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| Facebook Travel App Gogobot Hits 1 Million Registered Users | |  Facebook social travel app Gogobot announced on Wednesday that it has reached the 1 million registered users mark. The app launched on Facebook in January, when the social network unveiled a slew of integrated apps, including Gogobot. Gogobot was in use before that time, launching in private beta 18 month ago. Now the app is exploding in popularity: A new user joins every 15 seconds, more than 5 million places have been shared on Gogobot and overall membership has grown 65x year-on-year. The social travel site lets you share your vacation photos with friends and strangers on the site. You can give recommendations to people who post questions regarding travel or destinations you may have been to. Users can also create a "passport" listing places they've been and include reviews and recommendations of spots to visit. Create trip itineraries or search trips other users have shared to get a better perspective on things to do on your vacation. Gogobot also launched the latest version of its free app in the iTunes store for iPhone and iPod Touch. This latest version allows users to comment on postcards, plus adds a richer search experience, including the ability to search for restaurants by cuisine and attractions by distance. CEO and Founder Travis Katz told Mashable back in January that he created Gogobot out of his desire to collect travel recommendation and information from friends, rather than sifting through impersonal guide books. Do you use Gogobot? What do you think of it? Tell us in the comments. |
| Want to Talk it Out? This Startup Puts Group Therapy Online for $9.99 | |  The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. Name: Talktala Quick Pitch: Talktala is an online platform for group therapy. Genius Idea: Targeting a support-group demographic rather than diagnosed therapy veterans. The online support group is almost as old as the Internet. It easily overcomes location, limited budgets and desire for anonymity. Online therapy arrived a bit later, with studies as early as 2009 supporting the theory that an online chat with a psychotherapist could be successful at helping people with depression. Now Talktala, a startup that launched Tuesday, aims to combine the best of both approaches to online mental health support. The company offers group sessions led by a certified therapist. The site's group topics are intended to target people facing common life challenges rather than those who are already diagnosed with mental illness. Group offerings in the beta version, for instance, include "I just lost someone" and "my partner doesn't listen to me." Members participate in therapist-moderated sessions through video, audio or chat, depending on what they are comfortable with. only address people who know what they have and are diagnosed," Talktala co-founder Oren Frank says. "They don't approach all those people who say, 'I don't know if I need therapy, but I could certainly talk to someone.'" Talkata verifies each therapist's license and malpractice insurance before allowing them to offer sessions on the site. So far, it has approved about 50 of them. Serving customers in a group allows the site to charge less than other platforms charge for one-to-one sessions. Therapists are free to set their own rates, but Frank says most classes will cost $9.99 for a 45-, 60- or 90-minute session. Talktala takes a 25% cut of session fees. It also allows therapists to conduct one-on-one sessions with group members for a higher hourly rate, of which it takes a 10% cut. Generally, offline therapy progresses from one-on-one sessions to group sessions, not the other way around. While Talkata is not targeting people with serious illnesses, it's bound to raise some questions over this flip-flop method. "Doing online therapy the same way you do offline therapy won't work," Frank says. "You have to create a new product." Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Kycstudio Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark
The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today. |
| Flipboard Adds Audio to Its Social Magazine | | Tuesday, May 15, 2012 10:02 PM | Sarah Kessler |
|  Flipboard wants to be the first magazine with a soundtrack. The company is releasing an update on Tuesday that integrates music-sharing service SoundCloud as well as radio programs from NPR and Public Radio International (PRI). Flipboard's app for iPhone and iPad (and soon Android) collects articles, images, photo albums and videos that your friends share on social networks and re-formats them in a personalized magazine. Its pages will now contain tracks that friends share through SoundCloud, including original recordings and podcasts from publications such as The Economist. Users will also be able to play NPR and Public Radio International programs directly from the app. If they're reading an article from either organization, the accompanying audio will also be included. Flipboard will nudge users toward radio programs through a new "Audio" category in the app's Content Guide. Once a track or a program is selected, it will continue playing as users flip through the app. A new menu located on the bottom left-hand corner of each page will control volume and play. Though users can now access songs and podcasts through Flipboard, they cannot purchase them. The startup monetizes content by selling ads within publications on the platform. Flipboard Head of Marketing Marci McCue tells Mashable the company is exploring other options for audio. "It's interesting to us," she says. "Not only integrating with popular music sources like iTunes, but also allowing new artists that are out there to have some social exposure and commerce related to their music. It's not currently on the road map, but it's stuff we're looking at." Image courtesy of Istockphoto, domin_domin |
| These Are the Most Engaging Brands on Facebook [INFOGRAPHIC] | | Tuesday, May 15, 2012 8:02 PM | Samantha Murphy |
|  As Facebook gears up for its initial public offering later this week, there's been a lot of speculation about the company's valuation. But there's no denying that its worth to major and up-and-coming brands is invaluable, allowing Facebook users to interact and engage with companies in unprecedented ways. A new infographic from social marketing firm SocialBakers takes a look at which global brands are making the most of their Facebook presence. With 157 million Facebook users in the U.S. and 901 million on the site in total, about 83% of members are located outside the 50 states. This means there's room for brands to grow their global reach. SEE ALSO: 10 Innovative Uses of Facebook Timeline for Brands Coca-Coca is the top global beverages brand on Facebook, according to SocialBakers. Meanwhile, Starbucks dominates the food retail sector and aConverse tops the retail apparel category. The infographic also reveals the top ten countries in which global brands are engaging their audience, with the U.S. leading the pack with Starbucks, McDonald's, Xbox, Walmart and Disneyland. Brazil comes in second -- with L'Oreal Paris and Trident (Kraft) -- followed by India with Vodafone and Pepsi. SocialBakers also notes that among the fastest moving global brands are Halls, Axe, Nokia and Sony. Which brands' social media strategies do you believe are most impressive? Let us know your opinion in the comments. Update: The original version of this story featured an infographic that misplaced a decimal point for brands listed under the "Top Global Brands" section. An updated version of the infographic has since been posted. We regret the error. |
| Ford, Chrysler Not Following GM on Facebook Pullout | | Tuesday, May 15, 2012 7:02 PM | Todd Wasserman |
|  What's good for General Motors doesn't appear to be good for Ford or Chrysler. Reps from both carmakers say they're not following GM's lead in pulling its ads from Facebook. Ford gives a particularly spirited defense of the platform. "We've found Facebook ads to be very effective when strategically combined with engagement, great content and innovative ways of storytelling, rather than treating them as a straight media buy," says Scott Monty, head of social media for Ford. "We continue to have a strong, collaborative relationship with Facebook, which includes first-of-a-kind vehicle reveals, advertising and innovative ways of sharing content. Our engineers have also been working with Facebook engineers to develop unique and safer ways of integrating the car experience with Facebook." Ford has been a strong proponent of Facebook as a brand platform. The automaker became the first to launch a new model exclusively on Facebook with the introduction of the 2011 Explorer in July 2010. Monty says Ford has 10 million fans across all its Facebook Pages. Meanwhile, Dianna Gutierrez, a Chrysler rep, says the automaker "has no intention of following GM's lead" in its Facebook stance. "Each of our brands has Facebook as part of its strategy," she says. It's unclear whether other automakers will emulate GM. Joel Ewanick, GM's marketing chief, is a longtime social media skeptic. In 2010, he told Brandweek that he thought Twitter was a flash in the pan. "Twitter is a little bit overrated," he said. "There will be a new media toy that will replace it in a year or two." Image courtesy of Flickr, JD Hancock Are Facebook's Ads Effective? |
| Can Facebook Ads Ever Beat Google? [INFOGRAPHIC] | | Tuesday, May 15, 2012 6:00 PM | Stephanie Haberman |
|  General Motors is pulling its entire $10 million advertising budget from Facebook, mere days before the IPO. According to a Wall Street Journal report, they called ads on the social network "ineffective," but called Facebook pages "effective and important." Looking at the data on the infographic below, courtesy of AdWords provider WordStream, it's easy to see why. Advertising rates on Facebook rose 40% in 2012, but click through rates fell by 8%. In 2010, ads on Google were clicked nearly 10 times more often than ones on Facebook. BIA/Kelsey's U.S Local Media Forecast, however, says that global ad spending on social media platforms will climb to $9.8 billion from $3.8 billion in the next four years. Social media ad revenue in the U.S. is predicted to jump from $840 million in 2011 to $3.1 billion in 2016. Will advertising on Facebook ever catch up to Google, or is the space not viable for traditional advertising? Let us know your take in the comments.
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| Mark Zuckerberg: Smart or Lucky? [POLL] | | Tuesday, May 15, 2012 5:26 PM | Keith Kaplan |
|  Eight years ago Facebook was nearly non-existent and today it's the world's largest social network. Facebook is certainly much more than a one-man operation, but the efforts of Mark Zuckerberg cannot be understated. With the success of Facebook, and the company's IPO occurring later this week, one question many have asked is whether the success of Facebook came from Mark Zuckerberg's skill or from being in the right place at the right time. When Zuckerberg created Facebook in a college dorm in 2004, social media was still in its infancy. He was a young college student who had a vision. That vision was to make the world more open and connected. Throughout these past eight years, he has certainly accomplished this by amassing over 900 million active Facebook users. Facebook has been the subject of acquisition rumors, but has stayed its course. Later this week the company will go public with an estimated overall valuation just under $100 billion, the largest in history for the tech industry. Because of the company's high profile founder, Facebook is sometimes seen as synonymous with Mark Zuckerberg. Do you think Zuckerberg is a genius, or was he in the right place at the right time? Take our poll below and let us know why in the comments. Mark Zuckerberg: Smart or Lucky? |
| Facebook and Twitter Ad Spending to Double by 2016 [REPORT] | | Tuesday, May 15, 2012 4:41 PM | Joann Pan |
|  This week's impending Facebook IPO, which could top $12.7 billion, is sparking questions about the value of Facebook and other social networks. The future of social media ad spending may justify the hype surrounding Facebook, which is geared to being the highest valued U.S. Internet company at IPO. Facebook has received criticism about being overvalued. Critics point to the company's ad model that doesn't fully reach its 901 million users. Plus, investors worry about Facebook's post-IPO growth. On Tuesday, General Motors pulled a huge $10 million advertising campaign from Facebook, citing ineffective ads. Though there are hurdles, the BIA/Kelsey's U.S Local Media Forecast predicts within four years, global ad spending on social media platforms will reach $9.8 billion from $3.8 billion in 2011. Social media ad revenue in the U.S. is predicted to jump from $840 million in 2011 to $3.1 billion in 2016. Companies will drive the ad growth on social networks by incorporating more creative elements like video and pictures. Facebook and Twitter are paving the way for the rise in online ad earnings, according to BIA/Kelsey. Both companies are making crucial changes to their advertising platforms that open doors for companies hoping to reach consumers online instead of offline. "Facebook opening its ads API to more partners, including those that work with SMBs (small and medium businesses), and Twitter's self-serve platform will help to 'democratize' social ads, which will ultimately lead to more local growth," Jed Williams, BIA/Kelsey analyst and program director, states. In Facebook's IPO video presentation for potential investors, company COO Sheryl Sandberg spoke about Facebook's new business model. Sandberg said the end goal is to become the choice online advertising platform for the 70 million businesses worldwide. This is just the "beginning" for Facebook. Sandberg stated users are adopting the social network faster than ads are incorporated -- an imbalance that needs correcting. The social network will continue pushing personalized and targeted ads in new formats and contexts. SEE ALSO: General Motors Pulls $10 Million Ad Campaign From Facebook/a> Twitter introduced a new way for small business to advertise through the microblogging website in March. The self-serve advertising platform will be available for clients to create promoted tweets and promoted accounts. Twitter, who partnered with American Express for the advertising initiative, opened up the platform to the first 10,000 business to sign up. Do you think social media will see the bulk of online advertising campaigns in the future? Let us know in the comments. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, arakonyunus |
| How to Recognize Disruptive Opportunities [VIDEO] | | Tuesday, May 15, 2012 4:14 PM | Brian Solis |
|  Recognizing opportunities to invest, change or innovate is now a fundamental part of business. Whether you're a business strategist, an entrepreneur or an investor, innovation is part of your livelihood. The ability to recognize opportunities must be matched with the ability to experiment and ultimately contribute to the adaptation of current business models. Yet, moving at the pace of real-time isn't fast enough anymore. By looking ahead and studying emerging trends, you will have the insights necessary to introduce change into the organization -- before "what's next" becomes the new reality. So how do you recognize those opportunities before they arrive? My guest on this episode of Revolution is Mark Suster, an entrepreneur who has "gone to the dark side" of venture capital. After selling his last company to Salesforce, he joined GRP Partners as a general partner, where he focuses on early-stage technology companies. Watch as we explore the state of innovation and the differences between emerging and disruptive technology as it impacts business and culture. More Recent Episodes of Revolution: Why Web Video Doesn't Need to Reinvent the Wheel Why Musicians Need More Than Viral Videos to Succeed Guy Kawasaki on the Art of Enchantment |
| General Motors Pulls Advertising From Facebook [REPORT] | | Tuesday, May 15, 2012 4:04 PM | Todd Wasserman |
|  In a big vote of no confidence before Facebook's IPO, General Motors is pulling its ads from the platform, calling them "ineffective," according to a Wall Street Journal report. The automaker determined that its ads on the platform "had little impact on consumers," according to the report, which cites "people familiar with the matter." GM will continue to market via Facebook's brand Pages, which, of course, are free. The article quotes GM marketing chief Joel Ewanick as saying GM "is definitely reassessing our advertising on Facebook, although the content is effective and important." Ewanick's use of "content" in this case refers to Facebook brand Pages. Ewanick, concerned about the low response for GM's Facebook ads, met with Facebook managers earlier this year, according to the report. But the execs failed to convince him that advertising on the social network made sense, according to the article. GM released the following statement on the matter: We regularly review our overall media spend and make adjustments as needed. This happens as a regular course of business and it's not unusual for us to move our spending around various media outlets - especially with the growth of social and digital media outlets. In terms of Facebook specifically, we are reassessing our advertising, but remain committed to an aggressive content strategy with all of our products and brands, as it continues to be a very effective tool for engaging with our customers. The automaker spends about $40 million marketing on Facebook, but only about a quarter goes to advertising. The rest funds content creation for the site, according to the report. GM spends about $1.8 billion globally on advertising per year. GM's not the only critic of Facebook's ads. Forrester Research Analyst Nate Elliott wrote a blog post on Monday questioning the efficacy of the social network's advertising. "Somehow Facebook still hasn't stumbled upon a model that's proven consistently successful for marketers, or that brings in the massive revenues to match the site's massive user base," wrote Elliott. "One global consumer goods company told us recently that Facebook was getting worse, rather than better, at helping marketers succeed. And companies in industries from consumer electronics to financial services tell us they're no longer sure Facebook is the best place to dedicate their social marketing budget - a shocking fact given the site's dominance among users." Facebook posted revenues of $3.7 billion in 2011, the vast majority of which came from advertising. However, Facebook's first-quarter revenues fell from the previous quarter and Facebook's amended S-1 form, filed on May 10, cited the transition to mobile as a worrisome sign for ad revenues. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, blackred |
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