Business Tips From Facebook

Social media websites have made it easier for small businesses to market themselves online. Today, it is easy to get the word out about your products and services for free or at a low cost. The major cost you are likely to incur is time. Facebook is the largest social media website and is a great avenue for small businesses to reach their prospects.

The following tips will help you get the most out of your marketing efforts on Facebook.

1) Get found on the web
Ensure customers can easily find your business location online. Use tools such as Google Places and Facebook Places to claim the location of your business. Take advantage of free business listings at Angies List, SuperPages, Google Local Business Center, MerchantCircle, YellowPages.com and Yahoo! Local. Some of these sites allow users to leave reviews about your company or products and this can help you gain trust among new prospects.

At the listings, indicate your business name, URL, hours of business, location and other vital information that your prospects are likely to be looking for.

2) Become an expert
Marketing is not always about advertising your products. Prospects are in need of valuable content and will reward you by buying and being loyal to your brand if you offer them valuable content. You can create instructional videos, write how-to articles, post pictures and tweet about your business or service. Know your product well and help your prospects and customers know how to use it.

3) Create fan pages
Create a Facebook fan page for your business and interact with your customers or prospects on a regular basis. Use the page to make important announcements about your company, post tips on using your products, answer questions or queries from customers, initiate competitions to build your brand loyalty, among others. Do not talk to yourself; listen to what your customers are saying.

4) Use social media ads
If you want to steadily increase your fan page followers, go for ad funded options. Facebook allows users to initiate paid marketing campaigns. These can be effective when a business has a clearance sale, is looking for new leads, has introduced a new product or has a promotion. Facebook ads can be targeted to be displayed to prospects that meet a set criterion.

The above are some tips that can help any small business that is looking to get into social media marketing on Facebook.

Protect Your Business’s Trademark On Twitter- Click here http://bit.ly/rgRWts for full article

Protect Your Business’s Trademark On Twitter- Click here http://bit.ly/rgRWts for full article

Whether you are just starting your business or you are an established company, becoming a presence in social media can be an important step in the promotion of your endeavors. Understanding your options is important, as is interacting with your customers and protecting your trademark. Making the most of your Twitter account is essential in reaping the benefits of social media.

Twitter does not yet have any options for business owners to verify their accounts. This means that there is no official way for customers to know your Twitter is authentic for your business. However, by making your account has high visibility, you can ensure that customers know the account is linked to your company. Placing links from your website to your Twitter account assures that your customers will be directed to the correct account. These links can also be made from your associated Facebook, Foursquare, Google+, or your blog.

When building your Twitter profile, it is vital that you place your brand throughout. Within the profile, note that the account is the official account of your business. Use your company logo, colors, and slogan to help your customers identify the account easier. Customizing your Twitter profile can help to protect your trademark.

While Twitter does not allow you to reserve a Twitter name, there are some options if you have a more common business name. If a Twitter account has a similar name to your trademarked business and they are seemly trying to confuse your customers into following their account, a request can be made directly to Twitter.

If the account is found to be intentionally misleading your customers, Twitter may suspend the account and in turn give you access to the name. Understand that if the Twitter powers-that-be find the account is simply confusing but not misleading, they may give the account user time to rectify the situation and maintain the account. If someone has an account under the trademarked name of your business, Twitter has no commitment to transfer the ownership to you.

Using your Twitter account can benefit your business greatly. Being able to interact with your customers, promote your products and ideas, and provide assistance. Maintaining the trademark of your business is important, allowing your customers to find you easily and network you to their friends and family. By using the appropriate means of trademark security, your business Twitter account can achieve its maximum benefit.

5 Apps To Manage Business Finance- Click here http://bit.ly/o3Er5w for full article

5 Apps To Manage Business Finance- Click here http://bit.ly/o3Er5w for full article

Managing business finances can often be a difficult and time-consuming task. This is true for both small and large businesses. Luckily, there are a growing number of apps that are available that will help business owners save time and be more productive.

Pageonce

A lot of banks offer online banking and mobile apps as well. Depending on the specific bank, these will vary as to their usability and access. Pageonce is an app where the user can review many different accounts all at once. There are also options to set up various alerts and a handy report section where one can see how various accounts are broken down.

Financial Calculator

The able to calculate things such as bond valuation and rate of return can easily be done on the fly with the Financial Calculator. This app is powerful but very simple to use. Calculations are done quite quickly with this program.

TripLog/ 1040

When traveling, it is important to keep track of mileage. TripLog is able to manage several different vehicles and to keep all of this information well-organized. Once the trip is completed, all the information can be easily e-mailed to the office for reimbursement.

Receipts

In addition to vehicle mileage, expenses for purchases and meals need to be appropriately organized for accounting and reimbursement purposes. On the road, it is all too easy to end up with a pocket full of crumpled receipts. With this app, one can easily scan in receipts and organize all expenses.

Bloomberg

While on the go, keeping track of financial portfolios is necessary. With Bloomberg, one can check these as well as other investment news and keep on top of the latest news.

Business does not always take place in an office building. Keeping track of finances must be done while on the road and away from the office. With these five apps, any business owner or executive can keep track of expenses, log receipts and mileage and stay abreast of the latest stock trends and business news. For the savvy business person who must stay connected and connected, he needs these apps.

Social Media At Work- Click here http://bit.ly/o8UaEF for full article

Social Media At Work- Click here http://bit.ly/o8UaEF for full article

Hours in a work day: 8. Time spent social networking: 7. The other hour was lunch.

Other than being the butt end of a lot of productivity jokes, social networking has changed the playing field. Like it or not, many people are tuning into sites like linkedin, facebook and twitter for their daily dose of what's going on. Why fight it when you can use that power? You can make social networking a part of every employees daily responsibilities, just enough to satisfy their need to log on.

Facebook became a huge networking tool because it's easy to share information with hundreds of people. You can keep people apprised of new happenings at the company with a simple post to the wall. Have one of your workers in charge of that. How exciting would it be to be the person announcing the new big thing for the company?

Twitter is a great example of where someone's social networking skills can come into play. People love to read tweets. Why? Because they want some juicy gossip about this and that without having to read a huge post. Twitter does that in just a few short words and phrases. Get one of the workers to add a twitter post about something new and exciting happening at your company. You are missing a huge opportunity for your company by telling your workers not to use twitter.

Linkedin does exactly as it's name suggest: it keeps people "linked in". Business contacts are created every day using this tool. Why deprive yourself of that help?

Social networking provides a platform for someone to easily gather information. You know those people that post their homework problems they can't solve on facebook? Why can't your company use that same idea? You can also have a common platform for all of the employees by creating a page and having everyone follow on facebook or twitter to stay informed.

There are of course, things to be noted. It can be very easy to transition from using social networking for work, to just surfing your friends posts. If you assign workers to be in charge of your social networking page, make sure you choose responsible workers. What about everyone else? Vacations allow people an opportunity to recharge their batteries. Think of letting your workers check that celebrities tweet as a mini-vacation. They'll come back recharged. By harnessing the power of social networking, you can keep the workers happy and benefit yourself as well.

Buddy Media Soared $54 Million- Click here http://bit.ly/nwQodP for full article

Buddy Media Soared $54 Million- Click here http://bit.ly/nwQodP for full article

Buddy Media has recently folded dozens of new high-end companies into its customer base in the first half of 2011, ending up with $54 million Series D funding led by GGV Capital. Buddy Media has situated itself to be the single most important company in the world that is connecting companies to their customers through social media. Many business owners have begun realizing that a marketing campaign with at least one foot firmly in Facebook, Twitter, or any of the other social media sites will have immediate access to over a quarter of a billion potential customers.

Buddy Media set out with a simple goal, to provide companies an easy-to-use platform from which to launch a Facebook campaign. This company has recently evolved into something so much more in recent years. Their software was originally used to make eye-catching Facebook pages with some basic information to offer to business owners and advertising specialists. Buddy Media would instruct companies on which days to make posts, how to optimize every word being read, and how to relate social media directly into more revenue. After their purchase of a handful of smaller companies, Buddy Media is now offering almost every facet of online marketing that any company would need no matter its size.

This social media company has recently taken on some rather large clients including Ford Motor Company, ESPN, and Virgin Mobile USA. They now offer their customers everything from customized Facebook pages, to real-time analytics of their Twitter feeds and Facebook pages. Another key feature that has made this company invaluable to so many is their experience. No other company can compete with the experience of Buddy Media as they have turned the power of social media sites into a blend of art, business, efficiency.

This company lands somewhere between market analyses, graphic design, customer relations, and brand recognition. It was not just ten years ago that this style of market was practically non-existent, and it is now a multi-billion dollar industry that has been streamlined from the bottom up. For the business owner or management, this can revolutionize the way that their company finds and maintains a loyal customer base. There is no easier program to use that will direct countless customers towards a company and drive revenue up than what Buddy Media has established.

5 Ways To Use Facebook For Your Business- Click here http://bit.ly/obcDAo for full article

5 Ways To Use Facebook For Your Business- Click here http://bit.ly/obcDAo for full article 

Social networking has become one of the biggest trends for helping consumers and businesses connect. It’s become so important that Facebook recently launched a “Facebook for Business” manual that helps businesses to fully utilize the site’s social networking features. Here are five ways to make the most out of your business’s Facebook page.

Network with Your Customers

TWhile the average person uses Facebook to catch up with friends, businesses network with customers in a different way. A Facebook page allows a business to engage customers by asking them for tips on how to improve, and compliments on what they’re doing right. Businesses can even take this a step further by allowing customer service representatives to handle problems right from the page, with no long-winded e-mails or phone calls required.

Advertising

Facebook’s business pages are convenient in that they allow users to “like” a business. This allows you to have an almost captive audience for your advertising. Customers that “like” your page will see advertisements from your business in their news feed. Not only does this give you more exposure, it allows you to advertise to customers you know are already familiar with and fond of your business.

Website Integration

One of the best features of Facebook for businesses is that it allows you to integrate Facebook’s networking features directly on your business’s web site. This could mean anything from allowing Facebook users to comment on site news, or even allow customers to “like” and share products on your site with others on Facebook. This allows buzz to instantly be generated and transferred from your site to other potential customers.

Using Facebook as a Shopfront

Similarly to integrating Facebook features on your own website, certain parts of your website can be integrated into your business’s Facebook page. Since Facebook allows businesses to customize the tabs on their own page, the possibilities for shopping directly from your Facebook page are endless. Users can add items to a virtual shopping cart without ever leaving Facebook itself.

Special Offers

Lastly, Facebook is a great opportunity for allowing businesses to offer exclusive discounts to users. For instance, a user that “likes” your business’s page could be offered a special coupon. This incentivizes users for helping to promote your business through social networking, all while nurturing a relationship with current customers.

Having a social networking presence is becoming increasingly more important to businesses. Following these tips is a great start to building such a presence for your business.

Facebook Apps Allow Businesses To Use Social Media To Sell- Click here http://bit.ly/nZAkRA for full article

Facebook Apps Allow Businesses To Use Social Media To Sell- Click here http://bit.ly/nZAkRA for full article

The prevalence and ubiquity of Facebook has already made it one of the most attractive platforms for advertising and marketing. The potential for e-commerce on Facebook seems enormous, but thus far the social media giant has not exploded with online shops like eBay and Amazon. Some social networking purists argue that there is no place for online stores on Facebook or Twitter, but economic activity is a significant aspect of the social experience.

One of the reasons why Facebook isn't being overrun with online shops has to do with the site's aesthetics. History has shown that allowing anyone to arbitrarily set up shop on a site is not guaranteed to work. Anyone who is old enough to remember MySpace can remember the uninviting and visually chaotic stores that materialized once e-commerce arrived. Facebook's commitment to maintaining a clean and tasteful interface will never allow garish shops to invade their beloved social network.

Keep in mind that, according to the company, there are more than 750 million active members on Facebook. Half of them log in to the network at least once a day. Facebook's global reach is not only massive, it is also waiting for the right shops to come along.

Leveraging the shopping potential of Facebook is as easy as choosing the right apps. When the company introduced iFrame to developers, it practically left its doors wide open for online stores. Several outfits now offer e-commerce solutions for Facebook, complete with product catalogs, shopping carts, and instant checkout solutions such as PayPal Pro (also known as Website Payments Pro).

TabJuice is one of the leading solutions for online shops on Facebook. The focus of TabJuice is to empower retailers by allowing them to create great-looking and highly functional online storefronts from scratch. Although a high degree of customization in terms of display and layout is possible with TabJuice, the app's built in checks and balances ensure that no retailer ends up with a MySpace-looking storefront.

The integration of PayPal Pro is a major component of the TabJuice experience. PayPal Pro is a payment processing solution that empowers retailers by allowing them to easily conduct credit and debit card transactions. An important feature behind PayPal Pro is that its unique integration allows shoppers to stay in their chosen Facebook store while completing a purchase. As far as pricing goes, PayPal Pro is 14% lower on average when compared to rival merchant processors.

Facebook Apps Allow Businesses To Use Social Media To Sell- Click here http://bit.ly/nZAkRA for full article

Facebook Apps Allow Businesses To Use Social Media To Sell- Click here http://bit.ly/nZAkRA for full article

The prevalence and ubiquity of Facebook has already made it one of the most attractive platforms for advertising and marketing. The potential for e-commerce on Facebook seems enormous, but thus far the social media giant has not exploded with online shops like eBay and Amazon. Some social networking purists argue that there is no place for online stores on Facebook or Twitter, but economic activity is a significant aspect of the social experience.

One of the reasons why Facebook isn't being overrun with online shops has to do with the site's aesthetics. History has shown that allowing anyone to arbitrarily set up shop on a site is not guaranteed to work. Anyone who is old enough to remember MySpace can remember the uninviting and visually chaotic stores that materialized once e-commerce arrived. Facebook's commitment to maintaining a clean and tasteful interface will never allow garish shops to invade their beloved social network.

Keep in mind that, according to the company, there are more than 750 million active members on Facebook. Half of them log in to the network at least once a day. Facebook's global reach is not only massive, it is also waiting for the right shops to come along.

Leveraging the shopping potential of Facebook is as easy as choosing the right apps. When the company introduced iFrame to developers, it practically left its doors wide open for online stores. Several outfits now offer e-commerce solutions for Facebook, complete with product catalogs, shopping carts, and instant checkout solutions such as PayPal Pro (also known as Website Payments Pro).

TabJuice is one of the leading solutions for online shops on Facebook. The focus of TabJuice is to empower retailers by allowing them to create great-looking and highly functional online storefronts from scratch. Although a high degree of customization in terms of display and layout is possible with TabJuice, the app's built in checks and balances ensure that no retailer ends up with a MySpace-looking storefront.

The integration of PayPal Pro is a major component of the TabJuice experience. PayPal Pro is a payment processing solution that empowers retailers by allowing them to easily conduct credit and debit card transactions. An important feature behind PayPal Pro is that its unique integration allows shoppers to stay in their chosen Facebook store while completing a purchase. As far as pricing goes, PayPal Pro is 14% lower on average when compared to rival merchant processors.

8 Tips For Business Homepage Design- Click here http://bit.ly/rux53f for full article

8 Tips For Business Homepage Design- Click here http://bit.ly/rux53f for full article

Just like walking into a restaurant or store, your website’s homepage design gives visitors an impression of your business, and helps them decide whether to become customers. Here are 8 tips for business homepage design that will help show your business at its best.

1.) Maintain Your Brand’s Image
Your business’s homepage look and feel should tie in with your other marketing. Use your logo, color scheme and style to reinforce what your business is about. You want your customers to instantly associate the website to your business.

2.) Focus on Your Message
Let your design focus on the message you’d like to deliver to your customers. Too much information can distract viewers, and they may leave without the message you hoped they would take away.

3.) Ensure Your Homepage is Readable
Use fonts and colors that are readable, even for people with less-than-perfect vision. Keep in mind that more people are visiting websites using smart phones and tablets, which makes it even more important to keep things easy to read.

4.) Reduce Scrolling
Keep the most important information within the display size of the typical browser window. Your viewers will appreciate not having to scroll for essential information. Viewers tend to expect scrolling on other pages, so of the 8 tips for business homepage design, use this just for the homepage.

5.) Show Your Business’s Personality
Use your website to stand out from similar businesses by featuring what makes your business unique and fun. Most people prefer to do business with a company that makes it enjoyable.

6.) Keep Customers Up-to-date
When your business is active on social media such as Facebook and Twitter, embed feeds from these status updates to keep your homepage content fresh. One caveat, if you can’t commit to keeping up with social media, don’t use this tip. It will leave a poor impression if your status updates are weeks old.

7.) Use a Featured Image
When your homepage has a featured image, it will show next to the link code when someone shares your homepage on Facebook or Google+. A good featured image entices viewers to click the link to your site.

8.) Remember SEO
If you hope to rank well with the search engines, you’ll have to consider search engine optimization. Your homepage might be light on text, but check your keywords and use them judiciously. Of course, you’ll use behind-the-scenes code to add a page title, description and alternate text on your images. This one of the 8 tips for business homepage design applies to all your pages.

Yes AOL Is Still Around, AOL Advertising- Click here http://bit.ly/mRzrVF for full article

Yes AOL Is Still Around, AOL Advertising- Click here http://bit.ly/mRzrVF for full article

American Online has been a cornerstone of the internet since it went online in the very first home. This company has enjoyed high peaks of service as well as multi-year slumps. After Google and other advertisement gurus begun to pick up speed in 2007, it looked like America Online was nearing the end of its lifespan. This was all until AOL took an aggressive turn for the better and began showing impressive profits in the first quarter of 2011. This had made AOL advertising the perfect option for businesses and business owners that are looking for an effective online component to their overall marketing strategy.

One of the changing points for American Online within the past few months is an increased network of advertising mediums including their news operation Patch and the acquisition of Huffington Post. These two news services have recently undergone aggressive expansion into new towns and providers across the country, allowing AOL new platforms from which to launch their AOL advertising tools.

Within the realm of online advertising and publishers, American Online is boasting some impressive numbers as of the beginning of 2011. They are currently in partnership with 91 of AdAge's Top 100 advertisers and 74 of comScore's Top 100 publishers are in their network as well. For businesses looking to expand their reach, this means that AOL advertising has more websites, dynamic ads, and the ability to reach more people with clearer information.

Another key point when determining to advertise with AOL is their rights to a substantial amount of information. America Online's dominance in the internet for so many years has resulted in their vast resources and mediums. From their instant messaging system to an email with tens of millions of users, they have the ability reach countless customers over multiple platforms. They also utilize a team of 50 researchers and developers to create a dynamic system of offering the correct ad to the best customer at the right time.

Whether a business is looking to expand their advertising campaign or become worldwide ad publishers, AOL has become an outstanding tool. Their teams has streamlined the process of signing up, developing ads, and reaching the correct demographics at a great price.

Your Phone Number on Facebook- Click here http://bit.ly/mVhySd for full article

Your Phone Number on Facebook- Click here http://bit.ly/mVhySd for full article

Every time Facebook updates their site with a new information-sharing setting, many people misinterpret the update and send out blasts warning all their friends of the new "privacy invasion." These rumors cause mass hysteria like that unleashed most recently when Facebook launched a new feature called "Contacts," previously known as "Phonebook." According to the rumors, Facebook collects all the phone numbers from your mobile phone and makes them available to all of your friends.

This rumor is completely false. When you download Facebook's app for your mobile phone, your contact list is synced with your friends list, allowing you to get to all the phone numbers in your phone from the Facebook mobile app. The misunderstanding most likely occured because users could see the phone numbers of friends who did not make their phone numbers visible. This made it look like Facebook shared his or her number when in actuality, it was in your phone when you synced it to Facebook.

If you would like to see how the Facebook Contacts feature works, simply log into your profile, click "Accounts" and select "Edit Friends." On the left is a column. Choose "Contacts," and a list of all your Facebook friends and their contact information is displayed. Facebook also uses the numbers in your phone to find friend suggestions which is another feature that has many members of the site nervous.

Even though this feature is not the widespread privacy invasion so many users believed it was, many people are still upset. They feel that Facebook users should not be automatically included in "Contacts", but instead have to actively choose to opt into the feature.

If you are one of the users who do not want your cell phone contacts synced with Facebook, you can remove your imported contacts. It is important that you monitor your privacy settings to ensure that sensitive information you would rather keep private or viewable by only a few different people is protected. For example, posting a phone number accessible by everyone can make that number vulnerable to spamming and telemarketing tactics. Familiarity with privacy settings can keep this under control.

Create Customer Growth with 12 Marketing Strategies for Businesses- Click here http://bit.ly/rqfp0d for full article

Create Customer Growth with 12 Marketing Strategies for Businesses- Click here http://bit.ly/rqfp0d for full article

Successful business relationships can be accomplished through effective marketing strategies. After all, customers are responsible for a successful business. The following are 12 marketing strategies for businesses that will create customer growth.

1. Banners are great ways to attract attention from passerbys. An employee can stand outside holding up a sign that advertises a bargain or discount on your product.

2. Flyers can be placed in the door hinges of homes. This method is effective because it is non-invasive, customers will see it, and serves as a friendly reminder of your services.

3. Door to door advertising companies can make coupon books to be sold directly to the customer at their home. This service is free to you and canvasers talk to 80-100 people per day about your business.

4. Telemarketers can set appointments and advertise your services in a curteous and polite manner.

5. Radio advertisements are effective because they use catchy tunes that resonate with each listener.

6. A business ad can be placed on online blogs that are viewed by millions of subscribers. These ads might accompany blogs that give how to advice.

7. Television commercials might be a little more expensive and time-consuming, but is the most effective of the 12 marketing strategies for business in terms of reaching a wide, diverse audience at one time.

8. Advertising on blimps that float through the sky make very powerful statements. Companies such as Goodyear thrive on this marketing technique.

9. Booths at summer fairs catch customers when they are relaxed and care free. Use drawings that award winning prizes and inform them of your business in the process.

10. Magnets are great little memorabilia to pass out to customers that they can place on their refrigerator. These are ideal for pizza chains and auto shops because of their convenience.

11. There are many t-shirt design companies and artists that offer great rates to businesses that want to print their logo on fabric. Let other people advertise for you!

12. Billboards are effective because of their large size and customers view them on their way to work, shopping, or other errands.

The afforementioned 12 marketing strategies for businesses are tips for generating more customers. In the long run, reaching a wide and diverse target market is essential to better business.

Disney And Facebook- Two Powerhouses In The Entertainment Industry- Click here http://bit.ly/ok5zok for full article

Disney And Facebook- Two Powerhouses In The Entertainment Industry- Click here http://bit.ly/ok5zok for full article

Disney is one of the biggest employers in the world. The Disney Crporation owns many theme parks all over the world and the ABC TV network. Like most other businesses, Disney has joined the world of social media through one of the most popular social media networks, Facebook. The Disney Crporation has its own Facebook page as well as having Facebook pages for Disneyland and Disneyworld. There is a separate page for Disney movies, Pixar, which Disney owns, and the Walt Disney Animation Studios. With such a presence on Facebook, Disney has millions of fans following each of their pages.

The Disney Facebook page features pictures of Disney characters as well as interesting facts and statistics about the company. They get thousands of comments on each status update they put on their various pages. Their Facebook page advertises new movies that Disney is releasing as well as classic Disney movies. Disney's Facebook pages also include links to their pages on other social media sites. The various Facebook pages also give out the address and contact information for Disney's offices and theme parks, in addition to offering quizzes about Disney characters and movies.

The Disney Pixar Facebook page contains screenshots from their movies and gives their fans access to trailers for upcoming Disney Pixar movies, as well as including behind the scenes exclusives from some of their movies. Ticket give-aways also appear on the Disney Pixar Facebook page, giving fans a chance to win tickets to the newest Disney Pixar release and information about release parties for movies opening soon.

Each Disney movie gets its own Facebook page to help advertise the movie and get fans excited about upcoming releases from the company. Fans can find out when their favorite Disney movies will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Disney has had unprecedented success due to the advent of social media. Fans can interact with other fans and with the company, in ways that were unheard of in the early days of Disney. Facebook has made it easy for fans to share their favorite Disney movies and characters with people all over the world.

Facebook vs. Shagbook: The Legal Battle Of Trademarks- Click here http://bit.ly/onj3hY for full article

Facebook vs. Shagbook: The Legal Battle Of Trademarks- Click here http://bit.ly/onj3hY for full article

It's pretty clear that Facebook is going to go after anyone that even slightly infringes upon the trademark of its popular social media network. But how far are they willing to go and at what cost?
Recently, Facebook filed suits against Teachbook and Facebookofsex.com run by Friendfinder Networks because the names and actual sites were believed to be too close to its brand. While these disputes are still ongoing, Facebook also attacked the United Kingdom's Shagbook, an adult dating site. The suit was first filed in May but the recent counter by Shagbook has made this trademark legal battle very interesting.
It's true that if you wander over to Shagbook that the site's logo and visual format resembles Facebook's interface. However, Shagbook attorneys argue that its site is clearly a dating site while Facebook is a more generalized social media network. How could anyone be confused, they ask?

Speaking of generalizations, the real controversy started recently when Shagbook actually filed a countersuit saying the term "facebook" was too general and Facebook executives had even used the word in general terms themselves. Shagbook attorneys say that Facebook should have never been allowed to trademark the term in the first place.
According to The Inquirer, Shagbook researched the history of the word "facebook" and came up with this: "Books containing pictures of the members of an organization along with biographical information have been in existence for many decades." Therefore, they argue, Shagbook easily fits within the definition and should be allowed to use the word "book" in its name. Shagbook, much like Facebook, allows users to add photos and biographical information and connect with others within the network.
Shagbook also wants it to be known that it's been around longer than Facebook. Its owner has used the term "shagbook" since 2000 and the website was developed in 2006, which was before Facebook became popular. Shagbook executives simply ask, "Shouldn't we be suing you?" And that's exactly what they did.
Shagbook has also accused Facebook of "trademark bullying" because of the company's frequent and unrelenting lawsuits against a multitude of similar social networking sites. Many of these sites are not as popular or as large as Shagbook and simply don't have the means to fight the social media giant. But Shagbook is clearly taking a stand. A Shagbook representative told Mashable that they planned to "vigorously defend the Shagbook mark."
The question now is has Facebook gone so far that it might lose its own trademark?

Jelli Goes Live in Las Vegas!- Click here http://bit.ly/p8s1Dd for full article

Jelli Goes Live in Las Vegas!- Click here http://bit.ly/p8s1Dd for full article

On June 30, 2011, Jelli arrived in Las Vegas. Attractive, vibrant and inviting, Jelli has already attracted thousands of listeners who are now devoted fans. Jelli is not a new musical performer but an innovative user-powered radio format which has taken over two terrestrial FM radio stations in Las Vegas, KXLI and KYLI, with its unique brand of real-time social radio.

This is an exciting and hopeful time for traditional radio. Jelli is revolutionizing radio, transforming it from a passive experience to an interactive world of excitement and social connection. It's like playing a massive multi-player role playing game with music!

What is Jelli? Jelli is a radically new radio format that allows listeners to decide on their favorite tracks and provide real-time feedback to the station. That's right, instantaneous listener requests actually determine the playlists on Jelli stations. Jelli stations are entirely automated, and without DJs, depend solely on listener input to decide what gets played.

How does Jelli work? It's based on a simple rating system familiar to anyone who's ever used a social network. You begin by looking through the station's database of music tracks and picking out the ones you like. For each track that a Jelli station plays, you get to vote, using your favorite mobile device or via the Web, on whether the track "rocks" or "sucks". You can discuss your choices in the forum, and decisions can be shared on Twitter and Facebook. Once you've put in enough Jelli time, you can even become a super-user and "rocket" your very favorite tracks to the top of the music chart, or "bomb" them to the bottom so you never have to hear them again.

Jelli is the brainchild of Mike Dougherty, who believes that social is the future of the internet and of American culture. As social media allow billions of people to express their needs, desires and preferences directly, Jelli uses crowd-sourcing to turn radio into another dynamic social experience. Dougherty has now partnered with Triton Media to bring Jelli into homes, cars and mobile devices. Director of product Sarah Bacon says Jelli is unlike Pandora in that you actually have the opportunity to interact with many other people rather than simply creating a personal playlist.

Some radio stations have certain time blocks devoted to Jelli, while a growing number of stations are all Jelli. With the additions of KXLI and KYLI, Las Vegas is the first city to have two full-time Jelli stations. Formerly KHIJ and KVBE, these stations will now be devoted to Jelli's rock and pop services.

Twitter Reaches Over $1 Billion In Total Funding- Click here http://bit.ly/pZyjTr for full article

Twitter Reaches Over $1 Billion In Total Funding- Click here http://bit.ly/pZyjTr for full article

Twitter has recently completed a second round of venture capitalist funding. Rumored at $800 million, this puts the total estimated funding at $1.15 billion dollars. The company is looking to continue adding employees and seek out new demographics. As one of the largest players in the social media market, Twitter has yet to have a revenue source other than venture capital. The site maintains an ad-free format and does not have a tiered user structure, two of the most common ways to profit off of an interactive website.

Twitter has seen enormous growth over the last year. With an increasing number of applications that utilize Twitter, this social site is beginning to play an integral part in many applications and environments. Twitter has surpassed the one million mark in terms of applications utilizing its social network. Now that it has spawned derivative companies and spin-offs, Twitter may need to begin looking at a viable system of sustainable revenue.

Social sites such as Twitter have begun playing an increasingly large role in spontaneous demonstrations, as well as a barometer of collective voice. With trending topics a source of constantly updating social consciousness, many companies are beginning to foray into Twitter's sponsored trending topics. The ability to place an advertisement on a medium which actively engages users to visit external sites is one of the leading reasons why companies are pursuing these opportunities.

The user base of Twitter has grown exponentially over the past few years. With over one billion tweets sent every five days, the user experience has seen an increase in topics and conversations available. Features have also encouraged users to spend more time on the site. The ability to securely send tweets via the HTTPS protocol, as well as efforts to increase localization to further hone in on the customs of various communities. Events such as the government protests in Egypt as well as other locales around the world demonstrate how Twitter can be applied in real world efforts to organize and disseminate information.

Twitter has a strong user base and loyal commitment. Their increasing mobile presence, as well as the direct integration into a multitude of applications and other pieces of software, has enabled them to be a direct and viable service for millions of people on the go. This latest round of funding will further encourage their efforts and enable them to spread out into even more locales, demographics, and opportunities.

Can Smartphones Be Used As Criminal Evidence?- Click here http://bit.ly/nKKGRg for full article

Can Smartphones Be Used As Criminal Evidence?- Click here http://bit.ly/nKKGRg for full article

Smartphone usage is increasingly becoming one of the most ubiquitous factor of life in the 21st century. Research data published by the International Data Corporation during the final quarter of 2010 indicated that smartphones outpaced desktop computers in sales. These figures aren't surprising to the tech-savvy crowd. It's not that PC sales are slowing down, it's just that more and more people are interested in carrying Internet-connected devices that feature many of the same functions as their home and work PCs.

The growing omnipresence of smartphones is influencing the way that law enforcement and the legal community perceive these devices. Police officers, federal agents, and prosecutors already know the potential trove of information that a suspect's smartphone may store: where the suspect has been (geolocation), what he or she likes to view and read online (browser history), information they may be interested in (search history), who the suspect's associates are, where they live, what they look like (contacts and photo galleries), and more.

Due to the portability and versatility of smartphones, we tend to store more potentially damning information on them. There's something about having a powerful multifunctional device in our hands that moves us to trust it with our deepest secrets; information that we wouldn't normally store in our desktop computers at home or at work. This is intimate information that can easily end up in the social media realm if we choose to share it right from our smartphones.

What is even more troubling is that social media often takes kindly to storing and neatly organizing all the information mentioned above in ways that can be easily accessed by smartphones. Most social media enterprises go to great lengths to ensure that users can access their sites via their smartphones with innovative apps that can be easily downloaded for free.

Many smartphone users have already developed deep personal attachments to their beloved devices and thus think of them as items subject to the principles of privacy and inviolability. But smartphones and their less intelligent ancestors (cell phones) have already been entered as evidence in criminal court, and law enforcement officers are quite fond of sleuthing around the contents of smartphones. The London Metropolitan Police Service already trains its officers to efficiently gather evidence contained in smartphones. And in the United States, the Supreme Court of California ruled on a 2011 drug trafficking case that police officers do not need to obtain search warrants to examine a suspect's cell phone.

Rumblefish Now Helping Developers Add Licensed Music- Click here http://bit.ly/qjZ6oi for full article

Rumblefish Now Helping Developers Add Licensed Music- Click here http://bit.ly/qjZ6oi for full article

In an increasingly litigious world, many content producers have to be extremely careful not to violate any copyrights held on third-party media they wish to include in videos and blog posts. Nowhere is this more true than in the field of music. Torrent sites being shut down left and right show that the MPAA is somewhat clueless when it comes to addressing the issue of file sharing and copyright infringement. There are many users who would gladly pay digital rights holders a licensing fee to use their work, if only there were a relatively inexpensive and convenient way to do so.

Fortunately, a licensing company by the name of Rumblefish has stepped in to fill the void with a creative solution. Last week, they opened up their API to independent developers so that anyone with the will and know-how can create applications that allow music embedding and licensing for everyday bloggers and end-users. It's free to apply for a partnership, and developers can even get a cut of the revenue their applications generate from licensing fees. While Rumblefish already has deals with services like HighlightCam and Clipik, releasing their API will only increase the options for using music legally in Youtube and Vimeo videos at an affordable rate.

The percentage of revenue that developers can expect from their applications will depend on their specific programs, but it'll still be a potentially lucrative sector for motivated coders. At present, Rumblefish offers access to over 4 million songs through their API. With all that variety and choice, this could be a major game-changer when it comes to digital content licensing on the web. Not that Rumblefish is without competition. Another company by the name of Audiosocket also offers a similar Music As A Service platform with much of the same functionality. Competition tends to breed excellence, so it'll be interesting to see how this environment shapes up over the coming year.

Ultimately, Rumblefish's release of their API to the public is a positive step forward when it comes to digital rights management online. Allowing consumers, content producers, and developers a straight-forward and hassle-free way to incorporate copyright-protected music into their creations just makes sense. When people have reasonable options in regards to using and sharing others' content, they tend to shy away from piracy and copyright infringement. Though there are some who'd like to see patents and copyrights go away entirely, Rumblefish's model is the next best thing.

Rumblefish Now Helping Developers Add Licensed Music- Click here http://bit.ly/qjZ6oi for full article

Rumblefish Now Helping Developers Add Licensed Music- Click here http://bit.ly/qjZ6oi for full article

In an increasingly litigious world, many content producers have to be extremely careful not to violate any copyrights held on third-party media they wish to include in videos and blog posts. Nowhere is this more true than in the field of music. Torrent sites being shut down left and right show that the MPAA is somewhat clueless when it comes to addressing the issue of file sharing and copyright infringement. There are many users who would gladly pay digital rights holders a licensing fee to use their work, if only there were a relatively inexpensive and convenient way to do so.

Fortunately, a licensing company by the name of Rumblefish has stepped in to fill the void with a creative solution. Last week, they opened up their API to independent developers so that anyone with the will and know-how can create applications that allow music embedding and licensing for everyday bloggers and end-users. It's free to apply for a partnership, and developers can even get a cut of the revenue their applications generate from licensing fees. While Rumblefish already has deals with services like HighlightCam and Clipik, releasing their API will only increase the options for using music legally in Youtube and Vimeo videos at an affordable rate.

The percentage of revenue that developers can expect from their applications will depend on their specific programs, but it'll still be a potentially lucrative sector for motivated coders. At present, Rumblefish offers access to over 4 million songs through their API. With all that variety and choice, this could be a major game-changer when it comes to digital content licensing on the web. Not that Rumblefish is without competition. Another company by the name of Audiosocket also offers a similar Music As A Service platform with much of the same functionality. Competition tends to breed excellence, so it'll be interesting to see how this environment shapes up over the coming year.

Ultimately, Rumblefish's release of their API to the public is a positive step forward when it comes to digital rights management online. Allowing consumers, content producers, and developers a straight-forward and hassle-free way to incorporate copyright-protected music into their creations just makes sense. When people have reasonable options in regards to using and sharing others' content, they tend to shy away from piracy and copyright infringement. Though there are some who'd like to see patents and copyrights go away entirely, Rumblefish's model is the next best thing.