Continue reading Facebook Worth $35 Billion?

Facebook Worth $35 Billion? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I'm sure everyone knows about the growth problems at the social-networking site. This recent article at Reuters discusses them. Morale at the company appears to be waning. Unique visitors aren't what they used to be. An ad agreement with Google (GOOG) is about to expire; any new transaction on that front may not be as valuable now that MySpace has been relegated to not-as-cool-as-it-used-to-be status.

Continue reading News Corp. Not Having Fun with MySpace

News Corp. Not Having Fun with MySpace originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Five Social Media Marketing Stats That Will Blow Your Mind

Five Social Media Marketing Stats That Will Blow Your Mind originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Retailers Lagging in Social Media Rush

Retailers Lagging in Social Media Rush originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Facebook Finds Its Edge on Twitter

Facebook Finds Its Edge on Twitter originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Social Media Backlash?

Social Media Backlash? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading HootSuite Rakes in Close to $2 Million in New Venture Round

HootSuite Rakes in Close to $2 Million in New Venture Round originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Look, 2009 was a "flush" year. Market rallies were constrained by the low baseline set at the end of 2008, unemployment was high and caution defined nearly every corporate decision. The travel market sucked. The art market sucked. The financial industry labored on with the support of taxpayer money while 140 banks were forced to call it quits. So, we turn to the new year, as yet undefined, for excitement of the type we want ... and it seems likely to deliver. As Nero played from the rooftops, the social media industry inched forward to the climax we hope to see this year -- the initial public offering.

The action hasn't really begun, and the signals emitted are open to various interpretations. Nonetheless, Facebook's new dual-class stock structure is hard to miss, as it would protect the influence of early entrants to the company -- either as investors or options-compensated employees in the event that the 350 million-strong social networking site brings ownership opportunities to the public.

Continue reading Social IPO? Hype Accumulates for 2010 Offerings

Social IPO? Hype Accumulates for 2010 Offerings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The murky waters of the social media space just got a little clearer. An environment famous for having gray areas found boundaries in a Wisconsin courtroom Tuesday when a local teenager pleaded no contest to two felonies.

The student, Anthony R. Stancl of New Berlin, blackmailed more than 30 of his fellow students into committing sex acts by using photos and videos he pulled from their Facebook pages.

Continue reading Facebook Fiend Faces 50 Years

Facebook Fiend Faces 50 Years originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It was only a matter of time. This week, social media platforms Twitter and LinkedIn announced new features that will undoubtedly appeal to corporate marketing departments, so Facebook hopped on the bandwagon. Its new preferred developer program is a step toward structuring the Facebook application development and services space, by endorsing providers known to the company.

The program is still in its infancy, which means there isn't much structure around it. According to AllFacebook, "[T]here's really no way to apply to be in the directory aside from being connected with the people over at Facebook." Fourteen vendors are already listed in the directory.

Continue reading Social Media Marketing Continues: Facebook Launches Preferred Developer Program

Social Media Marketing Continues: Facebook Launches Preferred Developer Program originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twitter is on the prowl. Though it made its last acquisition more than a year ago, company founder Biz Stone said on Tuesday that it's looking to add to the stable. There aren't any specific targets yet -- at least none revealed -- and Twitter is keeping its options open. The likely pool of potential acquisitions consists of third-party Twitter application developers, which is largely responsible for the micro-blogging service's growth in popularity.

Stone, one of Twitter's founders, said at a Tel Aviv news conference, "As our attention is grabbed by some of these developers, we will take a hard look at them." This refers to companies that develop applications for Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and Research in Motion's (RIMM) Blackberry. It also refers to developers for the Web and desktop, such as HootSuite and TweetDeck.

Continue reading Twitter to make acquisitions, generate revenue in 2010

Twitter to make acquisitions, generate revenue in 2010 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yahoo! (YHOO) is the latest company that wants to optimize its search results for Twitter. This follows moves by Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOG) to integrate Twitter data into their search results. Unlike its competitors, however, Yahoo! wants to do this without spending a dime (well, without giving a dime to the hot new social media platform).

Twitter's microblogging service has become famous not only for its rapid growth but also because it's found no way to turn it into revenue. Its recent discussions with Microsoft and Google demonstrated that Twitter can indeed bring in some cash -- by licensing its data for use in fine-tuning search engines. With two of the top search engines now optimizing for Twitter, it was only a matter of time before Yahoo! would rush to join the party.

Continue reading Yahoo! wants in on Twitter: No money involved

Yahoo! wants in on Twitter: No money involved originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

An unemployment rate of 10.2% means that serious jobseekers are using every tool they can find. So, it's not at all shocking that social networking tools top the list, with LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter leading the charge. Openings are being tweeted, hints of a new position are being monitored and hot candidates are being hit up directly, even if they aren't saying they're on the prowl for a new gig. Social media is a tool to use in a job hunt but not necessarily the only one, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Instead, it makes sense to balance a search with many tools.

John Challenger, CEO, says, "The job search has changed radically over the last two decades with the advent of electronic mail, the internet, social networking, smart phones, etc. However, it is important to remember that all of these technologies simply enhance the job search; they will never replace the face-to-face connections that are critical to a successful search." But, he continues that "we feel that these new networking tools are essential and now advise all of the job seekers going through our program to open LinkedIn accounts and to consider other services such as Facebook and Twitter.

Continue reading Job hunting in a social media world: 95% LinkedIn, 59% Facebook

Job hunting in a social media world: 95% LinkedIn, 59% Facebook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Imagine taking the personal connections and interactions that occur every day on the likes of Facebook and Twitter... and bringing them to bear on an education. To a large extent, this hasn't been done yet, but the potential is profound. In a new report by the Center for Community Survey for Student Engagement, two-year programs aren't taking advantage of the tools at their disposal -- plenty of growth is still possible. Kay McClenney, director of the CCSSE, says, "Colleges are not taking advantage of that particular set of tools for making connections with students to the extent that they could."

Continue reading Community colleges missing the social media boat

Community colleges missing the social media boat originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Michael Moe knows how to make headlines: Talk about Twitter and predictably people will bite (I'm proof of that). He led the team at NeXt Up Research that calculated the value of the micro blogging service and arrived at $526 million to $674 million -- half what Twitter is generally believed to be worth.

Really?

The team estimates that Twitter will generate revenues of $114 million to $134 million in 2013. In 2014, Twitter is expected to post revenues of $126 million to $148 million. This is far more conservative than the valuation implied by the company's most recent round of venture capital investment, which puts the company's worth at more than $1 billion.

Continue reading Twitter valuation off by half: NeXt Up Research

Twitter valuation off by half: NeXt Up Research originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The future investment stars are already with us. The NYSE Financial Future Challenge, operated by the NYSE Foundation, By Kids for Kids, K12 Inc. and the United Investors Association, is in full swing, with five finalists just identified. To reach this level, the participants had to develop a new product, idea or process that would "excite, educate and motivate their peers" to become interested in the financial marketplace. The eventual winner lurks within this subset and will receive a $2,500 prize -- a great way to get that portfolio started. And, he or she will be feted at a closing bell ceremony at the NYSE (NYX) on January 11, 2010.

The finalists presented a variety of ideas which are sure to generate some buzz. Kelsey Foss, a 12-year-old from Mountainville, NY, proposed a new television show, "Stock Market Tycoon Idol," which would harness the popularity of reality TV while amping up the content. The program would involve the journeys of 10 kids as they seek to make money or lose it, with the possibility of becoming virtual millionaires along the way. The show would be set at a mock NYSE studio on Wall Street, and exports would be brought out to mentor the contestants. The reality TV reach would help engage a younger audience.

Continue reading Tomorrow's gurus shine in NYSE Financial Future Challenge

Tomorrow's gurus shine in NYSE Financial Future Challenge originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Company attitudes toward social media sites vary. Some swing the doors wide open, allowing employees to tend to their Facebook farms and update Twitter statuses throughout the day. Others lock 'em down, keeping non-business site access to a minimum.

A recent study found that, in the United States, 77% of employees with Facebook accounts check in with the community from the office. And, the amount of time they're spending in this part of the online world is growing. In the United Kingdom, another study found that 57% log in regularly from work, costing their employers 40 minutes a day.

Philip Wicks, a consultant at Morse PLC, a technology research firm in London, "It isn't just something you can do for half an hour during a lunch break but all through the day and because of that, it has a huge impact because people aren't necessarily concentrating on what they should be doing during the day." He estimates that this translates to lost productivity of $2.25 billion a year.

It seems like the obvious move would be to block the sites, but William Beers of PricewaterhouseCoopers disagrees. "Instead of trying to shut it down, I think we should try to embrace these technologies, put in a nice policy that governs it and explain to users the risks related to it, provide some training and then see what business benefits we can have from it," he said.

Continue reading Social media at work: not just a yes/no question any more

Social media at work: not just a yes/no question any more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Your e-mail account is a goldmine. Technology companies push hard to keep your data secure, but there are plenty of scumbags out there who always seem to find a new way to gain an edge over the guys in white hats. Phishers, in particular, are eager to find new ways to profit from your identity and information, and they're getting some new tricks.

Phishing scam activity was quiet at the beginning of this year, according to a report in USA Today, but these attacks surged 200% from May through September, says the X-Force team at IBM (NYSE: IBM). Webmail, social media and gaming accounts are their primary targets. E-mail access, in particular, is highly sought after, since they can be use to push out spam ... while bypassing filters.

These "virgin" e-mail accounts command top dollar: a digital criminal can pick up as much as $2 for a clean account from Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows Live, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Gmail, Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO) YahooMail or AOL (NYSE: TWX). This is more than twice the amount typically paid for a stolen credit card account, according to Fred Rica, principal in the security practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Many webmail users actually do half the criminals' job for them, with 33% using just one password online and 48% using only a handful.

Continue reading Phishers using new lures

Phishers using new lures originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Google issues invites to Google Wave

Google issues invites to Google Wave originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Have you ever looked at your Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) Flickr account and thought, "Why am I doing this? I can just throw my pics up on Facebook"? If this has crossed your mind, you're not alone. In fact, many photo-sharing sites - Snapfish (NYSE: HPQ), Photobucket, Picasa (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Shutterfly, as well as Flickr - are asking the same questions. With the development and enhancement of photo management capabilities in major social networking websites, niche players need to find new ways to stay relevant.

The situation is still far from grim. Fed by traffic from their behemoth owners, the photo-sharing sites remain substantial forces, and they are currently home to more than 20 billion pictures. There's still plenty of interest in these environments ... which has been bolstered by specific features that make the likes of Flickr attractive to both professional photographers and amateur shooters. The ability to order prints and personalize portfolios, for example, still provides an edge over sites like Facebook and MySpace (NYSE: NEWS).

Nonetheless, the threats from the social networking space are quite real.

Continue reading Photo Sharing vs Social Media: Who Wins?

Photo Sharing vs Social Media: Who Wins? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.