Members of the United States Senate are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the company that is, allegedly, creating and selling bogus social media followers. The Senators requesting the investigation demand that the practice of selling fake accounts is deceptive and even fraudulent.

Senators Richard Blumenthal and Jerry Moran believe that the practices of this company have created a consumer harm by fabricating goodwill and credibility that does not exist. Devumi, the company responsible for peddling the fake accounts, use real accounts as templates to add authenticity to false followers. The company is responsible for manufacturing followers, likes, connections, and shares on the various social media platforms.

With the FTC remaining reluctant to open an investigation, Eric Schneiderman, Attorney General of New York, has decided to take action. He is investigating whether or not these fake accounts, or bots, are using the identity of those who have had them stolen. His greatest concern is that the voice of genuine people will be overpowered by paid for rhetoric.

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Trends In Social Media Use

A recent report indicates that more people spend their time online on social media sites than any other type of site, meaning that it has definitely become a mainstream and accepted thing to do.

Those on a personal computer spent around 20 percent of their online time on a social media site of some type, while those using a tablet, smart phone or similar device to access the Internet spent about 30 percent of their online time on one or more sites. The survey was carried out by Nielsen and NM Incite.

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When you use social media as a resource for link building, you are reaching out to a large amount of people all at once. Not only are your chances of gaining traffic and/or revenue greater, but this is also an opportunity to interact with potential and current fans on a personal level. This is great to do because then your link building efforts are almost unnoticeable, and it becomes natural to your fans to click on your links. Learning how to properly use social media in order to build links is vital to your site's existence in the vast World Wide Web.

Pinterest is the latest social media platform to hit the net. Not as big a heavyweight as Facebook giant and Twitter, the site is rapidly gaining traction and attention from marketing experts and businesses alike.

A virtual bulletin board that allows users to create different collages of their interests, individuals are becoming addicted to pinning and re-pinning images, links and objects that have caught their eye. From books to techno gadgets and events, Pinterest is all about getting people to share creative tips and designs with each other within their chosen niches.

For businesses that have drawn up a marketing plan centered on the use of social media tools, there is serious potential for Pinterest to drive sales for company owners. Product and service pins and repins will provide major clout in terms of customer referrals and website traffic.

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The Occupy Movement, which initially began in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in late July of this year, has spread like wildfire throughout the world. The most influential of these Occupy demonstrations occurred in New York City during the month of September, when more than 1,000 protestors marched through the Wall Street district to demand greater social and economic equality. This group, calling themselves the “99%,” wished to make the public aware of the growing disparity between the tiny minority of the wealthy elite and the economically-depressed majority. Since this event, tens of thousands have been forming their own Occupy movements in cities throughout the world.

Domino’s Pizza has surely come a long way with its social media efforts.  From almost being a victim and a text book case of things you should NOT do on social media, the company has used social media to reinvent and to rebrand itself and to strengthen its new brand.  Domino’s Pizza has become one of the icons of what you should do for your own media efforts.

Struggling with social media?  Here is what you could learn from Domino’s Pizza:

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Chances are that unless you hired a web professional with SEO experience, your website is missing essential components. The entire purpose of a website is to establish your online presence in a positive light while increasing your customer base. Whether you’re an alcohol treatment facility or a shoe store, if your website is not doing a good job marketing your business, you’re missing out on easy revenue.

There are certain essential elements to a well-crafted and productive website. Find out what it is, make sure your website has it, and enjoy a more successful business.

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U.S. politicians are increasingly discovering the benefits - and perils - of social media. While Anthony Weiner's Twitter scandal - or Joe Walsh's YouTube video - might be the most publicized examples of social media backfiring, far less sordid uses of social media by politicians have nonetheless demonstrated the limitations of a public figure's ability to control his or her online image.

As more and more politicians have begun creating Facebook and Twitter pages to communicate with their constituents, a growing number of those constituents have been communicating in return and, quite often, they aren't happy. Negative political talk back seemed to hit a fever pitch during New York's recent debates in the state Senate over the state's legalization of gay marriage.

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Social media has been transforming the internet and the way we communicate over the past few years. In the past, communication was limited between people far away, and the internet was reserved mostly for finding information. Finding a job has transformed right along with the onset of social media. Gone are the days when the best way to find a job was through the newspaper alone.