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Internet Marketing Firm, fishbat, Inc., Releases Statement on Newly Instated Fees for Digital Marketing Platform …

Bohemia, NY (PRWEB) September 21, 2012

On September 21, 2012, Internet marketing firm, fishbat, Inc., released a statement regarding The Toronto Star report announcing changes to Facebooks Merchant Offers.

According to a recent Toronto Star article, Facebook will begin to charge merchants for the use of its Facebook Offers. In the past, Facebook Offers freely allowed retailers and other local merchants [to] send deals to their Facebook fans. Users claim the offers from their News Feeds and redeem the vouchers at stores to get discounts. However, these deals were not aimed at a particular audience, with users receiving offers from retailers who were not regionally located. The article continues reporting that, many businesses may have taken advantage of the free participation to increase patronage and revenue.

Since Facebook went public in May, the company has been under pressure from Wall Street to show how it can turn its giant social network into a money machine, reports the Toronto Star. Facebook shares have lost about 40 percent of their value since the IPO. Under the revamped system, online-only companieswho were previously unable to take advantage of Facebook Offerswill be allowed to participate, and all merchants will have to pay a $5 minimum to utilize each Facebook Offer. Because each merchant offer will be aimed at specific demographics, online companies will have to create a marketing strategy which determines and targets their desired clientele. The Toronto Star also reports that this move to pay-per-offer has the potential to satisfy Wall Street and generate revue for the social media platform.

Sida Li, Social Media Director at fishbat, Inc., stated, This is Facebook's second attempt at starting a deal platform. With Facebook looking for new ways to monetize their business, it's no surprise that they've decided to start charging for this service.

fishbat, Inc. is a full service online marketing company. Through reputation management, search engine optimization (SEO), web design, and public relations, fishbat strives as a marketing firm to build up awareness about your brand and strengthen your company's corporate image.

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Internet Marketing Firm, fishbat, Inc., Releases Statement on Newly Instated Fees for Digital Marketing Platform ...

Social Media Experimentation to Shift to ROI Justification

SAN FRANCISCOSalesforce.com's debut of enterprise file-sharing solution Chatterbox this week at Dreamforce hints at the cloud software company's further foray into powering the social enterprise.

Employees who store files and documents in the cloud using Chatterbox can simultaneously update the status of a project or file right within the enterprise collaboration tool Chatter. Employees can then collaborate on work assignments in real time. Chatter has also been extended to the Service Cloud for direct customer interaction.

Discussing Chatter as the backbone of Salesforce.com's new Chatter Communities for Service solution, Leslie Ament, vice president of customer intelligence research and client advisory services at Hypatia Research Group, remarked that "I would assume [Salesforce.com] is repurposing applications for business processes.

"If Salesforce comes up with a Chatter 'platform'that can be interesting for enterprise play," Ament told CRM. But, she added that "budget is usually owned by line of business function, and it depends on who owns the budget and who is in the driver's seat [for example, sales, marketing, or customer service]. The fact that they [are tapping into Chatter] for each of the modules is interesting. It gives customers choices."

Commenting on Salesforce.com's launch of Marketing Cloud, which combines the social marketing capabilities afforded by the Radian6 and Buddy Media acquisitions, allowing companies to listen and respond to customers, measure performance, and tap into social advertising, Ament noted Salesforce.com's integrations with companies like Marketo and Silverpop. Eventually, her estimation is that "the roadmap may well include other marketing partners that are part of the Salesforce.com ecosystem."

In an interview with CRM, Heidi Melin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Eloqua, discussed the company's latest product release, Chatter Inside Eloqua, and also noted that the company has already plugged in to Marketing Cloud. Marketing Cloud allows Eloqua to "take the information and data from social listening, connect it to demand, and [then get it] out to the lead management process," she said.

A recurring theme at Dreamforce was that chief marketing officers will increasingly make technology-purchasing decisions; the very nature of customer service solutions has been turned upside-down because the customer's voice has been amplified by social media. Unilever, for instance, uses Buddy Media and lets customers customize their own social ads on Facebook.

"If I could predict [what will occur next] in the industry, 2012 and 2013 will be when companies move away from social experimentation and into ROI justification," commented Rob Tarkoff, CEO of Lithium Technologies, a developer of social communities and social marketing software. "There is behavior change and transformation. It's 'How can I do this in a way that makes money?' I think there will be a lot more scrutiny."

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Social Media Experimentation to Shift to ROI Justification

Police: Hostage-Taker Surrenders in Pittsburgh – Video

21-09-2012 14:46 A suicidal man who held a businessman hostage inside a downtown Pittsburgh office building for more than five hours Friday, posting Facebook updates during the standoff, surrendered to authorities without incident, police said. (Sept. 12)

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Police: Hostage-Taker Surrenders in Pittsburgh - Video

How social media is reshaping job searches

The days of resumes and door-to-door job hunting are becoming a thing of the past. With a computer and a few clicks of a mouse, job seekers and even employers can now find just what they're looking for thanks to social networking.

Newly married mother Sierra Smith calls herself a social media success story. Last month, she wasn't happy with her old job, so she began looking for a higher paying one.

"Since I have a family to support and I have a little baby, [I have] to pay bills and get stuff done," Smith said.

She wanted to focus her job hunt. To do that, she explored several social sites, which led her to Walmart's hiring page.

"I applied for the job and got the call," Smith said. "If you want to look for a job, don't be scared. Go on the internet. You don't have to go to stores anymore; social networking is the best."

Social networking seems to be reshaping job searches across the country.

A JobVille survey shows that one out of six people used social media to get hired. Three of the most popular search engines are Facebook (18,400,000), LinkedIn (10,200,00), and Twitter (8,000,000).

Public and Employee Specialist Robin Wood said sites like Facebook help get the word out faster to more people, saving both time and money.

"That is all we have to do is sit at our computer, type a message, and it is out there and it is free. As soon as we post the jobs online, we get calls, we get emails. The waiting period is nothing now," Wood said.

But not everyone is a fan of using social media to look for jobs. One unemployed, single mom said she prefers the personal connection.

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How social media is reshaping job searches

Clifton is latest district to rein in social networking by staff

CLIFTON - The school district has adopted a new social networking policy to guide teachers and other staff on proper use of online communication, email and text messages.

The same policy has been adopted by a number of districts across North Jersey, as officials try and to prevent online posts and texts that might be deemed inappropriate or offensive. The policy warns staff to use caution when communicating with students or publishing online and to set appropriate boundaries between personal and public online behaviors.

According to the policy, school staff shouldn't:

xMake statements that defame district employees, students or their families, or that violate policies on discrimination or harassment.

xPost materials that are sexually graphic or promote violence.

xUse their school title unless the communication is official.

xUpdate their status on social networking sites during the school day unless it involves a school project.

Clifton school board member Mary Kowal said the new policy was needed because of the prevalence of social media use.

_"Everyone is tightening up their policies and leaving no stone unturned, so to speak," she said. "It's a preventive measure to separate your personal life from your school life."

Teachers have been disciplined and even fired for comments or photos posted online. A Paterson teacher was suspended last year after referring to her first-grade students as "future criminals" on Facebook; another New Jersey teacher was suspended after posting anti-gay remarks.

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Clifton is latest district to rein in social networking by staff