Boricua Art at Boricua College

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Phil Velez

Boricua art is coming to Boricua College in New York City with an exhibition curated by Joseph A. Burgos Jr. The art show, beginning on March 25th and running through April 15th, will include work from Mr. Burgos and Phyllis Sanfiorenzo. The venue for this Puerto Rican exhibit is the Washington Heights campus of an institution of higher learning founded to serve the educational needs of Puerto Ricans and other Latinos. Admission for the three week Puerto Rican art show is free.

Support the Latino arts by attending this exhibition or/and forwarding along this information.

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Blogs Aren’t Going Anywhere

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Phil Velez

A recent news article highlights an overall decline in blogging, but I think blogs are here to stay. Yes the explosion of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have cut into the popularity of blogs and the act of blogging, however blogs are and will continue to be an important medium.

I don’t blog much and never really have, however blogging does provide me with an online journal of my thoughts, perceptions, personal struggles and achievements. Blogging also provides me with an international voice to express cultural, political, popular, and personal views.

Blogs are great platforms for detailed writing without the 140 character limitation of Twitter and entries can be found easier than those on a possibly semi-private Facebook network.

Blogging supplements overall branding by complimenting an official website and directing visitors to other social media sites.

I may not blog “regularly,” but I think I’ll always blog and blogs aren’t going anywhere.

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Latinos, African Americans, and Asians are Top Smartphone Owners

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Phil Velez

A new study by NeilsenWire finds Latinos, African Americans, and Asians are top smartphone owners. According to NeilsenWire, 31 percent of the U.S. mobile consumers are smartphone users.  Of those, 45 percent are Latinos, 45 percent are Asians, and 33 percent are African American versus only 27 percent of mainstream Americans who own smartphones.

In the last six months, of all mobile phones that were sold only 42 percent of mainstream America bought smartphones compared to a whopping 56 percent of Latinos and 44 percent of African Americans.

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Did Social Media Help Ford’s Sales?

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Phil Velez

The Ford Motor, Co., a Fortune 500 corporation, today released financial statements showing a 13 percent increase in overall sales. TheStreet.com reports that Ford’s retail sales rose 27 percent from the same month a year earlier, led by a 35 percent increase in retail auto sales.

A Huffington Post article also published today highlights Ford’s brilliant use of social media, noting, “Ford has been engaging in unprecedented dialogues with consumers” and designed an unprecedented social media-driven plan to create such engagements.

Though it’s uncertain how much of a role social media actually played in Ford’s increased sales, it’s tough to say social media had no financial influence whatsoever. With Ford’s impressive social media numbers (4.5 million YouTube views, 3.5 million Twitter impressions) I would say Ford’s online activity had a direct affect in increasing the company’s overall sales.

Do you think the effective use of social media plays a role in a company’s bottom line?

Do you think social media helped Ford’s increase in sales?

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Latinos in Social Media Launch New Website

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Phil Velez

It’s been quite an exciting 2011 so far, for Latinos engaged in social media. Earlier this month Fox News Latino aired a segment on the incredible popularity and utilization of social media by Latinos in the U.S. The television segment was followed by a awesome article online about how Latinos will use social media to change the world. This positive coverage has the Latino blogosphere abuzz with activity.

Now Latinos in Social Media, the largest organization of Hispanic professionals engaged in social media, has launched its new website. The website will function as the heart of the LATISM mission: equipping Latinos with the tools they need to transform their communities by enabling members to make choices, take part in actions and decisions that affect their lives, and become agents for change.

The new year is shaping up to be a great one for national recognition of the strong and active participation of Latinos in all forms of social media.

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