital marketing through social media is a company’s dream come true. “Women outnumber men on every social media platform, including Twitter and Facebook. Because of this, social retail behavior in the fashion sector has taken off. Fifty-five percent of women use mobile devices to shop, and 59% use social network.” (CBS) One great tool is the “barcode scanner,” a mobile marketing application that allows you to scan an item at the store and search for the cheapest price at any other store. Who doesn’t want to find the best deal in town?

Social media is a company’s hottest fashion accessory and it’s not going to go out of style anytime soon! For more information about social media marketing for retail businesses, contact Christie@socialnitro.com.

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Posted in Everything iSource, Social Media, SocialNitro, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »