Facebook Advertising | Social Media Marketing

Twitter rejected a $500 million acquisition offer from Facebook.

Facebook started the talks about buying Twitter in mid October this year. Twitter was offered $100 M cash and $400M worth of Facebook stock. The talks ended as Twitter rejected the offer as their investors decided that $500 million for over 63 million registered users was not enough. They were also concerned wether the Twitter <> Facebook integration could be done properly. Twitter executives also believe that Twitter is able to earn its own revenue as it’s user base is rapidly growing. It remains to be seen how they will actually start earning revenue, as currently they are not making any money. Pretty bold to say no to $500 million!

Now that Facebook has expressed it’s interest in Twitter it is almost certain that Twitter will get more offers in the future – after all, Twitter is a huge hit in terms of the number of users and the online popularity it already enjoys.

Twitter was launched in mid 2006 as a social networking and micro-blogging site that allows users to post updates. A Twitter post is limited by 140 characters and can be posted through their own web form,  a text message or an instant message. The company adds constantly new features to their product, such as browser plug-ins, iPod and Facebook integration and Gmail import and search. In April 2008 Twitter launched their Japanese version, which includes advertisements as well.

Study released today by the MacArthur Foundation suggests that using Facebook and other Social Networking sites is more useful than not. A team of researchers working on the foundation’s “Digital Youth Project” concluded that interaction with new media such as Facebook is increasingly becoming an essential part of becoming a competent citizen in the digital age.

Team of researchers conducted more than 800 interviews of youths and their parents, and spent more than 5,000 hours observing teens on sites such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. The goal was to find out how youths use the digital media, such as social networking sites and video games, to understand and participate in society.

The study shows that all that Web surfing and online socializing isn’t necessarily eroding the intelligence or initiative of the young generation. The Internet isn’t rotting their brains. Actually, it’s almost necessary.  Kids denied access to the new media, what ever the reason,  are likely to be short on skills that members of their generation are expected to possess.

“When kids lack access to the Internet at home or public libraries and schools block sites that are central to their social communication, youth are doubly handicapped in their efforts to participate in common culture and sociability,” the study reads.

Major findings from the Digital Youth Project:

• Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace foster productive, if not essential, social skills for teens.
• Adults who restrict access to such the sites may do teens a disservice.
• When youths “hang out” online, they’re reaching out to people they know, not strangers.
• That form of hanging out is no better or worse than similar, face-to-face interaction.
• Social networking sites allow youths to develop public identities.

“It may look like kids are wasting a lot of time online, but they’re actually learning a lot of social, technical and also media literacy skills,” said Mizuko Ito, a researcher at the University of California, Irvine who lead the study.

Some of their findings should be no surprise to teens or their parents. For instance, teens like to hang out with their friends online. They learn social skills online. They flirt online. They develop interests, express themselves creatively, and give each other feedback — all online.

(ST. LOUIS POST)