Over the last several years, TIME Magazine has published its list of what the publication considers the “best blogs” in the world. The latest list was just recently announced: http://bit.ly/cOKYkG

The list covers everything from politics, housekeeping, and technology, to entertainment, consumer behavior and architecture — and just about everything in between.

While it is admittedly just one publication’s opinion, the list nonetheless is an informative look at the increasing bounty of resources — and opinions— available on the Internet.

Facebook’s financial performance is stronger than previously believed, as the Internet social network’s explosive growth in users and advertisers boosted 2009 revenue to as much as $800 million, according to two sources familiar with the situation. The company also earned a solid net profit, in the tens of millions of dollars last year, one of the sources said. That growth in profit and revenue underscores how Facebook is increasingly making money off its 6-year-old service, which ranks as the world’s largest Web social network with nearly half a billion users.

That sort of performance is likely to whet the appetites of investors keen for a public share float, despite the company’s insistence that an IPO is not a near-term priority. If Facebook eventually seeks to go public, unveiling financial figures above expectations could help bolster investor interest. As investors wait for signs of a Facebook IPO, a vibrant market has developed for private shares of Facebook in specialized exchanges like Sharespost and SecondMarket

The World Cup has long been a social experience for fans around the world who cheer on their teams at bars, friends’ houses and other public gatherings. This time around, brands are betting on a different kind of “social” to connect with fans.

Coca-Cola, Nike and Anheuser-Busch are just some of the brands that have made YouTube an important component of their World Cup ad campaigns. Others, like Visa, have added Facebook to their efforts, while still others, including Microsoft, are tapping into the still-emerging field of location-based services.

No matter the platform, the goals are similar: to use new social technologies to connect soccer fans while building goodwill for the brands.

To learn more about what companies are doing:   http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3icd5f9626039b502cfd72f83890f24709?imw=Y

This is a wonderful 1 hour webinar. Many financial services firms, bogged down by legal and compliance concerns, have been forced to take a cautious approach to social media, and some have chosen to ignore these channels altogether.

This SmartBrief Webinar, Building Equity: Social Media Meets Finance, is designed to help financial professionals safely and smartly integrate social media into their business.

• Identify the most effective ways to integrate social media into your business
• Develop a social media strategy considerate of regulatory constraints
• Comply with guidelines from FINRA and other regulatory bodies
• Select the right social media platforms and tools that will deliver measurable results

http://online.krm.com/iebms/coe/coe_p2_details.aspx?oc=10&cc=00394232&eventid=16912

Illustrating just how quickly social media is evolving and impacting the corporate landscape, more and more leading companies and organizations are creating formalized social media policies to which their employees must adhere.  What is said on the likes of one’s personal Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter account, for example, can have a direct bearing on a company’s perception and corporate reputation, sometime quite harmfully.  The same holds true for personal blogs. Companies are now responding in kind.

The following article briefly shares what six (6) leading companies and organizations are doing to try to effectively manage the social media activities at their respective firms: http://bit.ly/cYHs0Y.