Social network service – Gabriel Catalano®

Is Foursquare a Waste of Time? – Plus Infographic | by Jeff Bullas

Written by Jeff Bullas | jeffbullas.com

Social media networks sometimes seem a bit schizophrenic.

They are both a place to play and socialize and increasingly they are also where you can market your business.

Facebook was never meant to be a social network to create a brand page and collect tens millions of fans that is now common place with the global brands such as Coca Cola.

Twitter started off as a private messaging technology that was not designed to be a social network.

Some social networks such as LinkedIn were purpose built from day one to provide a networking portal for business people.

Games have a significant presence on social networks and are a significant revenue driver. It is reported that social games on Facebook such as Farmville and Mafia Wars generate up to 30% of Facebook’s revenue.

The Rise of Location Based Social Apps

The development and rapid growth of the GPS enabled smartphone technology has enabled location based social apps such as Foursquare to become a force in social networking.

Foursquare is a location based social networking app and website for mobile devices. Users can check-in with their mobile phones. Each check-in awards the user points

The current numbers for location based apps are significant and at the end of 2011 Foursquare revealed the following

15 million registered users
1 billion checkins
Announced US nationwide partnerships with American Express
600,000 merchants
170 million API calls per day

These numbers do indicate that it is obtaining some critical mass (mainly in the USA). This is vital for Foursquare as it requires significant numbers and scale to be meaningful for major brands.

The Competitors Continuar leyendo «Is Foursquare a Waste of Time? – Plus Infographic | by Jeff Bullas»

Ten Social Networking Mistakes to Avoid When Marketing Your Business

Business owners worldwide are utilizing various social media platforms to promote products and reach out to consumers.

Many companies thrive, thanks to strong web presence. However, some struggle as a result of costly mistakes made during the online marketing process. Thus, before you began marketing your business it is advisable to brush up on your social media skills.

Better yet, read on for a crash course on the ten most common social networking mistakes and how you can avoid making them yourself.
#1. No Clear Social Marketing Strategy

Forbes columnist Pamela Springer notes that many business owners fail to properly budget their resources. “Even though many social media applications are free,” she writes, “th

http://www.jeffbullas.com

Written by Kate Manning – View Comments

Business owners worldwide are utilizing various social media platforms to promote products and reach out to consumers.

Many companies thrive, thanks to strong web presence. However, some struggle as a result of costly mistakes made during the online marketing process. Thus, before you began marketing your business it is advisable to brush up on your social media skills.

Better yet, read on for a crash course on the ten most common social networking mistakes and how you can avoid making them yourself.

#1. No Clear Social Marketing Strategy

Forbes columnist Pamela Springer notes that many business owners fail to properly budget their resources. “Even though many social media applications are free,” she writes, “they still cost small businesses time – and time equals money.” She suggests a formal online marketing plan, with a clear goal for each step of the process.

>>>>> Continuar leyendo «Ten Social Networking Mistakes to Avoid When Marketing Your Business»

Create a Buzz on LinkedIn — Without Buzzwords

Instead of stuffing your profile with buzzwords, use the new year as an excuse to clean out your profile and improve the way in which you showcase yourself. Highlight your skills, previous roles you’ve had and recommendations from those who’ve worked closely with you as key starting points to a better LinkedIn profile.

Melanie Wright | http://socialmediatoday.com

Since it’s early in the year and many of you have made resolutions to really use your LinkedIn profiles this year, we thought it would be a good idea to go over what NOT to do.

This past December, LinkedIn posted a blog that listed the top 10 overused buzzwords in LinkedIn profiles in the United States. At first glance, it’s easy to see how users get confused with the term “buzzword.» After all, it does sound like a good thing to use them to set you apart from the crowd. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

According to LinkedIn the top 10 most overused buzzwords in 2011 were:

Creative
Organizational
Effective
Extensive Experience
Track Record
Motivated
Innovative
Problem Solving
Communication Skills
Dynamic Continuar leyendo «Create a Buzz on LinkedIn — Without Buzzwords»

Twitter Slams Google: Social Search Changes Are ‘Bad for People’

Often, they want to know more about world events and breaking news. Twitter has emerged as a vital source of this real-time information, with more than 100 million users sending 250 million Tweets every day on virtually every topic. As we’ve seen time and time again, news breaks first on Twitter; as a result, Twitter accounts and Tweets are often the most relevant results.

We’re concerned that as a result of Google’s changes, finding this information will be much harder for everyone. We think that’s bad for people, publishers, news organizations and Twitter users.

by Chris Taylor
http://mashable.com/2012/01/10/twitter-google-social-search/#view_as_one_page-gallery_box3763

The social networking war just heated up a few degrees.

After Google announced Tuesday morning that it would more closely integrate Google+ into its regular search results, vocal opposition to the changes arrived Tuesday afternoon from an unlikely source: Twitter.

A statement from the microblogging company said Twitter’s real-time information was often the most relevant result on Google. “As we’ve seen time and time again, news breaks first on Twitter,” the company said. “We’re concerned that as a result of Google’s changes, finding this information will be much harder for everyone.”

The Google update, known as “Search Plus Your World,” blends Google+ pages that have been made public in with regular search results on Google — although the Google+ results are clearly annotated. It’s a fairly major update for Google+ users — of which there are now reportedly 62 million — and a fairly minor update for the rest of us.

Still, it evidently got the warning klaxons blaring over at Twitter HQ. Here’s the complete statement, care of Twitter spokesman Matt Graves:

For years, people have relied on Google to deliver the most relevant results anytime they wanted to find something on the Internet.

Often, they want to know more about world events and breaking news. Twitter has emerged as a vital source of this real-time information, with more than 100 million users sending 250 million Tweets every day on virtually every topic. As we’ve seen time and time again, news breaks first on Twitter; as a result, Twitter accounts and Tweets are often the most relevant results.

We’re concerned that as a result of Google’s changes, finding this information will be much harder for everyone. We think that’s bad for people, publishers, news organizations and Twitter users. Continuar leyendo «Twitter Slams Google: Social Search Changes Are ‘Bad for People’»

Our obsession with social networks guarantees their advertising power

In a comScore study posted today, we are reminded of what we already knew; Facebook is an absolute beast when it comes to cornering people’s time online.

For example, this stat seemed so insane, I thought it was fake at first:

Social networking accounts for nearly 1 in every 5 minutes spent online in October 2011

Social networking is a hobby of 82 percent of the global Internet population, which sits at around 1.2 billion users. Just a reminder, Facebook has over 800 million users. Facebook most definitely owns social networking.
Stats and Thoughts

In October, Facebook reached more than half (55 percent) of the world’s global audience and accounted for 1 in every 7 minutes spent online around the world and 3 in every 4 social networking minutes.

Facebook’s users aren’t just loyal, they’re obsessed. These types of numbers show that the features that social network is building have one goal; to keep you on Facebook, and not let you leave. If you take a look at the most recent changes on the site, such as the Ticker and Timeline, they’re built to keep you digging into someone’s profile and content.

In October, Twitter reached 1 in 10 Internet users worldwide, growing 59 percent in the past year.

Facebook’s game is engagement, while Twitter is surging to touch as many people as possible. It’s safe to say that Twitter will never get anywhere close to the engagement numbers that Facebook has, and it doesn’t want them. With its latest redesign, the site is becoming easier to use, as Facebook is becoming more complicated. Twitter is betting that simplicity will win out, and eyeballs for any amount of time is key. The company actually has a shot to get more eyeballs in 2012 than Facebook if it stays focused and keeps being integrated into every mainstream property possible.

by Drew Olanoff
http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2011/12/22/our-obsession-with-social-networks-guarantees-their-advertising-power/

In a comScore study posted today, we are reminded of what we already knew; Facebook is an absolute beast when it comes to cornering people’s time online.

For example, this stat seemed so insane, I thought it was fake at first:

Social networking accounts for nearly 1 in every 5 minutes spent online in October 2011

Stats and Thoughts

In October, Facebook reached more than half (55 percent) of the world’s global audience and accounted for 1 in every 7 minutes spent online around the world and 3 in every 4 social networking minutes.

In October, Twitter reached 1 in 10 Internet users worldwide, growing 59 percent in the past year.

Social Networking – A Magic Trick for Business Promotion

With the passage of time we have witnessed so many changes when it comes to internet. Sometimes it gets hard to decide if these changes are for good or bad or if they have made our lives easier or difficult. Obviously, everything in this world has its own pros and cons. These days we can find innumerable freelancers and designers so establishing yourself as a new designer can get really hard at times. To be honest, marketing yourself is not an easy task. One of the major reasons why people do not opt for proper advertising and marketing is that it is really expensive. But, people are good at finding alternatives and so these designers have also fine one.

Social media is being used worldwide these days for the promotions of businesses. You have two advantages of using social mediums. Firstly, you get to promote your business without having to spend too much. Secondly, you get to socialize with your friends on n off as well. But as said earlier, social medium too has advantages and disadvantages, depending how you utilize the medium. You can make it useful or a big waste of time as well. Much like passing out your business cards, social networking is a great way to get exposure to you, your company, and your brand. A good mail hosting gives a nice impact to your website. This is also agreat option for those people or companies who try to gain customers.”

By Arfa Mirza
http://www.dzinepress.com/2011/02/social-networking-a-magic-trick-for-business-promotion/

With the passage of time we have witnessed so many changes when it comes to internet. Sometimes it gets hard to decide if these changes are for good or bad or if they have made our lives easier or difficult. Obviously, everything in this world has its own pros and cons. These days we can find innumerable freelancers and designers so establishing yourself as a new designer can get really hard at times. To be honest, marketing yourself is not an easy task. One of the major reasons why people do not opt for proper advertising and marketing is that it is really expensive. But, people are good at finding alternatives and so these designers have also fine one.

Social media is being used worldwide these days for the promotions of businesses. You have two advantages of using social mediums. Firstly, you get to promote your business without having to spend too much. Secondly, you get to socialize with your friends on n off as well. But as said earlier, social medium too has advantages and disadvantages, depending how you utilize the medium. You can make it useful or a big waste of time as well. Much like passing out your business cards, social networking is a great way to get exposure to you, your company, and your brand. A good mail hosting gives a nice impact to your website. This is also agreat option for those people or companies who try to gain customers.”

Following tips may help you a lot in using social networking websites or medium in a positive manner:

Focus on the Finishing Line Continuar leyendo «Social Networking – A Magic Trick for Business Promotion»

Why Make Effective Networking Part Of Your Freelance Job

Being a freelancer is no regular job to do. It takes a lot of hard work to become successful in this field. And as a freelancer, it is essential to build contacts for your business work. You need sufficient references – people who work out as your clients. You need people to help you deliver expected results. So what drastic steps should you do in establishing contacts for your business?

This is where effective networking comes in. Networking simply means the act of creating, extending and maintaining personal connections with different types of people in the business. It is a way to seek sources for opportunities like extending business to more clients and how to gain technical expertise.

http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/networking-freelance/
Posted in: Web Design • Written by: riza_gamutan

Networking is easily achieved if the person steps out of his normal work environment. This is because most people are so engrossed with what they work and the people that surround them. If they just only start breaking loose from what they are accustomed with, it is the only way towards building an effective network.

Why the need for networking?

networking
Image by Laura Leavell

1) Finding jobs easily through connections

Networking can help you land jobs of your dreams. Take for instance a manager who has sought another employment. With networking, he is able to extend jobs to his former colleagues even if distance has kept them apart. With the right connection, he gets to choose his own team in the current employment. Hence, this could be another step to achieve the company’s objectives.

This also applies to freelancers working through networking. Because people are aware with what you can extend to them, existing contacts like friends and associates recommend you to where they might be right now. This is because they need your service and therefore, a network is built out from staying closely connected with them. It is also in this way that you prolong your career. Continuar leyendo «Why Make Effective Networking Part Of Your Freelance Job»

Infographics to Enrich Your Knowledge

Over the past few years, social media networking sites have been growing rapidly — this is something we all might have obviously noticed already. The question is whether we’re aware of how many users there are out there across the world who cannot imagine their lives without their social media networks.

Here is a collection of forty useful and appealing social media infographics that will enrich our knowledge, our lives and thoughts about the advantages and disadvantages of such networks. If you have found an infographic you’ve found useful, feel free to share it with us!

by Aquil Akhter
http://www.noupe.com/graphics/infographics-to-enrich-your-knowledge.html

Over the past few years, social media networking sites have been growing rapidly — this is something we all might have obviously noticed already. The question is whether we’re aware of how many users there are out there across the world who cannot imagine their lives without their social media networks.

Useful Social Media Infographics

The Boom of Social Sites
The explosion of social networking sites over the past decade has facilitated a transformation in the way we communicate with each other. Here we look at some of these communities with over 1 million users, both active and defunct:

Facebook’s World
Facebook is the most dominant brand in the world of social media. Ever wonder how? Click the image below to view a comprehensive infographic:

Age Distribution on Social Networking Sites
Here’s some interesting statistics regarding the age distribution across many of the popular social networking websites:

Continuar leyendo «Infographics to Enrich Your Knowledge»

How Many Coloured LinkedIn Dots do You Have?

LinkedIn has been making changes and is trying to be a bit of a cooler kid in the social networking playground. One of the latest updates is LinkedIn InMaps, as below. This allows you to have a visual picture of your professional network on LinkedIn (your first degree connections). The different colours represent how you know that person, you decide on what the colours mean. If you mouse over any of the dots you can see who that person is.

By Social Rabbit
http://www.socialrabbit.net/2011/01/how-many-coloured-linkedin-dots-do-you-have/

Good Afternoon, Social Rabbit here with your guide to the world of social media.

Continuar leyendo «How Many Coloured LinkedIn Dots do You Have?»

Q&A: Author of LinkedIn Book Shares Her Unpublished Tips

As LinkedIn inches closer to the 100 million users benchmark and rumors linger about the social network’s desire to put its stocks in the public’s hands, Wallen continues to help users learn how to boost sales, get more referrals and grow their business.

“My background has always been in sales, sales management and customer-relationship management … so I saw immediately how powerful LinkedIn was,” Wallen told BusinessNewsDaily, but “I talked to everyone I knew about LinkedIn, and every single person said, ‘Oh! I’m on LinkedIn, but I don’t know what to do with it.’ ”

Here, Wallen shares tips on how to use LinkedIn to your advantage and predicts what LinkedIn has up its sleeve for 2011.

By Brian Anthony Hernandez, BusinessNewsDaily Staff Writer
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/social-networking-linkedin-uncertain-future-0908/

This article is part of week-long series of social media stories, which you can read by clicking here.

Five years ago, Jan Wallen accepted a friend’s invitation to join the business networking site LinkedIn. Today, she’s the author of the book “Mastering LinkedIn in 7 Days or Less.”

Here, Wallen shares tips on how to use LinkedIn to your advantage and predicts what LinkedIn has up its sleeve for 2011. Continuar leyendo «Q&A: Author of LinkedIn Book Shares Her Unpublished Tips»

Elements of a Facebook Page for Your Design Business

One of the most popular things in today’s world is a social networking website called Facebook. Anyone and everyone is on Facebook these days and not having an account on Facebook is known to be a very strange thing. Facebook is not only a great website for interacting with your loved ones; it is also a great platform to promote your business. Anyone who has a business or is working as a freelancer knows that they have to be on Facebook in order to be able to reach to their target audience.

You need to be aware of the importance of establishing a successful business page on Facebook so that you are able to advertise your business. Always keep in mind that you have to be active on the Facebook and only presence won’t help. You will have to really work hard on designing your Facebook page for your design business.

If you are a freelancer or a professional graphic designer and your design job is to make promotional materials like brochures, business cards, flyers or post cards etc. , a Facebook business page can help you a lot in not only promoting your business but also in finding new clients. Before you start working n your business page, you need to understand the essential elements that your Facebook page should have. When you visit different pages, they might look very simple and easy to make. This is not the case. There are a lot of elements that one should keep in mind while designing a Facebook page for his or her business page. Allow your Facebook fans to view work samples such as layouts for postcards and other marketing pieces you have designed.

By Arfa Mirza
http://www.dzinepress.com/2010/12/elements-of-a-facebook-page-for-your-design-business/

One of the most popular things in today’s world is a social networking website called Facebook. Anyone and everyone is on Facebook these days and not having an account on Facebook is known to be a very strange thing. Facebook is not only a great website for interacting with your loved ones; it is also a great platform to promote your business. Anyone who has a business or is working as a freelancer knows that they have to be on Facebook in order to be able to reach to their target audience.

You need to be aware of the importance of establishing a successful business page on Facebook so that you are able to advertise your business. Always keep in mind that you have to be active on the Facebook and only presence won’t help. You will have to really work hard on designing your Facebook page for your design business.

If you are a freelancer or a professional graphic designer and your design job is to make promotional materials like brochures, business cards, flyers or post cards etc. , a Facebook business page can help you a lot in not only promoting your business but also in finding new clients. Before you start working n your business page, you need to understand the essential elements that your Facebook page should have. When you visit different pages, they might look very simple and easy to make. This is not the case. There are a lot of elements that one should keep in mind while designing a Facebook page for his or her business page. Allow your Facebook fans to view work samples such as layouts for postcards and other marketing pieces you have designed. Continuar leyendo «Elements of a Facebook Page for Your Design Business»

INFOGRAPHIC: Facebook Conquers The World

Despite that, Google continues to pursue Facebook with their Google +1 product, formerly named “Google Me” in the press. Clearly Facebook’s domination wasn’t an overnight thing, with early concerns about MySpace, who was the leader in social networking for a period of time. While this map misses a number of other less-dominant social networking sites, it has been interesting to watch the spread of the social web giant over time, something that the image below effectively illustrates.

Posted by Nick O’Neill
http://www.allfacebook.com/infographic-facebook-conquers-the-world-2010-12

For the past year Vincenzo Cosenza has been actively plotting Facebook’s increasing domination via a world map and last night he published an updated version of his map.

According to the updated statistics, Facebook is now the market leader in 115 out of 132 countries. As we all know, China and Russia continue to present some challenges however outside of China, Facebook is gaining serious ground just about everywhere. At this point it has become pretty much common thought that there is no way to defeat Facebook’s stranglehold on the social web.

Continuar leyendo «INFOGRAPHIC: Facebook Conquers The World»

Personal Or Business Social Media Accounts: Which Is Best for You?

One of the first decisions you’ll need to make when you start using social media and participating in social networking is to choose your username.

It might seem like a simple question, but the username you decide on will be closely linked to your branding, how people perceive you, and your brand’s future worth.

Your final decision will depend on the answers you give to the following questions:

* Do you blog for fun or profit?
* Is your blog a hobby or a business?
* Are you building a personal brand or a business brand?

I’m sure you’re wondering which is best for your business.

This post is by Clare Lancaster, of WomenInBusiness.com.au.
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2010/12/02/personal-or-business-social-media-accounts-which-is-best-for-you/

One of the first decisions you’ll need to make when you start using social media and participating in social networking is to choose your username.

It might seem like a simple question, but the username you decide on will be closely linked to your branding, how people perceive you, and your brand’s future worth.

Your final decision will depend on the answers you give to the following questions:

Do you blog for fun or profit?
Is your blog a hobby or a business?
Are you building a personal brand or a business brand?

I’m sure you’re wondering which is best for your business. Continuar leyendo «Personal Or Business Social Media Accounts: Which Is Best for You?»

Study: 54 Percent of Companies Ban Facebook, Twitter at Work

Planning on firing off a short missive on Twitter or posting an update to your friends on Facebook from the office?

Better check the rules of your workplace first.

According to a study commissioned by Robert Half Technology, an IT staffing company, 54 percent of U.S. companies say they’ve banned workers from using social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace, while on the job. The study, released today, also found that 19 percent of companies allow social networking use only for business purposes, while 16 percent allow limited personal use.

Only 10 percent of the 1,400 CIOs interviewed said that their companies allow employees full access to social networks during work hours.

“Using social networking sites may divert employees’ attention away from more pressing priorities, so it’s understandable that some companies limit access,” said Dave Willmer, executive director of Robert Half Technology, in a statement. “For some professions, however, these sites can be leveraged as effective business tools, which may be why about one in five companies allows their use for work-related purposes.”

A study released last summer concluded that social networking use can hurt the bottom line.

Planning on firing off a short missive on Twitter or posting an update to your friends on Facebook from the office?

Better check the rules of your workplace first.

Only 10 percent of the 1,400 CIOs interviewed said that their companies allow employees full access to social networks during work hours.

A study released last summer concluded that social networking use can hurt the bottom line. Continuar leyendo «Study: 54 Percent of Companies Ban Facebook, Twitter at Work»

What Americans Do Online: Social Media And Games Dominate Activity

Portals remain as the second heaviest activity on mobile Internet (11.6 percent share of time), despite their double digit decline and social networking’s rise to account for 10.5 percent share means the gap is much smaller than a year ago (14.3 percent vs. 8.3 percent).

Other mobile Internet activities seeing significant growth include music and video/movies, both seeing 20 percent plus increases in share of activity year over year. As these destinations gain share, it’s at the cost of other content consumption – both news/current events and sports destinations saw more than a 20 percent drop in share of U.S. mobile Internet time.

“Although we see similar characteristics amongst PC and mobile internet use, the way their activity is allocated is still pretty contrasting, added Martin. While convergence will continue, the unique characteristics of computers and mobiles, both in their features and when and where they are used mean that mobile Internet behavior mirroring its PC counterpart is still some way off.”

NOTE: This piece of research looked at the share of all U.S. Internet time each of the 84 “standard” NetView subcategories/sectors holds. Only the top 10 sectors were actually called out, the remaining 74 were grouped into “other” and not called out.

The Mobile Internet data is derived from a survey which tracks self-reported mobile internet usage from over 5,000 respondents each month. Mobile internet universe is defined as people that they have used the mobile internet, email or instant messaging on their mobile phone in the past 30 days. The Mobile internet data is weighted back to benchmarks for age, gender, income, race/ethnicity and operator share collected in Mobile Insights.

http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/what-americans-do-online-social-media-and-games-dominate-activity/

Text and graphics updated Aug. 6 to clarify category definitions, timeframe and methodology (see note at bottom)

Americans spend nearly a quarter of their time online on social networking sites and blogs, up from 15.8 percent just a year ago (43 percent increase) according to new research released today from The Nielsen Company. The research revealed that Americans spend a third their online time (36 percent) communicating and networking across social networks, blogs, personal email and instant messaging.

Top 10 Sectors by Share of U.S. Internet Time
RANK	Category	Share of Time June 2010	Share of Time June 2009	% Change in Share of Time
1	Social Networks	22.7%	15.8%	43%
2	Online Games	10.2%	9.3%	10%
3	E-mail	8.3%	11.5%	-28%
4	Portals	4.4%	5.5%	-19%
5	Instant Messaging	4.0%	4.7%	-15%
6	Videos/Movies**	3.9%	3.5%	12%
7	Search	3.5%	3.4%	1%
8	Software Manufacturers	3.3%	3.3%	0%
9	Multi-category Entertainment	2.8%	3.0%	-7%
10	Classifieds/Auctions	2.7%	2.7%	-2%
	Other*	34.3%	37.3%	-8%
Source:Nielsen NetView – June 2009-June 2010 Other refers to 74 remaining online categories visited from PC/laptops *NetView’s Videos/Movies category refers to time spent on video-specific (e.g., YouTube, Bing Videos, Hulu) and movie-related websites (e.g., IMDB, MSN Movies and Netflix) only. It is not a measure of video streaming or inclusive of video streaming on non-video-specific or movie-specific websites (e.g., streamed video on sports or news sites).

“Despite the almost unlimited nature of what you can do on the web, 40 percent of U.S. online time is spent on just three activities – social networking, playing games and emailing leaving a whole lot of other sectors fighting for a declining share of the online pie,” said Nielsen analyst Dave Martin. Continuar leyendo «What Americans Do Online: Social Media And Games Dominate Activity»