SocialMedia posts

Money is a powerful motivator, but if you were asked to give up something to have an extra $250 per month in your wallet, what would you be willing to give up?

ING Direct surveyed Canadian men and women to see what an extra $250 would encourage us to give up for a time period - what's the can't-live-without items that would get the boot?

According to the ING Direct Survey, Canadians are willing to give up some things considered essential if there's money involved:

With 56 per cent of us not happy with what we're currently saving, it's interesting to see what would encourage us to change our daily habits to gain some extra loonies and toonies. So Canada, what else would you do to get some extra money?

By Michael Comeau
Minyanville

If you've been looking for the next "Call Me Maybe," then you're in luck because the latest YouTube (NASDAQ:GOOG) mega-meme has arrive in the form of "Harlem Shake."

"Harlem Shake" is a song from electronic music artist Baauer that has inspired thousands upon thousands of people to produce 30-second music videos for it. Each begins with one person dancing alone (sometimes with a helmet or mask) in a crowd to the song for about 15 seconds. At that point, we see a cut and break in the music that kicks off a second segment with everyone gyrating around like mad.

The "Harlem Shake" video credited with popularizing the craze is from Australian longboarding crew The Sunny Coast Skate, and can be seen embedded right here. However, it may be NSFW (Not Safe For Work), depending upon your boss' tolerance for young men dancing around in their skivvies:

From politicians to companies, more groups than ever turned to Twitter, Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), Pinterest, and other social media formats in 2012 to market themselves on the Internet. While some made it look easy, others made serious blunders that stained their brand image. Recently, we spoke to social media guru and author of the new book Socialized! How the Most Successful Businesses Harness the Power of Social (Bibliomotion, 2012) Mark Fidelman about the companies that used social media this year -- with some differing end results. The following is a list of his picks for the best and worst social media users of 2012.

By Jonah Loeb
Minyanville

The world of business is both a fast-paced and a sleazy place, and it always has been. From snake-oil peddlers to used-car dealers to that guy from the beginning of Aladdin, people will do just about anything to get a leg up on the competition-and often pull one over on their customers, too. Nothing's changed, of course, in the brave new world of social media. The gadgets we use might be newer and shinier than they were back when we thought ketchup could cure gout, but that just means there are brilliant (and sometimes devious) new tactics springing up every day to take advantage of new media. Here's a look at seven ways people are gaming social media in order to take advantage of the platforms (among other things).

SLIDESHOW: 7 Ways People Manipulate Social Media

Television commercials can sometimes be just as popular as television shows. Who doesn't know the Geico gecko or Jared, our buddy from Subway?

In the past, we'd discuss around the water cooler or the dining table the commercials that made us laugh or made us think.

But with social media, we can now share our opinions many different ways - by liking, tweeting and commenting - and not just with family and friends but with anyone in the world wide web.

Social media has become another way to measure a brand's influence - and here are the 10 corporations who are best at getting us to share:

By Bristol Voss
Minyanville

In order not to feel helpless watching the Facebook (FB) train wreck, we decided to seek guidance from the company's 10-Q. There turned out to be little consolation in the document. In short, it ain't pretty. You don't even need to read between the lines since the bad news is literally spelled out.

1. The stock investors hold, now at $20.72, is all there is. There will be no dividend. Since it's trading at about 30x next year's estimated earnings, it's hard to argue that it's undervalued. Both Apple and Google trade at approximately 12x expected earnings. From the 10-Q:


2. The lock up releases will flood the market with more stock. According to the filing, from August 15 to May 17, 2013, 2.020 billion shares will be released. For context, about 420 million shares are now trading. From the 10-Q:

My heart goes out to the thousands of people affected last month by the tornadoes which hit with a fury through several states in the United States.

With the death toll now over 40, its a reminder of the power of Mother Nature.

And its also amazing to see how the survivors and fellow citizens have banded together.

But for those who didn't have insurance or very little savings in the wake of a disaster, charity organizations will be happily aiding those in need.

But are you sure your donation will get to those in need? Whether its $10 or $100, make sure the money gets into right hands.

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It's the teenage girls, rather than teenage boys, who demand their own lines or telephones, any parent will confirm. They can spend hours on end discussing whatever it is that is important to their world. Guys make arrangements as to where to meet for, say, a hockey game, while the girls – making similar arrangements – will debate what to wear, and how this or that girl, a friend of theirs, looked perfectly ugly the last time out.

So, is it any surprise that almost three-quarters of women are keen on using social networks, and only about a half of the men would be bothered?

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I remember my first week of post-secondary education and my trepidation about being on an unfamiliar school grounds, surrounded by strangers and hoping to not be late for my first class.

It was an odd sensation to not be compelled to be at school, other than your own decision to be there.

There wasn't a school secretary or homeroom teacher who was taking attendance as you arrived at school. No one was looking over my shoulder - well except my circle of friends.

And despite the lack of easily afforded cellular phones at that time, the same belief for all students still stands from all those years ago - its about being mobile and social.

Making it easy to communicate with friends and family is even easier in the 21st century, thanks to many software options that are free.

Microsoft Canada conducted a survey with university students, asking them what was their major concerns as they made the transition from highschool to college.

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Whether its a business trip or a week-long vacation, its becoming rare for many of us to walk in the doors of a travel agency and work with a travel agent.

According to a recent survey by Swedish travel website Tripl, social media is rapidly changing the way we view travel. Tripl's Social Travel Revolution analyzed how travelers using Facebook and Twitter, as well as how access to the internet is changing.

The numbers reveal that we're all getting more connected, checking our fave social media sites and more than likely to do it from a mobile phone than any other electronic accessory. According to Tripl, 72 per cent of us access social media daily when we're traveling.

But does that preclude expert advice?