iQuarius Media Blogs for Good

in Internet Marketing  by iqmadmin 0 comments

As part of the Blogging For Good program, we would like to highlight a local organization that is bringing good to the Central Florida community: The Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

According to the site, the Second Harvest Food Bank  (SCFBCF) is a “private, nonprofit organization that collects and distributes donated food to more than 500 nonprofit partner agencies in six Central Florida counties: Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia.”

The Central Florida area is no exception to the hunger epidemic sweeping the nation with 1 in 5 of our population (approximately 732,000 people) needing food assistance last year.

How Second Harvest Helps

In response to this need, Second Harvest distributed more than 33 million pounds of grocery product, which is the equivalent to more than 21 million meals. Still not convinced? The SCFBCP also aids in the following ways: 

–       47% of clients served are children.

–       20% of the households served have at least one member age 65 or older.

–       33% of households served have at least one working adult.

With your help and donations, Second Harvest is able to collect and distribute food, assist with food stamp applications, provide disaster relief, and so much more. Want to get involved? Check out this link.

Enter to Win!

Second Harvest has created a raffle just for the Blogging for Good campaign! By simply buying a raffle ticket for just $10, you can win $100 in prizes. The raffle prizes include: 

–       3 day/2 night stay in a 2-bedroom villa at any Westgate Resort (excluding Westgate south beach)

–       $25 gift card for Elephant Bar

–       2 GA Wine Women & Shoes Tickets (we don’t have our date set yet for next year. working on a venue this month)

–       Pair of stemless wine glasses (with Second Harvest and Wine Women & Shoes logo)

–       Second Harvest Food Bank T-shirt

iQuarius Media is here for all of your blogging needs! Contact us today for content marketing and more.

Clinton Speech And The Ridiculous Amount of Tweets That Accompanied It

in Social Media  by iqmadmin 0 comments

clintonWhen news happens, tweets happen.

During the 48 minutes that Bill Clinton spoke during the DNC to nominate Pres. Obama for the running, there were a total of 496,222 tweets. All included the hashtag #DNC alone or in combo with other relevant hashtags.

Besides the (literally) hundreds of thousands of “regular” folk tweeting their feelings on President Clinton’s talking points, there were relevant tweets by the pundits, news personalities, journalists, members of fact-checking organizations, and others. It’s always an interesting to see what kind of material was most re-tweeted. The easily shared nature of tweets makes it a good barometer of real-time trends in a population. Check these out.

clinton

Don't Buy Followers on Facebook and Twitter

in Social Media  by iqmadmin 0 comments

buy followersDon’t Buy Facebook Likes

The whole point of social networking is to be social. And to network. Buying Likes is neither. But it’s also more damaging than you might think.

Don’t Buy Twitter Followers Either

Sometimes, we’re hired to clean up an online reputation. And we admit that some messes are harder to clean up than others.

Can we tell you something, though? One of the messiest situations we are called to fix is so unnecessary. We understand the importance of having a good following on Facebook or Twitter so that anyone else who chances upon it gets the right impression. We also understand the pull to buy those Likes and followers.

But it’s just not a good idea.

Chances are, you will not be publicly ridiculed for buying followers (like Mr. Romney there). But just because you’re not getting the celebrity treatment when it comes to being outed for fake fans, it doesn’t mean that someone who matters won’t be coming to the same conclusion about you. And if that someone found out about fake followers while they were researching you and trying to decide if they wanted to do business with you, well, this could be a costly mess, indeed.

Seriously, Don’t Buy Followers, Likes, or Fans

Most companies purporting to selling fans are selling you fake or inactive accounts.

  1. Regular fans, potential booking agents or venues, etc. can see a spike in your analytics with a single click of their mouse.  Look at any Facebook page. Click on Likes, and a graph appears. Anyone can see this. A jump in the number of Likes is easy to spot – and can look mighty suspicious.
  2. Getting caught can make you look like a phony! Zero credibility.
  3. Your Most Popular City may turn out to be Pakistan. Which is great if you live and work in Pakistan. …Do you live and work in Pakistan?
  4. How will it look if your average follower is between the ages of 13 ~17? Or completely skewed on the side of one gender? This may work in your favor if you’re marketing, say, pre-teen apparel, but what if your target audience was high-end homeowners? You may be sending a vastly different message than you intend.
  5. The BIGGEST thing: “People Talking About This” vs. “Likes” will be horribly skewed. A huge number of followers is great! But if they’re silent, that can be more damaging to your reputation than not having them at all.

The point of social media is to engage. Buying followers shows a complete misunderstanding of this point – and power – of social networking.

The Bottom Line

It’s quality over quantity. Despite the growth of the Internet and the changing of the business landscape, the basics tenets of good business have not changed.

We know business. We know social networking. Ask us your questions here or on Facebook. iQuarius.

Regulating All That’s Left to Regulate in Social Media

in Internet Marketing  by iqmadmin 0 comments

After Mitt Romney’s announcement of his GOP running mate, Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), members of Congress took to social media to express their thoughts.social media

To their dismay, there are rules regulating official use of social media for personal opinions, according to one report. 

With the very establishment responsible for cultivating our Freedom of Speech subject to social media restrictions, it is hard to deny just how omnipresent social media has become.

For Better Or Worse

As a public forum, it’s ideal to curate public opinion and reach large crowds, but as a political soapbox, it could do more harm than good.

The solution? Congress members are required to use their personal accounts, making for no shortage of confusion for their many followers.

The Proof Is In The Punch

Unfortunately, for members of Congress, pro-transparency organizations like the Sunlight Foundation archives deleted tweets and publish them on Politwoops.

Social media

Social media

The social media space, even with its rules and regulations, can be a useful tool — or a damning device. That’s why it is always important make sure you have someone like iQuarius Media on your side because what’s on the Internet — stays on the Internet.

We’ve got the skills in Internet Marketing and SEO. We make it our job to be aware of the rules that dictate the Internet. 

The Colbert ReportMon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
I Got the Tweets Like Grassley
www.colbertnation.com

Social Media Decoded

in Internet Marketing  by iqmadmin 0 comments

businessWhen social media mavens put their heads together and analyze a topic, a pseudo social media manifesto is born.

Like any good analysis, variables and solutions must be defined, sort of like these listed in The Rules of Social Media. In the article, several tweets on the tenets of social media are aggregated not from celebrities, but rather from savvy industry experts.

Here’s What They Say

From top to bottom the tweets are fraught with absolutes and repetition. Most notably:

social media

To be sure, these ideas seem obvious. But perhaps some of the most beneficial advice can be gleaned from one of iQuarius Media’s Social Media Managers. As @ncosta818 puts it, “Social media is a compote of both the good and the bad. Embrace both accordingly #socialmedia.”

That is: welcome opposition, challenge adversity, and admit fault.  As a result, your brand will soar, your followers will respect you, and depth will be assigned to your message.

We Are Your Brand

No one knows your brand better than you. However, iQuarius Media is a close second when you need us, and sometimes it takes an expert to properly relay a message.

With our wealth of industry experience and specialization in Internet marketing and website design, it is our job to enforce these sorts of social media strategies.

Check us out online or on any social media platforms to learn more. As Social Media Manager @ChrisK_Media put it, “Social media isn’t for you, it’s for your fans! #socialmedia.” Let us make sure they take pride in that ownership.

 

Media Manipulation in the So-Called Age of Transparency

in Internet Marketing  by iqmadmin 0 comments

Media manipulator

Igniting a frenzy in the media is not difficult to do, not with reality TV stars and political scandals staining the front pages of papers and coloring the homepages of websites. More importantly, it’s what you want to do.

But, inciting fear in the hearts of the very media outlets responsible for the frenzy– now, that takes some prowess.

Ryan Holiday, Director of Marketing for American Apparel and the publicist behind the controversial author Tucker Max, has published a book that will do just that. 

Trust Me. I’m Lying. | The Media Manipulator Speaks

With endorsements ranging from the positive to the fearful, Trust Me, I’m Lying details Holiday’s life as a media manipulator. From billboard campaigns to roundabout press releases, Holiday spares no detail in how he takes invisible or little-known brands and applies the pressures that make them go viral.

From Holiday’s blog:

“The strategies Ryan created to exploit blogs drove sales of millions of my books and made me an internationally known name. The reason I am standing here while other celebrities were destroyed or became parodies of themselves is because of his insider knowledge.” —Tucker Max, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

A Media Strategy in Your Corner

In these uncertain times, it’s pivotal to have the right people in your corner. iQuarius Media brings several years of industry experience and knowledge to the table, and unprecedented tools to make your brand sterling.

The media space is constantly changing, and in response, we are constantly evolving to meet your needs.

We specialize in website design, social media management, reputation management, and so much more! Look through our Services page and then bring your questions to our offices!

Google+ Hands Beats Down Facebook In Customer Satisfaction Scores

in Social Media  by iqmadmin 0 comments

LikeThe American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) measures customer satisfaction across different industries and releases results monthly to bring stakeholders in-depth coverage of various sectors of the economy.

In previous years, the ACSI has measured the customer satisfaction rates of Facebook and YouTube, but this year, it has added Facebook competitors for the first time, including Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin, and Google+ (G+ or Google Plus).

So who came out on top for customer satisfaction? Did you say Google+? Because it most certainly was. With a score of 78 out of 100, it came up 17 points stronger than Facebook’s score of 61 (down 7.6% since last year). LinkedIn and Twitter were only a few points above Facebook with scores of 63 and 64, respectively.

The Big Winners For Google+

ACSI points out that some components of Google+ keep users incredibly faithful:

  • Protection of user privacy
  • Clean interface without ads in prime space
  • Superior mobile presence

There are still not nearly as many users on Google+ as there are on Facebook or Twitter, but those that are there seem to be happy there – a lot happier than the other social networks.

But Why Is Facebook Down There?

ACSI offers that privacy issues and a user interface overladen with ads is partly to blame for Facebook’s low score. It points out that the drop in Facebook’s score coincides with the introduction of the Timeline redesign:

Facebook’s drop coincides with the release of its Timeline profile, a significant change to the look and organization of its pages. Users complain that they cannot opt out of the new profile design. The big drop in user satisfaction—coming on the heels of Facebook’s somewhat disorderly IPO—doesn’t bode well for reversing the company’s sliding stock price.

Interesting. We’ve talking for the past year about the user experience, customer engagement, and the need for mobile strategy. Connect with us — we’ve got plenty more to say and want to hear your opinions as well. iQuarius on Google+  and Facebook.

Standing on The Shoulders of Giants: Backplane Builds on Social Networking

in Social Media  by iqmadmin 0 comments

Social network Titans of media are getting savvy with their celebrity. Nowadays, there’s a social network for everything from books to spelling errors. And now, there’s even one where music fans can follow their favorite celebrity exclusively.

Backplane, the celebrity-based social network, premiered with Lady Gaga’s “Little Monsters” last weekend. Gaga, known as a fashion icon and music sensation, totes 26, 860,068 followers on Twitter and now holds 20 percent stake in Backplane.

How is this Social Network Different?

Unlike other sites that aggregate fans with similar music interests, littlemonsters.com is a social media platform exclusively for Lady Gaga fans. Users can share Gaga’s music internally on the site as well as their “passion and creativity in a community full of art, acceptance, monsters and Gaga,” as the site proclaims.

This type of brand awareness is not limited to music, but it is instead a celebrity social network and a hub for their fans. Do celebrities need more attention? No. But, the loyal fans of celebrities can now enjoy this fusion of photo-editing tool Canvass, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Google Calendars.

Age of the Niche Market

Before, big name brands and businesses were the focal points for consumers, but this is the year of the niche market, and Backplane is its home.

As the future of the Web continues to evolve and forge new paths, iQuarius Media will be there to answer all of your questions.  From Internet marketing to website design, we’ve got you covered.

 

Internet Ads: The Numbers Are In

in Internet Marketing  by iqmadmin 0 comments

Internet adsThe Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) reports that ad revenues last year were up 22% from the year before, hitting $31 billion. Here’s the biggest news:

  • Mobile ads grew the most of all categories, up 149%, or $1.6 billion
  • Search was the largest category with a 47% share (up 27% to $11.7 billion)

Digital video rose 29% to $1.8 billion and display advertising made up the rest with 35% of all revenues.

“This historic moment, with an especially impressive achievement in mobile, is indicative of an increased awareness from advertisers that they need to reach consumers where they are spending their time—in digital media,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of IAB, in a press release.

Ad Revenues versus Ad Spending

Internet ad spending is huge – the next biggest after traditional television advertising. $31.7 billion of ad spending in 2011 was on Internet ads. Retailers spent the most (22%), followed by telecom (12%), and leisure and travel (8%).

Unsurprisingly, Internet ads’ revenue growth has outpaced all other media outlets’ over the past seven years. Retail has seen the most growth in Internet ad revenues, followed by financial services, telecom, auto, then computing products tied with leisure travel.

As for the minutiae of what makes a great Internet ad, that our business. Let’s talk about whether and what kind of Internet ads are best suited to your business. iQM.

The PDF of the full report is here.

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