Google+ Allowing Users To Get More Features And Apps- Click here http://bit.ly/nFsLwg for full article

Google+ Allowing Users To Get More Features And Apps- Click here http://bit.ly/nFsLwg for full article

Everyone knows how great Google has been for personal and business use. Google+ users are getting a lot more than just the advantage of using the Google website. Listed below are some of the great features of Google+.

Circles:

Circles are groups of contacts that can be organized by friends, family, college buddies, roommates, business colleagues and acquaintances, etc. You can drag and drop your contacts into groups, which makes it really simple to share whatever you want with your contacts.

Sparks:

Sparks is similar to Google Reader, but it delivers content to you automatically based on your personal interests. Each topic in Sparks has its own page and has links to articles, photos, videos, and more that are related to your interests. Sparks can be very helpful in helping you accomplish tasks that you use on the job daily.

Hangouts:

Hangouts let you video chat with those in your circles; hangouts are virtual rooms. You can talk with your friends or business colleagues just like a video chat.

Huddles:

Huddles is group messaging for people in your circles; it also gives you a mobile app for Android that lets you send messages from your smart phone. A group of your friends, co-workers, or business acquaintances can chat with each other using Huddles.

Instant Upload:

Share your mobile photos; snap the photo on your Android phone and it gets automatically uploaded to Google+!

The handy toolbar for the Google website will be turning into a transparent gray bar with a "+You" button that will let you get to all the features mentioned above. Google+ can be used right from the Android phone too. You will be able to download the app when you receive the invite. You can visit the Google+ home page to request an invite. Before too long, everyone with a Google account will be able to use the program; the +You button will be seen by everyone logging into Google.

As you can see Google+ can be enjoyed for personal use, but has many nice features for anyone in the business world. Video chats, group messaging, uploading of photos, and sharing documents are all ideal for business use.

A Misstep For Google+?- Click here http://bit.ly/ranGHE for full article

A Misstep For Google+?- Click here http://bit.ly/ranGHE for full article

As Google continues to find its footing in the social networking game with the newly released Google+, they may have hit their first major road bump. In a story broken by ZDNet, “a striking number of Google+ accounts” were deleted over the weekend for violating the Google+ common name policy.  

The common name policy states that users must provide their legal name on Google+. Unlike Facebook which allows users to utilize any name from John Smith to Galaxor, Google+ aims to promote social connections through open identification.

Google+ users found themselves banned without warning for violating this policy. An ex-google employee was flagged for including a nickname within his given name. Google+ asked for a scanned government ID before they would release his account. Limor Fried, owner of Adafruit Industries, was temporarily banned for including her pseudonym. Even actor William Shatner found his account flagged, announcing on Twitter that since he wasn’t allowed to say hello on Google+ perhaps he should say good-bye.  

The crackdown wasn’t limited to Google+. Many users reported that all their Google accounts were banned, including Gmail and Docs. Given no warning, many users were justifiably confused and angry at losing all their access. Some users, such as Ms. Fried, were able to get their account reinstated through their many fans but the average Google+ user found their account banned with no recourse.

Google was quick to respond to the outcry. Bradley Horowitz, Vice President of Google, admitted they had made a mistake in removing the accounts. Google+ will continue to use the common name policy but notification and education about the policy will be given before shutting down accounts. In the future, users who violate the policy will receive a warning with clear directions for how to comply with the policy and a timeline for compliance.

As for the deletion of other Google accounts, Horowitz states, “If your Google+ Profile is suspended for not using a common name, you won't be able to use Google services that require a Google+ Profile, but you'll still be able to use Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Blogger, and so on.”

Google+ will continue to keep the common name policy but whether this will impact its growth has yet to be seen. For business owners, this means creating a business page using Google+ will be an impossibility until they are ready to roll out their social media site to businesses which is slated for next year. For now, keep your business on other social media sites and stay tuned for more Google+ news.

Toyota Donates Cars On Facebook- Click here http://bit.ly/nlLYdG for full article

Toyota Donates Cars On Facebook- Click here http://bit.ly/nlLYdG for full article

Japanese automaker Toyota has always gone to great lengths to ensure that its Internet presence lives up to its corporate standards. Toyota was among the first car manufacturers to set up a friendly yet comprehensive web site that appealed to its most important customer base: passenger vehicles owners. Now Toyota is once again showing its Internet moxie by effectively combining corporate social responsibility with the power of social networking.

In March 2011 Toyota USA announced its "100 Cars for Good" philanthropic program on its Facebook page. For this charitable program Toyota appointed a panel of six judges to review a large number of applications submitted by charitable non-profit organizations vying for a chance to receive a brand new Toyota vehicle. The judges, who come from philanthropy circles, whittled down the number of applications to 500. The finalists perform works of benevolence in different fields such as health, education, environmental protection, animal welfare, and more.

The 500 finalists were announced on Toyota's Facebook page on April 11, 2011. Each finalist was given a multimedia authoring toolkit that allowed them to highlight the charitable work they perform through text and video. Starting on May 9, five finalist had a chance to showcase their video on a Facebook app specially developed for voters to view the plans each non-profit has for using the donated car in their respective communities.

More than 92,000 Facebook members have "liked" this smart charitable initiative. Thanks to the "100 Cars for Good", the participating organizations not only have a chance to win a brand new car, but they also have a momentous opportunity to raise awareness among Facebook members about the work they do in their respective communities. Voters can become friends of the non-profits on Facebook and follow them as they perform their charity work.

The non-profit showcase and voting will continue until August 16, at which time Toyota would have donated 100 cars over 100 days. Each winning organization can choose a Toyota vehicle from the following lineup: Prius (Hybrid), Tacoma, Tundra, Highlander (Hybrid), and Sienna. Each car comes with a six-year service agreement that extends the vehicle protection beyond the manufacturer's warranty.

Toyota's decision to democratize this philanthropic endeavor through Facebook is a shining example of how businesses can leverage the power of online social networks and empower their members to become forces of change.

10 Tips For Google+ Users- Click here http://bit.ly/oCSxxI for full article

10 Tips For Google+ Users- Click here http://bit.ly/oCSxxI for full article

Google has managed to combine all the most powerful tools of social media and social marketing within their much anticipated Google+. Due to how new this social networking platform is, there are quite a few tricks that new users can benefit from.

1. Take Advantage of Your Profile
Google+ users have the option to fill out a rather in-depth profile when they first join. It is important to take the time to fill out the various fields as well as make customize settings for privacy.

2. Expand Your Thumbnail
There is a simple trick that can dramatically change the important information that people can read about you simply by hovering over your thumbnail. In the "employer's name" field of the profile, write out a short and interesting biography and click "current." This will allow users to hover over the thumbnail and read interesting facts.

3. Organize With Circles
The key component of Google+ are the circles. These social circles can revolve around anything imaginable. A good way to organize important information is to create personal circles and input the information one would like to keep fresh without inviting any members.

4. Keep Profile Pics Interesting
Profile pictures can be accessed directly through messages and profile pages. Keeping interesting and appropriate profile pictures at all times is a must to cultivate interest in your profile.

5. Understand the Streams
Friends can be organized into streams such as coworkers, friends, and family. When streaming information, be sure to click on the correct streams to get updated information to the correct people.

6. Restrict Sharing
Much like Twitter, anyone that has access to your posts has the ability to "share" them with anyone they would like. If information is private, remove the "sharing" option before posting the information.

7. Finding A Permalink
If you would like to permanently have access to a post, you are going to need the permalink. In the drop down menu select "Link to this post" which will open up a new window and allow you to copy the URL.

8. Utilize Hangouts
Hangouts are chat areas that Google+ users can meet new people or speak with old friends. If your friends have started a hangout, simply click to join and you will be able to chat directly with everyone involved.

9. Drag And Drop Content
To share files of any sort there is no need to repeatedly upload or download content. Drag the file, picture, video, or song directly into the yellow "drop" area to share information with contacts.

10. Find Google+ Anywhere
Google has made it very convenient to find Google+ without having to favorite the page. Google.com/+, plus.google.com, and google.com/plus all go directly to Google+.

Google+ has taken the best parts of social networking and social media and put them in a single place. It has the potential to become a major component of any business for those willing to learn the nuances.

Social Media In The Government- Click here http://bit.ly/mZA4zX for full article

Social Media In The Government- Click here http://bit.ly/mZA4zX for full article

Even politicians who don't know what Twitter is have a presence online, though their staff members might take care of updating Twitter, Facebook, and other social media accounts for them. The reality is that government officials around the world are increasingly turning to social media to connect to constituents and sell messages to the masses, though the strategy's efficiency is certainly debatable.

New Avenues of Information

There are plenty of social media outlets for politicians to use, but the two most popular choices by far are Twitter and Facebook. Twitters allows senators, representatives, and even the President to update constituents practically in real time. Twitter's importance is recognized to the point that a Twitter Q&A session was recently conducted with President Obama.

Facebook is used more like traditional government websites. Updated less regularly, Facebook accounts feature press releases and bigger pieces of news. Politicians on Facebook also often screen content and feedback to align with their own views.

Effectiveness

The whole point with social media and government is to make government more transparent and open to the public. It certainly succeeds in that capacity by letting average citizens voice their opinions, but that doesn't mean their voices are necessarily heard.

Also, there are some people who believe that government does not need to be more open. After all, James Madison once wrote of the "ruling class" and warned against popular opinion holding too much sway in U.S. politics, one of the arguments for 6-year senatorial terms.

Security Concerns

A big selling point for the U.S. Congress website is that it is maintained on government-owned computers and has that layer of security simply because it doesn't exist on a private server. That doesn't mean .gov websites are totally secure - there are many reports over the past few years to the contrary. However, the insular nature of government networks does provide a bit more protection against rogue hackers attempting to create mischief or worse.

In June 2011, Representative Bill Johnson's twitter account was compromised, and an unknown third party began posting inappropriate content, including a nude photo meant to represent the Congressman. While Bill Johnson's story is still the exception, it does highlight some of the risks inherent to opening up government to the Internet, especially social media.

It was a story used by Representative Anthony Weiner to explain his scandal even though it was proven false by his changed testimony a week later. Because such a scenario is very plausible, he was given a hefty benefit of the doubt.

Social media is changing how the government connects to people. While ordinary citizens are still largely cut out from the inner workings in Washington, it's a small victory in the fight to make government more transparent.

Social Media In The Government- Click here http://bit.ly/mZA4zX for full article

Social Media In The Government- Click here http://bit.ly/mZA4zX for full article

Even politicians who don't know what Twitter is have a presence online, though their staff members might take care of updating Twitter, Facebook, and other social media accounts for them. The reality is that government officials around the world are increasingly turning to social media to connect to constituents and sell messages to the masses, though the strategy's efficiency is certainly debatable.

New Avenues of Information

There are plenty of social media outlets for politicians to use, but the two most popular choices by far are Twitter and Facebook. Twitters allows senators, representatives, and even the President to update constituents practically in real time. Twitter's importance is recognized to the point that a Twitter Q&A session was recently conducted with President Obama.

Facebook is used more like traditional government websites. Updated less regularly, Facebook accounts feature press releases and bigger pieces of news. Politicians on Facebook also often screen content and feedback to align with their own views.

Effectiveness

The whole point with social media and government is to make government more transparent and open to the public. It certainly succeeds in that capacity by letting average citizens voice their opinions, but that doesn't mean their voices are necessarily heard.

Also, there are some people who believe that government does not need to be more open. After all, James Madison once wrote of the "ruling class" and warned against popular opinion holding too much sway in U.S. politics, one of the arguments for 6-year senatorial terms.

Security Concerns

A big selling point for the U.S. Congress website is that it is maintained on government-owned computers and has that layer of security simply because it doesn't exist on a private server. That doesn't mean .gov websites are totally secure - there are many reports over the past few years to the contrary. However, the insular nature of government networks does provide a bit more protection against rogue hackers attempting to create mischief or worse.

In June 2011, Representative Bill Johnson's twitter account was compromised, and an unknown third party began posting inappropriate content, including a nude photo meant to represent the Congressman. While Bill Johnson's story is still the exception, it does highlight some of the risks inherent to opening up government to the Internet, especially social media.

It was a story used by Representative Anthony Weiner to explain his scandal even though it was proven false by his changed testimony a week later. Because such a scenario is very plausible, he was given a hefty benefit of the doubt.

Social media is changing how the government connects to people. While ordinary citizens are still largely cut out from the inner workings in Washington, it's a small victory in the fight to make government more transparent.

Social Media In The Government- Click here http://bit.ly/mZA4zX for full article

Social Media In The Government- Click here http://bit.ly/mZA4zX for full article

Even politicians who don't know what Twitter is have a presence online, though their staff members might take care of updating Twitter, Facebook, and other social media accounts for them. The reality is that government officials around the world are increasingly turning to social media to connect to constituents and sell messages to the masses, though the strategy's efficiency is certainly debatable.

New Avenues of Information

There are plenty of social media outlets for politicians to use, but the two most popular choices by far are Twitter and Facebook. Twitters allows senators, representatives, and even the President to update constituents practically in real time. Twitter's importance is recognized to the point that a Twitter Q&A session was recently conducted with President Obama.

Facebook is used more like traditional government websites. Updated less regularly, Facebook accounts feature press releases and bigger pieces of news. Politicians on Facebook also often screen content and feedback to align with their own views.

Effectiveness

The whole point with social media and government is to make government more transparent and open to the public. It certainly succeeds in that capacity by letting average citizens voice their opinions, but that doesn't mean their voices are necessarily heard.

Also, there are some people who believe that government does not need to be more open. After all, James Madison once wrote of the "ruling class" and warned against popular opinion holding too much sway in U.S. politics, one of the arguments for 6-year senatorial terms.

Security Concerns

A big selling point for the U.S. Congress website is that it is maintained on government-owned computers and has that layer of security simply because it doesn't exist on a private server. That doesn't mean .gov websites are totally secure - there are many reports over the past few years to the contrary. However, the insular nature of government networks does provide a bit more protection against rogue hackers attempting to create mischief or worse.

In June 2011, Representative Bill Johnson's twitter account was compromised, and an unknown third party began posting inappropriate content, including a nude photo meant to represent the Congressman. While Bill Johnson's story is still the exception, it does highlight some of the risks inherent to opening up government to the Internet, especially social media.

It was a story used by Representative Anthony Weiner to explain his scandal even though it was proven false by his changed testimony a week later. Because such a scenario is very plausible, he was given a hefty benefit of the doubt.

Social media is changing how the government connects to people. While ordinary citizens are still largely cut out from the inner workings in Washington, it's a small victory in the fight to make government more transparent.

Social Media In The Government- Click here http://bit.ly/mZA4zX for full article

Social Media In The Government- Click here http://bit.ly/mZA4zX for full article

Even politicians who don't know what Twitter is have a presence online, though their staff members might take care of updating Twitter, Facebook, and other social media accounts for them. The reality is that government officials around the world are increasingly turning to social media to connect to constituents and sell messages to the masses, though the strategy's efficiency is certainly debatable.

New Avenues of Information

There are plenty of social media outlets for politicians to use, but the two most popular choices by far are Twitter and Facebook. Twitters allows senators, representatives, and even the President to update constituents practically in real time. Twitter's importance is recognized to the point that a Twitter Q&A session was recently conducted with President Obama.

Facebook is used more like traditional government websites. Updated less regularly, Facebook accounts feature press releases and bigger pieces of news. Politicians on Facebook also often screen content and feedback to align with their own views.

Effectiveness

The whole point with social media and government is to make government more transparent and open to the public. It certainly succeeds in that capacity by letting average citizens voice their opinions, but that doesn't mean their voices are necessarily heard.

Also, there are some people who believe that government does not need to be more open. After all, James Madison once wrote of the "ruling class" and warned against popular opinion holding too much sway in U.S. politics, one of the arguments for 6-year senatorial terms.

Security Concerns

A big selling point for the U.S. Congress website is that it is maintained on government-owned computers and has that layer of security simply because it doesn't exist on a private server. That doesn't mean .gov websites are totally secure - there are many reports over the past few years to the contrary. However, the insular nature of government networks does provide a bit more protection against rogue hackers attempting to create mischief or worse.

In June 2011, Representative Bill Johnson's twitter account was compromised, and an unknown third party began posting inappropriate content, including a nude photo meant to represent the Congressman. While Bill Johnson's story is still the exception, it does highlight some of the risks inherent to opening up government to the Internet, especially social media.

It was a story used by Representative Anthony Weiner to explain his scandal even though it was proven false by his changed testimony a week later. Because such a scenario is very plausible, he was given a hefty benefit of the doubt.

Social media is changing how the government connects to people. While ordinary citizens are still largely cut out from the inner workings in Washington, it's a small victory in the fight to make government more transparent.

LinkedIn Simplifies The Job Application Process- Click here http://bit.ly/qrwGes for full article

LinkedIn Simplifies The Job Application Process- Click here http://bit.ly/qrwGes for full article

 LinkedIn, a social networking website for business professionals, has incorporated a new feature that greatly simplifies the job application process. This new feature comes in the blue rectangular shape of a button that reads "Apply with LinkedIn".

The new "Apply with LinkedIn" button can be seen on job listings posted on the social network's own website, as well as alongside job postings on other websites such as job boards. Some companies that recruit new employees right from their websites have decided to include the LinkedIn button alongside their job postings. The companies that have already partnered with LinkedIn by featuring its "Apply" button are of the Internet-savvy variety: Netflix and LivingSocial.

The new button is the front-end graphical user interface for a plugin that works in a similar fashion as the "Share" buttons from Facebook and Twitter. The actual job application mechanism that occurs the button is clicked is simple yet elegant. Assuming that the applicant is a LinkedIn member already signed in to the network, a screen will appear with prompts for the member to review and edit parts of his or her profile to submit for consideration. The LinkedIn user may also be prompted to answer questions pertaining to the job posting. A click on the Submit Application button finalizes the process. The user can also check for any LinkedIn contacts who may be affiliated with the company he or she just applied to.

This new LinkedIn feature is completely in line with the company's commitment to its members and shareholders to become the premier social network for employment and recruiting solutions. The new button presents a win-win situation for both applicants and companies that are seeking for tech-savvy employees who are also well-connected to their business peers.

Business owners who are looking for new employees can substantially speed up their candidate search by modifying the LinkedIn plugin preferences to filter out unqualified candidates and sending automated responses to their applicants.

The job search and recruiting market in the United States is quite lucrative despite the current high unemployment rate. One characteristic of the industry is that it is highly decentralized. By building a significant social network of business professionals and reaching out to employers at the same time, LinkedIn is making a move in the right direction. The company expects the button will become a web standard of job searching.

LinkedIn Simplifies The Job Application Process- Click here http://bit.ly/qrwGes for full article

LinkedIn Simplifies The Job Application Process- Click here http://bit.ly/qrwGes for full article

 LinkedIn, a social networking website for business professionals, has incorporated a new feature that greatly simplifies the job application process. This new feature comes in the blue rectangular shape of a button that reads "Apply with LinkedIn".

The new "Apply with LinkedIn" button can be seen on job listings posted on the social network's own website, as well as alongside job postings on other websites such as job boards. Some companies that recruit new employees right from their websites have decided to include the LinkedIn button alongside their job postings. The companies that have already partnered with LinkedIn by featuring its "Apply" button are of the Internet-savvy variety: Netflix and LivingSocial.

The new button is the front-end graphical user interface for a plugin that works in a similar fashion as the "Share" buttons from Facebook and Twitter. The actual job application mechanism that occurs the button is clicked is simple yet elegant. Assuming that the applicant is a LinkedIn member already signed in to the network, a screen will appear with prompts for the member to review and edit parts of his or her profile to submit for consideration. The LinkedIn user may also be prompted to answer questions pertaining to the job posting. A click on the Submit Application button finalizes the process. The user can also check for any LinkedIn contacts who may be affiliated with the company he or she just applied to.

This new LinkedIn feature is completely in line with the company's commitment to its members and shareholders to become the premier social network for employment and recruiting solutions. The new button presents a win-win situation for both applicants and companies that are seeking for tech-savvy employees who are also well-connected to their business peers.

Business owners who are looking for new employees can substantially speed up their candidate search by modifying the LinkedIn plugin preferences to filter out unqualified candidates and sending automated responses to their applicants.

The job search and recruiting market in the United States is quite lucrative despite the current high unemployment rate. One characteristic of the industry is that it is highly decentralized. By building a significant social network of business professionals and reaching out to employers at the same time, LinkedIn is making a move in the right direction. The company expects the button will become a web standard of job searching.

Engage Your Customers Through Social Media- Click here http://bit.ly/ohj3Ph for full article

Engage Your Customers Through Social Media- Click here http://bit.ly/ohj3Ph for full article

Social media is the wave of the internet future. Facebook has more than 750 million users. Through the use of Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and others you can tell where almost any person is at any given time. Everything on the internet has become social. With one click of a button you can share your favorite article with your hundreds of Facebook friends, post to any number of the hundreds of social bookmarking sites and post it on your own blog.

Businesses need to keep this in mind to succeed today. Customers are looking online to find a business’s address, checking the appropriate Facebook page to print off the daily deals and doing all their shopping online.

In order to succeed, businesses, whether an online business or a brick and mortar business that has an online presence, need to engage their customers through social media. This can mean any number of things.

First of all, every business needs to have a website and a Facebook profile page that is updated consistently. Twitter pages and Google Local pages allow customers to easily find and keep track of your business.

One very effective way of attracting and keeping new customers is through a social media event. This can be anything from a live chat with the business owner to a contest to a webinar. There are any number of social media events that you can use to get customers excited about your products or services and willing to share them with their friends. The power of social media is that everything can be shared with a lot of people very quickly.

So, to make this practical, first pick what kind of event you want to have. What fits best with your business model? What would be most popular with your target audience?

Then pick a date at least several weeks in advance. Make sure people have plenty of time to find out about and plan for your contest, live conference, webinar or whatever event you choose.

Make sure you have something valuable to offer that people will get excited about. Nothing kills a social media event faster than offering a Yankees memorabilia giveaway in Boston.

Plan your event and make sure it is something that you are proud to have your business name associated with. People are giving up their time. Make sure it is worth it to them.

Lastly, make sure that people who weren’t able to attend your webinar or didn’t find out about the contest in time still have a chance to be involved.

Every business can use social media to attract new customers and engage their current client base. Businesses that don’t take advantage of social media are missing out on potential customers, profit and branding.

7 Ways to Print Social Media Content- Click here http://bit.ly/pQdtRW for full article

7 Ways to Print Social Media Content- Click here http://bit.ly/pQdtRW for full article

With social media sites such as Facebook becoming more and more popular for both individuals and businesses, it is no surprise that a number of services have become available that allow users to preserve digital content on paper. Here are seven of the best options.

1. JotJournal
Within two minutes, JotJournal will arrange recent posts and photos into a 32-page, glossy, 8”x8” book. JotJournal features bright, colorful designs that look current and professional.

2. EgoBook
Integrated into a simple Facebook application, EgoBook creates personalized books from status updates, posted and tagged pictures, wall messages, links and even comments from Facebook. EgoBook features a personalized cover incorporating a user's profile picture and biography overlaid on a mosaic of friends' profile pictures.

3. Social Memories
Social Memories is another Facebook application that both records and analyzes Facebook content. Social Memories creates fun and sleek infographics illustrating social trends and highlights, and compiles them along with photos and status updates in a 28-page, professionally-bound book printed on glossy stock.

4. Social Print Studio
Social Print Studio offers a number of social media printing services, including poster-size prints of Facebook friends or albums, Twitter followers, or even Tumblr posts. They also can create Mini Photo Books or Lil' Stickers of images from a number of social media sites, making this a versatile service.

5. Yearbound
Yearbound is like a yearbook for Facebook that produces hardbound or paperback books that are highly customizable, featuring profile information and pictures, photo albums, status updates, wall posts, and notes from a year in a Facebook life.

6. Book of Fame
Book of Fame produces blank journals that have Facebook status messages printed along the bottom of each page. The covers of these journals feature a mosaic of profile photos or one of many colorful, contemporary patterns.

7. Yearly Leaf
Yearly Leaf is a coming-soon service that produces high-quality books full of Facebook posts, pictures, and status updates. With a design inspired by Moleskine journals, but with the feel of a coffee table book, Yearly Leaf is a luxury option for printing social media content.

These services can be used by businesses to create high-quality printed versions of social media content for use in sales pitches or meetings, bringing valuable content off the Web and onto the page. Social media companies

MBAs Of The World, Unite!- Click here http://bit.ly/ouWgTy for full article

MBAs Of The World, Unite!- Click here http://bit.ly/ouWgTy for full article

There is no doubt that social networking has come a long way from the early days of Friendster and MySpace. Social networking has given us Internet celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Tila Tequila. A 2010 film about the convoluted origins of the world's most pervasive social network (Facebook) took top honors at most film festivals and award ceremonies. And let's not forget about the valuations of the top social networks: Facebook and Twitter are reportedly worth billions of dollars.

After seeing the explosive growth of social media in the last few years, many experts and observers are predicting that while social networking is poised to become more popular, it will gravitate towards providing exclusive experiences for their members. This means that niche social networking sites that attract members with certain common interests will grow at rates faster than those that allow anyone to join. This means, for example, that business professionals may consider LinkedIn over Facebook; or that working musicians will prefer SoundCloud over MySpace.

Some of today's most active and cohesive niche social networks evolved organically thanks to their members. Examples of such networks include Orkut for Brazilians and Ravelry for knitters. Members of niche social networking sites tend to be more passionate of their chosen community.

A new niche social networking site that aims to bring together the MBA community began as a blog in 2005. "Beat the GMAT" was created by a Stanford student who set his sights on getting admitted to a top business school, a key academic ritual that requires a good Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score and can culminate in being awarded the coveted Master of Business Administration diploma. From its humble beginnings as a single-authorship blog, Beat the GMAT evolved into a social network for MBA hopefuls (and MBAs) to get together and discuss strategies for acing the GMAG and getting into business school.

Beat the GMAT has been redesigned into MBAWatch, and now the site bills itself as the world's largest social network for MBA applicants. The new sites includes many features that are reminiscent of those found in Facebook. Members of MBAWatch will definitely enjoy the way the site aggregates and organizes data pertaining to different business schools. Members also have the opportunity to share their stats as they pertain to the application process.

MBAWatch is a perfect example of the future of social networking. The information shared on MBAWatch goes beyond mere status updates or messages from members, it can significantly shape a member's quest for an MBA degree.

A New Tech Boom In The Making?- Click here http://bit.ly/pXrK5S for full article

A New Tech Boom In The Making?- Click here http://bit.ly/pXrK5S for full article

The ebb and flow of economic tides has been occurring for as long as mankind has practiced even the bare rudiments of economic behavior. It appears that every new industry seems to usher in new economic upheaval. So it's no surprise then, that the latest tech boom and its ensuing bust has left the world economy in quite a state of disarray.

The current turmoil that has followed since the dot-com bust in the early 2000's has affected virtually every person alive within the civilized world. Concerns of worldwide recession possibly turning into depression are rampant. But that's not to say that there isn't still opportunity in some places. Just as the good times came to an end, so will the bad. Such is the way of the economic cycle.

Lately it seems a new boom has been taking hold in the tech industry. Though this time around the focus seems to be less on the high-tech semiconductor industry and more on targeted marketing developing thanks to social networks such as Facebook. One of the prior concerns of the earlier dot-com bust was the inability to monetize the information of internet users. In other words, there wasn't any "real" business plan for so many failed companies. Many hard earned lessons may have been learned.

So now it seems some companies are attempting to address the business plan problem and are moving forward with innovative strategies to make sure they know just who their customers are and what they want. And even now with the current recession going on, there are still plenty of consumers ready to hand over plenty of money to the company smart enough to deliver the right product to the right customer. Indeed, any companies that can take hold even in these trying times will most likely be doing even better once the economy is back on the uptick.

Could this new round of tech investing lead to a flourishing of the economy? Possibly. Understandably some questions remain from savvy investors since it's not entirely clear yet if many of these companies know exactly what they're doing.

But all this remains to be seen. For those who are willing and able to take advantage of this latest boom, there could be fortunes in the making.

How To Convert Social Media Traffic Into Leads- Click here http://bit.ly/pkiQ80 for full article

How To Convert Social Media Traffic Into Leads- Click here http://bit.ly/pkiQ80 for full article

Business owners are quickly realizing that social media is not just a hobby. Word of mouth is powerful and, if used correctly, you can learn how to convert social media traffic into leads.
You should carefully determine which social media networks your company should integrate into your marketing strategy. Ask yourself this question: Where are your customers, clients and vendors in the social media space? Find out and then join in the conversation.
Remember that social media is conversation as well. Some business owners still live by the old adage "Always Be Selling." In social media, you aren't always selling. You are interacting.
Keeping this in mind, here are seven ways to convert your social media traffic into leads:
1. Be engaging. Build up trust with your social media connections and you'll build interest and credibility for your business. Make sure you are interacting and not just talking to yourself.

2. Offer up additional ways of engagement. Let your connections know they can go to your website and sign up for an RSS feed of your blog. Encourage them to sign up for a free email newsletter.
3. Give incentives. Consider offering specials or discounts to people who become fans of your Facebook page or retweet your post on Twitter. Add a contest to your website.
4. Welcome new connections. Make sure you thank new followers, fans and visitors to your website. A simple post on Twitter or Facebook will do the job. You can also integrate a pop-up welcome sign for first visitors to your website.
5. Don't overwhelm people with content. Is the home page of your website too intense with information? Consider designing a simple landing page to minimize the noise and get people to the point faster and easier.
6. Give plenty of call to action in all areas of communication. Include links to your site on Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus when you post a new blog or have a new product or service. Make sure visitors to your website can easily contact you through filling out a quick form.
7. Use a little self-promotion. Advertise your products on your own website. Mention your products and services in all social media networks. Don't overdo it but a little self-promotion is okay.
Following these suggestions can help convert social media traffic into leads. Just remember that it's not always be selling, but it is always be

Thank You, Google Labs!- Click here http://bit.ly/p0NhlC for full article

Thank You, Google Labs!- Click here http://bit.ly/p0NhlC for full article

One of the most unique applied product research efforts in recent history is coming to an end as Google Labs is being closed. The company that allows its workers to utilize up to 20 percent of their day working on their own development projects, has determined that the current corporate focus dictates that a different set of processes be in place to bring exciting new concepts to the web.
Google has already closed down two specific projects, Google Health and Google Powermeter, in order to trim the roster of existing applications and projects ahead of the Labs closure. The remaining projects are slated to stand alone, be moved to the Android Marketplace, or be shut down as well.

As Google Labs closes, a new day dawns for the researchers and employees that have been tirelessly contributing using the Labs paradigm. The tighter focus at Google will cause their efforts to be more directed at enhancing existing projects, or creating new projects that are closely aligned with revenue centers.
As an example, there is no doubt that Google Transliteration is a useful product for many. Allowing users to type a sentence in English and convert the results to Spanish or Japanese using phonetics with all the accents and characters complete is a great concept. Perhaps porting it as a feature to Google Docs and the Android Marketplace will ensure that its developers will be integrated more directly into the company's profit areas.
Google Docs is another example of an application that was developed by Google Labs over a period of time and then commercially released to the general public. The City of Los Angeles and several other major corporations have now committed to switching their existing infrastructure over to Google Apps, with Google Docs and its integrated e-mail. For businesses that are considering a move to the cloud for their employees, Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365 are now both mandatory evaluation partners.
Spokespeople for Google did say that there will be no change to the popular options that allow Google Apps and Maps users to try out new features as they are developed; they will instead be continued under a different name.

StockTwits: a fresh new approach to investor relations- Click here http://bit.ly/p9UO9U for full article

StockTwits: a fresh new approach to investor relations- Click here http://bit.ly/p9UO9U for full article

Building a close-knit and vertically integrated Twitter community is no small feat. Profiting from Twitter in a manner that does not involve paid advertising or extracting a monetary fee directly from users is seen as difficult by industry insiders. Yet for he Twitter-centric startup StockTwits, profit is not derived from paid tweets or monthly premium subscriptions. StockTwits prides itself in offering a service which is truly valuable in this day and age: efficient investor relations.

Tens of thousands of publicly traded companies around the world have struggled for years to find an effective platform to conduct their investor relations. While large companies can afford to spend millions in their large-scale PR efforts, other companies languish in relative obscurity which typically does not involve more than largely unread press releases.

StockTwits provides a real solution to investor relations. By harnessing the communicative power of Twitter, StockTwits allows companies to “claim” their ticker web page so that they can reach a global audience of shareholders, traders, investors, analysts, journalists, customers, fans, and more. Once visible on the StockTwits and Twitter platform, a company can simultaneously link their social presence on Facebook and LinkedIn; thereby truly leveraging the power of social networks.

By claiming a ticker page on StockTwits, a publicly traded company has a great way to releasing news and updates that are pushed not only to the realm of social networking, but also to established financial media partners such as CNN Money and Yahoo!

One of the most attractive features of StockTwit is their commitment to fair play. The Internet has long been criticized for providing a soapbox to the scourge of securities trading: the noisy cheerleaders, the unscrupulous stock promoters, and the unethical market manipulators. This is clearly not the case with StockTwits. The ideas provided by its user base are curated according to the company's House Rules which are internally enforced to keep out the spammers and other unsavory netizens.

StockTwits is a tech company based in San Diego and New York. The company bills itself as being “the Financial Idea Network” and “the best place to discover and share trading ideas with real traders in real time.” The company has already raised significant venture capital and is poised to continue to make profits. StockTwits has been called “one of the top 10 most innovative companies” by Fast Company and was selected as one of the 50 best websites of 2010 by Time Magazine.

Parent Approved Social Networking Site For Kids-Click here http://bit.ly/n1clLK for full article

Parent Approved Social Networking Site For Kids-Click here http://bit.ly/n1clLK for full article

BizRocket.com, Inc. has announced the launch of KidzRocket.com, a subscription-based social networking site for the pre-teen child demographic. The site aims to ease parents' concern about the dangers of internet communication by providing ways for them to control their children's use of the service. KidzRocket.com is centered around a chat service, but also includes Facebook and MySpace-like functionality such as profiles, blogs, and media collections. It also comes with a WebFilter module that parents can use to monitor and control their children's Internet use outside of the KidzRocket.com jurisdiction.

When children sign up for KidzRocket.com, they have to include the email address of their parent. The parent is then able to confirm the child's membership at their discretion. As the child chooses friends to chat with on the KidzRocket website, the parent must approve of each friend before the child can start chatting with them. This feature is intended to let parents keep control over who is communicating with their children. The chat feature uses a content filter to prevent members from using profanity or other offensive words. Chats can have embedded audio and visual elements, but these are also checked for appropriateness.

The KidzRocket WebFilter is another component of the KidzRocket service that goes beyond the social networking site itself. It hooks into the Internet browser, allowing parents to define their children's access privileges and check which sites they are visiting. Thanks to its real-time image analysis engine, it can filter out not just inappropriate text but also pictures that parents may find objectionable. It also keeps a record of which sites children have visited or attempted to visit, which parents can access later. Parents can prevent their children from accessing entire categories of website, such as adult entertainment or e-commerce. They can also allow certain sites within these categories.

The KidzRocket.com service costs $5.95 per month or $57.95 per year. BizRocket is confident about KidzRocket's ability to keep its members safe and under the careful watch of their parents while on the Internet. Robert G. Williams, founder of BizRocket, says they have “built the safest social network for kids that parents approve of.”

Business Promotion Through Tumblr-Click here http://bit.ly/oSIxqu for full article

Business Promotion Through Tumblr-Click here http://bit.ly/oSIxqu for full article

The social media website Tumblr is quickly growing to become an influential hotspot on the web. Its growing user base and site traffic make Tumblr an attractive tool for business owners to explore for their ventures. Tumblr's many features along with its many customization options make it an appealing online venture to explore.

Tumblr is a blogging service at its core, but gives users the ability to create posts beyond the traditional text-based blog entry. Users can also create non-text posts including dedicated photo, link, audio, and video posts. These options provide the freedom to showcase photos of new products and events or upload podcast interviews with team members from the company. This range of post options helps to suit a variety of needs, helping each business create a unique feel that best fits its brand image.

Businesses can easily integrate their online presence with other social media outlets with Tumblr. Once a Twitter or Facebook account is linked, an update can be sent to the services whenever a new post has been made on Tumblr. Additionally, any posts made to sites like YouTube, Wordpress, Twitter, and Digg can all be aggregated and posted on Tumblr.

There are numerous other features that make Tumblr an attractive social media stop. There is no advertising from Tumblr placed on individual blogs, which gives business owners the chance to sell their own advertising on their blogs that is tailor-made to suit their audience. Tumblr blogs are search engine friendly, raising the chances for traffic to be directed to the blog when users are using engines like Google.

Tumblr fully supports Google Analytics so business owners can monitor the traffic on their Tumblr blog, discover key search words that lead new visitors to the blog, and find out what kind of posts visitors find the most interesting. Tumblr also has two intuitive features, the "like" and "reblog" functions, which allow users to show their approval of a post and share a post on their own blog respectively. While neither is a true indicator of traffic, both offer the chance at word of mouth promotion.

Tumblr has proven to be a popular social media source and is showing potential as a new way for businesses to promote themsevles. It is one of many tools that businesses can utilize to represent themselves in the ever-growing online universe.

Fighting Words!- Click here http://bit.ly/omv6oG for full article

Fighting Words!- Click here http://bit.ly/omv6oG for full article

Whatever or not your organization is affiliated with the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), theres a good chance you can learn from some of their creative advertising ventures. If you are unaware, the UFC happens to be the biggest name in the entire mixed martial arts world, and has produced one of the largest and most profitable brands of the past decade.

Even if you don't particularly care for the sport, it would be wise for you to check how the president, Dana White, operates his business. UFC is a very net and social networking savvy business, and knows how to turn things like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube into hard revenue.

On January 22, 2011, the UFC did something unthinkable. A free giveaway was given to users of Facebook, and it's interesting what they gave away. No, it wasn't t-shirts or other merchandise, it was actual content. For the small free of clicking 'Like' on the UFC Facebook page, users could watch fights for free right on Facebook. What does this mean? Viewership increased by nearly 60,000 , and that solid promotion was worth the negligible loss in ticket sales.

Now, 60,000 might seem like a very modest number. But keep in mind that the UFC typically offers all preliminary fights for free, rewarding fans while at the same time advertising the more expensive (and exciting) pay per view show. Fights have also become avaliable on YouTube. Interestingly enough, their Facebook experience has proved to be incredibly successful. With nearly 6 million Facebook fans, analysts can even begin to speculate how this will affect their viewership. They do know one thing, however: it's a powerful plod into the right direction. The moral of this story? If you want to create rapport and dedication in your fan base, give them what they want -- content.

Another great tool UFC uses is marketability. I'm not talking about advertising, either. Accessibilty to the UFC fighters is unparalleled to any other sport, as they tend to always make time for photos and short chit-chats with fans. This same atmosphere has carried over to Twitter, as president Dana White has amassed nearly 1.5 million followers. Dana White spends plenty of time conversing with his fans, and is remarkably down to earth for heading such a lucrative company.

The final word on this is honesty. If you have personality, let that personality shine through with social media. Let the fans come to you with discussions, and be engaging. It's incredible how much a few moments of your time means to your fans.

B2B Marketing Is (Slowly) On The Rise- Click here http://bit.ly/n5YKnY for full article

B2B Marketing Is (Slowly) On The Rise- Click here http://bit.ly/n5YKnY for full article

The marketing efforts of business-to-business (B2B) companies are gradually picking up steam according to recent observations made by business analysts. B2B companies provide specialized products and services that enable other companies to carry on their business operations, something that makes them extremely vulnerable when the economy takes a turn for the worst.

At the height of the global financial crisis, many B2B companies struggled to stay afloat by taking drastic measures such as shutting down branch offices and reducing the ranks of their staff. The marketing budgets of B2B firms were also greatly reduced in order to weather the abrupt economic meltdown of the late 2000s. This negative trend, which has now carried on for a few years, is beginning to show signs of improvement.

Business activity is the lifeblood of the B2B industry. The current pace of the post-crisis business activity can be described as slow and measured, with occasional short-lived spurs of growth. This is what several economists and business analysts are calling the new normal. The sales and marketing departments of B2B enterprises must take this new tempo into consideration when designing their media and advertising campaigns.

The slow pace of economic recovery has revealed quite a few emerging trends in how business is being conducted. The potential clients of B2B firms (business owners and representatives) are spending a lot more of their time on the Internet. Most prospective clients are still looking for the right products and services to enable them to carry on their operations, that is still at the heart of B2B's nature. What has changed is how business owners are becoming informed about what is available to meet their demands.

Current B2B clients are reading online articles and white papers. They are watching videos. They are asking the members of their social network for opinions and advice. They prefer social media over traditional media. They are highly mobile and connected. These new attributes of B2B clients have brought about a paradigm change in marketing to them: from outbound to inbound.

The good news for B2B firms is that establishing a strong online social media presence does not cost a lot of money. It does require, however, a smart approach and careful use of existing resources. The idea is to take advantage of the current slow pace to invest more time in reaching out to your social network. Start a blog, study the business trends on Twitter, look at how your potential clients interact with their peers on Facebook, etc. There's no need to to overly ambitious: a short-term social media marketing plan is all it takes to get started.

B2B Marketing Is (Slowly) On The Rise- Click here http://bit.ly/n5YKnY for full article

B2B Marketing Is (Slowly) On The Rise- Click here http://bit.ly/n5YKnY for full article

The marketing efforts of business-to-business (B2B) companies are gradually picking up steam according to recent observations made by business analysts. B2B companies provide specialized products and services that enable other companies to carry on their business operations, something that makes them extremely vulnerable when the economy takes a turn for the worst.

At the height of the global financial crisis, many B2B companies struggled to stay afloat by taking drastic measures such as shutting down branch offices and reducing the ranks of their staff. The marketing budgets of B2B firms were also greatly reduced in order to weather the abrupt economic meltdown of the late 2000s. This negative trend, which has now carried on for a few years, is beginning to show signs of improvement.

Business activity is the lifeblood of the B2B industry. The current pace of the post-crisis business activity can be described as slow and measured, with occasional short-lived spurs of growth. This is what several economists and business analysts are calling the new normal. The sales and marketing departments of B2B enterprises must take this new tempo into consideration when designing their media and advertising campaigns.

The slow pace of economic recovery has revealed quite a few emerging trends in how business is being conducted. The potential clients of B2B firms (business owners and representatives) are spending a lot more of their time on the Internet. Most prospective clients are still looking for the right products and services to enable them to carry on their operations, that is still at the heart of B2B's nature. What has changed is how business owners are becoming informed about what is available to meet their demands.

Current B2B clients are reading online articles and white papers. They are watching videos. They are asking the members of their social network for opinions and advice. They prefer social media over traditional media. They are highly mobile and connected. These new attributes of B2B clients have brought about a paradigm change in marketing to them: from outbound to inbound.

The good news for B2B firms is that establishing a strong online social media presence does not cost a lot of money. It does require, however, a smart approach and careful use of existing resources. The idea is to take advantage of the current slow pace to invest more time in reaching out to your social network. Start a blog, study the business trends on Twitter, look at how your potential clients interact with their peers on Facebook, etc. There's no need to to overly ambitious: a short-term social media marketing plan is all it takes to get started.

Facebook Ad Performance For Q2, CPCs Up 22%- Click here http://bit.ly/rj35Mz for full article

Facebook Ad Performance For Q2, CPCs Up 22%- Click here http://bit.ly/rj35Mz for full article

According to a report from performance marketing company, Efficient Frontier and their subsidiary, Context Optional, Facebook’s cost-per-click (CPC) increased 22 percent in the second quarter of 2011 from first-quarter statistics. The report, Global Digital Marketing Performance Report, also projected an 80 percent increase for Facebook CPCs by the years end. This is true if Facebook continues to show at least a 20 percent rise in each quarter for the continuing year. The findings of the report are congruent with Facebook’s history of strong revenue growth and rapid expansion.

However, Facebook’s 22 percent increase is down from the 40 percent growth shown in the first quarter. Nevertheless, the report explains that not too much should be read into the drop given the nature of the social media ad category.

The report also noted the increased presence of advertisers on Facebook, and the resulting up swing of CPCs. This results in higher prices for brands the longer they wait to engage customers via Facebook. With brand centric data, the report stated that brands currently gaining fans on Facebook are on course to double their fan base by October 2011. This estimate is based on patterns seen since October 2010.

In terms of consumer engagement, using data taken from Context Optional, including a sample of more than 20million fans, the data showed that due to the high level of consumer choice, brands face an increasingly competitive environment. On average, there are 100 wall posts per brand page. This can create a viral effect, as more fans mean more communication and in turn, more brand circulation. Within the study, it was seen that for every 17,000 fans create one more comment per post.

In relation to business ad spending, Facebook accounts for around 5 percent of search overall. However, the report quickly noted that so-called “outlier” brands could see that percentage jump to nearly 25 percent, depending on several aspects such as promotions and seasonality. This essentially shows that Facebook’s spending is steady and constant, and most of its budget is taken from forms of traditional media such as print.

Facebook’s ad revenue is also increasing due to search from businesses advertising special deals. Some major companies solely advertise on Facebook, increasing this view. According to, eMarketer, a market research firm, projected yearly ad revenue for Facebook will hit $2.2 billion USD, which is a 55 percent increase from 2010.

Are You Getting More Tweets Than You Know Of?- Click here http://bit.ly/nZI0iT for full article

Are You Getting More Tweets Than You Know Of?- Click here http://bit.ly/nZI0iT for full article

Social media marketing has become vitally important to businesses large and small. Twitter is one of many useful and popular ways to connect and interact directly with customers through social media. Followers on Twitter receive updates from a business that can help drive traffic to websites or Facebook pages, and that can subsequently drive business and sales in general.

Now a recent report from social media analytics firm awe.sm has suggested that many businesses' analytics software, which examines the sources of web traffic, may be seriously under-estimating Twitter referrals and the amount of traffic coming in to a website from Twitter.

Twitter referrals are complicated to analyze because Twitter can be accessed through a number of different other websites or programs. Links clicked on in third-party clients like TweetDeck or Tweetie may not register as Twitter referrals, and websites like LinkedIn and Facebook that repost Twitter updates may similarly disguise Twitter's role in a referral.

awe.sm's study found that only 24.4% of website traffic derived from Twitter had twitter.com as the referrer. 62.6% of the traffic that was actually coming from Twitter came without any referrer information at all and 13.0% of traffic came with another site as the referrer when Twitter was actually responsible for the link.

This problem with analytics programs not accurately counting referrals from Twitter is only increasing as more users access Twitter from desktop clients or mobile devices. When users click links from Twitter or other sources while in a non-browser client like a mobile device or even an e-mail program like Outlook, the links are recorded as "Direct Traffic" in an analytics program.

Businesses are likely very concerned with using social media in the most cost and time-effective way possible. If analytics software is failing to accurately tally the amount of traffic coming in from Twitter, businesses may think that frequently updating their Twitter feed it is not a worthwhile investment of time and energy. awe.sm's study is significant because it demonstrates just how valuable Twitter can be for driving a business' web traffic, but how under-represented it may be in analytics.

Businesses focused on developing an increased social media presence should take a closer look at their analytics data to determine how much referral traffic is truly coming from Twitter. Only then can decisions be made about how much time to spend tweeting. The results may be surprising, and surprisingly in favor of Twitter.

Could Social Networking Affect The Justice System?- Click here http://bit.ly/phCjQ1 for full article

Could Social Networking Affect The Justice System?- Click here http://bit.ly/phCjQ1 for full article

After the killing of 17-year-old Kingston college student Khajeel Mais, prosecutors are fearful of the impact social networking websites could have on the case.

On July 1, Mais was shot and killed while riding a taxi by the driver of a BMW X6 after the taxi hit the SUV. After these events, police apprehended the driver of the X6 after returning from a trip to the United States. The man, who remains unnamed, surrounded to police at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

In Jamaica and around the world, people shrouded the family with support through websites, Facebook and Twitter. In Jamaica specifically, it is now common knowledge of the events that happened to young Mais, and this does not bode well for the justice system.

The widespread use of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook are commonplace in Jamaica, much like other places around the world. But die to the size and concentration of people, news and information travels even faster. How does this affect the Khajeel Mais trail? Justice of Khajeel Facebook pages, tweets and messages are widespread across the internet, just about everyone is blood thirsty for justice, and this could potentially void the accused of the right to a fair trial.

One notable attorney weighed in on the manner, saying, "Everybody has heard about this thing and everybody, to my mind, has formed an opinion one way or the other."

But this issue is further widespread than the Khajeel Mais case. This is a critical issue that has worried prosecutors for some time. However, this case, in particular, has gotten people talking about serious cracks within the system.

After Mais’ killing, a popular topic of discussion on social forums was the search for the BMW involved in the shooting. Experts also cited social media networks as rumor mills that could potentially delay an investigation. Rumors about high-profile people that could have possibly been involved in the shooting spread like wildfire across cyberspace.

According to Kingston Police Commissioner Owen Ellington, these rumors and speculation do little to further an investigation, and could actually stifle progress.
"These rumours did little to help the police investigations and, in some instances, only created confusion.”

In coming weeks and months, it will be interesting to see how the trial of the unnamed suspect plays out. However, one thing is for sure. People will be talking.

Microsoft Following in Google's Foot Steps?- Click here http://bit.ly/pSatIR for full article

Microsoft Following in Google's Foot Steps?- Click here http://bit.ly/pSatIR for full article

Technology journalists were whispering Friday about Tulalip, a rumored social networking application from Microsoft. The application was posted briefly before being taken down, suggesting a strategic leak by Microsoft to test the market's reaction to another entry in the social networking arena. The industry has been upended in the last month as Google+ launched to enormous fanfare, providing innovative changes to sharing and privacy that have bothered a large segment of Facebook users. Some insiders are predicting a large swing in market share as users abandon Facebook for Google+, and Microsoft may be trying to catch some of those unhappy users with Tulalip.

This news has industry analysts wondering whether Microsoft is again playing catch-up with Google. The company already trails in the search engine market with Bing, which holds a paltry 15% market share compared to Google, which leads the market with a 66% share. Microsoft also bought Skype, whose recent deal with Facebook to provide live video chat sets up a battle with Google, which offers live two-way and group video chat through the Hangouts feature on Google+. Tulalip would be coming at a moment when Facebook is losing market share to Google+, which has grown to over 10 million users within a few weeks.

The more even fight between Google and Microsoft, however, will be over cloud computing. As companies have questioned the necessity for dedicated servers -- which are expensive, difficult to maintain, and cost money even when computing demand is low -- Google and Microsoft have begun offering cloud computing and storage to businesses.

Google has a slight advantage in this race to the cloud. Looking at the top of their home page explains why: Google now offers e-mail, social networking, Docs (its version of Microsoft Office), calendar, pictures, and videos to its users online and for no charge. It also released its own free operating system, Chrome OS, which will allow users to run their computers with only internet access by putting all of their files and applications online. For nearly every reason consumers need a computer, Google offers a free version online. Selling cloud storage to consumers and businesses will provide billions in new revenue to the market leader.

Businesses should watch developments in cloud computing and storage. Eliminating servers and IT support will allow many companies to cut costs and increase profits by paying for on-demand storage and computing from Google or Microsoft. That's far more consequential than Facebook or Twitter, who still have a very limited capacity to reach consumers with a company's message. After all, how many businesses have cut costs with a Facebook page or a tweet?

Facebook Problems For Mark Zuckerberg And "Warren Buffett"- Click here http://bit.ly/oyqC48 for full article

Facebook Problems For Mark Zuckerberg And "Warren Buffett"- Click here http://bit.ly/oyqC48 for full article

When author and financial consultant Janet Tavakoli found herself looking at a Facebook profile featuring her picture and basic information, it might not have been anything out of the ordinary. Many businesses and individuals look at their own Facebook pages every day. This event was highly surprising for Tavakoli, however, because she never created a Facebook page.

Unfortunately for Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, Tavakoli is not alone. Notables such as investor and philanthropist Warren Buffet have also had phony Facebook profiles appear on the site. Warren Buffett's faux profile is still active on the site, but Tavakoli petitioned Facebook to have hers taken down.

Mark Zuckerberg and the rest of the Facebook crew have a privacy issue on their hands because it is apparently easy to set up fraudulent profiles and it is somewhat difficult to have them taken down. Tavakoli explains that she had to send in a scanned image of her driver's license in order to have the phony profile removed.

Facebook's privacy issues are a concern not only for all people who use Facebook but for non-users as well. Businesses that have chosen not to use Facebook for social media marketing should still check the site periodically to see if a profile page for the business ever appears. It is possible that someone could set up a fake profile or community page and send out false or misleading information to customers or clients.

Businesses that do use Facebook should also be vigilant in being sure that customers and clients are who they say they are. Businesses should never use Facebook for sensitive communications in case a profile was established by an impostor.

Businesses and investors, especially those considering using Facebook for advertising, should also know that Facebook's data about demographics and users may be compromised by these false profiles. The fake profiles of Tavakoli and Warren Buffett are only two of many possible phonies that may skew Facebook's demographic data with padding from fake users.

Though Facebook can be a powerful tool for social media marketing and for businesses in general, it does carry these privacy risks that businesses should always be aware of. Mark Zuckerberg is going to need to address these issues if he wants his site to continue to be popular and influential, but, in the meantime, business and personal users should proceed with caution.

Tech Funds Are Heating Up The Financial Stock Markets - Click here http://bit.ly/nQbqf7 for full article

Tech Funds Are Heating Up The Financial Stock Markets - Click here http://bit.ly/nQbqf7 for full article

In a flashback to the late 1990s, stock brokers and market analysts are closely following the developments of social media and other Internet technologies. In the breathless days prior to the bursting of the dot-com bubble it wasn't unusual for a US fund seeking to invest in private Internet tech companies to hit the NASDAQ with an exciting initial public offering (IPO). Back then such tech funds were focused on potential venture investments in high-risk Internet companies.

The resurgence of red-hot tech on the NASDAQ is very reminiscent of the first quarter in the year 2000 when the tech-heavy electronic stock exchange boasted daily triple digit gains and reached a historical high above 5000 points, shortly before it crashed. US fund managers looking to invest in today's tech start-ups insist that times have changed and that the spectacular failures of yesteryear aren't likely to repeat themselves today.

Critics of the current tech revitalization on the NASDAQ point to social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter and their soaring valuations. Facebook is the undisputed darling of the technology world, having been valued as high as $100 billion.

Some market analysts are pretty sure that whatever valuation Facebook is given reflects the immense potential that social media has for future profits. Tech fund managers are paying attention and looking for the next Facebook to add to their portfolios.

GSV Capital is the American fund that recently valued Facebook at $70 billion. GSV now holds 225,000 shares of the social networking giant. Another tech startup on its portfolio is Kno, a software developer dedicated to the field of education. GSV capital already debuted its IPO on the NASDAQ earlier this year under the symbol GSVC.

Another US fund that has been created in order to invest in the burgeoning field of technology start-ups is Denver-based Keating Capital. A quick scan of the fund's portfolio reveals a strong focus on technology firms. The pre-IPO portfolio is tech-heavy as expected, although the fund manager has stated that they are focused on growth companies that would have gone public even without a tech label.

The few tech companies that Keating Capital has thus far added to its portfolio are rich in diversity. Some are dedicated to solar thermal energy while others are in the business of cloud computing. Keating Capital expects to debut its own IPO on the NASDAQ later this year.

Stop Bullying- Click here http://bit.ly/nYxurw for full article

Stop Bullying- Click here http://bit.ly/nYxurw for full article

Bullying seems like a fairly benign practice amongst school aged children. However, bullying is becoming popular in all age groups and has resulted in several deaths in the past couple of years. Hope Witsell and several kids at an Ohio school have all lost their lives as a result of bullying. Time Warner and Facebook have teamed up and devised a platform against bullying in schools and other areas of people’s lives. Families of the victims are hoping that more companies will join the initiative to help stop bullying.

The Time Warner and Facebook initiative “Stop Bullying, Speak Up” has directed its message towards parents, educators and students. Facebook has created an interactive social media application where people can voice their support and commitment to end bullying in all areas of teens lives. The CEO of Time Warner, Jeff Bewkes, hopes that more people will get involved and show their support.

Bullying may come in a variety of forms. Kids may be bullied through print, text, or verbally. Some bullying even comes in the form of song, video and advertisements. Kids are becoming resourceful in their bullying techniques. In their competitiveness, kids will resort to most anything to defeat their competition. Because of the economy, youth have learned to fight for limited resources. This perpetuates and promotes bullying because of the great desire to win.

People vying for positions will force the kid’s other friends to turn their backs on them in order to keep their positions. When the kid is isolated, they feel alone and hopeless because they want to be with their old friends as opposed to being alone. Bullying should be taken seriously.

Time Warner and Facebook are encouraging people to get involved and stop bullying. According to a 2010 CNN Opinion Research Corporation, 34% of people that view bullying will most likely sit and not intervene in the practice. This poll referred to physical bullying only. When the bullying is just print and texting, people are even less likely to intervene. Most people can ignore words only so long and then, the practice will eventually evoke an emotion from the bullied party.

When bullied, some kids cry, some ask for help, some retaliate and some may take their own lives for relief from the bullying. People must unite in an effort to prevent the bullying from occurring. Courts are beginning to try the bullies in cases where kids commit suicide. When kids have exhausted their resources, sometimes they don’t see any way out of the situation but death. If someone comes to you with allegations of bullying, do not ignore it. Help them find help for the practice.

Time Warner and Facebook have led the initiative to stop bullying. Other companies are welcome to join the fight. Educate people about the negative practice of bullying and help to eradicate it.