Your brain is wired for Facebook (really)

There is mounting evidence that social networking sites like Facebook tap into a need for connection that is embedded in our DNA.  We may be actually chemically-predisposed to wasting time on social networks.

A recent post by David Rock, author of Your Brain at Work put it this way: “The brain network that is always on in the background is a region involved in thinking about yourself and other people. This network is so ubiquitous it has been labeled the ‘default network.’  When not doing anything else, the brain’s favorite pastime is to think about people. One study showed that inactivity for just two seconds switched the default network back on.

You’re not safe from Facebook – even if you’re not a member

Today's Facebook IPO makes it clear how valuable each user is to the company ($115.43 if you wondered), and with a reputed 800 million active users it can seem hard to find people that aren't members of the site.  A common explanation for those few that aren't on the site is that they object to putting all of their personal information onto a site and for that site to then make money off of selling that information to advertisers.

Alas some German researchers have managed to find out heaps about such people even though they're not on Facebook.  The researchers managed to paint a pretty good picture of those that abstained from Facebook just by monitoring the postings of their friends on the site.

Brands on Facebook: Advertising Is Optional

Marketers From GNC to P&G Weigh in on Social-Platform Strategy

One in five clicks in the U.S. happens on Facebook, and like any mass platform, most brands maintain a presence there and carefully cultivate their fan base.

But do they need to advertise as well? That's the question facing brands -- as well as investors --as Facebook prepares for its anticipated $100 billion IPO on Friday.
The Facebook ideal goes something like this: a brand builds a presence there and cultivates a fan base. That fan base spreads the word about the product. When brands want more impact, or to reach non-fans, they advertise.
But the reality is that much of what brands spend on Facebook isn't going into its coffers. A Facebook presence is must-have for brands. Facebook advertising, on the other hand, is not. General Motors showed that by telling the Wall Street Journal earlier this week that it's pulling the plug on all Facebook advertising -- $10 million of it -- even as it spends another $30 million building and maintaining a Facebook presence for its various car makes and models.

Why Facebook Advertising Doesn’t Pay Off For Most Companies

So many companies rush to Facebook.
They spend a lot of money to “engage in the conversation” with their base.
They pay for ads.
They hire youthful social media managers, and they engage agencies to run their social media outreach.
Here’s the problem:
Facebook is just a platform. It’s just like TV, radio, your Web site, and your product package. Most companies go to Facebook without effective messaging and language.
If you don’t perfect your message before broadcasting it, the platform doesn’t matter. It won’t work. 
So, here are five message development actions to engage in,  before engaging in social media:

Τα 7 Πιο Συνηθισμένα Λάθη Στο Facebook Ads

Ανακαλύψτε και Αποφύγετε Τα 7 Πιο Συνηθισμένα Λάθη Στη Διαφήμιση Facebook

Το Facebook είναι ένα καταπληκτικό εργαλείο για τη διαφήμιση της επιχείρησης σας. Είναι φθηνότερο από το Google και παράλληλα είναι ένα από τα χειρότερα χρησιμοποιημένα "εργαλεία" διαφήμισης στην Ελλάδα. Πάμε να δούμε ποια είναι τα πιο συνηθισμένα λάθη που γίνονται στη διαφήμιση και πως να τα αποφύγετε:

Facebook: Διαφημιστικός κολοσσός αποσύρει τις διαφημίσεις του!

Σαν βόμβα έσκασε η ανακοίνωση της General Motors Co ότι θα αποσύρει τις διαφημίσεις της από το Facebook επειδή «έχουν πολύ μικρό αντίκτυπο στους καταναλωτές».

Λίγο πριν το Facebook μπει στο χρηματιστήριο, η γνωστή αυτοκινητοβιομηχανία και τρίτος μεγαλύτερος διαφημιστής στις ΗΠΑ, αποφάσισε να αποσύρει τις διαφημίσεις της με την αιτιολογία πως τα παραδοσιακά μέσα διαφήμισης υπερισχύουν των social media.

How To Create Offers On Facebook

By the end of February 2012, Facebook announced that they launched a new feature called Offers. Offers are basically coupons for people to redeem and the platform already began testing this feature last year.
Facebook has previously launched Deals, which is a check-in product in relation to Places. Offers are however not location-based, but focus solely on the relation that the customer has with a given business on Facebook. If you are managing a business page, Offers is a good way to combine online with offline activities and to directly engage customers in your products and services.

Offers are still running in beta and are only available to a limited number of business pages. But according to
Facebook, they are soon planning to do a more broad roll-out.

One False Move and You Could Lose Your Facebook Page!

Originally written with Chamber of Commerce organizations in mind, (because I've become "Friends" with more than 100 Chambers over the past several weeks), I've decided to rewrite it for businesses in general because I'm seeing so many business owners heading down a path to disaster because they're getting the wrong advice or not looking for any advice at all!  What's really disturbing is the number of "Social Media Professionals" who are breaking these rules!  Especially when it comes to "Facebook Timeline Cover Photos"!

Want Your Facbook Status Seen? Pay Up.

Worried that your status updates on Facebook aren't finding all the eyeballs you'd like them to reach? Soon you may be able to pay Facebook to give your status updates more visibility.
Reports indicate the company is testing a feature that allows a member to "highlight" a status update -- for a price -- to make sure more of their "friends" see the posting.
"We're constantly testing new features across the site. This particular test is simply to gauge people’s interest in this method of sharing with their friends," a Facebook spokesperson told PCWorld. It's essentially all a Facebook representative told Stuff, the New Zealand news website that appears to have noticed this first.

Facebook Rolls Out File-Sharing for All Groups [EXCLUSIVE]

Could Facebook become the next Dropbox — or a haven for sharing files without regard to copyright?
The social network has revealed to Mashable that all Groups will now offer the ability to send files. This update rolls out to a small percentage of groups Thursday, and will become available to others during the following days. If you don’t have the feature already, Facebook wants you to know you’ll have it “soon.”
Facebook Groups for Schools, launched last month, incorporated the file-sharing feature — but you needed a .edu address to use it.

Facebook Messenger Apps Get More Life-Like, Now Show If Someone’s Read Your Message

Facebook thinks mobile messaging should feel like you’re having a face-to-face conversation, so today it updates its Messenger for iOS and Android apps with the ability to see if someone’s read your message, and easier ways to tell if someone’s typing and where they’re messaging from. Facebook Messenger “read receipts” are even easier to understand than those long-found on BlackBerry Messenger, and they work for group messaging too. The apps now display “Seen by Peter, Josh, Justin” right under a sent message.
Director of Product Peter Deng tells me “SMS has been around for 20 years, built it was for these T9 phones. We’re focused on leveraging all the capabilities of today’s devices to create a new messaging experience.” (Update: Unfortunately, Peter Deng doesn’t actually talk like Yoda, and his quote was “but it was built for these T9 phones”) He also says these are just the start of app updates designed to make mobile conversations feel more real, as if you had body language cues and more to go by. The read receipts definitely accomplish this, as you won’t have to send any “did you get that?” messages or wonder if someone missed you message, or read it but just didn’t respond.

Four Steps to Fresh Facebook Marketing for Schools and Colleges

Your school’s website is vitally important, as it is the public face of your institution.  Your school or college most likely already has a great website with varied content.  Your total web presence not only needs to be visually appealing; it is also imperative that it be dynamic and supply valuable information to potential students and their families on a variety of platforms.  Are you looking for an additional approach to increase enrollment?  A powerful and influential way to reach out to future applicants, their parents and your local community is social network marketing through Facebook.
Facebook is one of the most highly trafficked websites in the world, and it is no secret that young people spend a good deal of time socializing and gathering new information on the site. 

Small Investors May Get to Own a Bit of Facebook

Yet there may be a sliver of hope. Facebook’s executives and underwriters have discussed raising the number of shares that will go to retail investors, say people briefed on the matter who were not authorized to speak on the record. It is not known how much will eventually go to these mom-and-pop investors, but Wall Street executives estimate that the retail share could be as much as 20 to 25 percent of the offering. Some of that increase is likely to go to brokerage firms like TD Ameritrade or E*Trade, which cater to small investors.
Yet there may be a sliver of hope. Facebook’s executives and underwriters have discussed raising the number of shares that will go to retail investors, say people briefed on the matter who were not authorized to speak on the record. It is not known how much will eventually go to these mom-and-pop investors, but Wall Street executives estimate that the retail share could be as much as 20 to 25 percent of the offering. Some of that increase is likely to go to brokerage firms like TD Ameritrade or E*Trade, which cater to small investors.

Does Facebook Make You Spend More?

Here's another reason to consider relinquishing your obsession with social media:
A new survey of more than 1,000 consumers found the vast majority (75 percent) clicked on product links posted and "liked" by friends. From there, more than half wound up making spur-of-the-moment purchases.
You can bank on the fact that most of those purchases were made by millennials, who put more faith in ratings on Yelp! and those little Facebook 'thumbs up' icons than their own parents – a behavior experts have dubbed "Social Proofing."

Πώς το Facebook βοηθά τις μικρές επιχειρήσεις

Η λειτουργία Facebook Offers υπάρχει στο δημοφιλές κοινωνικό δίκτυο από τον Φεβρουάριο και έγινε αντιληπτή από τους χρήστες τον Απρίλιο.
Πρόκειται για μια στροφή του δημοφιλούς κοινωνικού δικτύου σε αποκλειστικές προσφορές που εμφανίζονται στο News Feed του χρήστη που τις «διεκδικεί». Αντίστοιχα, εάν ένας από τους φίλους σας αγοράσει μια προσφορά και ενδιαφέρεστε κι εσείς, μπορείτε να την αποκτήσετε με ένα κλικ.

Facebook Sued For Selling Virtual Currency To Kids

The mother of an underage Facebook user has sued the company for allegedly refusing to refund money that her son spent on virtual currency for the in-app game Ninja Saga.
Arizona resident Glynnis Bohannon says in her lawsuit that her son ran up hundreds of dollars purchasing Facebook Credits for use in Ninja Saga. She says she initially allowed her son to charge $20 on her Master Card for the Facebook Credits. But after that first transaction, her son, identified in court papers as "I.B.," made hundreds of dollars worth of additional in-game purchases. She doesn't provide her son's age in the complaint, except to say he's a minor.