Facebook targets IPO Mid-2012 for $10B

Facebook is moving closer to an initial public offering that would value the social networking giant at more than $100 billion, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, the Journal states that Facebook is looking to go public between April and June 2012 and expects to raise $10 billion. Although Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has publicly expressed his reluctance to take the company public, insiders say he is warming the idea, with Facebook currently in internal discussions over the timing of its Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Although Facebook could file as early as this month, sources caution that Zuckerberg still has not made a final decision.

Because Facebook will eclipse the 500-shareholder limit by the end of 2011, the company must make its financial information public by April of next year--SEC rules mandate that companies with more than 500 shareholders must publicly disclose its financial data. Although Facebook could publish its financial information without an IPO, board members and executives reportedly have acknowledged that scenario would leave the company at an extreme disadvantage, saddling it with the liabilities that come with going public while reaping none of the financial rewards.

Facebook declined to comment on the report. "We're not going to participate in speculation about an IPO," a Facebook spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal.

Facebook's worldwide advertising revenues are on pace to reach $3.8 billion this year, up from $1.86 billion in 2010, according to data compiled by eMarketer. Although Wall Street has hotly anticipated a Facebook IPO for several years, investors continue to debate the long-term viability of other web juggernauts. Daily deals platform Groupon, which floated an $805 million IPO earlier this month, has seen its shares drop 42 percent in the past five days, while shares of business networking site LinkedIn have fallen 36 percent since May 2011, although it remains 33 percent above its IPO.

Facebook now tops 800 million users worldwide, with more than 350 million users accessing the platform via mobile device each month. In September, Nielsen reported Facebook is now the most popular mobile app across all operating systems.

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Social Media .

6 Social Media Marketing Strategy Mistakes to Avoid

Social media marketing (SMM), also sometimes called social network marketing (SNM), is a strategy that helps you build a network of customers and potential customers, stay in touch with those who are interested in your products and services, and ultimately build your bottom line in the form of additional sales.

However, many businesses do not know how to build a sound SMM strategy, or they make many mistakes along the way that actually do more harm than good. Here is a look at 6 mistakes you should avoid:

1. Too Little Content

Forming a social network presence takes more than simply creating an account on Facebook or Twitter. Too many businesses are of the mind that “if you build it, they will come,” meaning as long as there is an account, people will find you.

However, no one will find you, or want to stay with you, if you do not offer them quality content in your social media updates and posts. Rather, you should focus on sending quality updates and including links to video, pictures, podcasts, or other pertinent news stories.

2. Too Many Updates

While too little content will not help you build a social network, too much can turn them off to your efforts. Posting continuous updates becomes exhausting and makes your followers weary of your constant “presence.” Be sure to spread out your updates and make each one count for quality, not quantity.

3. Little or No Interaction With Followers

One of the reasons so many people around the world like social media is the interaction with others. Don’t fail to encourage and stimulate conversations with your fans and followers. Engaging your social community helps nurture your relationship and strengthen the bond and loyalty with your company.

4. Improper Competitor Approaches

Don’t think that you’re the only one trying to promote your type of business through social media. Ignoring your competitors puts you in a vacuum and prevents you from learning how your competition operates. Likewise, ridiculing or putting down your competition through SMM tactics can backfire and set your own fans and followers against you.

5. Failing to Analyze

Do you know how effective your SMM campaigns are? How many of your social media marketing updates result in clicks to your website? How many of those result in converted sales? How are your SMM updates being discussed and shared? These are just a few of the questions you need to answer in order to effectively re-evaluate and update your SMM efforts. Don’t fail to analyze your metrics.

6. Failing to be Authentic

Don’t try to follow trends and fads with your SMM updates. Many business bloggers and social media strategies simply try to repost or recycle something else that is the current most popular hashtag. Make sure your posts are 100% from the heart, and make sure each one gives your audience something of value.