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Facebook, the world’s largest social network, is planning acquisitions that will improve site design, keep its service reliable and advance mobile features to stave off competition from Google and Twitter.

The company aims to make about 20 purchases in 2011, up from 10 last year and one in 2009, Vaughan Smith, Facebook’s director of corporate development, said in an interview.

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Facebook is betting that a focus on design will entice people to spend more time on the site, while adding mobile services can cater to the growing number of members using handheld devices. As it grapples with competition from Google and Twitter, Facebook also must bolster its system so the site runs smoothly amid rapid growth. The company has made 13 acquisitions so far this year, including adding a mobile group-messaging service it rolled out to users this month.

“Two years ago we didn’t have a track record in acquisitions,” Mr. Smith said. “While we expected them to work well, it was still a crapshoot how they’d turn out. We’ve built a culture that supports entrepreneurs, and it’s working incredibly well.”

Facebook makes money from advertising and by taking a commission when software developers sell virtual goods on the site. As a closely held company, Facebook doesn’t disclose financials. A person with knowledge of the matter said in May that the company is likely to generate more than $2 billion in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization this year.

In addition, Facebook has raised more than $2 billion from investors, including $1.5 billion from an investment led by Goldman Sachs, announced in January.

By contrast, Google has $39.1 billion in cash. Google, the biggest internet search engine, unveiled a new social-networking service, called Google+, in June. It already had attracted 29 million people by the end of July, according to ComScore Inc.

Facebook, based in Palo Alto, Calif., has made mostly small acquisitions, with target companies sometimes having one or two employees. The company has a market value of $72.5 billion, according to SharesPost, an exchange for private shares. That’s more than the valuations of publicly traded internet companies such as eBay and Yahoo.

The company can use cash and stock for acquisitions, according to Lou Kerner, an analyst at Wedbush Securities Inc. in New York. Facebook also can sell shares in the secondary markets for additional cash.

“I don’t think a lack of cash, even on their balance sheet, is a significant deterrent for the acquisitions that they’re looking at,” said Mr. Kerner, who declined to estimate how much cash the company has for purchases.

Many of Facebook’s deals have been targeted at adding talent as the company vies with larger rivals for skilled technology workers. Google has announced plans to hire about 6,000 people this year globally.

“Facebook is just trying to get the smartest people possible in any way it can,” said Debra Aho Williamson, an eMarketer analyst. “The idea of bringing in new talent, smart talent, people who have created interesting products that Facebook can capitalize on, is going to be important to them.”

Facebook has been sharpening its focus on mobile, which is how more than a third of users access the site. In February, the company acquired Beluga, a startup that helped users send messages to groups of people through their mobile phones. Facebook earlier this month introduced its own application — based on Beluga’s technology — that handles messaging on Apple’s iPhone and phones based on Google’s Android software.

“The future of all computing is mobile,” Wedbush’s Mr. Kerner said. “Mobile, I think, is the top priority at the company.”

Snaptu, a mobile startup Facebook acquired earlier this year, was bought for about $60 million, according to a person familiar with the matter. Smith said he is open to larger acquisitions, but declined to be more specific.

On top of its mobile-computing push, the company has added services that let users manage their friends by groups or ask others questions on the site. As new features pile up, Facebook needs to manage its user-interface design, said Josh Bernoff, an analyst with Forrester Research.

“The challenge is that Facebook does a lot more things than it used to,” Mr. Bernoff said. “To get that all to be easily navigable is not simple.”

Purchases in design this year have included Sofa, a software and user-interface company, and Push Pop Press, which offered publishing software for touch-enabled devices.

The average U.S. Facebook user spends more than seven hours a month on the service, according to ComScore. With the jump in users — to more than 750 million from 500 million in July 2010 — as well as exponential growth in applications and products, the company is working to manage rising complexity in its vast computer systems. To help, the company opened a new data center in Prineville, Oregon, earlier this year.

Still, Facebook has yet to make an acquisition in computing, and may seek to buy companies with technology and workers that will help it strengthen its system.

“They have to over-plan for massive growth,” said Jeremiah Owyang, an analyst at Altimeter Group in San Mateo, Calif.

– Bloomberg News –

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If you’re thinking of tapping into the Facebook crowd for some high-profile advertising, take a look at this list of 100 tools and tips that will help you maximize all of the applications and opportunities that Facebook has to offer.

Why Facebook?

Why has Facebook become the go-to networking site for marketers? Check out these articles to read up on the rise of this networking giant.

Inside Facebook: This blog is devoted to “tracking Facebook and the Facebook Platform.” You’ll find useful stats, marketing tips and more.

Facebook’s Ads Page: This page explains how Facebook provides business owners with self-service solutions, market-research solutions and integrated solutions when it comes to advertising.

Should You Advertise on Facebook?: This article helps U.K.-based businesses decide whether or not they should advertise on Facebook.

The Value of Facebook: Even in its earlier days, Facebook was considered a hot commodity in the industry. This post uncovers why there’s good reason for all the hype.

What’s the Big Deal About Facebook’s Social Ads?: This article discusses why Facebook’s social ads are such a hit.

$240 Million! Think of All the Beer We Can Buy!: When Microsoft shows a $240 million interest in your company, you know you’ve made it. Advertisers will also want to take note.

Why Is Facebook Suddenly So Popular Among We Geezers?: A CNET blogger

via The Facebook Marketing Toolbox: 100 Tools and Tips to Tap the Facebook Customer Base.

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Facebook’s market value may reach $100 billion, placing the social media giant on par with such corporate titans as General Motors Co. and Visa Inc.Initial public offerings from social media companies have been underwhelming. The daily deal site Groupon Inc., professional networking service LinkedIn Corp., and online game maker Zynga Inc. all went public in 2011 to great hoopla, but with disappointing results. Groupon has been trading barely above its $20 opening price, and shares in Zynga, which raised $1 billion when it went public in December, only recently fetched more than their $10 debut price.

LinkedIn soared after its market debut in May, doubling in price on its first day of trading, but investors have since cooled on the company’s stock.

Related Steven Syre: Facebook’s IPO issuesSo far, the markets have been skeptical about the long-term growth potential of these social media newcomers to Wall Street, according to Carl Howe, a technology analyst at Yankee Group, a Boston research

via Facebook IPO could redefine the social media market – Business – The Boston Globe.ffering from Facebook reverse the Wall Street curse on social media companies? Facebook could file to go public as soon as tomorrow, and its offering could raise up to $10 billion — enough to revive a tepid market for Internet stocks, analysts said, and seed the ground for future offerings from social media companies like Twitter or Yelp Inc.

Facebook’s market value may reach $100 billion, placing the social media giant on par with such corporate titans as General Motors Co. and Visa Inc.Initial public offerings from social media companies have been underwhelming. The daily deal site Groupon Inc., professional networking service LinkedIn Corp., and online game maker Zynga Inc. all went public in 2011 to great hoopla, but with disappointing results. Groupon has been trading barely above its $20 opening price, and shares in Zynga, which raised $1 billion when it went public in December, only recently fetched more than their $10 debut price.

LinkedIn soared after its market debut in May, doubling in price on its first day of trading, but investors have since cooled on the company’s stock.

Related Steven Syre: Facebook’s IPO issuesSo far, the markets have been skeptical about the long-term growth potential of these social media newcomers to Wall Street, according to Carl Howe, a technology analyst at Yankee Group, a Boston research

via Facebook IPO could redefine the social media market – Business – The Boston Globe.

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Among its new features is a cover photo at the top of your profile and a timeline to which you can add life events not previously captured by Facebook. The new profile is thought to be one of Facebook’s most extreme redesigns so far, redefining what a social networking profile can do.Whether you’ve already switched to the new feature or you’re baffled by the new look, read on for Mashable‘s roundup of Timeline resources to help you with the transition.

Facebook Timeline Tips, Tricks, Tools and Impressions Facebook Timeline: The Complete Guide Now that the Facebook Timeline is rolling out to all users, we thought it time to reexamine just what this new design is all about, and how to best optimize your profile.

Facebook Timeline Roll Out: Everything You Need to Know Facebook announced Tuesday that profiles will be gone in a few weeks and replaced by Facebook Timeline. Here’s everything you need to know. HOW TO: Fill In Your Facebook Timeline Facebook has made adding events to your new Timeline quite easy, but there are a few different methods and a few privacy-related points to note. Check out this quick overview before you begin.

via 28 Essential Facebook Timeline Resources.

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Today, we’re going to look at ways that this Social Media management disaster (and PR black eye) could have been handled by Nestle, had their Social Media team (internal or outsourced) been prepared for that kind of crisis. We already covered some of the major points of how to avoid this yesterday (hiring professionals to manage your Social Media outlets, planning for crises, training in crisis management and real-time PR, etc.), so – for the purposes of today’s post – let’s assume that Part 1?s advice was taken to heart and that trained, experienced professionals are now in charge of all of the company’s Social Media properties, including Facebook.

via Facebook Crisis Management 101: How to make sure your Facebook page doesn’t become a PR trojan horse « The BrandBuilder Blog.

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On January 18, 2012 many sites around the web — from small personal blogs to internet institutions like Mozilla, Wikipedia, reddit, and I Can Has Cheezburger? – will be going dark in protest and to drive their visitors to sites like americancensorship.org to take action and help fight the passage of the Protect IP Act. So will WordPress.org.

If you want to join the protest by blacking out your WordPress site or applying a ribbon, there is now a variety of blackout plugins in the WordPress.org plugins directory. While joining the protest in this manner is laudable, please don’t forget to also make those phone calls to U.S. Senators — they’re the ones with the voting power.

Get a protest plugin

Take action at americancensorship.org

via WordPress › Internet Blackout Day on January 18.

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Pimp My Cube Contest

Pimp My Cube is looking for the most gross,disgusting office cubicle and this contest gives people the chance to win a complete makeover of their office space,with prizes totaling $1200.

The prize consists of one of three prizes:

New computer system

New desk area,new chair,and enhancements

New entertainment system with new stereo,a brand new espresso machine etc.

If you register at the website, and upload your video describing how you really need an office cube makeover, you might just have the opportunity of winning a really neat prize that could really improve your

office surroundings for the better. It is easy to upload your video via phone or webcam.

Encourage your office friends and co-workers to visit the Pimp My Cube website,register and upload videos to enter this contest. Once your video is approved, motivate your friends and people that you know to vote for your video to enhance your chances of winning the prize.

So submit your video of your office or workspace and you could win.

A second prize of a $200 gift card will be awarded to a registered user chosen at random at the end of the contest.

The contest  will be held between 12/5/11 at 12pm to 1/31/12