70% of local companies to use Facebook for marketing

With little time and money to local small businesses are increasingly turning to free and low-cost social media tools for marketing. No wonder the world's largest social networking site tops the list of preferred tools.

Seventy percent of local companies using Facebook for marketing, according to a new report from the Merchant, the network of the U.S. local business owners. This represents an increase of 20% over the previous year.

The report concludes that for the first time, Facebook is used more than a Google local business online marketing.

Facebook also seems to be a benefit check location in space, with 32% of small businesses, saying: use of functions, compared with only 9%, which tried to Foursquare.

This new data is the same as the group buying site, ChompOn, disclosed its own data showing that Facebook updates are three times more effective than tweets about getting consumers to make purchases online.

Nearly 40% of the respondents to the survey to Merchant Circle said they used Twitter for marketing, marketing microblogging site, Facebook, and Google.

Increased use of social marketing for small enterprises should come as no surprise, given the very great acceptance of the popular social networks and low costs-often non-existent-for their use. Web marketing companies typically have also been New local companies about 51% of whom say that are called cold about marketing online services at least once a week.

Test Merchant Circle is based on random 8,456 small business owners in the United States.

See also bridging Marketing Online and Offline with StickerYou the first ever "small enterprises Saturday" momentum gains Online SMB Tech Roundup: Facebook Email, Google voice business and more track (i) marketing and ROI with the MyNextCustomer Tweet

Map your friends Facebook in few clicks

You know who your Facebook friends, but you can visualize where they are? You may be surprised when you see "where are my friends to be" Google Maps mashup with all their locations identified, showing how far away your friends really are.

We've seen other Facebook/Google Maps mashups before, but this is no different from other friend radio operators. It's fast, it only takes a few seconds click in, and suddenly she dropping little contacts around the world, showing you exactly where your buddies. Says one of its developers, Ajay Mehta:

"Amazingly, there are not many applications like this. There are a few that were very weak and eventually cancelled years ago. They did this visual or, most lame loading bar or something similar and comparison of laggy/slow. We have friends pop on the map in a cool, Interactive way (which was the hardest part to hack together). "

Mehta, researcher, College Freshmen Wesley Zhao and Dan shipper developed mashup that gives you a quick way to remind yourself that you're not in Kansas anymore, and are not your friends. Unless of course you all live in Kansas.

These infectious enthusiasm a frosh. Future Zuckerbergs?

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Get free food Chipotle for viewing NBC'S promo on Facebook

NBC Today begins a promotion offering free Chipotle meals for those watching 90 second promo on Facebook for upcoming show America's next great restaurant.

The network uses the application on show at the Facebook page, where, in exchange for watching promo, visitors get a buy one, get one free coupon for Chipotle. Founder and CEO, Global Steve, the chain is one of four investors in the show.

Customers who print the coupon you can get free meals, including Chipotle Burrito, tacos or a bowl with the purchase of another meal. Promotion ends March 6.

Meanwhile, Chipotle is working in a shop texting promotion offering a chance to get a burrito catered party. Anyone who texts "CIU" (for America's next great restaurant) anywhere Chipotle will have a chance to win.

NBC rep said, this is the first time the network used to get users to watch the show promo food. Nevertheless, the network tried other means give viewer loyalty. For example, last year, NBC has called his fan loyalty program that rewards users that contribute, interact and discuss NBC shows.

America's next great Restaurant, which premieres March, 21 6 pits contestants against each other as the Board of judges decide whose concept restaurant is best. Winner-"fully savor his/her great American dream of starting their own restaurant chain," according to NBC Rep.

For Chipotle, which does little in the way traditional advertising efforts is the latest innovative use of social media. Chains are similarly unusual effort last year to encourage consumers to send their spam e-mail messages in order to charity, offering a healthy school lunches for kids.

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Bing now shows your friends Facebook likes for all search results

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Payvment brings a Virtual Facebook Social Shopping

Payvment, a startup that allows anyone to create and operate a retail store on Facebook, is launching the first virtual shopping center in the social network. Composed of all retail stores using the Payvment app for Facebook, the mall offers products from more than one million 50000 retailers in a centralized location.

Payvment's Facebook App, which launched in November 2009, allows anyone to create a retail store in the social network. The app allows you to define products, product categories (i.e. shoes, t-shirts, sweatshirts), import photos, lists of terms of service and delivery options and much more. After you configure your online store on Facebook, it will appear in a separate tab on your profile or page