Category: Social Media

Social media related posts

Posted in Blogging, Social Media

Blogging with a Smartphone

Posted on by Phillip Vélez

About a year ago I bought my first smartphone. As a huge Mac guy, I chose the iPhone 3GS. I thought as a blogger and member of Latinos in Social Media, I should invest in a smartphone to be able to blog in real-time, tweet regularly, and actively participate in location-based social networking.

Since then, I have used my smartphone to post pictures on my blog and videos on Facebook and YouTube, and helped promote restaurants and other businesses via Foursquare and Yelp. With a smartphone, I now have the capability of posting a blog entry while attending an event with the use of the WordPress and BlogPress mobile applications. I can also record audio and video interviews and instantly conduct Internet research when needed. The geo-positioning apps also help me get to where I need to go.

I’ll most likely upgrade next year to the latest iPhone, however I am open to considering other smartphones. I can definitely see myself owning an Andriod HTC EVO 4G or the new Samsung Epic 4G from Sprint.

The smartphone market still has a great deal of room for growth. According to a graphic published in Mashable, 83 percent of Americans use mobile phones, however only 25 percent of these phones are smartphones.

If you are a blogger or active in social media and do not own a smartphone yet, seriously think about it. Prices are still high, but I think in the long run the investment will be well worth it.

Posted in Consulting, Social Media

Happy Employees Affect the Bottom Line

Posted on by Phillip Vélez

A productive staff is the most important asset an organization can possess, notes one of the best business schools in the world. A happy staff is more productive, according to a recent study conducted by the Warwick Business School in the United Kingdom.

“We find that human happiness has large and positive causal effects on productivity,” said Andrew Oswald, a professor of economics at Warwick Business School and a leading authority on the relationship between economics and mental health.

“If happiness in the workplace brings increased returns to productivity, then human resource departments, business managers and the architects of promotion policies will want to consider the implications,” the research concluded.

I was a witness to an act of employee recognition this week when I accompanied the staff of Bogota Latin Bistro on a trip to Great Adventure. The owners of the Park Slope bistro, Farid Ali Lancheros and George Constantinou Fernandes, rewarded their hard working staff with an all-paid, full-day trip to the amusement park on Tuesday.

At a time when companies are scaling back on perks and special events recognizing excellent work, Farid and George decided to close the restaurant’s door for the second year in a row. Employees and their family and friends were treated to exciting trip, complete with food and drink, and thanked publicly for another year of productive work.

Many businesses can take a lead from the owners of Bogota Latin Bistro & Mojito Bar, which has become Brooklyn’s premier Latin restaurant. No matter how tough these economic times may be, having a happy staff that is recognized for its hard work really makes a difference to any organization’s bottom line.

Posted in Social Media

Non-profits and Social Media

Posted on by Phillip Vélez

There was an excellent article in Mashable earlier this month about non-profits and social media. It was written by Melissa Jun Rowley and notes digital outreach as one of the main reasons why non-profit organizations must embrace social media. The distribution of an organization’s message online, via several social networks, helps get the name and cause of the group to masses and may even help find funds and donations. Experts say the overall use of social media increases brand awareness, in both corporate and non-profit settings. Non-profits can also benefit greatly by using social media to network with the broader non-profit community. The article concludes that while measuring a successful social medial campaign may be difficult, groups should consider monitoring donations, volunteer numbers, and dialogue within various communities. For more information you can read the complete article here.

Posted in Social Media

Social Networking Use Increases Globally

Posted on by Phillip Vélez

A recent study by the Neilsen Company shows that the use of online social networks increased two hours a month from last year. According to the February 2010 report of countries with the most usage, the United States — which has the largest unique social networking audience — ranked third with the average person spending just over six hours (6:02:34) per month on social networks. Facebook is the number-one social network destination worldwide and accounts for nearly six hours (5:52:00) per person with the average user logging in more than 19 times per month. For more on the study, read Jennifer Van Grove’s article in Mashable, the Social Media Guide.

Posted in Social Media

Using Twitter to Drive Traffic to your Small Business Blog

Posted on by Phillip Vélez

Many small businesses, and large organizations as well, are using Twitter to drive traffic to company websites and blogs. Blogging is a powerful medium for small business owners who want to interact with and listen to their customers. Using Twitter properly as a tool to drive blog traffic requires a long term outlook, persistence, and consistent effort. Mark Hayward, a small business owner, recently wrote a guest post on Problogger.net where he highlighted 10 ways to drive traffic to your business blog using Twitter.  Hayward says be sincere, maximize collaborative relationships, and provide your customers useful information. To view the full article click here.