Social networking sites in the U.S. accounted for more than 20 percent of all display ads viewed online in July, with MySpace and Facebook combining to serve more than 80 percent of ads, according to a new report from comScore.
"Over the past few years, social networking has become one of the most popular online activities, accounting for a significant portion of the time Internet users spend online and the pages they consume," said Jeff Hackett, comScore senior vice president.
Facebook Reportedly Readying New Ads Manager
Facebook will reportedly begin testing a new Ads Manager soon, as well as a new bulk uploading tool for advertisers. The company told Inside Facebook that these would be rolling out to a few advertisers soon.
"Unlike today’s Ads Manager, the new version will include in-line editing and search, which should make campaign management much more efficient for those managing many Facebook Ads," says Inside Facebook’s Justin Smith.
Facebook Makes Subtle Changes to Design
Facebook has quietly made a few changes to its design. It’s not exactly a huge overhaul that will provoke the backlash that last year’s big redesign did, but just a few simple things that people shouldn’t have too much of a problem with.
Facebook eCommerce May Have to Clear Security Obstacle
Security firm Trend Micro has been researching malicious practices on Facebook, and has discovered numerous rogue apps on the social networking site this week. They’ve been alerting Facebook of them as they find them, but apparently more keep popping up as fast as they are eliminated. Have you experienced security issues on Facebook? Tell us about them.
Facebook Announces Plans for Privacy Improvement
Facebook has announced plans to give users more control over their information and make them better informed about privacy settings. This includes notifications and information about privacy settings and practices, additions to the Facebook Privacy Policy, and technical changes that give users more transparency and control over the info they provide to third-party apps.
Facebook Expanding Staff By Around 50%
While we continue to slog our way through the economy (is it getting better, staying the same or worse?) there are a few companies that are defying the general downward trends. Apple’s iPhone has let them weather the storm quite nicely. Apparently, Facebook is doing quite fine as well.
Economy is a Bright Spot For Facebook
Facebook is reportedly planning on expanding its staff by up to 50% this year. CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivered this news to Bloomberg, saying the economy has provided a "great environment" for them, because nobody else has been hiring.
Facebook Now Just Integrating Directly with Twitter
Facebook is in the process of releasing a feature for Facebook Pages that allows the page’s admin to automatically post updates to Twitter simultaneously. The feature is only for Pages and not for individual profiles.
The Dawn of Real Facebook eCommerce
Facebook is set to begin testing an expansion of its Gift Shop, for third-party developers to begin selling items to users for Facebook’s virtual currency. The really interesting part about this is that these developers can sell physical merchandise, not just Facebook gifts.
Facebook Privacy Concerns Make Their Way To Canada
Facebook is gearing up to face off with the government again—this time over privacy concerns in two different venues: the California courts and a Canadian commission.