Most people do not know that more than 700,000 children are reported missing each year in the US alone (US Dept. of Justice Statistics). While the majority are located quickly, there are still thousands that remain missing for longer periods of time. Families are broken and devastated as they anxiously wait for news. Sometimes they know where the children, as happens many times in domestic custody disputes. Sadly, however in most cases, there is no word, just emptiness.
The only real way to help with this problem is awareness. Placing pictures of the missing children in prominent places has shown considerable success. Child Watch of North America is one of the world’s foremost authorities on recovering missing children. They have helped to recover nearly 200 children in recent years. By working with various sponsors and increasing community awareness they have made a real impact on this terrible problem. The sponsors also seem to benefit as well by being associated with such a good cause. In fact the organization has research to show that the advertisers get better results here than in other traditional media, such as radio and newspapers. This is refreshing, as it is always nice to see everyone benefit from such a socially redeeming cause.
Child Watch has recently teamed up with Childrens Digital Network to provide awareness using the latest technology. The network is deployed primarily in gas station convenience stores across the US with missing children on the screen 100% of the time. The network is sponsored by national, regional and local advertiser-sponsors. While the network is new, with more than half the screens in place less than 6 months, children featured on the network have already been recovered.
Currently the network has more than 7 million viewers in 9 states. To purchase this kind of coverage on comparable national TV would cost in excess of $30 million per year. The organization has a goal of placing more than 2000 screens in 25 states by the end of 2010. This kind of awareness will not only make a huge dent in the problem it will serve as a considerable deterrent to that contemplating child abduction.
More information can be found at the organizations website www.childrensdigital.com . This is a huge problem and it is great to see ingenuity being applied to tackle it.
Unemployment Rate Falls to 10%? Bureau of Labor Statistics & News Media Publish Fraudulent Data
Internet users have become fast content creators over the few years with almost all of them jumping from one social media platform to the other during a single login session and thereby contributing to diversified content on the internet. Various social media platforms such as micro-blogging websites, social book marking sites, social networking sites, blogs, etc. are widely used by an average internet user. All of this has provided a perfect opportunity for website owners to showcase/advertise their website faster and to a select target audience through these commonly used social media platforms. This large-scale use of Social Media platforms such as the much popular facebook, twitter, digg, plurk, orkut, blogger, stumbleupon, etc for website promotion has created a great market for social media optimization companies.
On the one hand the social media optimization companies have benefited largely because of the increase in the number of social media optimization requests that they have been getting lately. On the other hand it has been a win-win situation both ways as even the companies engaging the services of these social media optimization companies have resulted in higher footfalls to their website and subsequent increase in net profits.
To choose from the vast ocean of Social Media Optimization companies or consultants it is very important not to compromise on Quality for just a few bucks. Evaluate the promises made by the social media optimization company that you are about to engage with their proven track record and cross-check references. Understand what all strategies would be adopted by the social media optimization company, whose services you are about to hire and see if they are really in sync with your business requirements.
It is a given that with the widespread popularity of internet and the many companies successfully adopting the Social Media Optimization strategies would push the present and future entrepreneurs and organizations to seriously consider engaging the services of a professional Social Media Optimization company.
Though, it is primarily focused on a particular company or organization, Intranet has made our corporate world – more transparent and result oriented in such a short span of time. Likewise, Intranet has also changed the way information is dispersed on a corporate level. Over the years, many tools and technologies have been tried to streamline the different processes revolving in and around businesses and companies, but none can match up with the kind of potential Intranet software carries. Besides establishing a connecting link among diverse operations and processes of a particular company, Intranet has made data management easier and a hassle free endeavor. All the data can be updated and further checked regularly by using the latest tools and technologies.
At the same time, Intranet has offered an exclusive platform to all the employees, where they can easily share their views, concerns and strategies over a company policy or rule. In fact, they can express themselves by writing blogs or also by participating in forums. Now-a-days, major social media tools have been also put into use on the Intranet. Users can visit the popular networking websites and use them to connect with people of same interest and opinions. Amidst all this, an Intranet design comes forth as a decisive tool to make a lot of things possible for you in an easy way. At the same time, you should also keep certain things in mind before achieving the final design of Intranet:
First of all, you need to check all the options and tools. This requires a broad research. You can also finalize your priorities before taking the final decision. When it comes to designing a platform or interface of any organization, you have to be certain about your long-term objectives. To make it happen, you can easily merge the Intranet upfront and web upfront.
Here, you require a well designed database structure and platform. After all, you should have a compatible web server that can hoard all the information and also filter it as per your requirements. At the same time, you need to update it regularly with the help of new tools and technologies.
To know more about Intranet and other related technologies, you can do a thorough online research.
Facebook Facial Matching – First Social Media Face Database!
It is all overt the place and I would be amazed if any of you computer-savvy folks haven’t yet heard about social networking sites. Either we are fed up of it or we are still in awe of the phenomenon called social networking website which lets us connect to people across the globe. Whatever the case the popularity of it will not diminish in the near future unless something dramatic happens (e.g. a doomsday scenario). Social networking has caught on like fire and has left no country untouched by the immense utility it has to offer in terms of information sharing and socializing.
Are you fed up of the existing social networking websites because of the limited functionalities they offer and are planning to build one of your own? or is it brand building through social networking sites that you are looking at? Be it any reason kick-starting a social networking website makes up for a revenue generating proposition and should be implemented with due diligence. After all the oxygen of a social networking are the real people out there who would eventually use the platform. Tapping the traffic can be one of the hardest parts if you do not have the winning formula with you.
So what is the winning formula for creating a social networking website and ensuring it gets its much needed visibility? The answer to that would be to make a good beginning by laying down a solid foundation to your social networking site. This can be done by exploiting the many benefits of an open-source technology on which most of the social networking site are running as of today. One such fine example is Drupal, a leading open source Content Management System (CMS) which has created a wave of excitement amongst everybody including many governments across the globe. Trust Drupal to give you that all important launch pad for creating your social networking site and just witness the difference. Download Drupal for Free.
Social networking is all over the place and no country is left untouched by the growing popularity of the social networking websites. Popular social networking websites such as facebook.com, myspace.com and hi5.com enjoy global following because they keep re-inventing themselves and give users an exciting experience every time. Social networking software is an essential first for a social networking website and it is quite evident that more and more of these are flooding the internet on a daily basis. As it happens with every successful idea people try and emulate it and try to get the same success story out of it. However, not many sites end up with a winning strategy and find it difficult to scale up their social networking platform to the next level.
The biggest mistake lies in investing in to the wrong social networking software which is one of the most crucial and underrated elements of launching a social networking website. Choice of a feature-rich and flexible social networking website is a must for a winning social networking website. Why err when there are many high quality and low-cost social networking software available today? My experience tells me that it is sensible to deploy a social networking software on an open-source platform to build on to your dream social networking website.
As of today one of the most popular open-source interfaces used in designing a website is Drupal which can be downloaded for Free from the internet. Equipped with a host of features and great customization functionality, the liking for Drupal has grown by leaps and bounds amongst the web developer community. Drupal provides a flexible architecture, easily administered pages and a vast library of modules and themes which contribute towards creation of exciting Drupal-powered websites. Drupal is getting better and better with every new release and is a preferred choice to design large community-driven websites such as a social networking website.
There is no shortage of buzz about social media and many companies are feeling the need to get involved. However, many cite the time commitment as a road block. I often hear questions about how businesses can measure the effectiveness of their social media efforts, and systemize their approach.
Social networking for business can, and should, be approached like any other business activity – with a plan that identifies objectives, benchmarks and a determination of the resources that will be dedicated to reaching them. Having a plan in no way negates the genuine, social contributions you will make. It is comparable to deciding how many (and which) business organizations and networking meetings you will go to in a month. Like face-to-face networking opportunities, there is some discipline involved (think of the last After Work Network where you were tempted to spend an hour catching up with an old friend to the exclusion of meeting new ones).
While social media strategies can be extremely detailed, you can begin the process by addressing the 5Q’s – who, what, when, where and why. All efforts stem from the ‘what’, so we begin by examining the purpose of participation, which then guides the other elements of the plan.
WHAT are your Objectives? When we develop a social media strategy for our clients, we begin with identifying objectives. What do you want to accomplish? The core goal, of course, is to build and grow relationships with clients, prospective clients, strategic partners, employees, vendors, the media, etc. However, what are some of the business uses that you will tap into your network to accomplish?
WHERE will you Participate? There are mega-channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, that most everyone is familiar with. However, there are literally thousands of additional channels that may offer great potential for you as well. Just like your offline networking efforts, you can’t be an active participant in all of them, so decisions have to be made as to which channels offer you the best return on your efforts and time spent. Where are your prospective clients spending time? Where are your competitors active? Where can you reasonably – and regularly – contribute? (If you are not recording video, and don’t plan to, YouTube isn’t a good choice!) Are there industry-specific sites where you would benefit by participating?
WHO will represent your company? If one of your goals is to establish yourself as an expert – or to establish various members of your team as subject matter experts – then you and the specific subject matter experts on your team are the obvious choices. Are there other members of your team who could participate in specific activities, such as writing blog posts? Will you hire a firm to develop video content for you? Will you have your PR firm create and distribute online press releases for you? Do you have strategic partners who can provide you with content or ideas that would be of value to your network? It isn’t necessary to limit your social media efforts to the business owner; tap your in-house resources and consider whether there are outsource options for rounding out your efforts. As long as you have clearly-defined guidelines for what is appropriate to publish, you can maximize your efforts by including others in your strategy.
WHEN (and how often) will you participate? Once you have determined who and where your business will be active online, it is important to establish a schedule for participation. As with any social group, you are only as visible and valued as you are committed. (Think of the occasional networking group members who never attend meetings; they aren’t top-of-mind for referrals, nor do they benefit from the regular contact gained at gatherings.)
WHY are you doing this? Social networking is both fun and engaging – by design! Nonetheless, it is important to stay focused on why you are participating. We encourage our clients to regularly review their goals and to measure the results they are getting against those objectives. Is your network growing? Are you engaging in two-way conversations, or simply talking ‘at’ those in your network? Bear in mind that developing your network online is no different than developing a network offline; it doesn’t happen overnight. You have to build relationships through regular, meaningful dialogue. If you are not reaching your objectives, give consideration to the factors that are impacting your results. The great benefit of social networking is that you can easily gain feedback from those you interact with. Ask! Modify your efforts and keep watch on your benchmarks to determine the effectiveness of your participation.
Social networking offers widespread opportunities for businesses of all sizes. By carefully considering your options and developing a strategy, you, too, can tap into the power of your own social network. Remember: Speak Authentically and Work Strategically™!
Interview: Remembering student-movement firebrand Rudi Dutschke
On December 24, 1979, Germany lost a shining star – Rudi Dutschke, leader of the 1960s student movement that demanded social change. DW looks back at the man and his times in an exclusive interview with Dutschke’s wife. BizTimes Milwaukee live at Social Media University Milwaukee
Flimp Media, StudioNow and Former Spotrunner Exec Join to Offer Direct Response Video and Creative Services
Flimp Media , a developer of innovative rich media solutions for direct marketing, announced today partnerships with StudioNow, the premier online video production platform, and AgencyDivision, a creative services company recently launched by Simon Foster, the former head of creative and integrated production of Spotrunner. Â The troika will provide marketers high-quality direct response video … Social Media Case Study: 7-eleven and Wave Integrated Marketing Solutions
Most Popular PC World Stories of 2009
2009 was a pretty decent year in tech history–we saw the introduction of a few new operating systems, a bunch of would-be iPhone killers, and Blu-ray disc players for less than $100. These news items struck us as fairly significant announcements, but how popular were they with our readers? We spent some time identifying and analyzing the ten most widely read PCWorld.com articles published in … iPhone speaker buzzing noise is history
Do you have a new membership website or on-line business that you’ve been working on starting? Do you notice that anytime you go to put the finishing touches on it, by some unknown powerful cyber force, you end up on Facebook instead? Or MySpace? Or Bebo? Wouldn’t it be great if there was some way you could earn using social networking? Well, if you have an up-and-coming membership website or online business then it’s possible.
But how? It’s simple. By generating a large amount of targeted traffic to your membership site, you will be able to earn using social networking.
We’ve all heard people trying to pitch a concept or idea door to door. From steak knives to makeup to Girl Guide cookies, people have relied on socializing as a way to sell their goods.
This is similar to online social networks. You earn using social networking; however, you don’t have to walk door to door; you don’t have to recite a speech; in fact, you don’t even have to get off your office chair. You can promote your product and earn using social networking in the comfort of your own home.
If you already belong to a network like Friendster.com or MySpace.com, earn using social networking with just a press of the button. Post your membership site on your profile page as a link with a quick explanation of what it is.
Or send your friends a link with your new membership site in a private message. Ask them to pass on the message to others who might be interested. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to promote your new business and, in this case, word of ‘mouse’ is an even easier way to earn using social networking.
However, even if you don’t belong to a social network site, you can always join one and earn using social networking. In fact, this is probably the best way to reach your target audience. Find social networks catered to your membership site or online business.
For example, if you’ve created a website catered to new Moms and Dads, earn using social networking by joining CafeMom.com or other parenting networks. Pretty soon you’ll have a group of members for your website and will be making a residual income, just by socializing!
So, while you’re sleeping in or relaxing in your pyjamas in front of the TV, someone could be clicking onto your profile, joining your membership site and making you an income, all through the process of social networking.
How to Add Share Buttons on your Blogs, Websites, and More
