South Florida Interactive Marketing Association Blog

SOPA Protests Get Attention & Many Politicians Withdraw Support

2012-01-19T10:28:00.004-05:00

January 18, 2012 marked one of the largest Internet protests, if not the largest Internet protest to date against SOPA and PIPApending legislation. Websites and people from all different industries participated in a blackout and protest to raise awareness and get the attention of Congress and the Senate. The protests were not only in the form of website blackouts, but SOPA opposers also took to the streets the old fashioned way, to protest, in the streets with signs across the country.

Wikipedia was one of the most well known sites to go dark and one of the most talked about. Their home page read:

"Imagine a WorldWithout Free Knowledge
For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia. Learn more."

And this morning it reads:

"Thank you.
The Wikipedia blackout is over — and you have spoken.
More than 162 million people saw our message asking if you could imagine a world without free knowledge. You said no. You shut down Congress’s switchboards. You melted their servers. Your voice was loud and strong. Millions of people have spoken in defense of a free and open Internet.
For us, this is not about money. It’s about knowledge. As a community of authors, editors, photographers, and programmers, we invite everyone to share and build upon our work.
Our mission is to empower and engage people to document the sum of all human knowledge, and to make it available to all humanity, in perpetuity. We care passionately about the rights of authors, because we are authors.
SOPA and PIPA are not dead: they are waiting in the shadows. What’s happened in the last 24 hours, though, is extraordinary. The Internet has enabled creativity, knowledge, and innovation to shine, and as Wikipedia went dark, you've directed your energy to protecting it.
We’re turning the lights back on. Help us keep them shining brightly.
Read more"

Also from Wikipedia:

"Was the blackout successful?

The English Wikipedia joined thousands of other web sites in protesting SOPA and PIPA by blacking out its content for 24 hours. The purpose of the blackout was twofold: to raise public awareness, and to encourage people to share their views with their elected representatives.

During the blackout:

More than 12,000 people commented on the Wikimedia Foundation's blog post announcing the blackout. A breathtaking majority supported the blackout.
More than 162 million saw the Wikipedia blackout page.
More than eight million looked up their elected representatives' contact information via the Wikipedia tool.
Anti-SOPA and PIPA topics began trending globally on Twitter immediately after the blackout began. Hashtags included #factswithoutwikipedia, #SOPAstrike, and #wikipediablackout. At one point,#wikipediablackout constituted 1% of all tweets, and SOPA accounted for a quarter-million tweets hourly during the blackout.
A quick search of “SOPA blackout” on Google News produced more than 8,000 links as of this writing.

Are SOPA and PIPA dead?

Not at all. SOPA sponsor Lamar Smith stated that the House of Representatives will push the bill forward in February. Senate sponsor Patrick Leahy still plans for a PIPA vote on January 24.

Moreover, SOPA and PIPA are symptoms of a larger issue. They are misguided solutions to a misunderstood problem. In the U.S. and abroad, legislators and big media are embracing censorship and sacrificing civil liberties in their attacks on free knowledge and an open Internet."

Definitions of SOPA and PIPA are there as well just in case anyone is still not sure exactly what it means. Many other sites that joined the protest blockout used that opportunity to explain and educate what SOPA and PIPA are and why they are bad and encouraged everyone to sign the petition and contact their congressmen and senators to let them know how the voters feel about the situation.

Google blacked out their name logo and linked to a page which offered information and a petition to signStop SOPA's Google Plus page reported yesterday afternoon that over 4 million people had signed the petition, the Google TakeAction page with the title statement: End Piracy, Not Liberty had over 13 million page views. As of this morning, there are more than 130,000 +1s to the page.

Google even slowed its crawlers for the day to help make sure sites that participated in the blackout didn't suffer any damage to their rankings because of it.

The Oatmeal has an explanation and also an animated cartoon for those who have short attention spans!

YouTube video: The Day the LOLCats Died:

Clay Shirkey also has a great explanation of what SOPA and PIPA are, a history of the legislation leading up to this and why SOPA and PIPA are bad in thevideo from TED

Ask.com joined the protest yesterday

Mashable posted a picture montage of what the Internet would look like after SOPA, if it were passed and also an article on why SOPA and PIPA will not stop piracy

And while the bills are not dead, Congress is definitely getting the message. So many messages, in fact, that many Senators and Congressmen's contact pages online were running slow or non-responsive yesterday due to the high number of visitors that were driven to their contact pages.

PIPA co-sponsor Florida Sen. Marco Rubio pulled his name from the bill Wednesday, and SOPA co-sponsor Arizona Rep. Ben Quayle pulled his name Tuesday. Several other politicians withdrew their support yesterday as well.

President Obama has announced that he will not support SOPA or PIPA bills as they are written.
The fight is not over for SOPA protesters, The House will resume working on the bill in February and revising it to try to get it passed through.

SOPA Protests Blackout The Internet Wednesday

2012-01-17T23:46:00.002-05:00

The SOPA Protest movement is really getting traction in the media AND the attention of law makers. The South Florida IMA Blogwrote last week about Internet sites planning to black out wednesday, Wednesday, January 18th in protest of SOPA and What Marketers Need to Know About SOPA in December, however there is another vote coming up next week and the protest and black outs are definitely getting attention now.

First, if you have not yet read the details about SOPA and PIPA and why they are being highly contested, TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. That article shows specific examples of what could happen to censorship if the law is passed. Sure, the law is meant to stop online piracy, but it gives control to the government that can be interpreted into censoring websites, IP addresses and holding parties accountable for what others do on their servers regardless of knowledge about it. Here is another great explanation: What is SOPA and How Does it Work?
Here is one example of how it could Kill the Open Education Resource Movement if the SOPA or PIPA laws were to pass.

Reddit was one of the first major sites to join the blackout on January 18th along with MoveOn and Mozilla as well as many others, yesterday Wikipedia joined the Protest SOPA black out. Today Google announced they will be Protesting SOPA on their home page, and while they are not going dark, their support of the protest is huge and will help bring more awareness to the subject. WordPress is reportedly going black or supporting the protest in some way.

Twitter is among a handful of top tech firms, including Google, Facebook and Yahoo, that sent a joint letter to key members of the Senate last November to express their opposition to SOPA and PIPA.

Tim O'Reilly on Why He is Protesting SOPA.

Who Is Going Dark in Protest, And Why
Along with those sites, The SFIMA Blog will not be posted on Wednesday, if the Internet is censored, so would be the news that we report. Honest and unbiased reporting cannot be done in a world of censorship.

What can you do? Change your social media profile picture to join the SOPA protest.

How to blackout SOPA and PIPA without hurting your SEO.

Is it working?

Victory for SOPA Opponents; DNS Block Struck from Bill

SOPA Supporters on the Run

White House Will Not Support SOPA, PIPA
Other Great Reads to Keep Up on the Latest Controversy:

Does Piracy Cause Economic Harm?

MSNBC Video SOPA Debate

Rupert Murdoch squares off with Obama over online piracy legislation

SOPA/PIPA Topic Thread on Mashable

Internet Sites Plan Blackout to Protest SOPA

2012-01-14T01:02:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday January 18, 2012 many sites are planning a blackout in protest of SOPA. The blackout is symbolic to what could happen if Congress and The Senate vote to pass SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) and allow censorship of the Internet. The bills are intended to stop or prevent piracy, however opponents of the bill say that it is too broad and will give the government and law makers the power to shut down websites. In addition to the threat of over bearing censorship, those against the SOPA and PIPA bills maintain that it will not prevent or stop piracy.

The non-profit organization Fight for the Future is one of the main opponents to the SOPA and PIPA bills and they publish several websites with information on why SOPA and PIPA are both bad for the internet and freedom of speech among many other rights. The site www.SOPASTRIKE.com has a list of the sites that are participating in the blackout on January 18th and also has a form for you to petition other sites to go dark to raise awareness and show an example of what could happen to many websites if the bills are passed.

Here is a great video showing what and why Internet Marketers should fight for in 2012, SOPA is at the top the list of 6 things that marketers should take a stand against and their video explains why.

Mashable has a topic devoted to SOPA and is updated with new articles about SOPA.

Here are many other articles to help keep up or catch up with the topic:

The Problem with SOPA (And How to Stop It)

Over 40 Internet Companies Come Out Publicly Against SOPA

Google, Amazon, Twitter and Facebook consider 'nuclear' blackout

Go Daddy Pulls Support For The Bill That The Internet Hates

Where Do Your Elected Officials Stand on SOPA?

Fears of SOPA ‘Unfounded,’ Says Bill’s Sponsor

WordCamp Miami 2012

2012-01-12T00:33:00.001-05:00

SFIMA is proud to partner with WordCamp Miami again this year and help promote their event to our members and readers. The 3rd Annual WordCamp Miami 2012 is Feb 17 -18, 2012. It's two days this year and they are planning on having beginner workshops, sessions, and demos on Friday with the main event on Saturday (the three tracks will most likely be focused on user, advanced user, and developer). Tickets are down from $35 last year to $20 for one day or just $25 to attend both days. Last year sold out with almost 400 attendees, and they are expecting to sell out again this year, so get your tickets early!

Want to get involved with WordCamp Miami? WCMIA is still accepting speaker applications, looking for partners and sponsors, as well as volunteers.

If you are attending the SFIMA January event (tonight!) Thursday, January 12, 2012, you will have a chance to win tickets to WordCamp Miami for free!

Welcome to a New Era in Search

2012-01-10T22:34:00.000-05:00

It seems as though this is "one of those days that the Internet changed". At least a big part of the Internet made a major change today. Google announced they are rolling out what is likely the largest change in the concept of Google's search engine results page. Search, plus Your World is billed by Google as "Your photos, your friends, your stuff. . ." Google's home page takes you to Google's Inside Search page which explains, "Search has always brought you information from across the web. Now, search gets better by including photos, posts, and more from you and your friends. When signed in with Google+, you’ll find personal results and profiles of people you know or follow. You can even expand your world by discovering people related to your search."

The reasoning behind it is that we all trust our friends for information, and now with all the Google products and enhancements and social networks their search will feature results from your friends across the internet including, pictures, Google + content from your circles, profiles in search and related people and pages. Of course, Google gives you the option to control your personal search options and turn them on and off as you wish. They are also clearly labeled with a blue person icon.

See more about Google's Personal Results.

There is also a YouTube video featuring the newest search result changes at Google:

Here are more articles from today all talking about Google's change in search results:

From CNN: Google search undergoes 'most radical transformation ever'

From TechCrunch: Google Fuses Google+ Into Search — And There Are Bigger Changes Afoot

From Mashable: Google Merges Search and Google+ Into Social Media Juggernaut

From SearchEngineLand: Google’s Results Get More Personal With “Search Plus Your World”

SFIMA January Event: Power Networking & Personal Branding With Colin D’Arcy, the "Imagementor"

2012-01-04T18:59:00.000-05:00

Start the New Year off right with SFIMA and this great event where you will learn how to develop your personal image/brand, including business etiquette, language, grooming, dress, networking, dining and entertaining.

When:

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Time:

Interactive Networking: 6:30 - 7:15 p.m.; Presentation: 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Place:
Galuppi's
1103 North Federal Highway
Pompano Beach, FL 33062-4321
(FREE PARKING)

PLEASE NOTE: The presentation begins as you arrive to network!
Be there promptly at 6:30 to get the most out of this interactive session.

Members, please use this link to register for FREE.

Non-Members, please use this link to register. Non-members attendance is $39 ahead of time or $49 at the door.

SFIMA Member Factoid: You can save at least $100 over the non-member rate when you attend 9 or more events. Click the MEMBERS link above to join SFIMA today!

You told us how much you value networking at SFIMA events, so we're bringing in an expert on making connections with staying power. What's more, January is a peak time for hiring, job-seeking and selecting vendors. Kick off the new year with this interactive, fun presentation, and take away valuable tips to increase your chances of success!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Colin D’Arcy, President and Chief Old-Mold Breaker at Imagementor, Inc., is a successful entrepreneur and senior executive. His previous image and business etiquette clients include Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Royal Caribbean, Ritz-Carlton hotels and others in hospitality, education, finance and government.He has lived in, worked in, and/or traveled to numerous countries and immersed himself in many cultures. His worldly perspective gives him the ability to effectively communicate the appropriate dress, behavior and demeanor to suit your organization. His association with several of the largest corporations and organizations in the world gives him a diverse understanding of what truly works in different circumstances and environments.

Colin's success is not only due to his business acumen, but also to the image he projects as a polished, socially-adept professional, who is always appropriately dressed, and who exhibits etiquette and manners that are suitably correct, regardless of the occasion.

DID YOU KNOW?

Surveys show that the first and lasting impression of a person is based 55% on appearance and body language, 38% on speaking style and only 7% on what one actually says.

At this event, you'll learn:

How to conduct yourself skillfully, agreeably and memorably
How not to be a ‘bone-crusher’ or a ‘dead fish’
The significance of body language
How to approach someone you want to meet

What Marketers Need to Know About SOPA

2011-12-18T23:10:00.000-05:00

On this past Friday, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA Act) stalled in congress. This is actually a good thing for the internet, internet marketers, and online businesses. But, it is only a temporary delay in the proceedings regarding this bill.Here is a really good run down summary from SearchEngineLand:

"The delay is to allow more experts to weigh in with opinions and recommendations addressing technical, legal and first amendment issues.

SOPA proponents, including major content providers like the recording and motion picture industry, have argued that the new rules were necessary to combat “foreign” piracy and the sale of illicit goods like counterfeit pharmaceuticals.

SOPA opponents, including internet and tech giants and consumer and legal watchdog groups, say the proposed law is over-reaching, with the potential to “break” the internet and start a worldwide arms race of unprecedented censorship of the web.

If you’re involved with any type of online marketing, you should learn as much as you can about this proposed legislation, as the implications (mostly negative, unless you’re a large content provider or trademark holder) are huge.

Want to know more? Check out What All Marketers Need To Know About SOPA – The Stop Online Piracy Act over on [their] sister site, Marketing Land."

Also see a commentary piece from TheWashington Post, some of which is quoted here for more on why the Stop Online Piracy Act just will not work:

". . . SOPA is threatening to touch something far more precious than that — the glorious sprawl of the Internet.

SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act, is a bill that, in the name of preventing online piracy of copyrighted work, creates a horrifyingly large censorship authority for the Internet. Among other things, it requiresservice providers (which have come out opposing the bill) to block access to entire sites if a user on the site is accused of copyright infringement.

There are dozens of reasons this is wrong. The biggest and most pressing is that not only does the bill not do what it sets out to do, it also creates a horrifyingly blunt instrument to censor the Internet."

The SFIMA Board will be looking at this and other legislation closely in 2012 so that we can write to congress and let them know our position on bills that will directly affect our industry and we want to know what South Florida IMA members and local internet marketers and businesses in South Florida feel about these topics so that we can include the general opinion of our members and communities in our statement position. Please let us know what you think.

SFIMA's Holiday Red Carpet Bash December Event

2011-12-01T19:34:00.001-05:00

SEO.cc presents SFIMA’s Holiday Red Carpet Bash
Benefiting The US Marines Toys for Tots sponsored by YuMe
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
6:30-9:30pm

LOCATION: DCOTA (Design Center of The Americas)
1855 Griffin Rd, Dania, FL 33004

Celebrate this year’s holiday season with SFIMA at the spectacular Design Center of the Americas.

Walk the “red carpet” for a movie-themed party! Join us: You might just be photographed by the paparazzi and run into our own “Joan Rivers!”

Go “Hollywood” for fabulous prizes, food & FREE cocktails!

Hollywood-inspired entertainment and giveaways: Dress as your favorite actress or actor for a chance to win an “Oscar!”(Business or cocktail attire is fine, too. Just dress for fun!)
Everyone gets 2 free drink tickets with admission!
Enjoy champagne, cocktails, wine, beer and soft drinks.
Please your palette with passed hors d’oeuvres, a wine tasting station and desserts.
Bring an unwrapped toy or $10 for Toys for Tots, and see our gift presentation to the Marines.
Silent Auction with proceeds benefiting the Nova Southeastern University Scholarship fund.

Eat, drink, mingle with your peers… and be merry! Celebrate the successes achieved in online advertising and marketing over the past year, and toast to even more great things in 2012.

GET ON THE “A” LIST: REGISTER NOW

Members: Free with paid membership

Non-Members: $39 ($49 at the door)

Parking: FREE

Suggested attire: Dress up as your red carpet actor/actress; or business dress; or cocktail attire.

Connect for more updates

Watch your email and SFIMA social media updates to see our sponsor and guest list of who’s who in interactive marketing. See the FOLLOW US links at left to connect to SFIMA on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more.

We are asking everyone to bring a new toy to the event or bring $10.00

SFIMA will have toys available — it’s that easy. Come see the Marines dressed in their blues as we present them with your donated gifts.

The event will be hosted by the folks who set the design trends in South Florida – the Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) located in Dania Beach.

Event location:
1855 Griffin Road, Dania Beach, FL 33004
Conveniently located on Griffin Road east of I-95

Sponsorships available

Want to see your name on the marquee to your left? Learn more about sponsorship packages. Sponsorships Going.http://sfimaholidaywineevent.com/

SEMPO Tells Feds: Hands Off Google

2011-11-15T16:16:00.001-05:00

The search trade association SEMPO sent a letter to FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz asking for regulators to restrain their urge to regulate Google. In the letter SEMPO argues “Free-market innovation in the Search industry is a key element in ensuring that the Internet continues to serve humanity’s needs as our reservoir of vital information and empowerment. No one will be well served if this innovation dries up or is stifled by regulation.”

The letter presents a range of arguments, some of which have previously also been made on this site, about the dangers of regulating the SERP. It’s an impassioned plea for a “hands off” or “free market” approach.

To see the letter and more on this issue, visit SearchEngineLand

Everything You Need to Know About Google + Pages for Business

2011-11-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Since Google announced Google Plus is open to branded, business and place pages earlier this week, the internet (and Google Plus) has been hot with non stop action and talk about Google Plus. Is this what Google Plus needed to give them a boost? Just a few days ago, most of the talk about Google's new social network was comparing it to a ghost town.

Here are a list of articles we have compiled to keep you on top of all the Google Plus business page information, tips, ideas and best practices:

Google Plus Your Business - The official page for businesses using Google+ to connect with their customers.

Google Webmaster Tools Google Plus Help Page

How to Get A Google Plus for Business Badge for Your Website
Gplus.to - Vanity URL and Shortner for G+ URLS

Ten Things You Need to Know About Google Plus - Slideshare presentation from one of SFIMA's founding board members Jay Berkowitz

Google Plus Now Open to Businesses (and how being on Google Plus affects search ranking) - SEO.cc Blog

A Look At Google+ Direct Connect For Google+ Pages - SearchEngineLand

Google Plus Branded Pages vs. Facebook Fan Pages - Mashable

How to Give your Page An Edge on Google+ - Blogher

What You Won't Like about Google+ Pages - MediaPost

Google+ Brand Pages Are the “Wild West”– for Now - Mashable

Google+ Launches Brand Pages, and Yes You Should Care - ClickZ

10 Tips and Tricks for Better Google+ Brand Pages - Mashable

Updated: Google+ Pages For Businesses: The AdWords Impact - SearchEngineLand

One Move That Would Guarantee Google+ Beats Facebook - ClickZ

Google Won’t Allow Contests And Promotions On Google+ Pages - TechCrunch

How People Use Smartphones While Watching TV

2011-11-09T22:22:00.003-05:00

In preparation for our mobile commerce event this week, we are featuring this study from Nielsen, featured on Mashable, showing smartphone, tablet and other mobile activity that is NOT happening while people are mobile, but at home on the couch watching TV.

"So you watch TV without another screen to hand? You may soon be in the minority. TV viewing is increasingly becoming a multi-screen experience.

This is especially true for owners of tablets and smartphones in the U.S., 40% of whom use their devices while watching TV on a daily basis, according to data from Nielsen. In fact, only 12% of tablet owners and 13% of smartphone owners say they have never used those devices while watching TV.

What are we doing on those devices? More than half of smartphone or tablet owners are checking email during programs and commercial breaks, while around 45% are surfing the web for unrelated information. Some 42% are visiting social networking sites — a trend that is greater among women — and nearly a third are checking sports scores or looking up information related to the TV program they’re watching.

Fewer than 20% of them are looking up information related to ads they’ve seen on TV. Still, that’s a pretty significant amount."

Not registered yet for the SFIMA event in Miami on Thursday night 11/10/11? Register now online or at the door. If you can't make it, you can still participate (mobile) by sending your questions @SFIMA on Twitter or posting on SFIMA's Facbeook Page

SFIMA November Event: Smartphone & Mobile Marketing Plus #Tweetup

2011-11-06T20:35:00.002-05:00

So half of the U.S. population has a smart phone. Now what? (co-hosted Tweetup with the South Florida Business Journal)

Thursday, Nov. 10, 6:30 pm at Jungle Island

Time:

Networking: 6:30 - 7:15pm Presentation: 7:30 - 8:30pm -

Place:

Jungle Island
(Treetop Ballroom)
1111 Parrot Jungle Trail
Miami, FL 33132
Directions

Register Here

The South Florida Interactive Marketing Association (SFIMA) and the South Florida Business Journal will host their first-ever joint Tweetup on how to best leverage mobile in the marketing mix. Our real-time Twitter Wall at the event will serve up your questions live for our interactive panel discussion.

Moderating the event will be Kelly Hogue of Millennial Media, Oscar Pedro Musibay, reporter at the South Florida Business Journal, who will also manage the Twitter Wall, and SFIMA's own Jeff Cohen on Twitter and Facebook.

Panelists will discuss how consumers and businesses are moving rapidly into a new era of mobile. Due to increased usage and new technology, the mobile platform has truly become the “first screen” for marketers.

Panelists:

Anand Shah, COO, Threadless
Sabrina Mehrok Galati, Media Director, Moxie Interactive
Amy Mandelbaum, Interactive Marketing Manager, My Coke Rewards, The Coca-Cola Company

Specifically, the following points will be addressed:

How to leverage mobile applications, rich creative designs and custom mobile sites to enhance the user experience
How mobile fits into the marketing mix
How marketers are shifting from the desktop to mobile devices
What the most effective mobile-marketing strategies and tactics are for reaching target audiences

Join the conversation and post your questions to Twitter with hashtag #SFIMAtweetup. Questions can also be posted on facebook.com/SFIMA. If your question is read, you’ll automatically be entered into a raffle to win an iPad 2, courtesy of Millennial Media!

Stay on top of all SFIMA events by liking us on Facebook (facebook.com/SFIMA) and following us on Twitter (@SFIMA).

Here are some pictures from our past events at Jungle Island's Tree Top Ballroom. The Jungle Island staff will once again be bringing some of the animals out to mingle with us during networking!

NNECruise Photos & Wrap Up

2011-11-04T11:44:00.001-04:00

SFIMA just wrapped up another successful Nautical Networking Event. On Friday, October 21, 2011, SFIMA members, sponsors and guests boarded the Biscayne Lady yacht and sailed on the South Florida inter coastal waterway. Over 350 guests all decked out in white for our "White Hot on the Yacht" theme networked with industry peers and big brands while sipping cocktails and then had dinner on board in the yacht's dining room. The event was once again sold out and everyone had a great time. There was a pre-boarding press conference where SFIMA awarded a scholarship to Nova Southeastern University and an after party after the cruise was over. We have posted two albums of 200 pictures each from the even on the SFIMA Facebook Page, please check out the photos and feel free to tag yourself and friends and share the photos!

The Truth Behind Privacy & Tracking & Why It's Not a Big Deal

2011-09-02T20:10:00.002-04:00

There has been much written in the media lately about privacy and tracking issues and the upcoming legislation regarding internet privacy, online tracking, and cookie tracking. David Berkowitz recently wrote an article in MediaPost "The Boy Who Cried Privacy Breach". Explaining all about the recent incidents in the media regarding LinkedIn's privacy policy and Facebook's phone number sharing and explained in details why they are not a big deal! In fact, many issues regarding cookie tracking, and privacy policies are not an invasion of privacy and as internet marketers, it is imperative that we come together to educate the public and ourselves on these matters and promote best practices.

Online shoppers and consumers in general should be aware that cookie tracking and sharing of anonymous user data helps consumers by allowing them to be served relevant ads and also reduces the prices of products when companies receive in increase in their ROI (Return on Investment) that they are able to offer lower prices, smaller businesses stay in business and are able to keep serving their communities.

The Earthquake that Rocked Social Media

2011-08-24T09:09:00.004-04:00

The earthquake that shook the US East Coast yesterdayt really rocked in social media. There is even a Foursquare checkin for Earthquakepocalypse!

Huffington Post has compiled some amazing social media statistics that happened today:

2. From @Twitter: "Within a minute of today's#earthquake, there were more than 40,000 earthquake-related Tweets."

3. From @Foursquare: "Check-ins also travel faster than seismic waves (xkcd.com/723/). Over 10,000 check-ins @ Earthquakepocalypse already. http://t.co/ichT6Yg"

4. From @anoyes: "Following the East Coast quake at approx 1:55 p ET we saw term "earthquake” appear in Facebook status updates for nearly 3 mil U.S. users."

5. "Five minutes after the quake hit, Twitter's average response time doubled from 2.16 seconds to 4.17 seconds, according to monitoring site AlertSite." -- CNN Money.

Mashable is also reporting some fantastic statistics for social media sites.

Today Mashable shared a slide show of some funny Earthquake Tweets in a slide show.

When it comes down to it, we have to be grateful that the top story is the earthquake's impact on social media rather than desctruction of buildings, land and lives. Glad we can be finding humorous and quirky comments rather than reporting much worse.

8 Privacy Tips For Online Marketers

2011-08-16T10:57:00.002-04:00

photo credit: o5com

Here is a great article written by Matt V. for EmailKarma.

The article really hits home the idea of how privacy laws are changing globally at a very fast pace and that privacy is a really big issue for online users and companies that operate in the online space have to be very aware of the changing landscape as well as take great care with data and information to protect privacy.

"It seems like you can’t open a news feed these days without being inundated with stories about privacy. Network data breaches. Location-based tracking. Court injunctions. It’s a minefield out there. Nowhere is privacy more closely watched — or as potentially explosive — as in the field of online marketing."

Here are 5 of the 8 best practices for safe guarding privacy online:

Learn to earn

Never assume

Consent

Spam

Cookies

For all 8 tips, see EmailKarma: http://emailkarma.net/2011/08/privacy-goes-public-eight-tips-for-online-marketers/#ixzz1VCitbka1

Privacy and tracking issues like this will be addressed at the next South Florida IMA event!

With the upcoming SFIMA event featuring congressional leaders speaking about legal issues concerning online privacy and tracking, we wanted to feature some articles on these subjects currently in the media. So stay tuned to the SFIMA blog over the next two weeks we will be featuring articles and current events to get you up to speed on these issues and concerns.

LinkedIn Listens to Users, Takes Action & Amends its Ad Policy

2011-08-12T15:16:00.004-04:00

This is an update to the post from yesterday: LinkedIn "Pulls a Facebook" with User Data.

Late yesterday, Linkedin set itself apart from Facebook by listening to member complaints and taking action!

After the uproar in the media and it's users the professional networking site LinkedIn changed their privacy policy in response to complaints from users of being opted in for their picture and name to be used in ads.

A great example of the change can be seen on Mashable's article featuring before and after articles with user's images no longer in the ad.

LinkedIn's blog post in response to the complaints is entitled: Privacy, Advertising & Putting Members First.

Kudos to LinkedIn for listening to users' comments and taking action to resolve the issue.

LinkedIn "Pulls A Facebook" With User Data

2011-08-11T15:27:00.005-04:00

When both Yahoo News and Business Insider articles refer to LinkedIn's privacy policy change as "a Facebook move" it makes one wonder if LinkedIn or Facebook should be more worried about that?

The news hit today that LinkedIn changed it's privacy policy and in doing so, opted their users in to sharing their photo and name with LinkedIn's advertisers. LinkedIn announced the policy change in a blog post. The network now allows advertisers to use pictures and names of other users in their network of connections who have recommended or followed that brand.

With all of the negative attention that Facebook draws each time they opt their users into a new change on their site, (even just today with the phone number issue)you would think that LinkedIn could have learned something from that and been either more proactive about announcing the change directly to their users or letting users opt in to the advertising rather than assuming 100 million users would be ok with this type of activity in this day and age of new privacy laws and hyper-awareness social network members have with their data and information.

The Business Insider article listed the steps you can take to opt out of allowing LinkedIn to share your picture and name with advertisers:

Click on your name on your LinkedIn homepage in the upper right corner. From the drop-down menu, select "Settings."
On the "Settings" page, select "Account."
In the column next to “Account," click “Manage Social Advertising."
Uncheck the box next to “LinkedIn may use my name, photo in social advertising."
Now check the new default settings under "E-mail Preferences" and "Groups, Companies & Applications." Make sure to opt out of "Data Sharing with 3rd-party applications" as well.

Lawsuits Filed Over Tracking Technology

2011-08-10T08:41:00.000-04:00

Trouble is brewing with KISSmetrics tracking technology after lawsuits were filed against KISSmetrics and Hulu. Hulu and Spotify both dropped KISSmetrics tracking technology when they found out the the tracking company was using coding that still tracked users' activity even after their cookies were cleared.

"The controversy about KISSmetrics' tracking methods erupted late Friday, when researchers from UC Berkeley published a report stating that the company was using ETags to track people regardless of steps they had taken to protect their privacy."

See MediaPost for the full story.

Privacy and tracking issues like this will be addressed at the next South Florida IMA event!

Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2011

2011-08-09T08:32:00.001-04:00

European Pressphoto Agency

Sens. John Kerry and John McCain

The upcoming SFIMA event for August: Learn. Interact. Connect... with Your Legal and Congressional Leaders is going to be a ground breaking educational event for us and is a rare opportunity for members of the community to come together and discuss the legal issues with their elected officials and learn how the pening legislation will affect us as marketers. So that you can have a good idea of the Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2011, we wanted to share the bill with you. The full bill can be found here: http://epic.org/privacy/consumer/Commercial_Privacy_Bill_of_Rights_Text.pdf

If this bill is passed, it would impose new rules on companies that collect personal data, including a requirement to allow the people access to that data and the ability for people to block the information about them from being used or distributed.

For more information see the Wall Street Journal Article & video and Wired.com .

Invitation to SFIMA Members: Digital World Expo

2011-08-08T09:15:00.000-04:00

September 25 - 27, 2011
Industry event in Las Vegas - Great opportunity to network with other IMAs around the country

Special offer for SFIMA members: 25% off!
Use access code "SFIMA2011" when registering.

On September 25th - 27th, Digital World Expo will debut an annual forum for professional education in all forms of digital media. With the conference hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada, professionals from across North America and other Interactive Marketing Associations will attend to learn, train and build awareness of technology in media and what's to come. This event will focus on four primary areas to meet the needs of today's media professionals in advertising, marketing, development and strategy:

1) Classroom-Style and "How-to" Instruction
- Both seasoned professionals and newcomers alike will find a multitude of topics ranging from SEO to virtual worlds. Each digital media channel will be discussed with attendees walking away with new found on "how it all works".
- Social Media, Viral Campaigns, Video Advertising, Display Advertising, Behavioral (and data) Targeting, Mobile Advertising, APPs, In-Game Advertising, Analytics and more will be designed in both "beginner" and "advanced" attendee formats.

2) Media Placement Opportunities
- Attendees will have first-hand exposure to media placement opportunities currently offered by publishers, creative agencies and service providers. The exhibit hall will feature companies in every applicable channel.

3) The "Future" of Media
- Everyone will have the opportunity to get a glimpse of our "digital future" through special interactive exhibits and keynotes.
- High-profile brands and professionals will engage the attendees in a fun, high-energy atmosphere as they experience what's to come.

4) Entertainment and Networking
- The ambiance of the entire conference will be accented with special attractions and events appealing to all the senses.
- Cocktail Mixers during evenings of assembly

Register below
Special offer for SFIMA members: 25% off!
Use access code "SFIMA2011" when registering.

Where: The Mirage Events Center, Las Vegas, NV
Website: www.digitalworldexpo.com
Registration: Via website or call 702.478.6777
Room Reservations: www.mirage.com (promo/room rate code: DWEMB)
Cost: Exhibit Hall - Free Class-Pass only - $550 Full-Access Pass - $770

Do Not Track Online Act of 2011

2011-08-08T08:03:00.003-04:00

The upcoming SFIMA event for August: Learn. Interact. Connect... with Your Legal and Congressional Leaders is going to be a ground breaking educational event for us and is a rare opportunity for members of the community to come together and discuss the legal issues with their elected officials and learn how the pening legislation will affect us as marketers. So that you can have a good idea of the Do Not Track Online Act of 2011, we wanted to share the bill with you. The full bill can be found here: http://commerce.senate.gov/public/?a=Files.Serve&File_id=85b45cce-63b3-4241-99f1-0bc57c5c1cff

In short, if the bill were to be passed, it would be similar to the Do Not Call Act, in that consumers could opt out of being tracked online and give them the power to block internet companies from tracking their online activities.

For a great article on the topic, see The Washington Post article.

Spokeo Legal Battle Over Privacy Concerns

2011-08-05T08:47:00.000-04:00

The data aggregating web site Spokeo is currently trying to have a lawsuit against them thrown out by the 9th District Court of Appeals. A Virginia man is suing Spokeo alleging that they are "unlawfully operating and profiting as a consumer reporting agency." He alleges that their incorrect information about his caused him to not be hired by a company that used the information listed in reviewing his application for employment.

For more details on the law suit and privacy issues it involves, see the full article on MediaPost.

Privacy laws affect us, not only as marketers but personally as well. With the upcoming SFIMA event featuring congressional leaders speaking about legal issues concerning online privacy and tracking, we wanted to feature some articles on these subjects currently in the media. So stay tuned to the SFIMA blog over the next two weeks we will be featuring articles and current events to get you up to speed on these issues and concerns.

Groupon Privacy Policy Draw Congressional Scrutiny

2011-08-04T08:32:00.000-04:00

Groupon recently changed it's privacy policy and this is causing some concern among lawmakers, specifically the lawmakers who co-chair the House Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus. Among Groupon's policy changes, the company said they would be collecting and sharing more data with merchants. Legislators also questioned about geo-location privacy issues and age data collection to ensure the protection of minors.

"The lawmakers' questions include whether Groupon intends to obtain consumers' opt-in consent to data collection, including geolocation data, and whether the company requires its business partners to adhere to Groupon's privacy policy."

For more details see the full MediaPost article.

It is good to know that there is a Privacy Caucus committee that is watching out for all of our privacy concerns online and the implications of new technologies and company's policy changes.

Learn. Interact. Connect... with Your Legal and Congressional Leaders

2011-08-03T08:24:00.005-04:00

You asked, and SFIMA has delivered. With a congressperson or two, no less. As we face profound legislation which could fundamentally change the way we market online you will want to join us for an industry-focused discussion. Be in the know and learn how to get involved. This is your time to interact and connect with your representatives. Click here to register for the event!

Date:

*Wednesday August 17, 2011

Time:

Networking: 6:30 - 7:15pm

Presentation: 7:30 - 8:30pm

Place:

Galuppi's

1103 North Federal Highway

Pompano Beach, FL 33062-4321

On Wednesday, August 17th, The South Florida Interactive Marketing Association presents Congressman Allen West (FL-22), who will give you an insiders’ view on big legislative and other changes that may affect you.

Join us for this epic event moderated by Gaida Zirkelbach, a SFIMA board member and business, technology and Internet attorney. As a Gunster shareholder, Gaida provides strategic counseling and negotiates transactions in the areas of technology, Internet, interactive marketing, mergers and acquisitions, and privacy and security. She advises large companies and start-ups and has vast experience in negotiating deals with technology and Internet industry leaders, including the largest online media properties and Fortune 500 companies.

Topics on the agenda include:

Do-Not-Track Online Act of 2011
Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2011

in relation to:

Marketing and privacy
Behavioral targeting and tracking users
Digital economy and jobs
Issues affecting interactive marketing business owners

Relax, we will not be talking about the deficit here...

Click here to register for the event!

This special event is sponsored by Media One!

SPECIAL RAFFLE FROM OUR SPONSOR, MEDIA ONE: During the SFIMA event, attendees can drop their business card at the Media One table for a chance to win a 32" LED Color TV --that the winner can take home that night. Winner must be present to win.

SFIMA & OMS Joint Networking Event

2011-08-02T17:13:00.002-04:00

Join us for the SFIMA & OMS Joint Networking Event on Tuesday, August 9, 5:30-7:00 pm at the Hyatt Regency Miami. There is no cost to attend, and complimentary drinks and appetizers will be served.

When:

Tuesday August 9, 2011 from 5:30 - 7:00pm

Where:

Hyatt Regency Miami

400 SE 2nd Avenue

Miami, FL 33131-2140

To register for the event, please click here.

OMS is one of the premier online marketing educational events that travels across the country, and will be in Miami from August 8-9, 2011. SFIMA members get a 20% discount. Register today for the 2-day summit using promo code SFIMA20 to receive an exclusive 20% off -- 5% more than the early bird rate!

The SFIMA & OMS Joint Networking Event on August 9th will be an excellent opportunity to network with professionals from some of the region’s top marketing organizations. We hope you can join us.

SFIMA Events Support Local Business Galuppi's

2011-06-22T09:05:00.002-04:00

Have you been to a SFIMA event lately? The feedback for our new venue has been very positive. Over the last year, we have held most of our monthly educational and networking events at Galuppi's in Pompano Beach.

Galuppi's is a family owned and run local South Florida business and The South Florida IMA is proud to support local businesses.

About Galuppi's:

Galuppi’s took over the food and beverage at the Pompano Beach Golf Course in January of 2005. Galuppi’s hosts many functions including bar/bat mitzvahs, reunions, weddings, and corporate functions. We also have a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu and taked reservations daily. Please call 954-785-0226 or click here for reservations.

Pat Galuppi established Pat’s Game Room and Tavern in Pompano Beach in 1975. In 1986 Pat moved his business across the street and Pat’s Place was born. Pat’s sports bar ran successfully for many years until Pat sold the business in 1999.

In January of 2005, following a 6 year hiatus from the restaurant business, Pat and his son Grant took on the challenge of re-opening the restaurant at the Pompano Beach Golf Course. Following extensive remodeling; Galuppi’s opened for business in March of 2005.

Today, Galuppi’s offers a full scale menu, beginning with breakfast and continuing through the dinner hour. We offer an incredible Brunch every Sunday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. which includes Carving Stations, Omelets, Eggs to order, Belgium Waffles, Beef Brisket, Peel and Eat Shrimp, pastries and much much more. The inside bar boasts 11 – 50 inch plasma high definition TV’s including a 17 foot definition projector. The outside patio bar has another 10 52 inch LCD TV’s, allowing you to watch your favorite sporting event. Galuppi’s has a Two for One Happy Hour, every Monday through Friday. We have a beautiful restaurant/banquet room with breath taking views of water fountains, the golf course and sunsets.

Galuppi's staff has been so accommodating at all the SFIMA events, the food there is great, drink prices are very reasonable. Galuppi's has facilities both inside and outside on their patio overlooking the gold course. They also have an extensive late night menu that is great to grab a bite after the SFIMA events and get in some extra networking time.

What do you think of Galuppi's? We would love your feedback!

Help us support a local, family owned business!

Like Galuppi's on Facebook

Follow Galuppi's on Twitter

Visit Galuppi's website & check out their menu & specials

SFIMA's events take place the 2nd Thursday of the month. Our next SFIMA event is at Galuppi's on July 14th. Yelp will be speaking about consumer reviews.

South Florida, Let's Get Social on Social Media Day 2011

2011-06-21T19:20:00.009-04:00

June 30, 2011 is Social Media Day. Happening in 1,337 communities!

Message from Mashable:

We’re thrilled to announce our second annual Social Media Day. The 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!

Meetups are happening in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, so choose a location near you and support South Florida and show how social we are!

Mashable will be making a top 10 most social cities and we want Miami and Ft. Lauderdale on that list!

Details for the Ft. Lauderdale Social Media Day Meetup:

Thursday, June 30, 2011
6:00 PM
Selected by: Chris Tiedje
Briny Irish Pub
305 S Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Selected by: Chris Tiedje
Come down to the Riverfront to meet and mingle with the people who bring you the news every day.

$2 domestic and well drinks
$3 wine
FREE appetizers

You can sign up both on the Ft. Lauderdale Social Media Day Page and on the Facebook Ft. Lauderdale Social Media Day Event Page.

Details for the Miami Social Media Day Meetup:

Thursday, June 30, 2011
7:00 PM
Sugarcane Raw Bar & Grill
3252 NE 1st Ave. Miami FL 33127

You can sign up both on the Miami Social Media Day Page and on the Facebook Miami Social Media Day Event Page.

SFIMA July Event - Yelp! How Reader Reviews Influence Consumers

2011-06-15T12:52:00.006-04:00

Join SFIMA for our July educational event featuring Yelp, and learn how the site can help you get the most out of your online presence including marketing, SEO and more – Yelp offers a suite of FREE tools for businesses.

Communicate with your customers-- privately and publicly
Track how many people view your business page
Add photos, a detailed business description, up-to-date information, history, and specialties
Announce special offers and upcoming events
Recommend other businesses

Date:

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Time:

Networking: 6:30 - 7:15 pm

Presentation: 7:30 - 8:30 pm

Place:

Galuppi's

1103 North Federal Highway

Pompano Beach, FL 33062

(FREE PARKING)

map

Members:

FREE

Non-members:

$39 - Advance Registration

$49 - at Door

Yelp (yelp.com) is a website that connects people with great local businesses. Yelp was founded in San Francisco in July 2004. Since then, Yelp communities have taken root in metros across the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Austria and The Netherlands; Yelp drew an audience of more than 50 million unique visitors in April 2011. Yelpers have written more than 18 million local reviews, making Yelp the leading US local guide for real word of mouth on everything from boutiques and mechanics to restaurants and dentists.

Drew Canniff is a Senior Account Executive for Yelp's National Team where he works to help major brands effectively engage their customers using Yelp's advertising solutions. During the past 11 years, Drew has worked in digital advertising across a variety of fields including display, search and social marketing; helping marketers connect their audiences to publishers such as Yahoo! and LinkedIn. He has worked with top brands including MasterCard, FedEx, American Express, Bacardi, Outback, VW and Citibank.

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REGISTRATION REQUIRED

http://www.sfima.com/EventDetail.aspx?id=432

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Choose. Vote. Win!

2011-06-09T15:50:00.003-04:00

Help us pick the NEW SFIMA tagline for a chance to win a $75 iTunes Gift Card

SFIMA's new tagline will be featured on sfima.com, in marketing materials and in press releases distributed across the country. Visit the Darville Creative Group table at today's Groupon event to cast your vote and be entered to win.

Join us at the event!

http://www.sfima.com/EventDetail.aspx?id=413

Darville Creative Group offers a full spectrum of creative services from a one-off design project to custom built campaigns to fulfill all your company's marketing objectives. Visit darvillecreative.com to learn more.

Groupon Counts on Writers and Editors to Build Its Audience

2011-06-01T10:14:00.005-04:00

A perfect primer for our June 9 event:

Groupon, which is expected to go public within the next year, is either creating a new approach to commerce that will change the way we eat and shop and interact with the physical world, or it is a sure sign that Internet mania is once again skidding out of control. Or both.

Groupon’s breakthrough sprang not just from the deals but from an ingredient that was both unlikely and ephemeral: words.

Read the full story here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/business/29groupon.html

http://www.sfima.com/EventDetail.aspx?id=413

SFIMA June Event- Groupon: Meet the Fastest Growing Company Ever!

2011-05-27T10:37:00.005-04:00

*** Calling all entrepreneurs, start-ups, marketers, and local businesses! ***

Whether you are a start-up, a local business, a marketer, or just someone looking for a coupon deal, come out and hear all about Groupon's story of success and get inspired!

Date:

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Time:

Networking: 6:30 - 7:15 pm

Presentation: 7:30 - 8:30 pm

Place:

Galuppi's

1103 North Federal Highway

Pompano Beach, FL 33062

(FREE PARKING)

map

Members:

FREE

Non-members:

$39 - Advance Registration

$49 - at Door

Join SFIMA for our exciting June educational event. You might have already heard about this "little" start up called Groupon? They were recently billed by Forbes as "The Fastest Growing Company Ever". Famous for those daily group coupon deals you have come to know, love, and expect to see in your inbox every morning. What did we do before those daily inbox deals and what would we do without them now?

As popular as they are now, did you know what Groupon was a year ago? Groupon did more than create a successful company and a memorable brand; they pioneered group couponing and created a demand where there was none. Hear first hand from Groupon's Jessica Dwyer all about Groupon past, present, and future. Explore where Groupon is headed with their new deals, new partnerships, and see what group coupon deals are in our future!

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REGISTRATION REQUIRED

http://www.sfima.com/EventDetail.aspx?id=413

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You Are Not a Gadget: a Manifesto - Highlights of Jaron Lanier's Controversial Philosophy

2011-05-26T13:47:00.003-04:00

Veteran computer scientist known as the father of Virtual Reality weighs in on "Web 2.0" in new book

While at a conference recently, just prior to beginning his keynote presentation, Jaron Lanier asked the audience to not tweet while he was speaking. Not out of respect for him, he explained, but out of respect for themselves. If the audience felt that what he was saying was important enough to tweet about, then they might want to take some time to think about it. Let it be "weighed, judged and filtered by someone's brain--instead of just being a passive relay."

Thinking and feeling is crucial to our existence. "You have to find a way to be yourself, before you can share yourself,” he reasoned. This thought process is lacking today in the world of mindless retweeting, sharing, and following.

This idea appealed to me, so I thought I would pass it along for the SFIMA audience. Some of his arguments may seem like mere complaints about the digital world, but he optimistically asserts that we are still young enough in the "web 2.0" space to make changes before "lock-in" occurs and we cannot alter course.

Cybernetic Totalism is taking over
Lanier's overall philosophy is about digital humanism, which starkly contrasts the mainstream digital world where most of us work and play. The path that we are on is subjugating the Person for the Collective, as we trade in the individual mind for the "hive mind". He asks the question: Is there truly wisdom of the crowds, or is it a surrender to the "digital Maoist" mindset, no different than mob rule.

Is all this crowd mentality any different than the much hated design by committee that pervades the corporate world?

Lanier offers this thought experiment: If we had 100,000 people contributing to an article about science, how many decades would it take before the crowd came up with something equal to the "Theory of Relativity"? Would this ever happen? Mainstream examples of the committee rule are: Wikipedia, American Idol and Google searches to name a few.

Do we consider the "crowd", the algorithm, or the cloud to be greater/better than a person with flesh and blood and a conscience? Is Google's algorithm really insightful, or do we all just do contortions (SEO writing) to make the algorithm work, and make the machine seem smarter than it is. Recently AOL writers were asked to "dumb down" their articles so that Google could find their content easier. This is like "teaching to the test" - it is only for short-term gain, not long-term. It is part of the dumbification of our society.

A more humanistic web
Some takeaways about how to make the web more humanistic, and a call to resist acting like a machine, or a piece of software, Lanier offers up some of these gems found in his new book.

- Create a website that expresses something about who you are that won’t fit into the template available on a social networking site
- Post a video once in a while that took 100 times more time to create that it does to view
- Write a blog post that took weeks of reflection before you heard the inner voice that need to come out
- If you are Twittering, innovate in order to find a way to describe your internal state instead of trivial external events, to avoid the creeping danger of believing that objectively described events define you, as they would a machine
- Don't post anonymously, unless you are in danger

Google, Facebook, a more distributive digital clout, and the future...
Digital advertising took a wrong turn at the beginning of the century. Advertising has traditionally evoked emotion, connection, and the best ads tell a story. Google text ads should not even be called "ads" - they should be called "raw data access points" or an "interpersonal access fee."

We are de-monetizing everything to support these little ads (i.e. music, journalism). This is part of the diminution of the middle class.

Most models online are trading short-term gain for long-term sustainability. An example is the publisher model of "Make it free, get the audience and then hope/pray the advertising supports it." In capitalist societies, however, we believe that everyone shall be paid for their efforts, but in this digital Maoist society, we (the hive) want everything to be free. With this mentality only those few entities with data centers serving the ads are making any money. Everyone else is giving away their work for free. In the end there will be only a few players.

The USA needs a greater distribution of digital clout, which would be akin to a middle class. We are slowly loosing this, as it is being gobbled up by the biggest players: IBM, Google, Facebook, Amazon, and hedge fund computers.

The rigid format of Facebook has a reductive quality, paring down well-rounded beings full of nuance, color, and soul, into "multiple choice identities." There was a time that only the government would make us enter data into a box to register as “Male,” “Female,” “Single,” “Married,” “Birthdate,” “Hometown,” etc, which was demeaning to some people. (However, to their credit Facebook has helped to get the web out of the awful anonymity of the early years that spawned the dark side of the web, Lanier concedes.)

It's bizarre that Facebook has no business model or plan. And, bizarre that they should have to compete with Google, but that is what they are doing. (Google is all about getting people off the search engine and onto their destination; Facebook is sticky.)

On web content: "Comments about TV shows, major movies, commercial music releases, and video games must be responsible for almost as much bit traffic as porn," Lanier observes. "There is nothing wrong with that, but since the web is killing the old media. We face a situation in which culture is effectively eating its own stock. … We are growing into a culture of reaction without action. That online culture is dominated by trivial mashups of a culture that existed before mashups, by fandom responding to the dwindling outposts of centralized mass media."

In the future, computers and robots will drive cars and trucks and the shipping and transportation industry (the middle class) will face the same slow death that newspapers are facing today. Where will all those workers go? If computers and robots do all our work, and we want everything to be free, then how will we make a living?

Read more in his bestselling book You Are Not a Gadget: a Manifesto. Overall, Lanier is optimistic about the future of the web, but only if can recognize and make changes where needed.

About Jaron Lanier:
Jaron Lanier is known as the father of Virtual Reality technology and has worked on the interface between computer science and medicine, physics, and neuroscience. He is also a professional musician and author.

- Follow Taigh White on Twitter @TaighWhite

SFIMA Summit Notes from Adobe TV Presentation Challenges of Developing for Multiscreen: 3 Screen Test Lab

2011-05-19T16:22:00.007-04:00

Adobe TV Challenges of Developing for Multiscreen: 3 Screen Test Lab

Joey Princz from Wrecking Ball Media & Bob Donlon from Adobe TV www.tv.adobe.com/

Bob Donlon was the media evangelist for Adobe and was flying all over the world talking about Adobe technology, and decided to change that by showing people all over the world how the technology worked remotely with technology. Adobe TV is an internet TV network. There is a large amount of content and the challenge is organizing all the content that customers want to watch and showing them what Adobe would like to show them.

Sites are launched in other languages. And also have solicited translations from users who know multiple languages. Also adds transcripts of videos for search engine optimization of the video content.

Adobe enables their customers to author for multiscreen.

Mobile internet speed will be 5X daster than home/0ffice internet starting next year.

There are already more mobile devices than computers.

Goals for Adobe TV:

make all videos supported in all languages and devices
bring features and functionality
offer broadest possible comparability

33% of Adobe users are in the US. Connection speeds are an issue and languages.

Launched a mobile site before application.

Designed and re coded videos to show up on all devices, in all languages & support emerging and ever changing technology.

Must Haves:

Support the brand, put out an experience your company will be proud of and is representative.

Make the videos work across all devices, languages and connection speeds.

Make search work.

Make it stable and reliable for as many users as possible.

blogs.adobe.com/bobddv

SFIMA Summit Notes from Mobile Media Presentation

2011-05-19T15:41:00.003-04:00

Mobile Marketing panel with Matt McKenna with RedFishMedia @RedFishMedia and Danielle Consiglio @D_Consiglio from MGM Resorts in Vegas Luxor & Excalibur. @LuxorLV & @ExcaliburVegas

RedFishMedia helped MGM organize and implement a mobile campaign to property guests.

Use it to survey guests to determine if locals or visiting and only send messages to guests for the average 4 days of their stay so they don't get a mobile message once they have gone home and opt out. They will stay opted in if they only get messages while visiting the hotel properties or vacationing. Mobile users get deal offers, have a unique deal for each hotel property.

They also incorporate Facebook, QR codes, mobile check ins for all different aspects of communicating with hotel guests and getting the message to them and getting them involved.

Results & benefits: over 80,000 mobile opt ins in the last 12 months, 80% stay rate that stay opted in, added over $100K in incremental value, over 75K iPhone app downloads, most of any hotel property in Vegas.

Working with programmers at RedFish & Casino Players Club to know when guests who are opted in return to Vegas.

Text LX to 23000 to opt in and see how to get discounts from MGM while in Vegas. Special offers are set up for those signed up for mobile alerts.

Recently set up social rewards program for those who share deals on Facebook get points to use on the properties.

Over 60,000 Facebook fans and very successful with campaigns to convert into visits & bookings.

The mobile program is really working for MGM resorts because they engage and communicate with their customers to get the interaction and results.

SFIMA Summit Notes from Microsoft Xbox TV & 3 Screens Approach to Marketing

2011-05-19T15:09:00.005-04:00

Glen Leeder from Microsoft Xbox. @Xbox

Xbox Live has Facebook, Twitter, Hulu, TV Channels, last.fm, zune & more, besides the games and KINECT.

WATCH: TV, ESPN, Xbox, exclusive content.
SHARE: photos, music, Facebook, Twitter, video chat.
PLAY games & KINECT

1 year ago 90% of the demographic for Xbox was male, now it has changed very much & there are a lot more females using it.

Features voice recognition to pause and play.

Q: Is privacy a concern and how does Xbox treat customer privacy.

A: Xbox is VERY strict about privacy & does not share information, limits types of advertisers and advertising.

Xbox is highly engaged, pull in audience - they are seeking advertising that is relevant.

Advertising within the Xbox live system:

day parting
demos
metrics
point users to your custom branded destination experience (custom mini sites are built)
ads are clickable
ability to do custom campaigns i.e. a social Porche racing game

More than 10 million Xbox consoles have been sold as of a few months ago.

Holds the Guinness Book of World Records for fastest to sell 10,000 units.

Q: Is there a platform & pricing for smaller to medium size companies that want smaller campaigns or maybe only local advertising?

A: Yes. Ads are CPM based & allow you to get the customer involved and excited.

Xbox's goal is to create and experience for both the advertiser and the user.

What's next with Xbox KINECT:

****NOTE**** OK, this is super cool stuff coming out soon!!!!!!

Your avatar connecting virtually on screen with others in meetings, camp fires, book clubs, singing together, etc. - all while you are each sitting in your own living room talking through voice recognition.

Combines aspects of entertainment, social networking & gaming.

With speech recognition software there will be programs where you can learn a language by speaking out loud. Learn French while your avatar is walking through the streets of Paris greeting people in French. If you mispronounce a word your virtual tutor will help you out. Sit down in the Bistro and order your meal, etc.

Also possible with this technology, reality shows, game shows, and much, much more!

It is really exciting stuff!

SFIMA Summit Notes from the Mobile Presentation

2011-05-19T14:31:00.002-04:00

Speakers: Jeff Michaud @3CInteractive from 3CInteractive - mobile provider that helps with marketing & distributing your mobile messages to customers with a focus on best practices & innovation.

In mobile text, voice, mobile web & smart phone apps are all delivery methods.

Lisa McCarthy @LisaMcCarthy from SFN Group @SFNGroup uses 3Cinteractive for their mobile communications. They are the 5th largest employer in the US, they do recruiting and staffing.

3 Take Aways:

1. It's not about the app. It's about the enterprise.

Mobile won't change the way you do business, it helps make it more efficient.

SFN uses mobile in different ways, for internal communications of employees, communicating with recruitment possibilities, apps for job searchers to look for jobs.

Beyond a marketing tool, but incorporating it into every aspect of communications.

Text surveys rather than email and has boosted the response rate.

2. It's not about inventing. It's about improving.

How can you plug mobile in to make what you do more efficient & improved.

SFN talks to end user and listens and observes to see what is right instead of doing what they think is right.

They change as the technology changes and if it makes sense.

Look at demographic, who you are targeting & what they are doing, using.

All about content, same goes for mobile. The content has to be right or you will lose them.

Make sure the mission is clear, measure & evaluate - put standards in place to make sure it is successful.

3. Consider your challenges. They matter.

Challenge with mobile is carrier regulations. Campaigns are audited and taken very seriously. You have a privilege to send mobile messages, not a right. If you are going to communicate with a carrier's customer, you have to do it by their rules. Different carriers have different technologies and most companies need help with this aspect.

For SFN the challenge is adoption across all fields.

Learning which customers and clients want to receive texts is imperative.

SFIMA Summit Notes from the Facebook Panel

2011-05-19T11:15:00.003-04:00

Facebook Panel:

Moderator: @JayBerkowitz

Chad Pollitt @ChadPollittIU

Agustina Prigoshin @AgustinaP

Wes Cowan @iAnalyst

Facebook has been around for 7 years. Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire.

600 million Facebook active users (logged in in last 30 days). 1/4 of those users are in the US.

Facebook recently became the largest ad network online.

Chad: @ChadPollittIU

fan landing pg. vs. non fan landing page

masking

contests - look into contest rules

likes are good enough - getting people to interact & become customers is key. Making sure that people who like your brand still see your message. They may not because of the algorithm.

Facebook.com/kunocreative For free Social Media & SEO Cheat Sheets.

Agustina: @AgustinaP http://www.AgustinaPrigoshin.com

Listen, Acknowledge & Respond = key to building a community & making your fans loyal.

- Be a Resource

-Ask questions interactive

- Know your fan base

- Empower Your Fans - happy fans are your best advocates.

- Be creative, think outside the box. Your fan page should not look like your website. Leverage the social graph.

Wes Cowan @iAnalyst from www.iAnalyst.com:

Social Plug-Ins

Check out: Facebook.com/developers

If you don't know any form of coding, you should learn!

Facebook's Social Graph API - everything that you do or post on Facebook is in the Social Graph API, all the info is transmitted. If you download an app from Facebook, it transmits all the information, so when they are clicking through to a site, you can cater that site to their demographics, age, men vs. women, location, etc.

If you are building a Facebook app and you are not using all that data, then use a wall application that does not require authorization screen for access to information. Many do not continue the download of an app that has the verification access screen.

Panel Q & A:

Q: what is a good tip for setting up a facebook for business page:

A: Chris says "content is king" produce engaging content.

A: Agustina says complimentary content goes a long way, give an incentive or giveaway, a little can go a long way.

Q: Can you recommend apps that are good for pulling the registration data?

A. Wes says Facebook developers site will show you how to pull that information.

Q: Help in promoting a giveaway for a service vs. a product.

A: Jay says - White Papers are great giveaways for B to B.

A: Agustina says: be a resource, put out weekly tips based on your service showing your expertise.

Q: What is the best way for monitoring your brand?

A: Chad says he has tested a ton of brand monitoring tools. He found on the paid side of tools that there is not a good tool to monitor multiple brands. For monitoring sentiment, there are tools out there that are starting to monitor sentiment about brands. Most tools are good for monitoring one brand, but not multiple brands. Sysomos is the sentiment monitoring tool. Netbase & Radiant 6 were also mentioned a tools for monitoring brands and sentiment.

A: Wes says free software Dictomatic

Q. What is the best way to advise a company that does not want to "cheapen" their brand or product with Facebook giveaways.

A. Chad says develop your unique value proposition around the company's goal of solving a problem for their customers.

Q. What school program do you recommend for a digital marketing certification online.

A. Wes says he recommends reading the site KillerPHP, it will teach you how to do basic coding.

A. Chris says Hubspot is a free site that offers programming training.

Q. What advice do you have for sole proprietors who want to have a Facebook page?

A. Agustina says same for others like a service, put out tips, do's and don'ts, etc.

Q. Question about security and privacy on facebook: what information is passed on about you when you sign up and login to facebook?

A. Wes says pretty much all of it. They get a large amount of information that they are not allowed to use it.

A. Agustina says be proactive about it, don't put information about anything you don't what people to know.

A. Chris says if you want to be private, don't be online!

SFIMA Summit Notes From Keynote Speaker Address Peter Shankman

2011-05-19T09:53:00.005-04:00

Today's keynote speaker is Peter Shankman: journalist, speaker, and founder of HARO.

@PeterShankman

"We are moving back to the .com days of the bust."

Don't say you are a social media consultant - ever! Avoid the bust!

15 followers on Twitter makes some people say they are a 'social media consultant'. "Bragging about your Twitter followers is the new version of penis envy."

Start billing yourself as a communicator instead of a consultant.

Whatever you are doing online, it has to generate money. A simple idea, but is lost on many companies who focus on branding or 'a cool idea'.

The thing that greatly affects marketing today is that everything happens so quickly. Instead of always having a backup plan for failure, what is your backup plan if you succeed?

What happens when Jay Leno mentions your YouTube video? What happens when USA Today puts your product on the front page? Always have a plan!

Peter made this video for fun after training and running the Iron Man.

Note: don't watch with kids in the room! There is some adult language.

Lance Armstrong saw the video and the views increased by 37,000 over night!

The only thing that would make you look worse than failing at a project is not knowing what to do with the success of it - Peter Shankman

Information wants to be free, it has always wanted to be free and for the first time, it has the tools to be free.

Businesses need to be transparent and truthful. We will find out the truth eventually - it will come out in the media through online.

The best marketing and social media are the ones you never hear of because they never become problems. Always be transparent and tell the truth.

Inside each one of us, there is a little TMZ waiting to come out!

All the security settings in the world will NOT protect you from STUPID! Be smarter!

Rule #1 was Transparency.

Rule #2 is Be Relevant. Be relevant to your audience and find out how they like to receive their information. The more relevant you are, the more money you can make.

Rule #3: Brevity you have 2.7 seconds to reach your audience. How do you reach someone when someone is trying every 2.7 seconds?

Answer: good writing! Good writing = brevity. Brevity = marketing.

97% of this country has texted 3% have used Twitter

People get texting, but not Twitter.

Embrace the concept, not the brand.

The person whose brand or company stays on the top of the mind will win.

You can do this for business, for yourself, for your brand.

Follow @Hardees on Twitter for a good example of staying top of the mind.

Do well by your customers and they will start doing your customer service for you online in the form of Facebook, Tweets, reviews, etc.

Example: Peter arrived at a hotel in Germany & tweeted he wanted coffee, a few minutes later, room service showed up with it!

Check out your Klout score & monitor your own influence online.

Update with some great Q & A at the end of the session:

Q: How is the best way to improve your writing?

A. Read others.

Q. What are good examples of good writing?

A. Those that keep it simple and to the point: @BreakingNews on Twitter.

New iPhone/iPad/Mobile App

2011-05-18T20:20:00.005-04:00

Hot of the presses and just in time for SFIMA Summit 2011 we've got the All New v3 iPhone/iPad/Mobile App.

SFIMA Summit 2011 attendees will have access to driving directions, maps, up to the minute schedule details, the live social media conversations on Facebook, Twitter, live blogging and more.

After the Summit, keep up with future events and the SFIMA community.

Grab the app now from the iTunes link or download from:

http://sfima.com/mobile

Android, Blackberry and other smart phones are covered too with our mobile web version:

http://sfima.com/mobile

[Powered by AppBurst]

SFIMA Summit Driving Directions, Schedule & Last Minute Ticket Options

2011-05-18T11:17:00.006-04:00

SFIMA SUMMIT 2011 - It's Tomorrow!

Reaching Your Audience in a Three-Screen World

Thursday, May 19, 2011: 9:15 am - 5:15 pm

Keynote Speaker: Peter Shankman - sponsored by the O'Donnell Agency

	Last day for early bird pricing! (Onsite registration @ full price.)
	Members $99
	Non-members $149 (includes 6 months SFIMA membership)

Date:
Thursday, May 19, 2011

Registration: 8:00 am

Breakfast: 8:15 am

Place:

Miniaci Performing Arts Center
Nova Southeastern University
3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd.
Davie, Florida 33314
Directions to Campus
(Metered Garage Parking)
(Near the Alvin Sherman Library)

Google Maps to Parking Garage
Google Maps to Miniaci Building

Pre-Summit Event:
Google Certified
Small Business Training
7:30 am - 10:00 am

Google Registration: 7am

1st Floor by Atrium
Room 1053
(across the courtyard from the

Networking @ Gatsby's:
5:30 - 7:30 pm
(I-595 & University Dr.)

See the full schedule of SFIMA Summit Speakers & Sessions

A few notes / tips about tomorrow's event:

A big thank you to the SFIMA Board, the SFIMA Summit Committe & especially our SPONSORS who have all made this happen!
Early Bird tickets still available online today! Regular priced walk up tickets will also be available tomorrow.
Breakfast and lunch are provided. (YUM!)
For directions on many map services the Miniaci building is called the Alvin Sherman Library. The Miniaci building is on the southeast corner of the parking garage.
Parking is metered and you can pay with cash or credit card - pay before leaving the parking garage.
Follow @SFIMA on Twitter & use hashtag #SFIMA Summit
Follow this blog tomorrow for live blogging updates from the SFIMA Summit
Come to Gatsby's for networking after the summit ends!
Don't forget your thinking caps, the event line up is amazing!

SFIMA Summit 2011 Early Bird Pricing Ends May 6

2011-05-03T21:30:00.005-04:00

Quick Note:

Early Bird Pricing Ends May 6!

SFIMA Summit 2011:

Reaching Your Audience in a Three-Screen World

All Day Internet Marketing Educational Event

May 19, 2011

8:00 AM - 6:30PM

http://sfimasummit.com

Sponsorship Opportunities for SFIMA Summit 2011

2011-04-25T10:42:00.007-04:00

2011 SFIMA Summit: Reaching Your Audience in a Three-Screen World - May 19th, 2011

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsoring at SFIMA is an excellent way to get exposure to South Florida's most progressive companies. Our membership base and event attendees represent interactive marketers from local Fortune 1000 companies, interactive agencies, marketing-related technology firms, marketing-focused consulting firms and online media companies.

Who Should Attend

CMOs, VP/Director Marketing, Online/Interactive Marketing Managers, Online Media Buyers, Web Designers, Agency Account Managers, Online Sales Executives, CRM Personnel, Search and Social Media Professionals, Entrepreneurs, and Digital Marketers

Due to limited space, we are only offering 4 premier sponsor packages for this event!

Title Sponsor - $5,500

Event named after company
Table top area to display company literature
Ability to be the top sponsor for 1 monthly SFIMA educational meeting
Sponsor can present 10 minutes on company capabilities at the beginning of breakfast and lunch
Company officials greet guests upon arrival
Option to hang corporate signage at event
Event signage: stage, event registration desk and lunch area
Largest logo on all printed materials/signage
Ability to place company literature and giveaways on seats/tables
PR mention, publicity announcements, save the date emails, and web site posting
Includes 1 corporate membership for three rotating seats to each SFIMA educational meeting ($599 value).
Opportunity to conduct a raffle or drawing at the event to collect business cards of attendees (prize should be substantial enough to motivate attendees to participate – dinner for two, spa day, round of golf, etc.)
Ability to send 8 company employees or guests to the event

Keynote Sponsor - $3,500 - SOLD!!!

Breakfast Sponsor - $2,000

Company logo placement on SFIMA Web site for month of meeting
Link to company Web site from SFIMA Web site for month of meeting
Prominent mention in event press release (short description of company/product)
Acknowledgement at beginning and end of event presentation by SFIMA President (short description)
Signage at information table in room. Signage that is approximately 2' x 4' is appropriate for venue.
Ability to distribute company literature and giveaways on seats at breakfast and from sponsor table at event
Ability to send 4 company employees or guests to the event
Opportunity to conduct a raffle or drawing at the event to collect business cards of attendees (prize should be substantial enough to motivate attendees to participate – dinner for two, spa day, round of golf, etc.)
Opportunity for 3 minute commercial
Introduction to guest speaker

Lunch Sponsor - $2,500

Company logo placement on SFIMA Web site for month of meeting
Link to company Web site from SFIMA Web site for month of meeting
Prominent mention in event press release (short description of company/product)
Acknowledgement at beginning and end of event presentation by SFIMA President (short description)
Signage at information table in room. Signage that is approximately 2' x 4' is appropriate for venue.
Ability to distribute company literature and giveaways on seats at lunch and from sponsor table at event
Ability to send 5 company employees or guests to the event
Opportunity to conduct a raffle or drawing at the event to collect business cards of attendees (prize should be substantial enough to motivate attendees to participate – dinner for two, spa day, round of golf, etc.)
Opportunity for 3 minute commercial
Introduction to guest speaker

Video Sponsor - $600

Sponsor Logo to be featured on opening and closing full-screen graphic
Sponsor Logo to be shown throughout the video
Opportunity for sponsor’s representative to be interviewed as part of each video. This time can be spent introducing the topic of the SFIMA event, as well as highlighting the company’s corporate message or sales pitch.
Video will be available to sponsor to be used as part of any existing or planned marketing strategies
Company logo placement on SFIMA Web site for month of meeting
Link to company Web site from SFIMA Web site for month of meeting
Acknowledgement at beginning and end of event presentation by SFIMA President (short description)
Signage at information table in room. Signage that is approximately 2' x 4' is appropriate for venue.
Ability to distribute company literature and giveaways from sponsor table at event
Ability to send 2 company employees or guests to the event
Opportunity to conduct a raffle or drawing at the event to collect business cards of attendees (prize should be substantial enough to motivate attendees to participate – dinner for two, spa day, round of golf, etc.)

Table Sponsor - $500

Company logo placement on SFIMA Web site for month of meeting
Link to company Web site from SFIMA Web site for month of meeting
Mention in event press release (short description of company/product)
Acknowledgement at beginning and end of event presentation by SFIMA President (short description)
Signage at information table in room. Signage that is approximately 2' x 4' is appropriate for venue.
Ability to distribute company literature and giveaways from sponsor table at event
Ability to send 2 company employees or guests to the event
Opportunity to conduct a raffle or drawing at the event to collect business cards of attendees (prize should be substantial enough to motivate attendees to participate – dinner for two, spa day, round of golf, etc.)

For additional information please contact:

sponsorship@sfima.com

SFIMA Summit 2011

2011-04-20T09:19:00.009-04:00

SFIMA SUMMIT 2011

Reaching Your Audience in a Three-Screen World

Thursday, May 19, 2011: 8 am - 6:30 pm

Keynote Speaker: Peter Shankman

- sponsored by the O'Donnell Agency

As the Internet evolves, marketing is consumed in new ways. Computers of course are a main focus, but now, marketers must aggressively consider the impact of mobile devices and Internet-enabled TVs, not to mention iPads.

The 2011 SFIMA Summit will cover in-depth strategies for effective interactive marketing techniques relating to all three screens via presentations and panel discussions.

Keynote Speaker: Peter Shankman -

sponsored by the O'Donnell Agency

As the founder of Help A Reporter Out (HARO), the de-facto standard for journalists looking for sources, Peter Shankman is an entrepreneur, author, speaker and worldwide connector. He is recognized globally for radically new ways of thinking about social media, public relations, marketing, advertising, creativity and customer service.

Glenn Leeder - Xbox LIVE

Glenn Leeder, Xbox LIVE's business development manager, and advertising industry expert, will showcase how Xbox LIVE TV and the new Kinect system, along with M-Tag, are transforming media and marketing as the demand for gaming and mobile increases and further blurs the lines of social media.

Join us to be ahead of the marketing curve when it comes to reaching your audience in a three-screen world.

Confirmed corporate speakers include:

3Cinteractive, JB Glossinger of MorningCoach, Jay Berkowitz of Ten Golden Rules and a Facebook panel, SFN Group, AdobeTV and more!

Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available

NEW! EARLY MORNING SUMMIT SESSION -

Only 40 seats available:

Google Certified Small Business Training

- presented by Joe Laratro

We invite you to an interactive Google workshop

geared towards small business. We'll show you how Google tools can help you reach more customers, understand what customers are searching for, and operate more efficiently. This seminar is ideal for customers who are new to online advertising as well as existing AdWords customers who want to get more results from their online advertising investment.

"This is a great chance for you to learn how Google tools can help you reach more customers,

understand what customers are searching for, and operate more efficiently. In our 7 am - 9:30 am prior to the Summit Keynote, the workshop we'll cover online marketing best practices, including how to:

Reach the right audience using Google AdWords and boost your ad performance by choosing the right keywords and writing compelling ads
Claim your business on Google Maps and create a Google Place Page
Use Google Analytics to track online traffic and optimize your website"

Google-only Training: $39

Google Training & Summit Combo: $149

EVENT SPONSORS

ELITE SPONSORS

What's Hot in SEO & Social

2011-04-17T12:46:00.017-04:00

If you missed the last SFIMA event "Intersection of SEO and Social Media" with Brett Tabke, then you missed some great content from this legend in the SEO space. Founder of Pubcon and WebmasterWorld, and a 30-year computing veteran, Tabke has a unique view into the world of technology and content. It was a treat for the digital marketers in the room to share nearly an hour with him.

This blog post will attempt to relay some of the great learnings from last Thursday night.

So, what's hot? Local SEO, such as Google Places & review sites. More weight is being given to GPS location data.

Reputation management, no surprise, is red hot. In short, don't wait to do reputation management until your company has a crisis. It's too late at that point. Start monitoring and get a process in place to respond quickly.

"If I tell my Facebook friends about your brand, it is because I like my friends - not because I like your brand."

- A great quote that Tabke shared from Mike Arauz at Undercurrent

Algorithm changes - Google's weighted breakdown for ranking your website has changed, and they are giving substantially more weight to “Engagement Metrics”, whereas before this area did not even register. So if users are coming to your site and engaging with you, congrats, your pages may get better treatment in the results. “Engagement” meaning the visitors that come onto your site are converting in some way, spending time, watching videos, etc.

Other factors in the weighting include “Trust/Authority of Domain”, “Link Popularity of Page” and “Inbound Anchor Text” to name a few.

Tablets (really, just the iPad) are cannibalizing PC's and will continue to do so. Tablets are the most revolutionary thing to happen since Windows 95 and will be ubiquitous in less than 10 years, said Tabke. Some stats provided, and attributed to mobile ad network admob's recent survey, are pretty amazing:

"77% of respondents reported that their desktop/laptop usage has decreased since they started using a tablet; 43% spend more time with their tablet than with their desktop."

And, this one is terrifying for TV execs:

"1 in 3 respondents use their tablet more than watching TV."

A surprising Social Media takeaway: The "check in" (a la Foursquare or Facebook) is dead, or will soon be dying since the advertising component has not been realized.

The app of the year? Dropbox. This is a site for online backup, file sync and sharing. The question was posed: Might Google buy it to integrate with their Google Docs?

More information about Brett Tabke: Brett Tabke founded WebmasterWorld, Inc. in 1998 and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Tabke started PHD Software Systems while in college in 1984. He was also featured in the Biography Channel special on the Google founders. He was a founding board member of SEMPO (Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization). He serves as chair of PubCon conferences. In addition to the thousands of educational posts he has written for WebmasterWorld audience, he has authored a chapter for the best selling "Google Hacks" book. He was the noted author of Karma 128, a leading edge assembler for the 65816 processor, according to Businessweek.

Overall the evening was great: The awesome networking hour illuminated by the sun setting on the golf course, the great content, and the usual good vibe found at SFIMA made this event well worth attending. Special thanks to Tabke, the sponsors SEO.cc and iAnalyst, and the SFIMA Board of Directors.

The event was generously sponsored by SEO.cc and iAnalyst.

Follow the author at

@taighwhite
linkedin.com/in/taighwhite

The Intersection of SEO & Social Media

2011-04-07T16:22:00.005-04:00

- Presented by Brett Tabke, Founder of PubCon and WebmasterWorld

Thursday, April 14, 2011, 6:30 pm

Networking: 6:30 - 7:15 pm

Presentation: 7:30 - 8:30 pm

Place:

Galuppi's

1103 North Federal Highway

Pompano Beach, FL 33062

SFIMA invites you to join longtime SEO & social media expert Brett Tabke as he helps us to learn how to navigate today's online marketing terrain, find out where search and social media cross over, and how we can successfully position ourselves to get the best of both worlds.

Tabke is founder of PubCon, the premier optimization and new media conferences, and the founder and chief executive of Webmasterworld, one of the web's most respected online technology message forums.

Brett Tabke will discuss:

Social Media as an effective marketing tool
How Social Media complements your SEO
Social Media as a powerful brand management strategy
How Social Media can help you understand your customers
Which Social Media platforms are best for your business
How to become involved and create an online community

Tabke will talk about the ideal sweet spot of optimization, a point where it is hard to tell the difference between website optimization and social media optimization. Arriving at the intersection of SEO and social media means making sure you are optimizing the content you create, such as blogs, video and images, and sharing it all with your social group to be successful in search — a process Tabke will explore.

Don't miss out on this great opportunity to learn best practices and ideas that can enhance your business, and the prime networking opportunities with South Florida’s elite interactive marketers this SFIMA event has on tap.

Register Now!
http://www.sfima.com/EventDetail.aspx?id=359

Tabke has worked in the computer industry for nearly thirty years, having founded PHD Software Systems, a specialty software manufacturer that produced a line of software for Commodore computers in the 1980s and 1990s.

Tabke coined several SEO staple terms including "Link Farm," "SEO Themes," and the classic "SERP" (Search Engine Results Page). He was also featured in the Biography Channel special on the founders of Google. Tabke, a founding board member of SEMPO, wrote a chapter for the bestselling "Google Hacks" book, and was the first known person to have fully decoded the Excite and most of the AltaVista search engine algorithms. Tabke's "26 Steps To 15k A Day" is one of the most widely read documents in SEO history.

A new way to communicate

2011-04-01T15:14:00.008-04:00

We here at SFIMA are always on the lookout to bring you the latest innovations in Interactive Marketing as well as digital communications.

Here's a great new breakthrough that we had to pass on.

Introducing Gmail Motion:

For more info and the full article:

http://mail.google.com/mail/help/motion.html

Happy April 1st

Miami...We're back! SFIMA & Miami Marketers Joint Networking Event

2011-03-16T10:52:00.008-04:00

SFIMA & Miami Marketers Joint Networking Event

Wednesday, April 6, 2011, 6:00-9:00 pm

________________________________________________

Place: La Cofradia Restaurant

160 Andalusia Avenue
Coral Gables, FL 33134

http://www.lacofradia.com/

________________________________________________

Members & Non-Members: FREE

SFIMA invites you to be our complimentary guest for a joint networking event with Miami Marketers, one of the principal marketing organizations in South Florida.

Join us at the event to:

- Enjoy a complimentary drink (while they last!) and hors d'oeuvres

- Mix and mingle with your fellow marketing and interactive leaders

- Meet marketing professionals from all disciplines

- Learn more about SFIMA and Miami Marketers

- Raise money for Japan's earthquake victims - La Cofradia will donate 10% of all dinner bills to the American Red Cross' Japan relief efforts

- Win fun raffle prizes, including:

o First-drawing prize: a ticket to the next SFIMA event on April 14: The Intersection of SEO & Social Media

o Second-drawing prize: A full day pass to the SFIMA Summit on May 19: Reaching Your Audience in a Three-Screen World with Keynote Speaker Peter Shankman

o Grand prize: A six-month membership in SFIMA

SFIMA seeks to be the principal interactive voice for South Florida, and as part of this effort we partner with other leading organizations, such as Miami Marketers, to share ideas and best practices. We look forward to seeing you on April 6.

REGISTER NOW:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=171159819600501

http://events.linkedin.com/Miami-Were-back-SFIMA-Miami-Marketers/pub/601911

SFIMA Spring Fling Networking Mixer

2011-02-24T11:39:00.002-05:00

Thursday, March 10, 2011

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Place:

Galuppi's

1103 North Federal Highway

Pompano Bch, FL 33062

Spring is in the air! Spring forward with abundant growth opportunity by networking with South Florida's top marketing professionals. Enjoy a refreshing cocktail or glass of wine as you expand your network and make meaningful connections.

Mix and mingle with colleagues, entrepreneurs, brands and friends from some of the top companies in South Florida. You never know you may just walk away with a contact that could be influential in your next big deal.

Bring plenty of business cards! You can expect to have 10-20 meaningful conversations during this networking event. We are big believers in the power of networking, so bring a friend or colleague to this fun event. The more the merrier!

Members attend this event for FREE
Non-Members attend for only $39 in advance

See you there!

Register Now:

http://www.sfima.com/EventDetail.aspx?id=356

Review and Notes from the SFIMA Peer to Peer Forum Event

2011-02-15T20:37:00.002-05:00

If you missed the SFIMA meeting last week, here are some notes on the topics that came up.

If you have not been to the SFIMA Peer to Peer Forum event before, it is one of the most well liked and most popular educational events each year. Basically the attendees ask and answer questions on hot topics. Some of the topics discussed last Thursday are:

Upcoming FTC regulations on browsers with a "do not track" ruling that is currently being reviewed by politicians. This new law is the equivalent of "do not call" for the online marketing industry. If passed, this regulation will be a challenge for online marketers attempts to track visitors and conversions. A challenge will be trying to convince the general public web surfer that being tracking is not an invasion of their privacy since they remain anonymous, but helps marketers and web site owner understand their visitors and better customize websites to accommodate user's trends and activity.

QR Codes are growing in popularity and have many great uses for transmitting and finding information. Bit.ly can make QR codes for you in addition to supplying the shortened URL link and tracking.

There was a big discussion on Facebook ads and Facebook for businesses and many in the room shared how much success they are having with Facebook and how they are achieving that success. For many Facebook ads are converting better than Google Adwords ads! One important tip for a better ROI on Facebook ads is to have them link to a specific landing page on your site rather than link to the company's Facebook page.

Group Buying was also a topic of conversation with sites like Groupon, LivingSocial and Couptessa mentioned and there was also mention of the new crowd sourcing site Quora.

SFIMA is always looking for ideas for topics for future events and feedback on past events. The SFIMA Board is looking for volunteers who would like to become board members for the 2011 - 2012 fiscal year. Please send any comments, questions, requests, etc. to President (at) SFIMA.com!

Health, Wealth and Entrepreneurship Women's Conference 2011

2011-02-14T12:07:00.005-05:00

SFIMA is proud to support and share this annual event.

A day of information and inspiration for women of all cultures

Thursday, March 10, 2011

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Program, panelists & speakers

This year's conversation includes:

Health

Taking the pulse of health news stories:

What's hype, what's hope?

Can you believe in what your mammogram tells you?
How sweet it is:

New inroads into preventing diabetes

Don't pay at the pump: keeping your heart healthier

Wealth

A mattress for your money:

Is the lack of interest by the banks killing your savings? Where to turn

What kind of economy is going to emerge?

How can we position for success?

Corporate responsibility & women at the table

Entrepreneurship

Bartering your small business into something bigger
Emerging markets & opportunities
How we grew (census). Florida gains seats

And the implications of our economy

Emerging Technology

Adding another E to H, W, E:

How new technologies are turning the virtual into what works for your health, wealth and entrepreneurship

at the South Florida Campus of
Ana G. Méndez University System

Miramar Park of Commerce

3520 Enterprise Way

Miramar FL 33025

www.suagm.edu/southflorida

Follow the conversation on Twitter via #suagmwomen

to stay up to date with new information leading up to, and even during, the event

Updates will also be posted on the Facebook page

experts will share the answers to the

10 Most Important Questions for Women in 2011

and more…

Peer-to-Peer Forum for Interactive Marketers

2011-02-03T15:30:00.009-05:00

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Networking: 6:30 – 7:15 pm

Presentation: 7:30 – 8:30 pm

Place:

Galuppi’s

1103 North Federal Highway

Pompano Beach, FL 33062

3rd Annual Peer-to-Peer Forum
-- One of SFIMA's Most Popular Events --

SFIMA invites you to build upon your expertise in your respective field and discuss the ups, downs and hot topics in Interactive Marketing with your peers. Meet new people, interact with SFIMA members and reconnect with Board Members. Share your experiences and ideas at one of our most popular events.

Topics will include:

Interactive Marketing
B2B/B2C Marketing
Email Marketing
Online Advertising
Career Development/Job Market
Online PR, buzz monitoring and reputation management
SEO/Natural Search
Social Media - Marketing, Measurement, Monetization
User Experience & Customer Journeys
Web Analytics
Content management and Optimization
Mobile Marketing and communications
Social Media - Managing Online Communities (Facebook, Twitter, etc)
PPC/Paid Search Marketing

What to expect?

This event’s unique format is a forum for South Florida’s most talented digital marketers to explore and discuss the latest and greatest from best practices in emarketing, business cases, social media and ROI, the topics are endless! It’s also a great forum where you can share and compare with your peers as you discuss online strategies for the future and use it as a benchmark as you set the pace for your 2011 endeavours.

Who came last time?

BankAtlantic
BGT Partners
BocaJava
Carnival Cruise Lines
Citrix Systems
Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart, P.A.
JM Family
Office Depot
Razorfish
SEO.cc
Sun Sentinel
Ten Golden Rules
Translations.com
Undertone
WPTV News Channel 5
Yelp
Zimmerman Advertising

This Peer to Peer networking event is about sharing the wealth of expertise, experience, and knowledge that makes up our organization.

Don't miss this opportunity to network and learn best practices from fellow peers!

Register Now:
http://www.sfima.com/EventDetail.aspx?id=323

Marketing a Global Brand on a Local Level

2011-01-20T11:52:00.008-05:00

An Evening with Senior Creative Director of McDonalds Corporation, Mark Carlson

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Time:

Cocktails & Hors d'oeuvres: 6:30 - Presentation: 7:30 -

Place:

Miami Science Museum

3280 South Miami Ave

Miami, FL 33129

http://www.sfima.com/EventDetail.aspx?id=340

Looking to Staff Up? Thinking about a Career Move?

2011-01-06T14:56:00.009-05:00

Staffing for the Future - sponsored by SapientNitro

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Networking: 6:30 - 7:15 pm

Presentation: 7:30 - 8:30 pm

Place:

Galuppi's

1103 North Federal Highway

Pompano Beach, FL 33062

(FREE PARKING)

Looking?
Making a career move is a BIG deal! You’ve probably spent a portion of your career refining the ways you market yourself to potential prospects. This event will help you make sure you properly package yourself in this ever-changing interactive space. Gain knowledge of what HR Professionals and Recruiters are looking for when you apply and interview for your dream job.

Hiring?
Hiring a new employee is a HUGE investment and can be potentially risky. Learn techniques to attract the interactive industry’s most sought-out professionals. Listen to what recruiters look for as they navigate placing and making the right connections with the company and best candidate.

Learn the techniques that major companies and corporations put into action to:
• Scout, identify and recruit talent that fits your needs
• Shift the way you approach the interview process
• Revitalize and renew your existing talent pool
• Identify and establish your digital footprint with Social Media positions

You will hear from four leading professionals to discuss how great companies and brands hire great talent. You’ll get first hand knowledge on what generally happens when you submit your resume or what to look for when you receive a resume. Our panel will give you tips and tools to take back and apply to your circumstance. This is a must if you want to learn how to get your resume past the job posting and into the hands of a HR pro!

Moderator:

Marsha Belinson is an Online Marketing Agent, at A Q U E N T - the global marketing and design talent agency. She has placed talent in Search Marketing, SEO, Social Media, Web Analytics and eCommerce roles within Fortune 500 companies, as well as smaller Interactive Agencies. Coming from an eCommerce and Marketing background provides Marsha with the insight to identify great talent, as well as uncover hiring opportunities within businesses. Marsha earned her BSBA from American University and her MBA from George Washington University. Her primary recruiting tools are JobMagic, Twitter and Linkedin; but her reference tool is Facebook: check your privacy settings!

Speakers:

Tracey Lambalot is a Sr. Recruiter working at Office Depot’s Corporate Headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida. She has over 12 years of HR, Recruiting, and Hiring experience and has focused most of her career working for large local corporations such as JM Family Enterprises and Citrix Systems. Tracey earned her Bachelor’s degree from Florida Atlantic University, her Masters degree from the University of Phoenix, and is PHR certified. She lives with her husband and two young children in Deerfield Beach, Florida. She loves social media and relies heavily on Facebook and Linked in for networking and recruiting.

David Jost is Regional Vice President at TMP Worldwide - the world's largest independent recruitment advertising and communications agency and recognized among the top 100 digital U.S. agencies in Advertising Age. TMP changes the way companies activate their employer brands by positioning them at the intersection of technology, innovation and the social landscape. TMP helps companies across virtually every sector communicate their employment offerings in order to recruit and retain the best talent through digital and traditional communications, ROI campaign management services, creative and brand management, diversity enrichment and media planning. David joined TMP Worldwide with nearly 20 years of strategic sales, marketing, and operational leadership experience across entrepreneurial and corporate media and marketing environments (including CBS Television, Knight-Ridder, McClatchy, and Tribune Company). He's been active in digital marketing, emerging technology and media convergence throughout his career and continues to guide organizations and clients to successfully navigate the dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape. David holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management with a focus in Strategic Management & Marketing.

Olga Peddie is a seasoned media professional with over 10 years of hands-on experience managing online and offline campaigns. Olga's marketing and media experience ranges from branding to targeted direct response and online behavioral targeting. Before joining Zimmerman as Digital Media Director in March 2010, Olga oversaw the interactive media department at Gotham Direct in NYC. As a media director, Olga has designed programs in display advertising, SEM, SEO, affiliates and database marketing, and measured client campaigns’ success through strategic planning and rigorous performance analytics. Prior to that, Olga has spent a number of years on client side, as a marketing manager at eDiets.com, where she was in charge of product and brand marketing. Her major responsibilities included partnerships with publishers, website portals, celebrities, and several fortune 500 companies, as well as media planning, buying and advertising.

Join SFIMA to gain knowledge on best practices to help you as an Interactive Marketing employer hire talent.

http://www.sfima.com/EventDetail.aspx?id=305

Mobile Marketing Association to Address Smartphone Privacy Issue

2011-01-04T15:49:00.003-05:00

As Apple faces a class action lawsuit where it's being accused of sharing users' personal information with advertising networks without their consent, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is now stepping in with plans to develop a set of mobile privacy guidelines for the industry.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/mobile/2011/01/MMA-addressing-smartphone-privacy-with-new-guidelines.php

Happy Holidays from all of us at SFIMA!

2010-12-24T11:16:00.003-05:00

150+ Business and Marketing Resources From 2010

2010-12-22T14:47:00.002-05:00

Whether you're just starting out on an entrepreneurial mission or you're a seasoned marketing pro, there's a good chance you'll find some valuable advice in this mega list.

http://mashable.com/2010/12/22/business-marketing-resources/

Thank You! The 2010 SFIMA Holiday Wine Event was one for the record books!

2010-12-13T12:03:00.006-05:00

Holiday Wine Event - In Support of the US Marine Corps. Toys For Tots Presented by SEO.cc

http://sfimaholidaywineevent.com

We had a blast and we hope you enjoyed it as well! It was a fantastic night of networking, classic car history and wine education.

You helped donate over 70 toys to the Toys for Tots program. That’s a lot of extra smiling kids this holiday season!

Your raffle ticket purchases will benefit the SFIMA Future Digital Leaders Scholarship Fund for Nova Southeastern University.

We’ll be posting more info, pictures and video soon. Stay tuned...

If you had your picture taken in front of the 1909 Packard Speedster you can download a copy here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfima/sets/72157625460727903/

(All pictures courtesy of Bill Antalek Photography http://BillAntalek.com)

Special thanks to the sponsors that made this amazing event possible:

More Prizes Added! SFIMA Holiday Wine Event Presented by SEO.cc

2010-12-06T14:53:00.003-05:00

The list of prizes keeps growing!

Holiday Wine Event - In Support of the US Marine Corps. Toys For Tots

Wear your best "speakeasy" duds. Best vintage outfit will win $125 Gift Certificate from Costume World!

New Raffle Prizes added:

60 minute therapeutic massage treatment from Everybody Needs Massage
$50 gift card for Elemis spas, Mandara spas and timetospa.com from Steiner Leisure

ALL RAFFLE TICKET HOLDERS CAN GET A PRIVATE TOUR OF THE MUSEUM THAT NIGHT!

Remember to bring one unwrapped toy to benefit Toys for Tots or bring $10 and SFIMA will buy a toy for you! It doesn't get any easier than that to make a kid smile this holiday season!

REGISTER NOW!
sfimaholidaywineevent.com

Almost Sold Out! Interested in being a Sponsor for this event?click here.

New Raffle Prizes Announced - SFIMA Holiday Wine Event Presented by SEO.cc

2010-12-03T14:58:00.006-05:00

Hot off the presses! Here's the latest list of raffle prizes we'll be giving out. You have to be there to win!

Sunset Yacht (40’) Sailing for 2 from Sunshine Boating
Panther Game VIP 4 Pack from BankAtlantic
Pair of 9th Row Dolphin Tickets from EasySites.com
2 Joe Bonamassa Hard Rock Concert Tickets for 12/10 (Billboard top rated Blues Musician)
Wine Gift Basket from Naked Grape Wine Bar
Women’s Jewelry from OceanaJewelry.com
Holiday Top Hat and $100 Gift Certificate for Costume World
One year Gold Membership - Internet Marketing Club ($970 Value) from Ten Golden Rules
Computer Travel Bag from Bluegreen Resorts
10 Free Yoga Sessions from Anuttara Yoga Shala of Deerfield Beach ($170 value)
1 Private Yoga Session, or 5 Group Classes at Infinite Health & Wellness Center
Santa Costume from Extreme Halloween
$50 Gift Card from BGT
Naughty Wine Carrier
Elvis Commemorative Lamp
250 Black Short Run Plastic Cards from ShortRunCards.com ($270 value)

Thursday, December 9, 2010
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Antique Car Museum Inc
1527 SW 1st Ave.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315

Bawdy and Boisterous Annual Holiday Wine Party to Benefit a Swell Cause!

NO ADMITTANCE UNLESS YOU ARE ON OUR LIST!

REGISTER NOW!
sfimaholidaywineevent.com

Almost Sold Out! Interested in being a Sponsor for this event? click here.

Video from the 2010 SFIMA Nautical Networking Event | Video Sponsor SEO.cc

2010-11-29T11:08:00.002-05:00

http://www.nauticalnetworking.com - 300+ of South Florida's most elite digital marketers from some of the world's foremost companies joined together aboard the Biscayne Lady on Friday, October 22, 2010 for the SFIMA Nautical Networking Event (NNE)! This cruise brought together various disciplines with unique conversations centered on the digital marketing sphere. Don't miss out on your opportunity to create visibility for your brand at next year's SFIMA NNE. Enjoy the recap of the night's events brought to you by Video Sponsor SEO.cc.

To book your sponsorship for next year's SFIMA Nautical Networking Event please email: sponsorship@sfima.com

Social Marketing Training

2010-11-18T15:58:00.004-05:00

MarketingSherpa offering SFIMA members a special discount on their new one-day social marketing training

Get Classroom Training to Develop Your Social Marketing ROAD Map Strategy – Special Offer - $495 (Save $500)

MarketingSherpa’s new one-day social marketing training will give you:

Instruction for mapping your social strategy
Insights on what to monitor and tools to use
Guidance toward defining objectives and identifying metrics (so you can prove success)
Tactics for the effective use of social media platforms
Steps to integrate social marketing with search and email

For more info and to register for the SFIMA discounted rate:
http://www.sherpastore.com/SocialTraining10WorkshopSFIMA.html

SFIMA Holiday Wine Event Presented by SEO.cc

2010-11-17T10:39:00.009-05:00

SEO.cc Presents SFIMA’s 2010 Holiday Wine Event

SFIMA Speakeasy to benefit the U.S. Marine’s Toys for Tots

Thursday, December 9, 2010
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Antique Car Museum Inc
1527 SW 1st Ave.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315

Bawdy and Boisterous Annual Holiday Wine Party to Benefit a Swell Cause!

Scrapping and Swanky Swill Ritzy rags encouraged - this'll be one hoppin' joint!

NO ADMITTANCE UNLESS YOU ARE ON OUR LIST!

It IS a Speakeasy, after all. Ya gotta know someone, kid!
TO GET ON THE LIST, REGISTER NOW.

Join top interactive marketers for a night of networking, classic car history and wine education at SFIMA's 2010 Holiday Wine Event sponsored by SEO.cc.

Each year SFIMA strives to host the Holiday Wine Event at a more interesting location than the last and the Fort Lauderdale Antique Car Museum certainly takes the cake.

What To Expect:

Get your picture taken with an antique Packard
Wine Tables - Taste top wine selections from the Naked Grape Wine Bar.
Guru Tables - Get your burning SEO, PPC, Landing Page Optimization, and Local Search Questions answered by a SEO.cc Expert.
Win Big at the Raffle - Raffle ticket purchases benefit the SFIMA Future Digital Leaders Scholarship Fund for Nova Southeastern University. Don't forget to bring cash to buy raffle tickets and enter to win wine baskets, jewelry and more!
Silent Auction - Check out the silent auction where you can bid to win autographed sports memorabilia, jewelry, and nostalgia. Many items make great holiday gifts!

Bring one unwrapped toy to benefit Toys for Tots or bring $10 and SFIMA will buy a toy for you! It doesn't get any easier than that to make a kid smile this holiday season!

REGISTER NOW!
sfimaholidaywineevent.com

Only 3 more Sponsorships available. Interested in being a Sponsor for this event? click here.

SFIMA pledges $17,500 to Nova

2010-11-01T16:25:00.003-04:00

The South Florida Interactive Marketing Association is boosting educational efforts by pledging $17,500 to Nova Southeastern University.

Representation of a big check was made before SFIMA's 7th annual Nautical Networking Event cruise along the Intracoastal Waterway in the Hollywood area.

Read the full article from the South Florida Business Journal.

South Florida Interactive Marketing Association Blog

SOPA Protests Get Attention & Many Politicians Withdraw Support

SOPA Protests Blackout The Internet Wednesday

Internet Sites Plan Blackout to Protest SOPA

WordCamp Miami 2012

Welcome to a New Era in Search

SFIMA January Event: Power Networking & Personal Branding With Colin D’Arcy, the "Imagementor"

What Marketers Need to Know About SOPA

SFIMA's Holiday Red Carpet Bash December Event

SEO.cc presents SFIMA’s Holiday Red Carpet BashBenefiting The US Marines Toys for Tots sponsored by YuMeTuesday, December 13, 20116:30-9:30pm

LOCATION: DCOTA (Design Center of The Americas)1855 Griffin Rd, Dania, FL 33004

Go “Hollywood” for fabulous prizes, food & FREE cocktails!

GET ON THE “A” LIST: REGISTER NOW

Suggested attire: Dress up as your red carpet actor/actress; or business dress; or cocktail attire.

Connect for more updates

We are asking everyone to bring a new toy to the event or bring $10.00

Sponsorships available

SEMPO Tells Feds: Hands Off Google

Everything You Need to Know About Google + Pages for Business

How People Use Smartphones While Watching TV

SFIMA November Event: Smartphone & Mobile Marketing Plus #Tweetup

So half of the U.S. population has a smart phone. Now what? (co-hosted Tweetup with the South Florida Business Journal)

Time:

Place:

NNECruise Photos & Wrap Up

The Truth Behind Privacy & Tracking & Why It's Not a Big Deal

The Earthquake that Rocked Social Media

8 Privacy Tips For Online Marketers

LinkedIn Listens to Users, Takes Action & Amends its Ad Policy

LinkedIn "Pulls A Facebook" With User Data

Lawsuits Filed Over Tracking Technology

Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2011

Invitation to SFIMA Members: Digital World Expo

Do Not Track Online Act of 2011

Spokeo Legal Battle Over Privacy Concerns

Groupon Privacy Policy Draw Congressional Scrutiny

Learn. Interact. Connect... with Your Legal and Congressional Leaders

SFIMA & OMS Joint Networking Event

SFIMA Events Support Local Business Galuppi's

South Florida, Let's Get Social on Social Media Day 2011

Message from Mashable:

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Briny Irish Pub

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Sugarcane Raw Bar & Grill

SFIMA July Event - Yelp! How Reader Reviews Influence Consumers

Choose. Vote. Win!

Groupon Counts on Writers and Editors to Build Its Audience

SFIMA June Event- Groupon: Meet the Fastest Growing Company Ever!

You Are Not a Gadget: a Manifesto - Highlights of Jaron Lanier's Controversial Philosophy

SFIMA Summit Notes from Adobe TV Presentation Challenges of Developing for Multiscreen: 3 Screen Test Lab

SFIMA Summit Notes from Mobile Media Presentation

SFIMA Summit Notes from Microsoft Xbox TV & 3 Screens Approach to Marketing

SFIMA Summit Notes from the Mobile Presentation

SFIMA Summit Notes from the Facebook Panel

SFIMA Summit Notes From Keynote Speaker Address Peter Shankman

New iPhone/iPad/Mobile App

SFIMA Summit Driving Directions, Schedule & Last Minute Ticket Options

SFIMA Summit 2011 Early Bird Pricing Ends May 6

Sponsorship Opportunities for SFIMA Summit 2011

SFIMA Summit 2011

What's Hot in SEO & Social

The Intersection of SEO & Social Media

A new way to communicate

Miami...We're back! SFIMA & Miami Marketers Joint Networking Event

SFIMA Spring Fling Networking Mixer

Review and Notes from the SFIMA Peer to Peer Forum Event

Health, Wealth and Entrepreneurship Women's Conference 2011

Peer-to-Peer Forum for Interactive Marketers

Marketing a Global Brand on a Local Level

Looking to Staff Up? Thinking about a Career Move?

Mobile Marketing Association to Address Smartphone Privacy Issue

Happy Holidays from all of us at SFIMA!

150+ Business and Marketing Resources From 2010

Thank You! The 2010 SFIMA Holiday Wine Event was one for the record books!

More Prizes Added! SFIMA Holiday Wine Event Presented by SEO.cc

New Raffle Prizes Announced - SFIMA Holiday Wine Event Presented by SEO.cc

Video from the 2010 SFIMA Nautical Networking Event | Video Sponsor SEO.cc

Social Marketing Training

MarketingSherpa’s new one-day social marketing training will give you:

SEO.cc presents SFIMA’s Holiday Red Carpet Bash
Benefiting The US Marines Toys for Tots sponsored by YuMe
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
6:30-9:30pm

LOCATION: DCOTA (Design Center of The Americas)
1855 Griffin Rd, Dania, FL 33004

For more info and to register for the SFIMA discounted rate:
http://www.sherpastore.com/SocialTraining10WorkshopSFIMA.html