Facebook users donate $10 million to Nepal

Facebook users have proven the "donate now" button on the social platform is an extraordinarily powerful tool.

It has only been two days since the donation button to help the people of Nepal affected by a devastating earthquake went live at the top of Facebook feeds across the world. In that time, more than half a million people have donated and raised more than US$10 million in funds for International Medical Corps (IMC), according to Facebook.

See also: Facebook to match your donations to Nepal relief efforts after massive quake

Nepal was devastated on April 25 by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which killed thousands of people. IMC has been behind the massive global relief effort, as the capital of Kathmandu along with other areas, lie in ruin. The social network will also donate an additional US$2 million to local recovery efforts in the region, after agreeing to match donations up to this point. Read more...

More about Facebook, Social Media, Nepal, and Nepal Quake

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Facebook posts are mysteriously disappearing for some users

It's not just you: Facebook posts from certain user accounts are mysteriously disappearing left and right.

Content from select Facebook pages, including Mashable's, have been disappearing over the past hour or soMashable's posts to the social network from the last three hours have disappeared, including a story published early Thursday about Jeff Bezos' phallic-like space rocket.

See also: 5 tips to make Facebook Messenger work better for you

Facebook told Mashable that it is currently "trying to identify the bug."

BREAKING: @Facebook is not letting people post and/or making already published posts disappear. We are in this together. On @Twitter.

— Andrea Garcia-Vargas (@AGVwrites) April 30, 2015 Read more...

More about Facebook, Media, and Social Media

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Beautiful #MashPics from our Instagram community in April

Just last month, we announced the new purpose of our #MashPics hashtag: to use it to curate beautiful photographs and wonderful moments from our growing Instagram community.

Spring finally arrived in many parts of the world, and the changing of seasons has filled the skies with soft fog. Easter celebrations brought in pastel shades, while random acts of kindness brought people together in different cities.

See also: Amazing photos of U.S. spacewalks throughout the years

We're so grateful to have a community that is open to sharing their best moments with us. Every so often, we'll feature a #MashPics submission on our Instagram account. And at the end of each month, we'll have a full roundup like this on our site Read more...

More about Photography, Instagram, Social Media, Mashable Photo Challenge, and Pics

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There's only 1 month left to submit your work for the 2015 Mashies

From marketing and advertising to social media and PR, the Mashies are all about the very best in digital.

Want to attend? There's only one month left to submit your work to be considered for Mashable's annual celebration of the agencies and brands that are paving the future of communication on new digital platforms

See also: 2015 Mashies submissions are open. Think you have what it takes to win?

Submit your work now by 12 a.m. on June 5 for the chance to win. There are several new awards this year, including two in our brand-new Public Relations category, and for the first time ever, we'll be accepting submissions for our coveted Overall Awards. Read more...

More about Events, Advertising, Marketing, Social Media, and The Mashies

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Save the date for Mashable's 6th annual Social Media Day

In today's tech-savvy society, it's very easy to forget that social media hasn't been around for very long

Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have revolutionized the way we communicate with each another. Not only does social media have the power to keep us in touch with our friends and family, it can also connect us with the world

See also: The Social Media Day 2014 Highlight Reel (Spoiler: GIFs Ahead)

Mashable is thrilled to announce that our sixth annual Social Media Day will take place on June 30, 2015Social Media Day is an annual global celebration that highlights the contributions made by developers and social media enthusiasts alike Read more...

More about Events, Community, Social Media, How To, and Facebook

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Throw it back to the good ol' days for our Vine challenge

From your high school promposal to buying your very first car, throw it back to the moments you miss for this week's Vine challenge

Recreate the scene using stop-motion animation, or share some of your favorite childhood photos in a creative way. We're also open to reposts of old Vines — the ones you made before HD, or even pre-ghost mode (remember that?)

See also: 9 stages of getting invited to your high school reunion

Submit using the hashtag #MashTBT, and we'll revine and feature some of our favorites next week

The theme was inspired by this month's #MashFlix film, The D Train, which follows Jack Black's character back to the good ol' days, as he tracks down a former classmate and plans his high school reunion Read more...

More about Film, Vine, Social Media, Mashable Vine Challenge, and Throwback

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The Tale of Two Ecommerce Companies That Turned Down Shark Tank Deals

 

Choosing what to sell online is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as an entrepreneur. To be successful, you need to pick products that you’re passionate about and find an ecommerce model that resonates with your personality. With that in mind, let’s look to popular TV show Shark Tank to help you get started on the right foot –– because no one embodies passion and personality like the stars of the Tank.

via HubSpot Marketing Blog http://bitly.com/1JDCrFJ

The Social Media Content Calendar Every Marketer Needs [Free Template]

We have a 9 a.m. meeting? Yikes! Hold on -- let me just click around the internet like a maniac to find something for the morning tweet. 

Sound familiar? Scrambling for social content is not a new phenomenon. We have meetings. We run late. Things come up. And it's really hard to get any meaningful amount of work done when you have the next social media update looming over your head every 30, 60, 90 minutes. It all moves so fast that you might periodically feel a case of the vapors coming on, which is why pre-scheduled social media content should be your new best friend.

via HubSpot Marketing Blog http://bitly.com/1Q26DuP

Want to Get Promoted? Impress Your Boss by Doing These 7 Things

I once made a really big hiring mistake.

After a series of promising interviews, I took on an intern whose level of professionalism, performance, and overall demeanor quickly took a turn for the worst.

After a discussion with my supervisor, we agreed that it was in the best interest of everyone to not move forward with the internship.

via HubSpot Marketing Blog http://bitly.com/1HTLX5f

Inside Warby Parker: How Vision, Mission & Culture Helped Build a Billion Dollar Business

Most business school conversations over beers end with a hangover -- Neil Blumenthal’s ended with a billion dollar business.

If you aren’t familiar with Neil’s name, you’re likely familiar with the brand he and his co-founders started: Warby Parker. Because Warby’s brand is ubiquitous thanks to the company’s product and marketing success, many consumers all over the globe think of the company as an overnight success. In reality, the brand is a product of years of blood, sweat, and of course, a few beers.

via HubSpot Marketing Blog http://bitly.com/1JCDN3g

Pinterest's Evan Sharp: Guys are on here, too

Pinterest has gotten the same rap for years: it's a great looking service used far more by women than men.

Evan Sharp, Pinterest's cofounder and Chief Creative Officer, doesn't contest the fact (nor does he say anything is particularly wrong with it), but Sharp maintains the ratio of women to men is gradually shifting.

Earlier this year, the five-year-old San Francisco startup announced that men are actually its fastest-growing user demographic, with the number of men pinning and re-pinning doubling in 2014 to an unspecified number.

See also: How to share music on Pinterest

Data from comScore, the web analytics firm, bears that out. From March 2014 to March 2015, Pinterest's user base climbed 25% year-over-year to 72.8 million monthly active users. And during the same period, male users grew 2.2% to make up 21.9 million of its overall user base. That's a small, but significant uptick. Read more...

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Hashing Out Hashtags: What They Are & How to Use Them [Infographic]

What do overalls, Mariah Carey's Christmas album, and hashtags all have in common?

Believe it or not, they are all products of the 90s.

While hashtags didn't rise to popularity (with the help of Twitter) until after 2007, they were actually first used during the late 90s to categorize items into groups on IRC (Internet Relay Chat.)

via HubSpot Marketing Blog http://bitly.com/1ERdq8E

8 Email Workflow Tips for the College Admissions Process

One of the key elements of inbound marketing is the use of automated workflows because they allow you to better engage leads through a set of targeted emails, while saving time by automating the process. Workflows can be a helpful addition for any industry, but especially for higher education.

The college admissions process is a perfect use case for automated workflows, as they can be used to move a potential student along the buyer’s journey to an end goal – in this case, to apply to your institution. 

via HubSpot Marketing Blog http://bitly.com/1DKouPa

Which Live Streaming App Should You Use? Inside the Best Features of Periscope, Meerkat & More

Live streaming has come a long way in the last decade. Back in 2008, I covered the U.S. Presidential Primary in New Hampshire with a Nokia N95, and streamed in 3G, using Qik. Other options at the time were Flixwagon and Kyte ... ever use one of those?

Luckily, today, we have mobile devices that can record in HD and stream over 4G and/or wifi. The user experience is a lot better for both live streamers and viewers -- which is why live streaming on mobile apps is becoming more and more popular.

via HubSpot Marketing Blog http://bitly.com/1DJyhVI

The Finance Marketer's Guide to Inbound Marketing [Free Ebook]

The finance industry is just one of those industries that's REALLY difficult to work in as a marketer. You can't be creative nor imaginative. Your hands are always tied. There's simply no place for inbound marketing. ... Right?

Wrong, wrong, WRONG!

via HubSpot Marketing Blog http://bitly.com/1FwTffa

What weak earnings? Ev Williams says Twitter is 'on a roll'

Sure, Twitter disappointed with earnings on Tuesday, but co-founder Ev Williams believes the company is currently "on a roll" where product development is concerned.

Over the last few months alone, the social network has rolled out numerous new features, tweaks and updates, including group messaging and video this January, a revamped homepage and retweet feature in April, and stricter anti-harassment policies.

See also: Twitter's leaked earnings report shocks investors, drives stock down 18%

Williams credited Twitter's SVP of Product Kevin Weil, who previously led product and design, and Alexander Roetter, who became head of engineering last May, for taking the company's talent and "harnessing" it. Read more...

More about Social, Twitter, Me.Dium, Ev Williams, and Media

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Foursquare has a new problem: Employees are checking out

Foursquare has a problem: Many of its employees have checked out.

The company has lost more than two dozen employees over the last year — and several key members of its engineering team just in the last few months — including Vice President of Engineering Harry Heymann, Senior Director of Engineering Kushal Dave, and Senior Software Engineer Govind Kabra, among other employees in areas such as content and recruiting.

See also: Twitter teams with Foursquare to let you get specific in tagging locations

"If an employee hasn’t left, it is mostly because they haven’t found the right next gig,” said a source familiar with Foursquare's internal matters. Read more...

More about Social, Foursquare, Startups, Social Media, and Apps Software

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12 Pinnable Pinterest Pins That Teach You How to Use Pinterest

I’m learning to cook, design tattoos, and budget better than ever – and it’s all thanks to Pinterest. Why? Pinterest’s brilliant user experience makes it so simple to browse through photos and bookmark products, gift ideas, or articles (and much more) that you want to come back to later.

via HubSpot Marketing Blog http://bitly.com/1dozZW7

How Ecommerce Can Capitalize on How Men and Women Use Pinterest

Pinterest has long been recognized as a female-centric social media platform with 80% of its total users identifying as female, but the times are changing. One of the biggest differences we see lately is the ability to narrow search results for males, so search results show men's watches or women's watches, based on your interests. Since users are able to select search results to more closely reflect their interests (whether shopping for themself or someone else), this benefits all users. And, this is just a first step in making Pinterest more appealing to men. With this particular task out the way, Pinterest still has a few more steps to attract and keep male users.

via HubSpot Marketing Blog http://bitly.com/1GBRyvt

Inside ESPN.com's Brilliant Redesign: Why You're Going to See More Personalized Websites

ESPN recently redesigned their website. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Companies redesign their websites roughly every 18-24 months. (You're probably sick of yours right now, am I right?)

But this particular redesign garnered a ton of attention, earning coverage and analysis in Fast Company, TechCrunch, and VentureBeat, among other publications.

via HubSpot Marketing Blog http://bitly.com/1bOVWxh

14 Helpful Tips for Getting the Most Out of a Conference

This post originally appeared on HubSpot's Sales Blog. To read more content like this, subscribe to Sales.

So you’re going to a conference.

What’s in store for you? You’ll attend dozens of sessions led by professionals in your industry, meet a ton of new people, and take home lots of great swag.

via HubSpot Marketing Blog http://bitly.com/1IirnMt

10 photo collage templates to make your Pinterest posts pop

Whether you want to showcase your cats, kids, crafts or cookery, photo collages make for a fab way to spice up your Pinterest posts.

We've taken a look at few sites that offer fantastic free designs to inspire you.

See also: Your social media cheat sheet for perfectly sized images

Check out our 10 collage choices below. Have we missed a site you swear by? Then shout it out in the comments

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Kitten image courtesy of Flickr, meliha tunckanat Read more...

More about Social Media, Features, Dev And Design, Pinterest, and Apps Software

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Which Social Networks Should You Focus On? Here Are 6 Ways to Find Out

It’s very easy for social media marketers to get caught up in the latest "in" thing. Snapchat! Meerkat! Periscope! As each new social network pops up, many people feel the pressure to be on every single one.

However, social media is only an effective inbound marketing tactic if you're doing the right things in the right places.

via HubSpot Marketing Blog http://bitly.com/1b8WL2G

Facebook Messenger gets in your face, rolls out video chat

Get ready, Messenger users: Facebook's popular app is about to get a whole lot more in your face.

Facebook announced on Monday a new iOS and Android update for Messenger that brings the ability to video chat other users. The feature is coming to 18 markets around the globe at first, including the U.K., France, Greece, Ireland, Mexico, Portugal and the U.S., with more to come over the next few months.

See also: 5 tips to make Facebook Messenger work better for you

To start a video call, tap the video camera icon inside a message on the upper right-hand side of the screen. Provided both you and your contact have a stable 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi connection, Facebook says there shouldn't be a problem striking up a video conversation (though your quality mileage may vary). Read more...

More about Social, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Social Media, and Apps Software

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Emoji are about to take over Instagram

Instagram just made emoji posted within the app a lot more powerful. The company updated its iOS and Android apps Monday with the ability to add emoji hashtags to posts along with three brand-new filters.

Previously, Instagram's hashtag feature did not support emoji, so comments or captions with the hashtag symbol and emoji were not searchable. Now, users can add emoji (or a string of emoji) to hashtags and posts that have been previously tagged with the characters will also show up in searches.

See also: This photographer's Instagram will soothe your love of organization

"Over the past few years, emoji have become part of a universal visual language," the company wrote in a blog post. "With emoji hashtags, you can discover even more by adding them to your own photos and videos, searching them on the Explore page and tapping on them when you see them in captions." Read more...

More about Facebook, Social Media, Tech, Instagram, and Apps Software

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The votes are in: Your 2015 Webby Awards winners

Ellie Kemper and Tituss Burgess should crack a bottle of piiiiiiinot nooooooir now that the 19th annual Webby Award winners list is official.

Both actors claimed top spots for their roles in the Netflix original Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, placing them among a long list of winners that represent the best content across the Internet.

See also: Comedian Hannibal Buress to host the 2015 Webby Awards

The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences judges, including Conan O'Brien, Tumblr founder David Karp and Ariana Huffington, selected the winners for outstanding achievement across multiple categories, while 500,000 people from more than 200 countries and territories cast votes for the Webby's People's Voice. Read more...

More about Entertainment, Social Media, Watercooler, The Webby Awards, and 2015 Webby Awards

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