Why Facebook Needs a Hit- Click here http://bit.ly/pOVBwc for full article

Why Facebook Needs a Hit- Click here http://bit.ly/pOVBwc for full article

While Facebook still reigns over the social media kingdom, boasting over 750 million subscribers and $4 billion in sales so far in 2011, the site seems to have hit a snag. Essentially, Facebook hasn't come up with anything innovative in recent years, and is unfortunately falling victim to the curse that so many businesses have fallen victim to; getting too big for your own good. Facebook, it seems, has begun to stray away from their core audience; people that want to interact with their friends. Instead, the site has tried to incorporate a litany of options to do so, leaving many people to wonder just what Facebook is anymore.

In the beginning, the concept was simple. You signed up, filled out some info about yourself, uploaded a picture, started adding people, and before you knew it, you were stalking your friends. Most people enjoyed the fact that it was simple, as the "less is more" approach is a key element to survival on the web. Google has proven this time and time again by remaining minimalist in almost all of its offerings. However, as Facebook has grown in popularity, the site's developers seem to want to cram anything and everything into the site and it seems that no one has told them that the vast majority of users really don't care about this stuff.

For instance, Facebook began offering facebook.com email addresses. What no one stopped to think about was the fact that people already have so many personal email accounts, social network accounts, work email accounts, school email accounts...no one wants another email account! It doesn't matter what the domain name is, it's just that people are overloaded as it is. Facebook has also toyed with pushing its Places feature, but users already had other sites for that. As well, they tested a daily deals type of offering, similar to Groupon. Once again, however, there are already sites for that! Facebook has failed to realize that people want to use Facebook to Facebook, not to do other things.

With all of that said, Facebook has come up with innovative features in the past, and the site in and of itself is innovative, but in order to keep that momentum going, they are going to need to find a simple, useful offering that people will actually care about. Every company is going to have duds from time to time, but the way Facebook's current track record is looking, they may need to wait until next season to have another crack at this year's championship.

Google Plus Open To Everyone!- Click here http://bit.ly/rgxKVq for full article

Google Plus Open To Everyone!- Click here http://bit.ly/rgxKVq for full article

Google has opened the doors on its new Google+ platform allowing anyone join. Over the summer, they had been beta testing this platform to compete with Facebook, and users could only get in by invitation only.

This shift to being open to everyone coincides with recent changes that have frustrated Facebook users. Some of those unhappy Facebook users are seeking an alternative, and Google has opted to be available to those seekers.

Google+

Google+ is a social media platform designed to compete with Facebook. Google's version offers many features that Facebook does not yet offer, or did not offer until very recently. Google+ distinguishes itself with circles, hang-outs, and search capabilities far beyond other social networks.

Circles

On Facebook, you either "friend" a person or "like" a fan page. On Twitter, you follow a user. Both of these platforms offer list functions you can use to sort your connections, but adding people to lists after connections have become unmanageable challenges many social network users.

On Google+, you add people to your "circles." You name each circle, they can overlap (a writer who is also a cousin might appear in both a "writers" and a "family" circle), and no one can see in which circle you have placed him. By forcing users to assign connections to circles at the beginning of the relationship, Google+ helps users manage their lists right from the beginning.

With each post you make on Google+, you are asked which circles you want to share the post with or whether you would prefer it be open to everyone. This helps users consider the level of sharing they will choose for each item.

Hang-outs

Hang-outs are video chats that allow you to have a video conference with up to nine other people. Others can watch your hang-outs, and you can record them for later review.

Facebook does not yet have a video chat option, so Google+ has the competitive edge here.

Search

Of course, Google owns online search at this time, so it is no surprise that they would have search capabilities that others will rush to imitate. The Google+ search function includes posts you are permitted to see via circle connections along with public news and views.

Facebook Stumbles as Google+ Grows

Facebook's recent changes demonstrate they are feeling the pressure to catch up with Google+'s improvements to social networking. Now that Google+ is open to everyone, we can all take a peek and see whether we think Google can compete with Facebook.

California New Cell Phone Laws-Click here http://bit.ly/p8WyjM for full article

California New Cell Phone Laws-Click here http://bit.ly/p8WyjM for full article

In California, as well as in many areas of the Western world, law enforcement agencies are having to adjust to changes as a result of new media sources like cell phones, mobile media devices, and laptops. In the past, California authorities were able to obtain evidence without a warrant from mobile media devices taken from anyone arrested for a crime that carried such a device, but as a result of recent legal developments, that approach may soon change.

California Sen. Mark Leno has sponsored a bill in the California legislature that would make it illegal to obtain data off of mobile devices such as cellphones without a warrant in the event of an arrest. Previously, due to a January ruling by the California Supreme Court, authorities could conduct warrantless searches of these devices in the event of an arrest, even if the device and the data it contained had nothing to do with the case, and even if no criminal charges were ever filed. The bill has already been unanimously passed and is awaiting the signature of Governor Brown.

The ramifications this change would make are massive. If signed into law, essentially, law enforcement would need to have probable cause to even seek a search warrant to obtain data from mobile devices, even if the information on the device pertained directly to an arrest. Opponents of the bill claim that it would hinder the ability of law enforcement to do its job, leaving police officers and other authorities to waste precious time seeking a warrant, which could be denied.

However, proponents of the bill state that mobile devices do not pose an imminent threat to police, and the current practice of confiscating such devices while in custody eliminates the ability for the suspect to destroy evidence. The real issue, they claim, is that the ability of the police to search a suspect's mobile device without a warrant is a violation of the 4th Amendment, and that if authorities believe they have probable cause, then there should be no issue in getting a legal warrant.

Whether the bill passes or not, what remains to be seen is if there will be further legal challenges to the issue. Just as this bill would over rule the original January Supreme Court decision, it is almost certain that the issue won't end there. Because of the language of the bill, the argument may then become what types of mobile media devices are covered, and what information can be obtained from them. More than likely, the issue will end up back in the Supreme Court in one way or another, but until then, California's legal system is holding its breath.

Facebook Changes- Click here http://bit.ly/pz0iNU for full article

Facebook Changes- Click here http://bit.ly/pz0iNU for full article

Along with the September 2011 changes made to Facebook came many angry users. While Facebook has had complaints about changes it has made in the past, the latest round of changes has drawn criticism from even the most supportive Facebook fans, and many users have even vowed to leave the social networking giant for good as a result. The reason for this is because Facebook essentially changed the way the site operates, leaving many users in the dark as to how to even navigate the new system, let alone enjoy its new features.

For many regular Facebook users, the draw to the site was its simplicity. Users posted status updates and could read their friends' status updates in a real time, chronological order via a news feed. This meant that site members could keep up with their friends, family, and coworkers in an easy to read list, all without having to search for information. If someone did not want to have a post or a particular person's posts in their news feed, they could simply choose to hide the post or hide all posts by a particular person. As well, Facebook tailored each ad to the specific post being read at the moment, allowing for more targeted ads relating to what the user found relevant.

Unfortunately, Facebook's ideas for the future of the site have left most users quite unhappy. Most users have a "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" mentality when it comes to internet sites, and unfortunately for Facebook, the site's developers did not share the same view. The new version of Facebook now sorts status updates and posts based on what they think you will want to see. As well, the site now forces users to classify their friends into different categories, such as close friends, schoolmates, etc., meaning users no longer see a list of all updates, and instead only see updates from the people Facebook thinks they should see. Facebook claims that this was done based on user feedback, and that the new layout allows people to see top news stories instead of just updates. While users are still able to see updates from everyone on their friend's list, they now have to sift through updates and fiddle with settings in order to make it a reality, and even then, the system still inundates a user with updates.

The ultimate problem that this will cause is for advertising on the site. Facebook has long been an advertiser's dream, as they could target specific ads to specific users based on specific posts. Now, because users are left sifting through various updates in various places, the targeted advertising methods that made the site so popular among the marketing community may be a thing of the past, leaving advertisers to seek the next big thing in social media. As to whether Facebook will hear the message or not is anyone's guess at this point, but unless they want to become the next MySpace, they may want to turning up their hearing aid.

Is Facebook the Next Big Thing in Music?- Click here http://bit.ly/qPJDnK for full article

Is Facebook the Next Big Thing in Music?- Click here http://bit.ly/qPJDnK for full article

Facebook saw a bevy a new features and changes recently, and while they have been met with mixed reactions, it looks as though they may be just the start of something even bigger. As Facebook gets even closer to a billion users, more changes are coming and this time they have to do with how users share their music. Will these changes make Facebook the go-to site for music?

While illegal file-sharing is certainly not a part of their plans, reports state that Facebook is reaching out with many legal music services to deliver a new sharing experience for its users. For instance, they are partnering with Spotify, which allows users to listen to streaming music for free. In addition to the ad-supported free version, Spotify also offers a paid-for subscription that is completely ad-free. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek spoke at the 2011 Facebook F8 conference to announce that Facebook would be partnering with Spotify. He detailed a plan to have users connect with not only words, but by sharing music as well. Facebook's nearly one billion users will be able to play music shared by their friends over Spotify right from their browser without leaving Facebook at all. He also stated that Facebook's Spotify users are also more likely to purchase music.

These changes to Facebook are sure to please music lovers, but many of the other recent changes didn't sit so well with all of their users. Recent changes to the site include larger photos, a newly designed News Feed complete with live ticker, and a subscription service for users to stay on top of what certain friends are doing. Some are happy with the changes, but others have complained that the changes are simply trying to compete with other sites like Twitter and Google Plus.

Since Facebook is close to a billion users, it is more important than ever for businesses to develop some social networking integration into their business plans. When Facebook users have the option to immediately purchase songs they've just heard thanks to Facebook's partnering with Spotify, the music industry may see untold benefits. These same benefits could come to businesses of all types, but the first step is to integrate aspects of these businesses with social networking sites like Facebook. Facebook holds close to a billion potential customers, and that is something that every business would be remiss to pass up.

5 Ways To Manage Online Feedback- Click for http://bit.ly/qXKT6v full article

5 Ways To Manage Online Feedback- Click for http://bit.ly/qXKT6v full article

Business owners spend much of their time focusing on their marketing campaign and production costs. However, there is one aspect about their business that is really important: Feedback.

If you have been in business for a while, there will eventually come a time when you will receive a negative feedback comment. There is no possible way to satisfy every customer. However, there are some great ways you can manage your online feedback and turn those negative comments into something positive. Here are five ways to manage your online feedback.

1. Embrace the negative feedback

According to some research studies, most negative feedback comments are constructive, approximately 80 percent of them. Instead of allowing negative comments to discourage you, embrace them. Allow your customer's comment to help you develop ways to solve new problems.

2. Discover the real reason behind the negative feedback

No business is perfect, so there will always be dissatisfied customers. However, most negativity stems from the customer's true disappointment, not necessarily at your business, products or establishment. There are typically four different types of negative comments:

.Construtive criticism
.Clear and concise problems
.Justified attacks
.Trolls and spam

Constructive criticism is typically easy to address. The customer has a suggestion, and you should listen to what he or she has to say to decide if it is something that may benefit your business.

Clear and concise problems are negative comments with direct issues. The customer knows why he is dissatisfied and wants you to fix it.

Justified attacks may be customers who are angry, but can not really express their issue to you. You need to do your best to listen to these customers and handle the situation with care.

Trolls and spammers should never be addressed. Do not feed their desire to stir controversy around your company; it may reflect badly on your reputation.

Moreover, never let a disgruntled customer upset you. Always keep a clear head.

3. Respond at the right time

You don't have to respond to every negative comment; however, you should know what types of comments you should address. There are some negative comments that can benefit your business if you address them appropriately.

4. Learn different response techniques

Because every customer is different, you need to address each customer according to his or her personality. With enough experience, you will learn how to address your customers. Moreover, always stay genuine with your responses to negative feedback.

5. Encourage positive reviews

With enough positive reviews, any negative review will have little effect on your company's reputation. You should always encourage happy customers to leave positive responses.

Keep these tips in mind when handling your own online feedback.

6 Ways To Increase Blog Traffic - Ckick for http://bit.ly/qcZ2g8 full article

6 Ways To Increase Blog Traffic - Ckick for http://bit.ly/qcZ2g8 full article

With several million blogs out there on just about every topic imaginable, it can seem impossible to drive plenty of high-quality traffic to your own. A bit of ingenuity and a thorough understanding of how the web works, however, can go a long way towards increasing blog traffic. Here are six tips to make yours stand out:

1. Utilize social media.
Social media sites can help increase your blog's traffic exponentially, if they are used correctly. It can be a simple matter of adding share buttons to each post for the major sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, but you should also consider using these sites more extensively. Social bookmarking sites such as Digg should be used sparingly, as posting links from the same site over and over will be considered spam and can get you blacklisted.

2. Publish fresh content regularly.
The key to quality traffic is to publish quality content on a regular basis. Your posts should be relevant to the blog's purpose, informative, and well-written. New content keeps visitors coming back regularly and keeps search engine spiders crawling your blog.

3. Put effort into getting quality backlinks.
Well-placed backlinks are like votes that tell search engines your site is reputable. Getting quality backlinks is an essential component of any SEO strategy. Social media sites can be used to garner backlinks, in addition to article directories and forums.

4. Comment!
Become an active member of the community by commenting on others' blogs and replying to comments posted on your own. This will encourage others to check out your site and will show visitors that you are a human with genuine interest.

5. Use guest blogs.
Using guest bloggers or guest blogging yourself can be an excellent way to drive traffic to your site. Submitting guest blogs helps create backlinks, and guest bloggers bring their own followers to your site.

6. Understand the ins and out of paid advertising.
If you use forms of paid advertising, such as Google Adwords or other pay per click services, make sure you understand what you are and aren't getting from the service, as well as whether or not it is costing you more money than it brings in. Small business owners with limited advertising budgets may want to focus on free methods of increasing blog traffic before utilizing these programs.

6 Ways To Increase Blog Traffic - Ckick for http://bit.ly/qcZ2g8 full article

6 Ways To Increase Blog Traffic - Ckick for http://bit.ly/qcZ2g8 full article

With several million blogs out there on just about every topic imaginable, it can seem impossible to drive plenty of high-quality traffic to your own. A bit of ingenuity and a thorough understanding of how the web works, however, can go a long way towards increasing blog traffic. Here are six tips to make yours stand out:

1. Utilize social media.
Social media sites can help increase your blog's traffic exponentially, if they are used correctly. It can be a simple matter of adding share buttons to each post for the major sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, but you should also consider using these sites more extensively. Social bookmarking sites such as Digg should be used sparingly, as posting links from the same site over and over will be considered spam and can get you blacklisted.

2. Publish fresh content regularly.
The key to quality traffic is to publish quality content on a regular basis. Your posts should be relevant to the blog's purpose, informative, and well-written. New content keeps visitors coming back regularly and keeps search engine spiders crawling your blog.

3. Put effort into getting quality backlinks.
Well-placed backlinks are like votes that tell search engines your site is reputable. Getting quality backlinks is an essential component of any SEO strategy. Social media sites can be used to garner backlinks, in addition to article directories and forums.

4. Comment!
Become an active member of the community by commenting on others' blogs and replying to comments posted on your own. This will encourage others to check out your site and will show visitors that you are a human with genuine interest.

5. Use guest blogs.
Using guest bloggers or guest blogging yourself can be an excellent way to drive traffic to your site. Submitting guest blogs helps create backlinks, and guest bloggers bring their own followers to your site.

6. Understand the ins and out of paid advertising.
If you use forms of paid advertising, such as Google Adwords or other pay per click services, make sure you understand what you are and aren't getting from the service, as well as whether or not it is costing you more money than it brings in. Small business owners with limited advertising budgets may want to focus on free methods of increasing blog traffic before utilizing these programs.

Flickr Tightens Photo Sharing Privacy Controls- Click here http://bit.ly/rtpm1p for full article

Flickr Tightens Photo Sharing Privacy Controls- Click here http://bit.ly/rtpm1p for full article

Photo sharing and social networking site Flickr has recently rolled out a series of privacy setting options that might redefine the way pictures are shared online. With the release of "geofences", Flickr is aiming to contain the backlash over privacy concerns unleashed by certain geolocation features found in social media platforms.

With geofences, Flickr users can specify a geographic area on a map for which photo privacy controls can be specified. A geofence can be thought of as a radius that circles the geographical location of photos and albums. Once a geofence has been drawn, a Flickr member can choose who gets to see geotagged photos and videos located inside the geofence. For example, a Flickr member may only want to share pictures taken around their children's school with family members. A geofence drawn around the school can effectively limit the number of people who can look at photos taken near the school.

Each Flickr member can set up to 10 geofences which can protect the privacy of photos already uploaded to the site. Future uploads will be automatically protected by the geofences. Creating a geofence is a simple and straightforward process: a Flickr member can search for a location on a map, pick a name for the geofence, specify the radius of the area to protect, and finally choose who gets to see the location info. Before geofences, Flickr members worried about privacy had to pick individual photos and manually remove the latitude and longitude data.

The privacy of information shared on social media has become a hot button issue. The proliferation of location-aware features on new mobile devices such as smartphones has led to vexation over the metadata captured by a device's camera. The advent of mobile photo sharing makes it easy for someone to accidentally reveal their location and street address.

The powerful social networking features of Flickr often encourages members to tag their photos geographically for a variety of reasons. Wondering about where a Flickr photo was taken can be seen as a natural cognitive function, though geotagging may also lead to malicious intent. In the five years that Flickr has supported geotagging, a number of unconfirmed reports and urban legends about privacy breaches have floated around the blogosphere. Geofences may be the strongest response to photo sharing concerns by Flickr thus far; a positive change for a company that has previously been criticized for its slow reaction to such issues.

Music On Facebook!- Click here http://bit.ly/olEowa for full article

Music On Facebook!- Click here http://bit.ly/olEowa for full article

Adding a music feature to a social networking platform can generally be conceived as a great idea. Music has always been considered to be one of the most powerful social lubricants. For Facebook, the world's largest online social network, what could the unveiling of a powerful music feature mean?

According to recent news reports, Facebook could soon release a new feature that would enable its members to enjoy unlimited free music. Facebook Music, the rumored name for the feature, is expected to be powered by three already-established Internet music giants: MOG, Rdio and Spotify. The formal announcement of the venture is expected to be made on September 22, at the upcoming Facebook conference for developers. Prior to the latest rumors, Facebook may have accidentally leaked information about its musical intentions with the launch of its video chat service. Programmers who read between the lines of code of the video chat application found possible references to a future music service.

To many social media observers, music is the "missing ingredient" in Facebook's quest for absolute domination of the online social networking landscape. The alluring power of free music on the Internet has already been historically proven. Napster and iTunes are just two of the names that have had a profound impact on the way we listen to music. Should Facebook opt to offer free music to be shared and "liked" by its more than 750 members, it may become the most significant source for online music.

Other social media observers, however, are skeptical that music would be an instant rainmaker for Facebook. The doubtful point to the demise of MySpace, one the earliest online social networks to attempt musical integration. Others claim that unless music explicitly becomes a core focus of Facebook, it may not work out as planned. Status updates are at the heart of Facebook. Should the social networking giant be able to effectively integrate music with status updates; it may just become the go-to platform for online music.

What could possibly prevent music from becoming the most significant feature added to Facebook? According to some experts, record companies and music labels may play hardball when it comes to sharing music they could instead be selling to millions of listeners. It is important to note how music has affected other online social networks other than MySpace. For social video-sharing site YouTube, music videos and user-created playlists have attracted scores of music fans and the ire of many record companies.

LinkedIn Makes It Easy To Showcase Volunteering Efforts-click here http://bit.ly/mRSoQo for full article

LinkedIn Makes It Easy To Showcase Volunteering Efforts-click here http://bit.ly/mRSoQo for full article

Business and academic professionals who volunteer their time and skills to their community or for charity are more likely to land a job, according to research conducted by LinkedIn. Based on information gathered from a survey of two thousand professionals, the social networking giant determined that unpaid work experience can have a positive connotation when it comes to hiring.

Many of the professionals surveyed by LinkedIn were hiring managers. Twenty percent of them indicated that volunteer work could be a deciding factor in hiring a job applicant.

Not surprisingly, a majority of the polled professionals reported having volunteered in the past. Community service requirements are growing in colleges and universities. Many professionals also find great freedom in honing their skills by volunteering their expertise or performing unpaid work. And in this current period of extended unemployment, unpaid internships are an alternative for professionals who prefer not to stagnate until a suitable job offer becomes available.

What is surprisingly revealed by the LinkedIn survey is the low number of professionals who actually list their volunteer and charitable experience on their resumes. More than half of the LinkedIn members pointed out that they do not regularly include such information on their resumes.

Ever the proactive social network, LinkedIn has reacted to the survey results by adding a new field to member profiles. LinkedIn members will now see a "Volunteer Experience & Causes" section which they can use to demonstrate their charitable attributes. The social network believes that showcasing volunteer experience is a powerful way for professionals to nurture meaningful connections; not to mention the fact that it can help someone's resume stand out among a sea of others.

When it comes to disclosing volunteer experience during a job search, there are a couple of common misconceptions professionals may fall into. For some people, charitable endeavors are very personal. They may feel that informing their potential employers of their past benevolent efforts may be tantamount to plain braggadocio. Yet other professionals fear that some employers may see them as "easy prey" who will accept low-paying or even unpaid assignments.

LinkedIn members can now search for other individuals who share similar volunteering interests. For charitable organizations such as the American Red Cross and the Make A Wish Foundation, LinkedIn's latest move can help to bolster their volunteer ranks by boosting awareness among LinkedIn members.

4 Tools For Improving Your Twitter Experience- Click here http://bit.ly/numcTv for full article

4 Tools For Improving Your Twitter Experience- Click here http://bit.ly/numcTv for full article

Twitter is a great way to promote your business, build your brand, and increase consumer awareness of your product or service. Most business accounts offer some form of minor customer support or feature deals in an effort to garner more followers. Building your businesses' awareness by using Twitter to spread information about updates and services is extremely effective, but maximizing the time you spend using your business Twitter account can be difficult. Here are five tools to help you get the most from your Twitter experience.

1. TweetWhen

TweetWhen is an invaluable tool that will analyze your past 1,000 tweets and give you a breakdown of the best times per day to tweet and the best day of the week to tweet for your specific term in order to get the maximum amount of consumer response and organic retweets. TweetWhen gives you an idea of when your consumer base is most active, so you can schedule tweets to them based on past performance.

2. Buffer

With the statistics you've gathered from TweetWhen, you probably want to take advantage of your window of opportunity to get tweets to your fanbase. However, you can't be around at the same time every day, especially if you've discovered that your consumers are most active during a time period when you're at work, or you're asleep. This is where Buffer comes in. Buffer allows you to schedule tweets to be spread out through the day, at any time in the day. That way you're tweeting what you what, when you want for maximum effectiveness. The best part is Buffer is available for multiple browsers and even your mobile device, so you never have to go without the service.

3. InboxQ

Becoming an authority in your niche is a great way to gain organic followers who are interested in your updates. InboxQ is a great app that lets you search for user defined filters on Twitter so you can begin assisting people with their questions. By helping people with their problems, your account gains more credibility and you are more likely to be followed and retweeted.

4. TwentyFeet

The final measure of success after you have employed all of these apps in order to boost your Twitter presence is whether or not you're gaining followers, having your tweets retweeted, and whether or not people are talking about your brand or service. TweentyFeet will tell you all of this and more. Consider the service like Google Analytics for tweets, as you can gather information about your retweets, your followers, and your impact overall on the Twitter community.