Social Media has become one of the greatest mediums when it comes to sending and receiving messages. Currently, about 65% of Americans use social media to connect with others. For many it has become a way to stay informed, share news and express opinions. With that being said, it’s an effective venue for politicians to rally support. Last election we saw Barack Obama’s team engage the public by reaching out through Facebook and Twitter. Since then the number of Facebook users has grown from 44.3 million in 2008 to 143.3 million in 2012; Twitter users have shot up from 3.4 million to 24.1 million; and online video viewers have jumped from 121.4 million to 178.8 million.  88 percent of Internet users receive most of their election news online and 62 percent expect candidates to have a social media presence, according to SocialTimes.com This year we can add Google+ to the social media entourage and with a more advanced perspective on the reach of social media, we can assume that its’ presence during this presidential election will be notable.

Here are 5 ways you can expect to see social media being used during the campaign for presidency this year.

1. Foursquare will be used more this year. Currently Mitt Romney currently has over 3,800 followers and has used the location based application by checking into various places around the country.  He has a high level of engagement by checking into over 5 places in the past few days and offering followers ‘tips’ about the places he has visited. “Try the corndogs” Romney suggested after checking in at the Iowa State Fair.
2. YouTube will be a huge factor in gaining viewership and extending messages to potential voters. YouTube was vital in the turnout of the 2008 election when President Obama’s “A More Perfect Union” (perhaps better known as the “Yes We Can” speech) was viewed a groundbreaking 1.2 million times within the first 24 hours of posting it. On March 27, 2008, the Pew Research Center called the speech “arguably the biggest political event of the campaign so far,” noting that 85 percent of Americans said they had heard at least a little about the speech and that 54 percent said they heard a lot about it. With that sort of power we are sure to see more campaigns using the video sharing site with hopes for similar success.
3. Twitter has become much more important as far as following candidates and important issues goes. This year was the first ever presidential debate hosted entirely on the popular social networking site. 140TownHall.com has the entire debate shown on their site. Perhaps the appeal of this tactic is keeping arguments down to 140 characters, helping the candidates to be concise and direct when answering.  It’s for this reason that we foresee this being the first of many Twitter gatherings during the election process.
4. Google+ is new but shouldn’t be overlooked. On January 30, 2012 Barack Obama hosted the first ever presidential “hangout”.  The virtual interview was conducted with 5 citizens from across the country and the questions asked were contributed by more than 227,000 people. Over 133,000 questions were submitted and more than 1.6 million votes were cast as to which of these questions they would like to hear President Obama address.
5. Of course we know that the social media titan, Facebook, will be a huge part of the election process. Every candidate has a Facebook page and actively posts content. Followers can subscribe to their pages to see behind the scenes content like video of Ron Paul before a debate. Facebook has also encouraged participation with their Election Day event inviting Facebook users to get out and vote.

Facebook is rolling out the “Timeline” profile. The new profile is organized chronologically and presents greater opportunities for customization.  One of the most intriguing features that the timeline offers is the cover photo. The cover photo is a large photo that acts as a semi-background really creating the tone and personality of the profile. The typical cover photo tends to consist of family and friends, be a scenic landscape, or even an iconic picture; however some people have taken the cover photo outside the box. Uploading a cover photo is easy, but for those who need some help making a statement, many websites like CoverPhotoz.com will  help you customize your very own! Here are five unique ways people have revamped their profile with the new feature. Let us know what you think!

5. This one from Lawson Hembree V brings back the polaroid. We really like the photo stacking idea!

4. This next one comes from Ekkapong Techawongthaworn. There’s a storm of creativity going here.

3. We thought this was a pretty tricky way of keeping the old Facebook layout without actually keeping it. This clever idea was brought to us from Andrew Grojean.

2. Mohammad L. Azzam makes us smile when he takes this quote from Steve Jobs quite literally.

1. Our top spot goes to Vinh Nguyen for this masterpiece. In Vinh’s cover photo he gives us his timeline into the future. He checks in on the moon and even wins the lottery in the year 2039.

Have you seen any creative Facebook profiles? Visit us at www.facebook.com/RealTimeMG and show us who you think deserves to be on the list.

It’s almost that time of year again. Delray Beach welcomes back it’s Garlic Fest for it’s 13th year in a row, and as tradition holds, promises to top the previous year’s efforts by a landslide. For those unfamiliar with the event, it is considered to be South Florida’s premier food and entertainment event and termed as the “best stinkin’ party in town”, and the locals are excited!

This year’s lineup includes Uncle Kracker, G. Love & Special Sauce, and plenty more.

Garlic Fest is not complete without food, food and more food! Check out Gourmet Alley where attendees are able to try a wide array of unique garlic inspired dishes, including the fan favorite; garlic ice cream! Fine wines  as well as the Garlic Oasis Bar, sponsored by downtown  Delray Beach’s very own Crane’s BeachHouse Hotel & Tiki Bar, is also available.Garlic Fest is also home to the Garlic Chef Competition where professional chefs from all over Florida compete to be named the Garlic Chef and take home a $1000 prize! All prepared dishes must of course, include garlic.

Those coming as a family have plenty of amenities to keep kids entertained, including Garlic University which offers art activities for free, as well as an educational experience. And as always, there’s a Children’s Area filled with recreational activities.

Garlic Fest starts on February 10th and runs all weekend through February 12th so make sure to stop by and leave with a wonderful experience! Tickets are still available!

Visit their website for more information and click here to see what RealTime Marketing Group has done for Garlic Fest this year!

For more on the outcome of Delray Beach Garlic Fest’s 2012 social media campaign, please visit:www.realtimemg.com/GarlicFest and find them on Facebook here:www.facebook.com/DelrayGarlicFest

RealTimemg on Facebook

Are you eager to become fluent in the newest Facebook iPhone app? Here are a few tips to get you on your way to getting the most out of your app experience:

1. Change your cover photo on the go: To change your cover photo from your phone, head to your profile and tap on the camera icon at the bottom-right of your cover picture. You will now have the option to take a whole new pic, or choose one from your iPhone’s Camera Roll.
2. Customize your favorites: To edit your favorites, go to the main menu, scroll to the bottom, and hit “Edit Favorites.” Here, you can remove the default options, and by pressing the plus icon at the top left, add lists, groups, pages and apps.
3. Add a friend to your favorites: Adding a friend to your favorites is as simple as following the directions of the previous tip and just clicking “Add Friends” to select from your friends list.
4. Delete a post: It’s not obvious how to delete a post, but it’s actually incredibly simple. All you have to do is slide your finger from left to right over the post you want to delete, then click the black cross in the top right to either hide the post from the Timeline or delete it completely.
5. See your friends’ birthdays: On the mobile version of Facebook, birthdays aren’t flagged, making it easy to miss a friend’s birthday. However, you can still view who is celebrating their birthday. Simply click on the “Events” section of the main menu and the birthdays will be displayed. No more “Happy Belated Birthday” wall posts!
6. Put Facebook in your dock: If you are constantly on Facebook on your phone, you should put the Facebook app in your dock. This way, no matter what page you are on, you can get to the app easily. First, you need to remove an app from the doc. To do this, press and hold the app, until the icons begin shaking, then tap and drag the unwanted app out of the dock area. Then, you can drag the Facebook app into the empty space in your dock. Press the home button and you’re done. Easy enough!
7. Manage your alerts: Click on “Settings” and then select “Notifications.” Scroll down to see your “Notification Center” and then tap “Facebook.” From here, you can choose your preferred style of alert, which involves an action to be removed, or banner notification, which disappears automatically. You can turn alert sounds on and off her, and choose to display the number of new actions over the Facebook app icon.
8. Manage your push notifications: To manage the push notifications you receive from the Facebook app, you have to head over to your iPhone’s “Settings” menu, scroll to the apps section, tap on “Facebook” and then select “Push Notifications.” Here, you can pick and choose whichever events you want to be push-notified about.
9. Sync your contacts: You can now sync your friends to phone’s contacts! First, enable the tool to transfer info from Facebook, including your friend’s photos. To activate or update, go to the “Friends” option on the main menu and tap the icon in the top right corner (the box and arrow). From there, you just hit “Sync Contacts” and after a permissions page, your phone will do the rest.
10. Poke your friends: The “poke” option seems to be less accessible than in the past, but you can still “poke” your friends in the mobile version. Just head over to your friend’s profile and click the icon in the top right corner (a box with an arrow) and select the “poke” option.

It takes some time to get used to new versions of Facebook, but don’t be left out of the loop. These tips and tricks should get you back in the conversation in no time!

They are calling it the biggest social media event of the year, and that is no exaggeration. Super Bowl XLVI will be viewed by an audience of approximately 100 million and eyes will be fixed on more than just the Giants and the Patriots. In an effort to extend their reach past the television, advertisers are spending unprecedented amounts of energy and funding on their social media strategy.  This year companies are utilizing their 30-second slots in a more creative and interactive way.

With such a large viewership, advertisements aired during the Super Bowl have always been pricey and acclaimed. Various companies including Coca-Cola and Audi are utilizing social media in efforts to extend the reach of their campaign. Some of their tactics include asking the audience to tweet their favorite commercials prompting them to use specific hash-tags and catch phrases. “With the conventional wisdom being that consumers are more likely to make a purchase if recommended by a friend or family member, chief marketing officers are keen to insert themselves in a Facebook or Twitter conversation about the products and services they sell,” Reuters reporter Yinka Adegoke  said.

Because of the added engagement with viewers, the price tag for airing commercials has increased from 3 million to 3.5 million.  “The social media conversation has put more value on a Super Bowl ad, fans will discuss your ads on Twitter and Facebook and then go to YouTube to watch it on demand over and over again,” said Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research at Horizon Media. The hike in value can also be attributed to the amount of people who are likely to engage. Statistics show that approximately 60 percent of viewers will be tied in on a second screen i.e. a smart phone or tablet. “Social Media is the future and it’s apparent now more than ever,” states Adgate.

Breaking new ground this year is the Super Bowl Social Media Command Center. Yes, it might be a mouthful, but it is an exciting addition showcasing social media’s ability to aid Super Bowl ticket holders while attending the game. The 2,800- square foot command center will be built in downtown Indianapolis and will be manned by a team of strategists who will monitor the conversations via Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. The team will tweet directions to fans in search of parking, direct visitors to Indianapolis’s best attractions, and stand by to provide information in case of emergencies.

With these new advancements in Social Media it’s easy to see why it is becoming an increasingly relevant and useful tool for businesses and consumers alike. This year will be a highlight in the growing timeline of social media and we are excited to see marketing heavy-hitters make history during the Super Bowl on February 5^th.

Twitter is an incredibly effective tool in marketing—if it’s used correctly, anyway. Twitter is meant to be a communication tool, but if you haven’t been using it for very long, it’s simple to utilize it incorrectly. The first question you need to ask yourself after you decide to market yourself on Twitter is: What message am I trying to send? To ensure you don’t make any mistakes, here are a few tips to lead you in the right direction.

1. Don’t protect your Tweets. Privacy is a huge issue lately, but when marketing a business you should be open to everyone. Private communication systems are meant for communicating within your company or with a group of friends. People aren’t going to want to connect with you if your tweets are protected—it makes it seem as though you are closed off to any more connections.

2. Have a captivating profile. Yes, it may be difficult to get your message across in the 160 characters that are available to you, but this gives you the opportunity to be innovative! Your bio should be short, sweet, and to the point; don’t ramble on about every little thing you think people should know about you.

3. Don’t use direct messaging to market. People like checking out the links on your page, they aren’t going to get excited about your product when you send them a direct message with a link attached.  Think about it: would you want someone to market to you that way?

4. Watch your photos! I cannot stress this enough, especially with the younger crowd. If you’re in job search mode or trying to promote your business, having a suggestive photo on your page certainly isn’t going to look good. Choosing the right profile picture is also extremely important, check out these tips to help you. For someone to take you seriously, you need to come across as a professional—a picture of you at a bar drinking with your buddies won’t send a good message.

5. Use Twitter to build relationships. Don’t you hate when you get blasted with tweets from a business trying to broadcast their message? When people do this, it comes off as spam; you also risk losing potential contacts this way.

Utilizing Twitter to market yourself or your business can be very effective if done correctly.  Just stick to these basic tips to ensure that you are building lasting relationships through your marketing strategies.