Facebook, Social Media News & Practices

A recent report from eMarketer says Facebook's total revenue, which includes advertising and other sources -- such as Facebook Credits -- is expected to hit US $4.27 billion this year. That's more than double the US$ 2 billion that the social networking giant is estimated to have earned in 2010. 

After around three months in a rather broad private beta, Google+ steps up a notch with a new public beta, open to all comers that offers new features including search, wider hangouts and improved smartphone support.

Say what you will about Facebook, it’s still a targeted marketing platform used by companies, organizations and brands alike. And though a company’s Facebook page may be less frequented once fans are cultivated, its design is still heavily regarded as a sign of an engaged brand. But designing professional-quality Facebook tabs isn’t always easy. Until now.

Looks like Attensity is getting with the social times. The company announced the addition of a Facebook module to its analytics and engagement application, enabling business users to extract business insights from the network's comments, posts and surveys.

Social media moves so fast, it's hard to keep up. Here are the week's top stories in scan-friendly format:

• Twitter Launches Analytics Product
• Facebook Unveils Smart Lists
• Tumblr Goes Big With Massive Traffic Increase
• Posterous Launches New Version, Guns for Google Plus

While this series has been about social media marketing, we haven’t talked much about the actual social media channels you can use to spread your message, engage your users and amplify your brand. Until now.

Implementing a social media marketing strategy within the enterprise doesn’t happen overnight. Getting the C-suite on board can be a lengthy, laborious task. Yet, once you finally get their approval, you’re actually expected to be able to accurately measure and interpret its impact. Those looking for the right tool may want to consider a new tool, Back At You.

Social media moves so fast, it's hard to keep up. Here are the week's top stories in scan-friendly format:

• LinkedIn Adds Volunteer Experience
• Links Shared On YouTube Persist Longest
• More Than a Quarter of US Adults Use Mobile and Location Services
• Instagram Gains 50 Millionth User

Organizations on the lookout for a content management system with social networking and CRM features might want to look into Trunity Connect. The newly-launched enterprise CMS features a secure SaaS package with social networking, document management and analytics capabilities that will come in useful in various industries.

Social media moves so fast, it's hard to keep up. Here are the week's top stories in scan-friendly format:

•  Half of Americans Use Social Media
•  Beyonce Causes New Twitter Record
•  Flickr Enhances Location Security With Geofences
•  Beyonce Causes New Twitter Record

When your business, from a mom-and-pop outfit to a local store, starts using social media, things can be confusing as you move from a personal-use mindset to a sales, marketing or support style of use.

A year ago, Google was looking for answers to its problem of a lack of a social face. Now that it has Google+, it is ditching the acquisitions and experiments that failed along the way.

Social Business came up in conversation at one of the press events I attended this week, but instead of the usual it-is-the-best-thing-ever tone, I found myself in the midst of a group questioning why so many people still have an aversion to it. Specifically, we wondered why software modeled after Facebook is still worrying so many professionals when the benefits are exceedingly obvious. 

Social media moves so fast, it's hard to keep up. Here are the week's top stories in scan-friendly format:

• Facebook Alters Privacy Functionality
• ComScore: Social Media Site Traffic Up Sharply
• StumbleUpon Delivers Most Referral Traffic
• Location Wars: Facebookers Love Starbucks

Social networking is a tough business these days, even if you're at the top of the game, like Facebook. Google might have made repeated attempts -- and failures -- to make a dent in Facebook's social networking business, but the search giant's most recent effort, Google+,  is seen as serious competition by Facebook with its simplicity and potential for being a viable platform for apps and games. In the face of tough competition, Facebook is looking into beefing up its capabilities through acquisitions that will improve its services and capabilities.