TOP Social Networking News of the Year 2011

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Last year Skype witnessed 170 million members and more than 207 billion minutes of voice and video conversations. Just a week back, Skype was rumored to be acquired by Facebook until Microsoft entered the scenario putting an end to all the speculations. The news has it that Microsoft as entered a definitive agreement with Skype in which the former will acquire the latter for $8.5 billion.


This acquisition is said to boost opportunities for consumers and enterprise users alongside augment the accessibility of real-time video and voice communication. It is also expected to offer new business and revenue opportunities. Microsoft’s renowned gaming consoles such as Xbox and Kinect will now support Skype along with a host of Windows Phone devices.


“Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world.”


Skype was earlier acquired by eBay in Sep 2005 and then by Silver Lake in Nov 2009. Its acquisition by Microsoft is yet subject to approvals and customary closing conditions.

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Facebook releases Best Practice Guide for Marketing


Social networking has paved way to social marketing and Facebook appears to have taken it very seriously.






Reportedly, Facebook has published a guide that talks about Best Practices for Facebook Marketing. This 14 page PDF document introduces five guiding principles and Facebook by objective for better marketing techniques. It introduces users to the Facebook ecosystem which begins with building a Facebook page and making your presence felt (you can use Social Plugins and Graph APIs). Further, to strengthen the fan base with Facbook Like ads and then on amplify it with news feed and sponsored stories.





The document lists Facebook objectives for better marketing and also explains a step by step procedure to get the desired results. This guide is basically to help its members practice better marketing strategies using the following objectives:


- Foster product development and innovation
- Generate awareness
- Drive preference and differentiation
- Increase traffic and sales
- Build loyalty and deepen relationships
- Amplify recommendation and word of mouth
- Gain insights


Facebook showcases its tools which will help generate new product ideas and innovations aas well as learn about the target audience. Just creating a page isn’t sufficient, you’d have to generate awareness and increase your brand value. It lays emphasis on leveraging Facebook’s Ads and Sponsored Stories for a wider reach and enhanced targeting abilities.


The Facebook Page acts as a key touch point as the referrals come through word of mouth. The document suggests to try and understand what others think of your business, and drive preference and differentiation.
Increasing sales and traffic is one of the essential factors noted which can be done by creating promotional campaigns, setting sales goals and driving people to the purchase point. The social site reveals the emphasis on building and strengthening relationships by reminding people that you are around, by asking questions and also accepting feedback.


Facebook is more about word of mouth as when people like something it is shared with their friends and so on. It is important to encourage people to like your page by adding good content which also helps augment recommendations and word and mouth, reveals the guide.
Understanding customers is equally important so Facebook recommends learning from reports of your advertising campaigns and sponsored stories. It also tells its members to learn from page insights and use advanced campaign metrics. The last page of the document takes you to helpful Facebook resources related to pages, permissions, advertising and more.