This past week certainly flew by at the speed of Google Fiber. If you didn’t get the chance to take in all the how-tos, app reviews, and business tips found here on Mashable, rest assured, we’ve gathered them into another convenient resource buffet, fully stocked for some all-you-can-read weekend enjoyment.
This week’s edition includes some easy ways to make a difference with social media, a look at how video conferencing technology is improving education, some new social strategies for businesses of any size, and much more.
Social Media
- Dear Foursquare: This Is Not the Right Time to Sell
The location-based network’s extraordinary growth and buzz have caught the eye of Internet heavyweights, notably Yahoo. But if the Foursquare team aims to be a worldwide game-changer like Facebook and Twitter before them, it may be wise to forego the big pay day and keep on truckin’.
- 9 Ways to Do Good With 5 Minutes or $25
Social media makes it easier than ever to make a difference. Whether you can donate a little bit of time, or a little bit of money, check out these easy ways to contribute on the web or on your phone.
- How Social Media Can Effect Real Social and Governmental Change
Transparency, open APIs, and free-flowing information are just a few of the ways societies and governments can be improved. This post discusses some important social media campaigns that have made a difference.
- 4 Tips for Tapping Into Twitter Conversations
Twitter is so much more than just sending updates and links into the void — it’s the world’s real-time conversation. If you want to take part, heed the advice in this post.
- Exclusive: Tour the ‘If I Can Dream’ Command Center [VIDEO]
The interesting new reality/online video hybrid show ‘If I Can Dream’ hit the web on March 2nd, and its impressive production and technical values have turned more than a few heads. This exclusive tour of the show’s HQ sheds some insight on the unique experiment.
- 5 More Ways to Go Green for Earth Day
Earth Day may have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the environmental awareness hook. Explore these social strategies for going green any time of year.
- How Social Media Helped Travelers During the Iceland Volcano Eruption
The Icelandic volcano eruption cost millions in airline revenue and left thousands stranded, but it may have opened new windows of communication. See how travelers and airlines took advantage of social channels to relay vital information that call centers and websites could not.
For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
Tech & Mobile
- HOW TO: Give Your iPhone a Spring Clean
With so many tempting apps available for download, it’s easy for your iPhone to get cluttered. Well spring is here, and it’s time to organize your mobile life. Check these tips on streamlining your beloved handheld.
- 5 Ways Classrooms Can Use Video Conferencing
Web-based video chat has allowed students to connect with a world of experts and curricula that were previously unavailable. Take a look at these five examples of high-tech education in action.
- 10 Free iPhone Apps to Help You Go Green for Earth Day
Environmentalism doesn’t stop at your desktop. Staying green on the go can be a little bit easier with these 10 resourceful iPhone apps.
- 10 Excellent Examples of Recycled Gadgetry
If you’re all about gadget-themed decor and apparel (and who isn’t really?), you won’t want to miss these awesome products, built from the circuits and wires of yesterday’s tech.
For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
Business
- Why It’s More Important Than Ever To Be an Early Adopter Brand
If your business aims to compete at the speed of social media, it’s critical that you be ahead of the curve on the latest trends. This post discusses why.
- HOW TO: Reignite Your Business Network Online
Without a viable network, your business probably wouldn’t be successful. If that old Rolodex or business card pile is growing stale, here are some tips for reconnecting online.
- How Recruiters are Using Social Media for Real Results
Social media has opened up a whole new channel for recruiters to scout. Here are some tips from the pros who have landed great candidates from the social web.
- How Companies Can Use Sentiment Analysis to Improve Their Business
What are people saying about your brand on the web? Is it good or bad? How bad should it get before you intervene? These questions can be answered by employing a sentiment analysis strategy.
- 5 Unique Ways to Use Twitter for Business
Contests, customer service, recruiting — it’s all been done on Twitter. If your business is looking for some fresh ideas, be sure to check in here.
- 8 Social Media Strategies to Engage Multicultural Consumers
The purchasing power of multicultural consumers is growing exponentially. If you want to reach them, you need to understand how to connect. This post has some tips on using social media to do so.
- 5 Masterminds That Have Redefined Startup Life
Along the road of Internet entrepreneurship, there have been thought leaders who took risks, and changed the game for everyone. Check out these five profiles of some of the most influential minds in tech business.
- Why Retention Should Be Your Top Priority in Social Media Marketing
If your business model hinges only on how virally your product is shared, you may be missing the bigger picture. For long-term sustainability, customer retention is key.
- Top 10 YouTube Tips for Small Businesses
YouTube is a too-often neglected channel for promoting your business. Because it’s free and has incredible reach, it’s the perfect platform for small businesses to set up shop. Here are 10 best practices to note while exploring your web video strategy.
- HOW TO: Add Blogger Outreach to Your PR Plan
The opinions of bloggers reach far and wide, making them a great vehicle for your brand. If you haven’t added blogger outreach to your PR arsenal, read these tips for best results.
For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
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Another week down, and another chance to gather all the social media wisdom from the experts and put it to good use for your personal brand, your business, or for plain old fun.
Check out these indispensable resources which include an exclusive peek inside YouTube’s inner sanctum, a swath of in-depth iPad coverage, and some essential social business tools.
As if that’s not enough, there are always those hilarious cat videos.
Social Media
- How a Facebook Group Helped Reunite a Band for Charity
The band God Street Wine became popular in the 90s and played their last official show in 1999. But thanks to a group of fervent Facebook fans, the band is reuniting in NYC for a good cause.
- Top 10 Recut Movie Trailers on YouTube [VIDEOS]
We’ve picked ten of the best recut movie trailers on YouTube that add a horror angle to the most light-hearted of films.
- 3 Ways Live Events Improve Online Communities
While there is a lot of chatter about online communities, less is said about how to connect your online community members with each other, or with you, offline. Check out these three tips for improving your online community.
- The History of Location Technology [INFOGRAPHIC]
Location-based social networks may be hot now, but location technology is nothing new. This infographic explores the history of location tech from primitive to advanced.
- Exclusive: Inside YouTube’s War Room
Whether positive or negative, whenever a major social site rolls out a new feature, users respond very loudly. For their recent redesign, YouTube was prepared.
- Top 10 Funny Cat Videos on YouTube
Whether you want talking cats, surprised cats, dramatic cats or nom-noming cats, this lists should tickle your funny bone with ten examples of the finest feline vids on the Internets.
- HOW TO: Clean Up Your Facebook Profile
With all your friends, Fan Pages, apps, and friends’ apps, your Facebook feed can get pretty hairy. Check this guide for some quick tips on cleaning it up.
- 3 Tips for Managing Your Online Reputation
As we spend more of our social lives online, our reputation becomes harder to manage across many networks. Here are some tips for keeping tabs on how the web perceives you.
- 6 Ways Brands are Using Social Media For Real-World Action
Businesses should start thinking about new ways to mobilize their social media audiences to take action in the real world. Here are 6 great examples of just that.
- 5 Ways Mega Charity Events Can Harness the Power of Social Media
Mega charity events like Twestival and 12 for 12k have demonstrated fantastic principles for grassroots cause efforts. These 5 pointers came from social media experts in the non-profit sector.
For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
Tech & Mobile
- iPad App Hands-on Reviews: Twitterific, Netflix, and ABC [VIDEO]
Want to see some of the most anticipated iPad apps in action? Check out these video reviews.
- 10 Great Sites for Watching Video on Your iPad
As we know, Apple and Flash (by Adobe) do not intend to play nice anytime soon. However, there is hope for mobile web video in the form of HTML5. Here are 10 sites that utilize the new code to render video on the iPad.
- 3 Ways to Destroy an iPad [VIDEO]
Whether for marketing, science or sport, some individuals are more interested in destroying the iPad than in ogling its sleek design. Check out these three videos and quench your thirst for techno-destruction.
- 10 Awesome Apple iPad Cases
Apple’s iPad hit shop shelves last weekend, so we thought we’d bring you the best cases you can currently buy — as well as some coming-soon options that might be worth holding out for.
- 5 Fantastic Free iPhone E-book Reader Apps
In case you’re not grabbing an iPad any time soon, we’ve pulled together a list of five free apps that offer you e-book reading abilities on your iPhone.
- 4 Web-Based Meeting Schedulers Reviewed
A slew of online applications are attempting to eliminate the headache of scheduling meetings. Here is the run down of four applications that just might make the logistics a little easier.
- 3 Reasons to Get Excited About the Apple Game Center
This summer, the iPhone and iPod touch will get an operating system update (iPhone OS 4.0) that will include a new service called the Game Center. Here’s why we’re psyched about it.
- The 10 Best ‘Get a Mac’ Ads
Love them or hate them, Apple’s iconic ‘Get a Mac’ ads made a huge impact on pop culture. We’ve learned that the campaign is slated for the deadpool, and rounded up ten of our favorites.
- 10 Free Services to Monitor Your Site’s Uptime
You can’t sit staring at your website(s) 24 hours a day to ensure it’s up. Fortunately, there are free services out there that can do it for you.
- How Publishers Plan to Monetize iPad Content
The release of the iPad has the publishing world wondering if paid digital content will put the industry back in the black. A few publishers are already taking some interesting approaches.
For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
Business
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You’ve created a Facebook fan page and people are frequenting your page. But do you really know how many people visit your page, what areas are popular and what parts of the world your visitors come from?
Facebook Insights shows some demographic information on your page, but is limited to information about interactions with your fans. The free Google Analytics tool offers more sophisticated and comprehensive data. Adding Google Analytics to your fan page can be done easily but requires some special steps.
One of the limitations of Facebook fan pages is they can only run limited JavaScript. Google Analytics needs JavaScript code included on a page to correctly track visitors in the traditional way. And running JavaScript won’t work on your fan page…
However, there is a new solution. Using free and opensource FBGAT (Facebook Google Analytics Tracker), you can get Google Analytics working on your Facebook fan page. Now you can track visitor statistics, traffic sources, visitor countries, and keyword searches with all the other powerful reporting of Google Analytics.
What follows are the instructions to set up Google Analytics tracker on your Facebook fan page. (Note: Your fan page must use an HTML application like static FBML for you to use this method.)
#1: Create a Google Analytics account
If you already have a Google Analytics account, create a new website profile to separately track visits to your Facebook fan page.
Where it says ‘Add a Profile…’, simply paste your fan page URL or use Facebook.com.
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After the step above, Google will display your tracking code. The tracking code generally looks like this: UA-3123123-2. Note: Google will tell you to activate the website. You do not need to do this.
#2: Get your tracking images
The way to work around the Facebook JavaScript limitation is to generate custom images. FBGAT is a free tool that will generate your custom image code to track visits on each of your Facebook fan pages.
The above screenshot shows what the code generator looks like.
After clicking the ‘Generate Code’ button, you’ll get a code which you’ll need to copy in full. You’ll have to generate a separate code for each fan page you want to track and place it as shown in step #3 below. Note: If you have multiple pages powered by FBML, you can do this for each page.
You can place the code anywhere as long as it does not disrupt functionality of your existing page. I prefer the top or the bottom of the page.
That’s all there is to it. The tracking has begun. Google Analytics will now need about 24 hours to show you a report of your visitors.
The wall might be your main page. To track this, again you will need to create a page with static FBML. The only difference is that to show this on the wall, you are required to make it a box. Just click on the (add) on the Box, and it will be added to the wall. To change this setting, click on ‘Application Settings’ under the FBML that you would like to create as a box. As with other pages, please note that you have to create a unique tracking code for this page as well.
Debi Burk Scott - Sentimental Journey Show: