Google+ Events: This Week in Social Media
By Cindy King
Published June 30, 2012 
Welcome to our weekly edition of what’s hot in social media news. To help you stay up-to-date with social media, here are some of the news items that caught our attention.
What’s New This Week?
Google Introduces Google+ Events: Google+ Events are “for all the moments that matter—before, during and after.” Google+ Events will sync with Calendar integration. You can also share photos in real time with Party Mode, and after the event you can see everyone’s pictures in one place in chronological order and with comments.
New Apple Podcasts App Available: The Podcasts app is the easiest way to discover, subscribe to and play your favorite podcasts on Apple mobile devices.
Explore free audio and video podcasts from the Podcasts Catalog, and play the most popular podcasts, organized for you by topic, with the new Top Stations feature.
Discussion From Our Networking Clubs: Thousands of social media marketers and small business owners are asking questions and helping others in our free Networking Clubs. Here are a few interesting discussions worth highlighting:
- What’s your favorite Facebook app?
- Can podcasting grow your business?
- What do you think about Facebook’s recent integration with WordPress blogs?
Google +1 Recommendations Launch Across the Web: Google+ is “rolling out a new feature of the +1 button in platform preview: when users hover over a +1 button, they will see recommendations for other great content on your site.”
"See related apps and recommendations from friends."
It’s Easier for Facebook Admins to Change Page URLs: Facebook page admins used to have to submit a request to change their Facebook page username (http://www.facebook.com/username), but page admins can now change usernames themselves.
It's easy to change your Facebook page username now.
Hookflash Brings Video Calling to Your LinkedIn Network: Hookflash for iPad is integrated with LinkedIn. “Hookflash helps professionals communicate effectively with their peers and colleagues with video, voice and messaging on the iPad.”
"Simply tap the LinkedIn contact you want to reach on Hookflash and instantly chat with them (video, voice and text)."
Here are a couple of useful social media tools worth noting:
Gripevine: a simple platform where annoyed customers can post their gripes on the site.
An automated system immediately informs the targeted company that a gripe exists to offer them a chance to solve the problem.
Wishpond Social Offers: a self-serve application that puts businesses in total control of their own limited-time offers on Facebook and their website.
YYoga used Wishpond Social Offers and generated 1000 participants in their offer in less than 48 hours.
And don’t miss this:
Want to start a business blog? 
Starting July 10! Social Media Examiner presents Blogging Fundamentals for Business (an online business-building workshop). Join Michael Stelzner for Social Media Examiner’s online workshop! Go here to learn more.
What do you think? Please share your comments below.
Cindy King is the director of editorial for Social Media Examiner. She spent 25 years abroad in international business development and then built her own international business from scratch by using social business networking. Other posts by Cindy King »
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