Posts Tagged ‘twitter’

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How to Land a Job Using Social Media

Wednesday, August 29th, 2012

By Gabriel Miranda

In the world of business, being able to market a company or product is essential to succeed. The same applies for people who are seeking to land their dream job or advance in their career.

Fortunately, in today’s world, social networks play a big role in the corporate world. As a marketing agency in South Florida experienced in social media, we have a few tips on how to achieve personal success in these networks (such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter) for you to get up on your feet and seek jobs you are not only qualified for, but jobs that will make you regain confidence and a career.

1)     Engage and target your career path:

This step is simple. All it takes is effort and engagement in the social networks of your career area. The best way to do so is to get involved and target companies. For example, targeting possible connections leading to jobs, connecting to people you know that could lead you to a job and so on. Some ways of engaging and connecting with people and companies is to “like” the company’s pages on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and make connections through LinkedIn. As long as you are straightforward as in what you are looking for, and connect with the right people, you will be recognized by these connections. Your best bet will be connecting with people who are at your desired work level or just above it to get answers related to that person’s career and job search opportunities and apply them to yourself.

2)     Do not be scared of going into a new direction:

Social networks can help you make this transition smoothly in case your actual career path and goals are not working out for you. Social networks like LinkedIn offer important tools like webinars, networking groups, etc. that can help you in your search.

3)     Join smaller networks:

It is true that LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook are essential to any corporate employee; however, sometimes it is good to narrow down and to be specific on your objectives and career prospects. These small networks focus on the idea that “quality is better than quantity,” so even if LinkedIn will give you connections and help a lot with the process and with answers, social networks such as FohBoh.com will attract more B2B (Business to Business) companies, which will be way more specific and might reinforce some of your most specific points and skills.

Some reasons why small networks sometimes are better is that networking websites such as LinkedIn have way more marketing tactics and spam messages distributed in it than the ones like FohBoh, so the process to reach an answer is harder. Also, since it is more specific, people that use smaller networks will speak in their own language – e.g. they will not need to keep their language simple, if you are there and you know what you are looking for you will be able to understand and find it way more interesting and efficient than having to go through a lot of communities and forums that are not as specific.

Lastly, these networks provide a more reliable source of peer referrals. Why? Because usually B2B professionals are extremely specialized in certain fields of work, and finding these might be hard. If you are an extremely specialized employee too, you might run into problems using bigger networks and having no one to specifically talk about a question, for example. So having these professionals narrowed down for you might help you share and ask specific questions of your job area, job search, and learn from what they share.

Using these tips will certainly help you in your job search, and give you motivation to engage and go forth on your full-time job search. The job market is a tough place, and only the best can truly succeed in finding, and even keeping, their jobs. So make sure to always engage, go after your goals, and never lose your true career goals because even if you are underemployed or unemployed, it is up to you to change this.

As Seth Godin, marketing guru that wrote Small is the New Big, “focus your sights on the people you really want to reach. Then go forth and engage. Engage on yourself to reach your desired career path.”

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Posted in Businesses, Current Events, Events in Review, Everything iSource, Facebook, Facebook trends, Netwroking, Social Media, Social Media Tips, SocialNitro | 2 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 »

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 »

Black Friday As We Once Knew It

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

by Katherine Schober, Account Manager

As soon as Thanksgiving ends, Christmas shopping begins. Although Black Friday isn’t actually a holiday, many workers and students take a break from their normal lives to celebrate Thanksgiving, spend time with their families, and kick off their holiday spending on this most famous Friday.

For years, Black Friday has been defined by doorbusting deals, early-bird prices, and crowds that make Woodstock look spacious. Regardless of the weather, dedicated Black Friday shoppers would wait endless hours outside retail stores in hopes of making the most of their holiday shopping budgets. The hardcore retailers began opening their doors at six in the morning, but over the years, many stores have moved to opening as early as four. Once inside, bargain seekers become relentless and all courtesies are thrown out the window with last year’s Apple iPad 1st Generation (so last season). Some shoppers resort to good old-fashioned shoving, while others might get creative using their shopping carts as shields to grab that last Play Station on the shelf. These extreme tactics may have been necessary for successful shopping on previous Black Fridays, but in this new digital era long lines, elbowing our way through crowds, and early mornings outside a store in the freezing cold could be a memory of the past.

The growing presence of brands on social media sites has already begun to change the way we “clip coupons.” For consumers, following their favorite brands on Facebook or Twitter allow them to get the latest updates on product shipments, quick sales, and even compete against other customers through contests for a special deal offered only through this medium. Companies have been utilizing the popularity and convenience of social media in their everyday business routines. Not to be excluded, Black Friday and the buzz that surrounds it is just as present this year on social media sites as all your favorite brands. In fact, Christine Erickson of Mashable.com claims, “Black Friday is a lot like Facebook — you’re either obsessed with it, or you try to avoid it at all costs. It’s also equally as fast and crowded, which is why the two are so perfect for each other!” Macy’s, Walmart, and Best Buy are just a few of the companies taking Black Friday to a social level. Announcing last minute doorbusters, previews of in-stock products, and exclusive fan-offers, companies have their customers visiting their pages incessantly to stay on top of the latest Black Friday news.

Social media isn’t the only game changer this year. Our mobile devices have evolved to be so much more than the telephones we originally used them for. Smart phones now email, browse the Internet, stream music, and more recently allow for purchases to be made in the palm of your hand. Many companies have developed mobile friendly websites so that their customers can conveniently shop or get information from wherever they are. Another mobile trend coming on strong is the use of QR codes. These codes are popping up everywhere, in magazines, newspapers, and online. All the consumer has to do is take a picture of it with their phone and the deal is revealed and ready to use when they get to the store.

In recent years, retailers have coined the term Cyber Monday to encourage shoppers to go online and buy products they weren’t able to sell on Black Friday for bargain prices. Since many students and workers return to their normal lives after Thanksgiving weekend, retailers have acknowledged that people still have a lot of holiday shopping ahead of them. Some might even continue this shopping from their desk if they can. Cyber Monday has been around for less than a decade and has already gained a level of popularity similar to that of Black Friday. In fact, some shoppers prefer to wait until Cyber Monday to catch the same great deals without the hustle.

This year has been a growing one for social media and mobile marketing. Already, these new trends are affecting how we get ready for Black Friday. Looking for special offers on social media sites and through QR codes has taken consumers down a different path of prepping for the holidays than years past. These changes are only the beginning. This Black Friday will be different from the last, but next year, will people even wait in line? Will stores continue to open as early as midnight and will crowds be as large? What effect will social media and mobile marketing have on the already digital Cyber Monday?

In the past, these two retailer-made-holidays were easily distinguished from one another. Prices offered in-store on Black Friday weren’t available online and featured products online for Cyber Mondays weren’t always available in-store. Does anyone else see where I’m going with this? At the rate these trends are taking over, it’s anyone’s guess as to how much longer these two days and the characteristics that define them actually remain separated. Social media and mobile marketing are going to continue to change our familiarity with brands, and days like the crazed Black Friday, might soon be a pleasant experience after all.

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

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 »

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