Almost no one would disagree that social media has marketing value, but the jury is still out on how valuable a company’s presence on a social network is. It is understandable why a recent poll of firms around the world found that half of them are ambivalent about the real value of social media marketing.For those firms that are still on the fence about the issue, their primary reason is that there is no way to accurately measure the return on investment from social website marketing, or even compare it to other types of marketing.It’s a pretty good reason. Unlike television or radio advertising – two types of marketing that have been well documented by market research for decades – social media marketing stands out in that there is no scale to predict how much you’re likely to make in profit if you invest ‘x’ amount of dollars in social media.The rationale is sound – who goes on a luxury vacation getaway without first figuring out if they can afford it?But these hold-out firms should take into account the intangible qualities that come from engaging in various forms of social website marketing. Much like the benefits that come from being highly regarded by your clients and co-workers is immeasurable, so too are the benefits that come from being highly popular on Facebook, for example, difficult to measure in dollars and cents.But beware of creating a monster; as easy as it may be to ascend in popularity in the social media sphere, it is equally easy to plummet back into obscurity if your peers get bored of you, or if you do or say something to displease them.So, not only is the return on investment in social media marketing hard to measure, it also can be a bit of a gamble.While there may be no way to measure return on investment in social website marketing now, that doesn’t mean someone won’t come up with a way in the future. The sheer number of people who participate in social media communities every day make is a market worth paying attention to, at the very least.The million dollar question then becomes – how do you measure social media marketing accurately enough to put a dollar figure on it? The person, group or organization that figures that out will change the face online marketing forever.

Do you enjoy sports? Most people do. Across the world there are dozens of major sports with fans numbering into the millions, if not billions. And for the more adventurous sports fan there are hundreds, if not thousands, of niche sports worth watching. One way to make your sport viewing more adventurous is to place a bet on the outcome of the match.Sports betting is one of the world’s largest international gambling sectors and accounts for hundreds of billions of dollars in turn over each year. Some people take home huge winnings, others gamble away their life savings. Most bets, however, are with reasonable amounts of money and result in either reasonable winnings or small loses.Why do people bet on sports? Usually it’s for the excitement. When you bet on a match it ties you personally to the outcome of the game. In a sense it makes you a part of the team you are betting for. You are no longer a mere spectator because your well-being is directly tied to the outcome of the match itself.Sports People Bet OnPeople bet on pretty much every sport. From Olympic events to the Super Bowl and everything in between, if players or teams are competing there is a great chance that you can place a bet on the outcome. Generally, the bigger the event the more money that will be bet. Los Vegas alone records nearly 100 million dollars in bets for the outcome of the Super Bowl per year. And just imagine how much money is exchange between friends and family!Another popular sport to bet on is horse racing. In fact, thoroughbred racing exists primarily to support betting and gambling, though it is also fun for the family and casual spectators. Betting on horse racing one is believed to exceed 120 billion dollars per year, with the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and Japan being among the most popular places to place a bet in the world.Why do people enjoy horse racing? Speed, skill, the personality of the animals, the stories behind the jockeys, all of these details help make horse racing a unique and interesting sport to watch and bet on. And, of course, the chance to win money is a major driving factor that gets many people to put their cash where their mouth is, so to speak.Safe Betting TipsGambling can be dangerous but by taking the right steps you can reduce the risk. When you place your bet make sure that you only gamble money you can afford to lose. Further, make sure you understand all of the rules and fine print of the bet before you put your money down! These simple tips will help you enjoy your gambling experience, win or lose!