We think the beta rollout to all English searchers is more significant than the initial labs feature, as it exposes the contextual search results to a mainstream search audience. While it’s officially a beta product today, the Google Social Search rollout will occur over the next few days. If you don’t have Social Search already, you can expect to start seeing the social results fairly soon.

For a demonstration of Google Social Search check out the video below:

 The Facebook profile will accept pictures as large as 200×600. The profile image extents into the light blue area (#EFF0F5) 52 pixels above the Gray line (#D8DFEA) allowing you to  blend your profile image seamlessly into Facebook as we have done for Boost Internet Marketing  fanpage.

A few of things to keep in mind when traying to make your image  look semmless on Facebook:

1. The position of the photo is dependent on how many lines your status message occupies. The image isn’t pushed down with the rest of the page content, so the more lines your status occupies the more of the upper gray needs to be added to the image. 
2. The position of the photo is dependent on the text size of your status message, which is a similar issue to above, but actually a much bigger problem. This is to do with how the browser chooses to render that font, so it is a platform and browser problem. We have already noticed differences from Mac to Windows to Safari – each one was a pixel off even though we used Firefox to test on all three platforms.
3. The thumbnail that accompanies your Facebook feed items is only 50 x 50 pixels so if you have long and larger picture it will not fit.  Facebook has a nice thumbnail feature that allows you to pick an area of a smaller version of your profile picture so you will need to create a thumbnail of your image for you posting profile .

Examples of some profile image across Facebook below, be creative and express yourself.  If you have addition examples please post below.

Evan Carmichae has just published its 2010 list of  Top 50 Marketing Blogs To Watch. The list could open the door to the best marketing tips and strategies to help you and your business stand out.

This is year 3 for the list covering categories such as :

• Search Marketing Blogs
• Small Business Marketing Blogs
• Marketing Trends Blogs
• Social Media Marketing Blogs
• Marketing & Advertising Blogs
• Online Marketing Blogs
• Marketing & Public Relations Blogs
• Affiliate Marketing Blogs
• Marketing & Technology Blogs
• Brand Marketing Blogs

For the 3 year running Search Engine Land (one of my fav sites) has been listed along with  the site provided by Brian Solis which focuses on strategy within integrated marketing communications. can be your “hot knife” and reveal the best marketing tips and strategies to help you and your business stand out.

 Here are the links to 2008  and  2009  Top Marketing Blogs to watch list.

Google Wave combines e-mail, instant messaging, social networking, browsing, open-sourcing and project management into one integrated communications tool. Its concept: to unify communication on the Web.

Here is a video from Google Wave:

According to Mashable, who was able to test the new platform, Google Wave’s interface looks like an incredibly enhanced version of G-mail. The chat function is real-time, character-by-character that allows you to add and reply anywhere within a conversation (wave). Instead of the traditional way of attaching documents to e-mails, you can simply drag and drop a file from your desktop to Google Wave, where anyone that is invited can see it.

Google Wave also allows you to run outside applications (APIs) – Facebook, Twitter or even video games – inside of Google Wave, allowing it to function as an “all-in-one” communication platform tool. You can also embed these threaded conversations (Waves) onto a Web site or blog, allowing you to share real-time conversations with the rest of the internet. Users can also recreate/rebrand their own versions of Google Wave, as the system is completely open-sourced.

Thou Shalt Blog (like crazy).
Thou Shalt Create Profiles (everywhere).
Thou Shalt Upload Photos (lots of them).
Thou Shalt Upload Videos (all you can find).
Thou Shalt Podcast (often).
Thou Shalt Set Alerts (immediately).
Thou Shalt Comment (on a multitude of blogs).
Thou Shalt Get Connected (with everyone).
Thou Shalt Explore Social Media (30 minutes per week).
Thou Shalt Be Creative (go forth and create creatively)!

Commandments 1. Thou Shalt Blog (like crazy)
Blog. Please. That’s the first priority. Set up a blog, a personal blog, a business blog. It’s easier than you think. Use an existing blogging site such as Blogger.com or GOingOn.com or install your own branded blogging site right on your own server by using WordPress. And, WordPress is free.

Commandments 2. Thou Shalt Create Profiles (everywhere)
Create your profiles; do it now before someone else takes them. Once they are gone, they are gone forever. That’s called cyber squatting. So get out there. Use Open Social to make filling in your profiles as easy as a click of a button.

Commandments 3. Thou Shalt Upload Photos (lots of them)
Upload photographs. You’ve got them. Don’t upload the one with you with a lampshade on your head…counterproductive; but other photographs? Absolutely. Customers want to see and participate. You want to give people a face to go with your company.

Commandments 4. Thou Shalt Upload Videos (all you can find)
Videos. You all have got videos. I don’t care whether it’s training videos or customer videos, grab your video camera and go interview some of your customers. What’s better than seeing your customer’s smiley face on your Web site? And it doesn’t cost anything.

Commandments 5. Thou Shalt Podcast (often)
Podcast. If you’re too cheap to get a camera, use the free audio software that’s in your computer. That’s what I did. I created 48 audio podcasts. If you take the podcasts I did for my book and played them back-to-back, they run 24 continuous hours of interviews. You can do that. It’s free. It just takes time.

Commandments 6. Thou Shalt Set Alerts (immediately)
Set alerts. People are talking about you. You probably need to know what they are saying and you want to participate.

Commandments 7. Thou Shalt Comment (on a multitude of blogs)
Comment. Commenting is like going to a cocktail party. You wouldn’t walk into a networking event, walk up to a group of people talking, and tell them your name and what you do in your business. That would be rude and unacceptable. Listen first. Read the blogs and add comments. You can be controversial, that’s okay. But participate. Get involved.

Commandments 8. Thou Shalt Get Connected (with everyone)
Get LinkedIn. Put it in your email that you have a LinkedIn account, you have a FaceBook account, and that you have a Twitter account. Make it a part of your heading on your letterhead, because that’s how you propagate. That’s how you sell it.

Commandments 9. Thou Shalt Explore Social Media (30 minutes per week)
Explore social media. Give me thirty minutes a week, that’s all I’m asking. Friday morning grab your coffee, lock yourself in your office, and give me thirty minutes. Just Google something. I promise you within the first 30 days you will be excited. You’ll be as excited as I am. You will get excited because of the ROI.

Commandments 10. Thou Shalt Be Creative (go forth and create creatively)
And the most important commandment is creativity. That’s all. It’s just creativity and having fun. But you know what, that’s what your customers want. They want to see transparency. They want to see authenticity. They want to see you having fun. They want to be able to relate and communicate.

Article Info from: www.fastcompany.com Author: Lon Safko

Here are some great videos on each of these topics:

For more info: Social Networking in Plain English (video)
For more info: Social Media in Plain English (video)

The study indicated that adults make up a larger portion of the US population than teens, which is why the 35% number represents a larger number of users than the 65% of online teens who also use online social networks.

Still, younger online adults are much more likely to use social networks, with 75% of adults 18-24 using these networks, compared to just 7% of adults 65 and older. At its core, the younger adult still dominates the use of online social networks.

PWE reported that young people are more likely to use social networks.

75% of online adults 18-24 have a profile on a social network site

57% of online adults 25-34 have a profile on a social network

30% of online adults 35-44 have one

19% of online 45 to 54 year olds have a profile

10% of online 55 to 64 year olds have a profile

7% of online adults 65 and older have a profile

Though adults use the social networks for both personal and professional reasons 89% of adults still use the networks to connect with familiar people and friends and only 28% use this media to promote or create new business.