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Facebook - Riding the Crest of Real-Time Advertising

This is a step-up from Facebook's most recent effort of sponsored stories whereby users' brand interactions would be re-posted as an ad on the side bar. The issue here lied in the fact that targeting was reliant on users engaging with brands on the platform. Previous to this Facebook had been monitoring user and brand interaction in order to target relevant ads at users. Mining offers the next logical step by tuning into users real-time conversations in order to offer users what they want as soon as they know they want it. For example, you may update your status with "Mmm, I could go for some pizza tonight" and could instantly receive an ad or voucher from Domino's or Pizza Hut.

Currently Facebook collects and collates data on users activities, posts and interactions in order to add them into target audiences based on the data collected over time. Keywords are a small part of that equation, but Facebook says that sometimes keywords aren't even used. The company states that delivering ads based on user conversations is a complex algorithm that must be continuously updated and changed over time. Currently though, the tests are concentrating on the sites ability to target ads at split-second speed, as soon as the user makes a statement that is a match for an ad in the system.

With real-time delivery the mere mention of going out for dinner, fancying a beer, going for a run or even just watching a film is transformed into an opportunity to serve immediate ads, expanding the target audience exponentially beyond using usual targeting methods such as likes. Facebook did not need to create any new ads for this test, and no particular advertiser has been tapped to participate as a user may not have to have liked any football pages, or indicated that football is even of interest on their profile page, however, the mention of a trip to the pub to watch the latest international makes them an instant part of the Adidas target demographic. The moment between a potential customer expressing a desire and deciding on how to fulfill that desire is a key moment for advertisers, and therefore the real-time ad model puts advertisers in front of a user at that very delicate, decisive moment.

"The long-held promise of local is to deliver timely, relevant and measurable ads which drive actions such as commerce, so if Facebook is moving in this direction, it's brilliant," said Reggie Bradford, CEO of Facebook software and marketing company Vitrue. "This is a massive market shift everyone is pivoting toward, led by services such as Groupon. Facebook has the power of the graph of me and my friends placing them in the position to dominate this medium." Users often express the sentiment that they "don't even notice the ads," so engrossed are they in their Facebook activities. Those that do notice the ads complain they are not relevant to their interests. "All the ads I get are military-related, for building muscle or for big busty Asians in Florida who want men over 45," said Facebook user and Florida-based marketing student Mike Hanby, adding that he was not a target for any of those topics. "I hope that doesn't say anything bad about me."

This new feature does not alter the basic algorithm of 'expression of interest' resulting in relevant ads being promoted, the difference being that such ads are delivered in real-time so as to affect the users decision making process when they are most vulnerable to persuasion, whether it be through clever adverts, advice or discounts. The point of the algorithm is not to detect key words but in-fact to detect whether or not there is any commercial intent behind statements. "You might have the potential of seeing some unfortunate ads if not targeted correctly," said eMarketer social-media analyst Debra Aho Williamson. "If I'm talking generally about Starbucks - 'my latte was cold' - would it be weird to then see an ad from Costa?"

With Facebook ads performance generally being pretty poor (there are obviously some exceptions to this) with a reported click through rate of 0.051% in 2010 (about half the industry average) this could provide a real break-through for big brands looking to engage with fans via social media channels. It could also see Facebook's value rise even further as it becomes THE market leader in the advertising stakes. Facebook have stated that the test will continue indefinitely, but have declined to comment on the test results so far.

With such exciting occurrences it can be daunting trying to keep up to date with all the most recent happenings in the world of the web so why not get involved in local communities such as rel=nofollow [http://www.mycleveragency.com/]social media London in order to get connected with the brightest minds in the business.

For now however, we must wait with baited breath to find out the true potential of Facebook's latest venture.

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Make Money For Living Through Residual Income - A Young Parent's Struggle

Well, what do any of us do when we don't have any money? We go out looking for it. So lets go through the some of the options we have:

1. Find a higher paying job
2. Have your spouse work
3. Get a side job

Lets review the positives and negatives of each. First, Finding a higher paying job. Well, many of us don't actually have this option, especially in a down economy like we're experiencing. However, some may have this choice. Positives: More pay. Negatives: potentially unfulfilling job, new environment, potentially long work hours, etc. Basically, you trade better pay for the unknown. It might turn out well, it might not.

Next, having your spouse work. This option seems as viable as the first. But lets see the positive and negatives. Positives: more pay. Negatives: Children get less face time with parents, increased costs for daycare, less time to focus on your house. In this case you end up losing out on some of the most prized possessions of any parent: their child's experiences. On top of that, you're adding costs that may or may not be covered by your new income. Less of a viable option in my opinion.

Lastly, getting a side job. After reviewing the first two, this one seems to be the next option that people gravitate toward. It's also a fairly broad topic. A side job could be anything from picking up weekend delivery shifts at Pizza Hut, selling a home made product or service at a swap meet, or finding a work from home job or contract position. Positives: more pay, potentially doing something related to your hobbies. Negatives: more time away from family. Just by comparison, this third option has less negatives and seems like the best route. And so I will recommend it as such.

I've tried each of these options and the first two were definitely the most painful. As I stepped back and took a good look at my life, I realized that the reason I hadn't tried the third is because I was a little scared to do a side job on my own. On top of that, I didn't know what to do or how to get the money to do it.

Eventually, I decided on starting my own advertising agency as Online Marketing has been a specialty of mine for years. Unfortunately, I didn't have the money to start this up. I didn't want to take a business loan because I didn't have the collateral to pay it back (really, I wasn't willing to take the risk). I had to start out small with a few local clients. Once I was able to solidify some cash, I was able to continue on without taking a huge risk. Positives: increasingly more pay, doing something you love, little risk. Negatives: Hard work & Drive are a must have, low risk means starting out very slow (it'll take awhile to see the high paying benefits).

So the question is, what is going to be right for you? Finding a higher paying job, sending your spouse into the workforce, or getting a side job? I was successful with a side business and would suggest it to anyone with an idea and some drive.

--take note that this article is only discussing ways to increase money. Look for my next article discussing ways to save money: Additional Pay & Residual Income From Your Own Pockets.

Laurence Michael is an independent author who supports young families & parents grow their portfolios & their standard of living. [http://www.financedeal1.com]Residual Income is the second principle in reaching those goals.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Make-Money-For-Living-Through-Residual-Income---A-Y...] Make Money For Living Through Residual Income - A Young Parent's Struggle

Why Start an Online Business Instead?

Why go Online with your Business?

With the increasing number of people looking for products and services on the web, making an online business is the most profitable way to sell your products. In a traditional business, it only reaches out a few customers due to the nature of face-to-face transaction of buying and selling. On the Internet however, you can reach anyone around the world, 24/7! Your store never sleeps and you can make cash even you sleep! Starting your online business requires little money on your part compared to giant companies set up in a traditional way. This way, low costs means more profits for you.

What is the Strategy for your Online Business?

Okay, now that I convinced you about the advantages of an Internet business, let's take a look at what strategies we need to employ in order to succeed. If you think for a second that online businesses is a lazy mans way to riches, you are wrong. I want to make it clear that it takes time and effort for you to succeeded in building your online empire. With that cleared out, think about for a moment what makes McDonald's or Pizza Hut find customers? The answer is "location, location, location"!

Positioning your business in a location where people come and go is a great strategy for real time businesses. However, if you want to build an online empire, you should think, "information, information, information"! In the web, people are searching for content that are useful and solves their problems. Problems such as how to clean their barbeque grills, what is the cheapest flight to go to Australia, and much more. If you can answer that, then you my friend is one step ahead on your competition! By giving content to your "customers", you build trust and credibility that converts to cash! People will listen to your recommendations. They buy products that you sell, knowing that you are a friend that gives out his helping hand to people in need!

However, let me remind you that starting an online business requires a high learning curve because of the complicated stuff related to building a website. I feel for you and I was in your position 2 years ago. I was happy that someone recommended me SBI or Site Build It! by Ken Evoy. His amazing product handles all the technical stuff related to setting up your online business and you take care of the rest! You can find a lot of reviews on how reputable Ken is and I can personally attest to the product that he sells. The heck, I learned a lot in one year than reading tutorials from so called "gurus" that wants nothing more than your money.

I hope I was able to shed some light on why you should start building your online business today. Remember, this thing works through hard work and perseverance. If you think that this is a get rich quick scheme, then, this is not for you. The Internet has given us the way to make it much more easier to attain financial freedom. Take action now and good luck to your success!

Gavino is a freelance writer that has 2 years of experience in his arsenal. His latest website, [http://www.pixelcourse.com]Pixel Course, focuses on reviewing photography courses and schools that every student needs.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Start-an-Online-Business-Instead?&id=4641074] Why Start an Online Business Instead?

What You Must Do to Achieve Real Financial Freedom

I have been a victim of organizational strategic alliances in the past and I can remember how frustrating it was a dedicated employee to be asked by Management to leave his employment for reasons of company's economic justification. When an organization embarks on a staff rationalization arrangement as a strategy to rescue the company from failing, there is usually no guarantee that the best employee would be retained. Guess who usually gets downsized, right-sized and rationalized at these times... YOU!

When I was growing up, the trend of life was usually to go to college, get good grades and get a JOB! Employment was seen as the best way of securing financial security and freedom since most companies would offer contributory pension schemes towards their employee's retirement. With this kind of counseling and advice from parents, most people went to college with a hope to graduate, get a job, make contribution towards pensions and retire. Nobody advised that I could actually establish a business or invest in existing businesses as a better way of securing my financial future.

What does it take to become financially free?

The general idea is that it takes money to make money. Another school of thought says that it takes a good formal education, probably a college degree to become wealthy. In my honest opinion, none of these is capable of creating wealth. If you look at the history of wealthy men around the world, you will discover that majority of them did something different. These include individuals like Ted Turner, founder of CNN; Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer; Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft; Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company and Thomas Edison, founder of General Electric. Some of them left school without a college degree and those that obtained college degrees could testify that their wealth has nothing to do with their college training. This is not to say that it is not good to go to college and obtain a degree, but a college certificate is mostly useful for a traditional profession.

The traditional school does not teach you how to become financially free. To achieve financial freedom you have to have a goal and dream which you must personally develop, pursue and achieve. To succeed, it takes a lot of determination and willingness to learn and apply new principles very quickly. Of course, you must be patient, allow yourself time and wait until the combination of your learning and application of new principles begins to produce visible results.

Everybody wants to be wealthy but the difference between those that have achieved wealth and all others lies in the different ways both the wealthy and poor respond to their beliefs, fears, doubts, strengths and weaknesses. The reason you are poor and average is because you usually fall back when things go in the direction you did not expect; that is when the fear of loosing money steps in; and what do you do? The commonest thing average people do at this time is to seek for security. This is not a winning mentality, and if you must switch from your present state of financial insecurity you must chose freedom and pay the price. It is at this point that most people fail because they are usually faced with the urge to go back to their comfort zone; usually their jobs.

If you want to take control of what you do today in order to change your financial standpoint tomorrow, you need to review your present financial position and draw up a plan of action to help you reach your financial destiny. The following considerations may guide you in reviewing your circumstance.

1. Is your present source of finance guaranteed up to 5 years from now?
2. Going by your present circumstances, are you able to adequately provide for yourself
and family in 5 years?
3. Does your income source allow you to live a lifestyle you have dreamt for?
4. Do you spend quality time with your family?

If you have answered 'No' to any of the above questions, you should consider taking immediate action towards investing in your life towards building sustainable income streams for yourself. You must decide on what type of investment opportunities that would become the right vehicle for you to achieve this. I would strongly recommend that you invest in a Business System, and below are the three common ones with a brief description of what each of them entails.

1. A Corporation
2. Franchise
3. Network Marketing

Corporation
This is the most traditional and risky way of developing your own business system. It requires a lot of hard work and commitment to develop and many times than expected fails because of lack of experience on your part. It is common that you may lose 2 to 3 companies before you successfully build one that stands for you.

Franchise
This term is synonymous with McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Burger King or Pizza Hut. It is a system which has already been developed for investors who do not want to, or know how to build their own systems from scratch. Franchising is a good way of starting a business with a 'tested and proven' system. The whole idea of franchising removes an important risk variable from you because even the bank recognizes the importance of a system and are prepared to support it. If you invest in a franchise, you would concern yourself with developing the team that will help you to run the system. However, the cost of buying into a franchise runs into hundreds of thousand Dollars.

Network Marketing
This is sometimes called Multi-Level Marketing or Home Based Business. It is the newest of the three and most suspected by the public due largely to ignorance. Network Marketing System impacts tremendously on people's lives and financial future. All you need to do is buying into an existing system with initial once and for all entry fees as low as between $200 to $300 and start building your business right away. It is designed for you to operate part-time from the comfort of your home, so your cost of running the business in terms of office space, office furniture and office equipment are removed.

I have discovered that in addition to being a sure way to creating sustainable wealth and financial freedom, Network Marketing is a business model that really impacts the lives and finance of people all over the world. In fact, I recommend that you start your journey to financial freedom with a Network Marketing System.

Some of the systems are designed to depend so much on the power of information technology so you do not have to worry about paper work, recording of sales transactions and invoicing. The headaches of calculation of commission and bonuses or processing of orders and delivering of products are removed from the first day of joining. With a little training to get you started by your leaders, you are already in business of making sales.

The desire of everybody is to achieve financial freedom and the pursuit of this goal has led many to discovering personal happiness and family well being. The decision to walk this path is usually a difficult one; but you can download [http://www.rehobothworld.com]3 FREE Training CDs that will show you how to succeed in any Home Based Business. It is not an easy life's path but the price at the end is usually worth the journey.

If your ambition is to succeed in business and live a lifestyle of your dream, opt-in to our [http://www.rehobothworld.com/workwithnkem.aspx]Business Mentoring Program Now, and we will work with you to choose a business system that will enable you to live your dream.

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