We wrote last year about Atlanta’s phenomenal growth in Facebook users, which moved the area up to second, only behind New York. Now Chicago is experiencing similar growth, closely behind L.A. at No. 3. Chicago’s Facebook users have almost doubled in five months.

iStrategyLabs has been tracking Facebook use since 2007, using data from Facebook’s social ads platform. The agency’s CEO, Peter Corbett, correctly points out that concerns over privacy have not had an impact upon Facebook’s growth, with the U.S. user base growing 21.8% between Jan. 4 and June 8.

Which age group had the highest growth rate? That would be those over 55.

A quick note about our webinar…

OK, I’m going to depart from normal practice here to plug an upcoming webinar in which I’ll be participating. I’m partnering with good friends Tim Morrison and Brownell Landrum on a series of classes devoted to helping writers perfect their craft, build websites for themselves and their books, and market themselves and their writing through social media. Tim is a writing coach and Brownell helps people set up websites using the power of the WordPress platform. And, naturally, I’m the social media coach.

We’re having a free, one-hour webinar next Tuesday, July 13, at 8 p.m Eastern. You can find out more about our classes — and us — at our website. And you can sign up here.

– Since we often hear from people questioning social media’s value, we should mention five “surprise success stories” using Facebook and Twitter for business detailed by Rick Burnes of HubSpot His list includes an equine dentist, a manufacturer of prefabricated steel buildings, makers of specialized paint and paper and an aircraft maintenance and support company. And there are plenty more to come.

– It’s now possible to “follow” companies on LinkedIn. This new feature, quietly introduced in late April, enables users to keep up with companies, whether one is looking for a job, looking for b-to-b-opportunities or just wanting to follow business developments. It’s a primitive, one-way system compared to Twitter and Facebook, in which you can interact directly with a company. Nor can companies offer timely status updates. However, you can see the status updates of key employees as well as promotions and other company news, assuming employees and the company are updating their accounts..While LinkedIn has a lot of work ahead to keep pace with the major social networks, this is still significant step in the right direction.

–Are you a job seeker? Since we regularly work with a local jobs networking group to assist the unemployed, we thought we’d share 13 “essential tips” for finding a job using LinkedIn from author and former pro athlete Lewis Howes. Howes offers solid advice, particularly for those who are new to the business networking site. One follow-up comment: If you add your blog or Twitter feed to your LinkedIn profile — as Howes correctly suggests you should do — make darn sure what you write on those places is professional. Otherwise, you’re asking for trouble.

– We know a lot of folks — of all ages— who don’t “get” Foursquare. Many of these same people also still remain openly skeptical of Twitter (We’re trying!) While the business potential of Foursquare has barely scratched the surface, consider this: Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley told Business Insider’s Henry Blodget last week that the service is adding 15,000 users a day. Not exactly Facebook numbers, but numbers that can’t be ignored.

Yes, the social-networking giant deservedly has taken its lumps recently, with disclosures of the dizzying changes it made in its privacy settings. Many critics were justified in questioning why these changes weren’t opt-in features, instead of forcing users to educate themselves and choose to opt out. Facebook has its work cut out as it tempers what Matthew Ingram of GigaOm calls the “snowball effect” of all the bad publicity.

However, several online items today point to just how silly things have become in the assault on Facebook. Just a few:

–The IT research firm Sophos found in a survey, being circulated widely, that 60 percent of Facebook users were mulling shutting down their accounts.

–Web entrepreneur Jason Calacanis was publicly announcing that he was shutting down his Facebook page, joining some other high-profile tech luminaries.

–The Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook had been sending data to advertisers that could be used to identify users and learn other personal details.

All this comes on the heels of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg coming under fire from disclosure of IMs from when he was a 19-year-old Harvard student. And reports about how the upcoming movie “The Social Network” depicts him as a “sex-crazed nerd.”

OK, let’s take a deep breath and take a closer look. First, IMs from a 19-year-old? Seriously? Even Tech Crunch’s Michael Arrington, who has raked Facebook over the coals on countless occasions, admitted this was going too far. And a 19-year-old as a “sex-crazed nerd”? Sound familiar? That description probably applies to 60 percent of male college students on this planet. (Disclosure: I’m sure I fell into that category, way back when.) Most of them grow up.

The survey? Sophos admits it was unscientific. How many times have you read surveys with people saying they’re thinking of doing something? How often are they overblown? A large number of people would truthfully say they’d like to quit their jobs. But are they going to do that? (Not in this economy)

With all respect to Mr. Calacanis, who I read often, I’m not sure his decision is going to sway too many outside the Web tech elite to close their accounts.

And Read Write Web’s Marshall Kirkpatrick — one of the Web’s best bloggers/reporters — quickly clarified WSJ’s report — the info being passed to advertisers was not all intentionally set up by Facebook; the way Web browsers are configured played a role in what URLs were passed to advertisers. And other sites face the same challenges in sharing data.

Yes, Facebook has a lot to answer for. Yes, they have made some big mistakes in trying to monetize its huge audience. They have infuriated me on many occasions. But let’s keep a healthy perspective and not fall to the overheated nature of the tech blogosphere.

And let’s get real. Facebook has more than 500 million users, does anyone honestly think 300 million of those users are about to leave?

When starting a three-part series on Twitter several months ago I vowed to prove that Twitter isn’t fading, it’s not just noise and that it is, in fact, good not just for big businesses, but smaller companies as well.

What happened? A bunch of people suddenly asked me to help them use Twitter to meet their business goals. I am now working with businesses, non-profits and professional associations every day, coaching them or tweeting on their behalf and achieving objectives. While a few months isn’t nearly enough time to provide thorough case studies, I can report immediate results through Twitter. Such as:

– A group supporting environmental causes wanting to add new chapters asked me to launch a Twitter campaign less than three months ago. In the first week, they received a request for a media interview. They are now quoted regularly in national publications, building their brand awareness. A new chapter is about to form in a coveted area because tweets about the group caught the interest of a Twitter follower there. More chapters are on the horizon — thanks to Twitter and the dedicated followers it can generate.

– A writing coach hoping to expand his business is now connected to a large number of young, inexperienced writers and is now connecting to his ideal client — executives of large companies interested in writing books.

– A start-up that is licensed to sell a safety product in Georgia wants to expand its market. In just two weeks, response to the company has been remarkable.

It’s too early to document the details and name these groups/companies, but that day will come soon enough. These clients — and others — are already convinced of the power of Twitter to target those they most want to reach. More important, they have learned that the road to success is through building relationships and sharing valuable information with their followers.

That’s a sound business strategy anywhere and Twitter is just the tool to help them make that happen.

Compete and comScore, Web analytics firms, both released figures showing a drop in average monthly Twitter visitors from July to December 2009. Imagine that? Fewer people used Twitter during December — a month with two big holidays (and plenty of days of downtime and travel surrounding them). Does that really surprise anyone?

Also, anyone who seriously follows Twitter knows that tracking site visitors requires going down the rabbit hole of all the third-party apps — from desktop to cellphone — that people use to connect with Twitter. Many critics question the reliability of numbers related to Twitter’s traffic because of the numerous ways to tweet without ever visiting the site.

When I read the word “peak,” I normally think a decline is around the corner. Curiously, some less prominent numbers in CNN’s article don’t suggest that at all. Web analysts HubSpot find average Twitter users now:
• Have more followers: From 70 in July to 300.
• Follow more feeds: From 45 in July to 170.
• Tweet more: From 120 tweets in July to 420.

HubSpot also found that Twitter is becoming more international. The U.S. represented under 51% of Twitter users in December, down from 61% in June. That number rings true personally as more and more overseas social media and marketing people are connecting with me.

So, let’s see, Twitter users are more engaged than ever. And people around the world are joining every day. Not exactly a “peaking” scenario, is it? Maybe Twitter is, gasp, maturing.

OK, business folks, you now know Twitter is neither a) all noise nor b) peaking. Next, we’ll show you how it can benefit your business, no matter the size.

They say it’s a bunch of noise. Some say they don’t want to know what folks had for breakfast (More about that in a minute). They don’t see any tangible business benefit from using it.

I understand some of their concerns. There are plenty of idiots on Twitter. I love the idiots who look at the Trending Topics and then try to fit as many as possible into 140 characters. I love the idiots who have 5,000 followers and have yet to post a single tweet. And I especially love the idiots who spam about such exciting things as all-natural teeth-whitening.

I could go on. But there are idiots everywhere online. Locally, all you have to do is check out some of the comments on ajc.com’s sports or political blogs to know there are plenty of people who need an outlet for whatever venom or half-truths they need to share.

Why should Twitter be any different? Yes, there’s a lot of noise. Yes, there are hucksters. Yes, there are annoying Justin Bieber fans compelled to make him a Trending Topic several times a week. (Note to Justin: Can’t you just take them with you back to MySpace? Please?)

But there are other qualities that make Twitter a necessity for me, and should make it essential for many, if not most, business people. We’ll keep it simple today and not go into all the specific ways Twitter can help your business.

First, you have complete control on Twitter over who you follow and — very important — who follows you (once you get them to follow you, that is.) Don’t want to read the idiot offering whiter teeth? Block them.

Second, no matter what your profession, you will get access to the most cutting-edge and current information through Twitter. I promise you, while there may still be a few good discussion groups on LinkedIn, you will find superior information on Twitter. Why? Because that’s where the best minds are. After reading Twitter, LinkedIn seems so . . . 2005. I subscribe to countless RSS feeds, so that I can keep current on different subjects, including, obviously, social media. Yet every day Twitter brings me a new, and timely, information source — a blogger I haven’t read or a point of view I hadn’t considered. I wouldn’t have the competitive edge in my business without the intelligence Twitter users provide each day.

Third, Twitter users are more receptive to business messages, far more than on other social platforms. Studies indicate that at least 20 percent of the messages on Twitter relate to branding. Think you could get away with 20 percent of your Facebook status updates related to your business? I think not.

Now about that tweeting about breakfast complaint. What have been the top topics on Twitter this week? President Obama’s State of the Union speech hit 9,000 tweets per minute, while the iPad launch reached 7,000 tweets per minute, according to Retrevo’s Tech Buzzmeter. By comparison, topics such as Britney Spears get about 10-20 tweets per minute.

So much for breakfast, or celebrity, tweets. Next, we’ll take a look at another Twitter misconception — that it is peaking. Then we’ll delve more into some not-so-well-known ways Twitter can help your business.

Hope you had a great week. Have questions about Twitter? Give us a shout.

iStrategyLabs, the digital marketing firm which has been tracking Facebook’s growth since October 2007, reported that the Atlanta area had a 267.6% increase between Jan. 4, 2009,  and last Monday. We blogged in July about Atlanta’s phenomenal growth, noting that the metro area had jumped to No. 2 in registered users behind only New York. However, Los Angeles, which experienced its own 240.6% growth, surged to No. 2 over the second half of the year.

Atlanta, as of Jan. 4, had 1,967,720 registered Facebook users, compared to New York’s 2,934,580 and L.A.’s 2,166,840. Atlanta slightly edged Chicago. (See full chart here.)

One can quibble about the value of numbers, especially if accounts are inactive, but if you own a business in metro Atlanta, one point should be clear: Your customers are on Facebook. And while the demographics aren’t broken down for Atlanta, growth is strongest nationally in the 25-34, 35-54 and, especially, 55-plus markets. Sounds like your customers, right?

Facebook provides a unique opportunity for Atlanta area businesses to connect with customers and potential new ones. Don’t know where to start? Don’t have time for Facebook? There are plenty of qualified consultants or marketing firms who can help.

Strike now while it’s hot.

Then came the punch line. The job was for two hours a day, $10-$12 an hour, depending on experience.

Evidently, this “cool” company doesn’t expect much ROI (Return on Investment) from social media.

A lot of business owners I’ve met in recent months are probably not that different than whoever runs this “cool” company. Small businesses and professionals are intrigued by social media, but a) don’t have the time to get involved or b) don’t see the ROI of hiring a professional to help.

So I’m going to give you not just one, but three simple examples of ROI in social media.

1. An Atlanta executive coach (Disclosure: a client who also happens to be my wife) who works with engineering firms was in a lull in signing new clients. However, the coach recognized that LinkedIn could help her open doors. She used the Advanced Search feature of LinkedIn to identify companies that were clearly doing well during the tough economy (e.g. hiring). Working through mutual connections on the business networking site, she was introduced to executives who then contracted to work with her.

2. Charles Nelson, president of Sprinkles Cupcakes, has a company that apparently makes great cupcakes. His cupcakes are so good that he has amassed 70,000 fans on a Facebook business page. The “Beverly Hills baker to the stars” announces a secret word each day, and the first 25 or 50 people to show up with that word at any of his five stores gets a free cupcake. The ROI: A booming business and highly effective word of mouth. Nelson has not spent a dime on any other advertising or marketing in five years.

OK, you say, that’s Atlanta and LA. Those are big, highly wired cities. Well, let’s turn to:

3. The New York Times In July featured mom-and-pop shops around the country making money through Twitter. Consider just one: Silver Barn Antiques in tiny Columbus, Texas. Even before launching a Web site, the owner was able to find both suppliers and customers nationwide. “Twitter has been a real valuable tool because it’s made us national instead of a little-bitty store in a little-bitty town,”  she told The Times.

So what is the value of social media to your business? Consider your goals. What is the value of a new customer or client? You know how many leads you generally need before you attract one customer. What is the value of generating a lead for your business?

My guess is it’s worth more than $20-$24 a day. Or even 25 cupcakes.

I never totally bought that argument. Newspaper sales staffs could have been more creative in educating advertisers on how to attract women and not just settle for male sports readers wanting a tire sale. And sports news staffs were too drenched in testosterone to recognize that a large number of those filling the stands are women and many can read a box score.

But that was yesteryear and the media landscape has changed. Newspapers now struggle to keep readers of any gender — and advertisers — in the advancing digital age. However, the advertising truism still exists — in sales, women are still the coveted audience

Where are businesses looking for female customers going to find them these days? Social media, of course. A new study by the IT firm Royal Pingdom finds that 84% of the 19 social networking sites have more female than male users (53% females, 47% male). If Digg, Reddit and Slashdot were removed from the study, ALL 16 major social sites would have a majority of female users on them. Even LinkedIn, which has reportedly been the only site with a larger male audience, now is more predominantly female, according to the study.

This finding follows on another study last year by online research firm Rapleaf which found that women have more friends in social networks than men.

The newest study provides yet more evidence of how social media can help meet business goals. Most of your customers are using social media. They increasingly expect to be interacting with businesses while on their favorite social sites. If your business strategy especially targets women and you’re not interacting with them through social media, then hopefully this study will serve as a wake-up call.

You can thank me later.

One post described the flawed attempt by college football’s Bowl Championship Series to start a Twitter account, ostensibly to communicate with fans, answer questions and spruce up the image of the much-maligned bowl system. Heck, fans, most coaches and even the president want a playoff system to crown a football national champion. (Me, too.)

The result? A PR nightmare, according to Social Media Today, as @InsideThe BCS tweeted about 30 times (now up to 57) while screenload after screenload of critics weighed in with negative comments. And SMT wrote whoever was tweeting (they suspect a PR firm) misquoted Florida coach Urban Meyer as being a supporter of the BCS system. He’s not.

While I salute the BCS folks for attempting to enter the social space, it’s clear they needed to think through a strategy and prepare in advance. They should have known they would face an onslaught. Now that the bus has hit them, it’ll be interesting to see how they respond.

The second post focused on a conference where discussion centered on how companies are turning to Gen Y employees to handle their social media marketing.

My take: As we previously wrote, age is no longer a factor in social media. Facebook is gaining more Boomers; Twitter is now attracting Gen Yers. In a bad economy, people of all ages are turning to LinkedIn. So why would companies look to Gen Yers only to handle their social media responsibilities? It’s not like they all have a special gene that makes them marketers.

Whoever handles your company’s social media profiles reflects upon your company. If that employee, intern, contractor, consultant or PR/marketing firm doesn’t know what they’re doing, they can do harm. Many companies have already been burned by well-meaning, low-paid and inexperienced people representing their brand.

I’m reminded of the large Atlanta law firm who advertised earlier this year for someone to manage their social media identity. These lawyers, who spend their days carefully crafting legal arguments for large amounts of money, were paying a miniscule salary and clearly wanted a recent college grad. Nothing against recent college grads — I have two children graduating in the next year — but it was clear this firm wanted the benefits of social media without a seasoned professional. Why would a group of lawyers open themselves to such risk? Let’s hope they were lucky.

If you own a business and you need help in launching — and sustaining — your social media profiles, you should think through who you put in that role. Do you really leave it to an intern? Or the IT guy/Webmaster who can code great things, but can’t spell or write a comprehensible sentence?

Updating Twitter or a Facebook business page doesn’t require technical skills. Anyone of any age can do it. If you don’t have time to do it yourself, the challenge is finding someone with a mature-enough marketing and business sense to meet your needs.

There is great value for businesses to gain through social media. Don’t underestimate that value if you need help. Hiring or contracting someone on the cheap could end up being very costly.