12 Social Media Articles to Read this Weekend

As a part of my job I have to read pretty much everything I can find about the industry which means hundreds of articles every single week. This week I cam across some interesting reading on social media. Here is the list of 12 the best articles this week. The posts are a mixture of practical resources, surveys, interviews and insightful thinking from the industry and are all well worth bookmarking if you can’t get through them all in one .

1. How You Should Be Using LinkedIn: Tips from an Insider

With 120 million users, LinkedIn has become for business professionals what Facebook has long been for everyday consumers. It's increasingly rare, in fact, to meet a professional contact who isn't on the site. Read some ideas on smart ways SMEs can use the network revealed by Nicole Williams, LinkedIn's Connection Director and a small business owner herself.

2.How to evaluate your crowd sourcing efforts

According to Aliza Sherman crowdsourcing can be broken down into three types of tasks: work, input and action. Measuring cost savings from each kind of crowdsourcing requires a clear understanding of what you're trying to achieve and using the right network.

3. Employers are liking — and hiring — social media workers

Corporate world is on a hiring binge for people to manage a company's presence on Facebook, Twitter and similar sites. Once given such titles as social media wizards, ninjas and divas, they take their jobs seriously and are gaining more respect.

4. Stop looking for a single way to measure social media ROI

The pursuit of a stable way to measure social media return on investment is founded on a false principle, writes Brian Solis. Rather than seeking a single static set of tools with which to measure ROI, we should seek tools that relate directly to our goals in any given moment. "R.O.I is specific to an outcome or a goal, which means that there is no one answer"

5. The keys to avoiding a social media security breach

Virus and malware attacks against organizations have increased because of employees using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media in the workplace, according to a global study. According to a Ponemon Institute survey of more than 4,600 companies that found more than half of respondents saying they'd seen more cyber-attacks because of their social media use. To stay safe, institute founder Larry Ponemon recommends focusing on human error rather than technological factors, and establishing and enforcing a clear social media policy for employees.

6. Facebook admits to tracking users after they're logged out

Facebook has acknowledged collecting data from "like" buttons even after users log out from its services, but says it deletes the information it gathers and doesn't use it to target advertising. An Australian technologist found that unique identifiers are sent each time that users view a "like" button online, even if they're logged out of Facebook and don't click on the button; Facebook admitted that the data are sent, but said it makes no use of the information and deletes it quickly

7. Facebook Sucks Up a Ridiculously Huge and Growing Share of Our Time Wasted Online

Almost 16% of the time that Americans spend online is spent on Facebook, according to recent Citigroup research. That compares with 11% for Google and 9% for Yahoo!, suggesting that brands could begin to divert resources from search marketing into Facebook marketing programs

8. Amazon Strikes with Kindle Fire Tablet

Amazon's 7-inch color tablet, dubbed Kindle Fire, is priced just below $200, considerably less than what was expected. In aiming for the low end of the tablet market, Amazon apparently is willing to accept losses on its hardware sales in order to fuel purchases from its online retail businesses, including streaming video to many types of devices

9. Employers struggle to set social media rules for workers

More employers are crafting social media policies in response to online comments posted by workers, but the policies they're coming up with may not fly legally, experts say.

10. Survey: Colleges use Facebook to find information on students

About 25% of colleges do research on their applicants. It increased from 6% year before, according to a recent survey by Kaplan Test Prep. Admissions staffl also use Google to search for students, and 12% say online searches turned up information that could affect an applicant's chances of admission. Students should search for themselves and pay attention to the information they -- or others -- post online to keep a positive online image.

11. Study finds social gamers are open to ads, purchases

Almost 25% of people who play casual games report having clicked on an ad in a social game and made an online purchase, according to a recent study. Average spending by gamers on in-game or virtual items amounts to $42.70, and 45% of gamers say they're open to the concept of viewing ads in return for virtual currency.

12. Google AdWords model is applied to YouTube video ads

YouTube's new Google AdWords for video puts video first in a service that remains the same as before but with an in-stream option that doesn't charge the advertiser unless the user views at least 30 seconds of each ad. The service also addresses complaints that YouTube previously lacked targeting. The new tool aims to simplify online video ad campaigns and allow advertisers to use a dynamic, auction-based platform to place and manage ads on YouTube and the Google Display Network.