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Social media is the best way for a company or brand to truly connect with their customers, and recent data shows that 55 percent of adults use it to find information on restaurants. A Pew Research Center study released last month found that about 55 percent of adults seek out information about restaurants, bars and clubs, and that those adults are more likely to be women, young adults, and technology adopters. Of that number, 51 percent look to the Internet for that information; 38 percent relied on search engines, 17 percent on specialty web sites, and 3 percent on social media sites or Twitter.

Today along with websites, Facebook pages, and Twitter accounts, restaurants also utilize other social networks particular to the industry like Yelp and Urban Spoon. Many social media-savvy customers use sites like Foodspotting, Open Table, and Zagat to report dining experiences and favorite foods. Customers are also using location-based social sites like Foursquare to check-in to restaurants which promotes the business to their network of friends.

So the next time you dine out, check out the Internet first, check-in to the place of your choice, and write an online review. Restaurants are looking at this activity and some offer special deals to customers using social media to promote their businesses.

If I missed any other restaurant-related social sites, please feel free to leave a comment below.

(Disclosure: The author of this post/blog is a communication manager for a Latin restaurant in NYC.)

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November’s unemployment rate hit its lowest in more than two years and local small businesses can take pride in helping to strengthen the national economy. The 8.6 percent unemployment rate announced on Friday, Dec. 2 raises hope that the nation’s weak economy may be finally taking a turn for the better.

The November 8.6 percent jobless rate is down from the 9 percent reported in October. The last time the employment rate was 8.6 percent was in March of 2009. November’s job creation was steady, with employers reporting they added 120,000 people to their payrolls. The latest numbers are driven in part by small businesses that finally see reason to hope and hire.

The 120,000 jobs created in November is not an abstract figure for me personally or for a local small business in Brooklyn. I am actually one of the 120,000 new hires, thanks to the owners of Bogota Latin Bistro in Park Slope who officially hired me as their communication manager. In the past two months I have witnessed first-hand the power of small businesses and the incredible impact these organizations have on our nation’s  economy.

So remember to continue to support your local small businesses. It truly makes a difference.

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My contract with AT&T was up in mid September, but I held off on making any major decision on switching carriers until I purchased the new iPhone 4S. As my previous posts show, I was seriously considering switching to Sprint mainly for it’s unlimited data plan, however that all changed once the carrier began selling the iPhone 4S.

As soon as the phone became available, Sprint customers complained about the slow speed of the iPhone on its network, and social media blogs and news sites also covered the slow data drama. At the same time, all carriers were out of the hottest smart phone so I had to wait anyway. This waiting game caused me to closely consider two options: unlimited data on a slow network, or fast data on a limited data network?

In the end, I decided to stick with AT&T because news reports showed that AT&T had the fastest network for the iPhone 4S. I now have to stick with AT&T for another two years, but as long as its data speeds outshine Verizon and Sprint, I’ll be happy.

Did you get the new iPhone 4S? And if so, what has your network experience been so far?

Photo Courtesy of techbuffalo.com

The new and illusive iPhone 4S on the Sprint network is a great hit in New York City. It’s such a massive hit that Apple and Sprint are already out of the incredible device. I unfortunately did not pre-order the iPhone 4S and it looks like it will be days before I can get my hands on one. Last night I called the Fifth Avenue Apple store, which is open 24 hours, to ask if they would be able to activate the phone on the Sprint network overnight. I was informed the flagship store in NYC was out of all Sprint phones. Today I called the Apple store on the Upper West Side and was also informed that Apple is all out of Sprint iPhones.

Then I thought my only hope now would be to place an order online with Sprint. And surprisingly enough, Sprint is all out, asking customers to sign up for an email letting them know when more will be in stock. It figures though really, since Sprint is the only one of the three iPhone 4S carriers to offer an unlimited data plan. A survey hosted by the Huffington Post asks which network do you think is best for the new iPhone 4S. Right now Sprint is leading the way.

If you already have an iPhone 4S on Sprint, please comment on what you think of the phone on the network so far. Thanks for reading!

(image courtesy of diphone.com)

I generally don’t post rumors, but I’ve been patiently waiting for the arrival of the latest iPhone and just couldn’t resist. News sources say Apple will announce the latest upgrade of their incredible iPhone on Oct. 4th. Apple may even debut two versions of the latest iPhone: the iPhone 5 and a less expensive iPhone 4S. Of course this is just a rumor and there’s no way of really knowing what’s going to happen.

I also hear that Sprint may be getting the new iPhone, joining AT&T and Verizon as major carriers of Apple’s innovative cellphone. I’m also excited about this rumor because my contract with AT&T is up for renewal allowing me to switch carriers. I’m considering jumping ship to Verizon, said to have the best network among the three major cellphone carriers. However Sprint’s unlimited data package and free nighttime minutes starting at 7pm are quite appealing.

In any event, I should not get too excited about these rumors. We’ll have to wait until early October to find out if Sprint actually gets the new iPhone. In the meantime, I’ll just continue researching which cellphone carrier would be best for my future iPhone.

If you are happy with your carrier, whether it be AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint, please feel free to comment below. Thanks!