Now we are merging Insights for Search into Google Trends, wrapping it all up in a clean new interface to give you a clearer view of what’s on the world’s mind. The new Google Trends now includes features from both products and makes it easier and more intuitive to dig into the data. We’ve updated the line chart and map using HTML5 based Google Chart Tools so you can now load the page on your mobile devices, visualize the results without scrolling, and get Hot Searches not just for the U.S., but also India, Japan, and Singapore.

via Insights into what the world is searching for — the new Google Trends – Inside Search.

The company has purchased data on 70 million U.S. households from Datalogix, which culls information from loyalty cards and programs from more than 1,000 retailers, according to The Financial Times. Datalogix matches emails and data associated with those cards and programs with emails and information required to set up a Facebook account, according to the report. Using this information, the company can say whether a consumer purchased an item after seeing it advertised on Facebook.

via Facebook Now Tracks Consumers’ Retail Purchases.

Who could forget former U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner, whose tweeted crotch-shot set a new standard for political pratfalls in the social media age? Then there’s actor Woody Harrelson, whose epically failed Reddit AMA spawned a derisive meme and undermined the very film he was aiming to promote.Among brands, there’s the Red Cross employee who accidentally tweeted about “#gettingslizzerd” from the charity’s official account rather than her personal one. Ragu, Nestle and Kenneth Cole have all showed some Twitter or Facebook ineptitude of their own as well.But not every high-profile gaffe has to end with embarrassment or alienated fans. Handling a blunder smoothly with humor and class can actually reflect well on a celebrity or brand, turning negative into positive. The Red Cross did just that, for example, by addressing the erroneous tweet head-on — but in a lighthearted way — and partnering with a brewery for a blood drive.

via Social Media’s Biggest Screw-Ups [INFOGRAPHIC].

Google+ doesn’t have the user base or marketer interest of Facebook or Twitter, but its connection to search results is causing marketers to closely watch the growth of the site.In September 2012, Google announced that 400 million people had signed up for Google+ worldwide and that there were 100 million actively monthly users. But according to an August 2012 study from SEO software provider SEOmoz, only 54.9% of online marketers worldwide said Google+ was one of their top five most-used sites for social media marketing, compared to 87.7% who cited Facebook and 82.7% who cited Twitter. Google+ did, however, come in above YouTube, which 48.9% of respondents cited.

via Marketers Watching Google+ for SEM Impact – eMarketer.

CEOs within the media and entertainment industry are leaning on social media, as well as tablets and smartphones, to encourage growth and build customer connections in the future.

Ernst & Young surveyed CEOs from global entertainment and media companies for a September 2012 study on digital growth and found that while social media has a solid position within these companies, many CEOs are more bullish on mobile and tablets for future growth.

When asked about the role social media plays within their companies, 84% of respondents said it allowed them to connect with customers, while 69% said social was a tool to build audiences. Additionally, 63% highlighted how social helped with brand building and 50% said it served as a distribution platform or channel, and also as a source of revenue.

via.

Rising adoption of tablets, smartphones and ereaders point to a favorable business climate for publishers of digital newspapers and magazines, as well as for other stakeholders in the publishing industry. Despite this momentum though, the publishing industry faces hurdles in monetizing its digital content. And while some advertisers are jumping into the tablet space, many are holding out until audiences increase and digital behaviors become more ingrained.

via.http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1009372&ecid=a6506033675d47f881651943c21c5ed4

7 in 10 small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) plan to maintain (45%) or increase (27%) their level of spending on mobile media in the next year, compared to just 4% who expect a decrease in mobile spend, according to September 2012 survey results from Borrell Associates, commissioned by Pontiflex. Among those who are planning to increase their spending, slightly more than one-third will increase their budgets by more than 20%.

via SMBs to Increase Marketing Efforts on Mobile, Social Media.

Use of short-form, written content still outweighs visual assets such as video and photos

In an age where paying top dollar for online visibility can only get brands so far, maintaining a strong, diverse web presence is an intense focus for many marketers.

More specifically, areas such as traditional and local search engine optimization (SEO), social media and content marketing saw the greatest increases in marketing demand this year, according to August data from SEOmoz.

The SEO software provider found SEO was the most time-consuming—and most used—inbound marketing tactic for online marketers worldwide: 23.9% spent more than half their time on SEO. Just 7.8% invested similar time in social media marketing and 6.3% in content marketing.

via.

http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1009368&ecid=a6506033675d47f881651943c21c5ed4

Six-year-old Good — the company behind Good Magazine and Good.is — is beginning a new chapter Wednesday, with the relaunch of its website as a digital community for social action.

The new Good.is is a place for people interested in creating change to spread awareness for different causes with a like-minded community — think change.org meets Facebook. It’s also a place to read feature-length stories from Good editorial staffers, follow people and organizations with common interests and find opportunities to get involved with nearby.

“This platform is built around pushing the world forward,” Good Publisher Ben Goldhirsh told Mashable. “We’re an interesting, pragmatic community of people who give a damn. It’s pretty exciting to think that we can have an intent-driven network.”

via Good Magazine Relaunches as Intent-Driven Social Network.