How Social Media Really Affects Spending (Infographic)

How exactly does one go from friending to spending? In July, Vision Critical market research released "From Social to Sale," a survey of social media purchasing trends, to answer that question. 

 The findings just may make you rethink your social marketing practices.
 

This Is Why Social Media and Drinking Alcohol Don't Mix (Infographic)

Engaging with peers and customers on social platforms can be dangerous. Doing so while you're under the influence of alcohol is downright irresponsible. 
Addvocate has an interesting take on the potential pitfalls of using social media at various stages of intoxication. 
As crisis communicator Jonathan Bernstein noted on his blog, keeping alcohol out of the mix isn't as obvious as it may seem. 
"Most people wouldn't hold a press conference or shareholder meeting after spending a few hours at the bar," he wrote, "yet for some reason many of those same people feel strangely comfortable sharing to social media when they're in the midst of tying one on." 
Check it out here and tell us your favorite drunken social media story:

7 Super Tips for Creating Powerful Infographics

With the rise of the "visual web," content marketing is becoming more image-centric. As we embrace this trend of marketing without words and communicating visually, infographics have become one of the most effective ways to share your message, establish authority and drive traffic and shares across social platforms.
Not merely restricted to Pinterest, infographics are proving to be a powerhouse form of content marketing for businesses across a range of industries, with the most popular infographic topics being technology, business, social media, economics and health
But what makes for a knockout infographic? What elements need to come together in order for it to get shared, and drive quality traffic back to your website?
This infographic from Socially Sorted highlights seven elements, or "superpowers," to consider when planning, creating and sharing infographics that get shared and drive traffic on the visual web.
 

What You Need to Do on LinkedIn, Even if You're Not Looking for a Job (Infographic)

When was the last time you revamped you LinkedIn profile? If you're like most people, probably the last time you applied for a job. However, your LinkedIn can be more than an online résumé—it can be a powerful career tool.
The infographic below, which features advice from self-proclaimed "LinkedIn Queen" Eve Mayer and social-marketing platform UberVU, offers tips on what LinkedIn users need to do to keep their profiles in shape. Check it out for advice on everything from how to choose a professional profile photo to how much time you spend maintaining your LinkedIn account each day.
 

Instagram Success: These Types of Images Drive the Most Engagement (Infographic)

For many, picking the right Instagram filter can be an agonizing task. With so many options, it's tough to discern what's going to look the best and grab the most attention. But now, thanks to extensive data analysis, one company says it has the hard numbers on what makes a photo virally successful -- or not.
Curalate, a Philadelphia-based visual analytics and marketing firm, says it created algorithms to determine how more than 30 factors -- including color, lightness and saturation -- can effect an Instagram post's performance. For its insight, the company says it analyzed more than 8 million images from the mobile photo-sharing platform.
"By making a few small tweaks, brands looking to connect with consumers on visual sites like Instagram can see their engagement skyrocket, resulting in increased customer loyalty and more importantly, sales," Gupta says. "Likes on Instagram, while incredibly valuable, are hard to come by with 65 percent of Instagram images garnering between zero and 10."
Based on Curalate's findings, which are expected to be announced this week, here are some basic tips to help businesses kick their Instagram presence into high-gear. For more, see Curalate's infographic below.

Keep it cool: 

Photos dominated by blues and other cool colors tend to garner more likes while photos with warmer oranges and reds do worse.

Master monochrome: 

The more dominant a single color is on an image, the more likes it could get. Pictures dominated by a single hue receive 40 percent more likes than those that don't.

With color, less is more: 

It can be tempting to ratchet up the vibrancy, flooding your image with color to make it stand out. But in today's overstimulated world, bright and vibrant colors can get lost. The proof is in the data: Curalate says less saturated images receive 18 percent more likes than their mover vibrant counterparts.

From New York to Zurich: How Startup Costs Compare in Cities Across the Globe (Infographic)

Thinking of setting up shop in another country?

It would cost almost $315,000 a year to run a small tech startup in Zurich – nearly seven times as much as it would cost you in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, according to the infographic below compiled by global recruitment online platform Staff.com. That’s a high price to pay for being surrounded by (admittedly delicious) chocolate.

Sydney is the second most expensive city for launching a startup, costing over $310,000 a year. And New York City came in as the third most expensive town at just below $300,000.

Estimates are based on the cost of renting one small office and hiring two web developers and a web designer for a year.

How the Right School Can Help You Thrive in a Lousy Job Market (Infographic)

Any recent grad can tell you that finding a job is an uphill battle right now. However, graduating from the right school can help you get on the right track for a successful career.

Twenty-seven percent of unemployed adults have been looking for work for more than six months. Even among the employed, the numbers are grim: 25 percent of employed young adults are working in a position unrelated to their field and plan to quit quickly.

While 72 percent of educational institutions believe they’re adequately preparing students, only 45 percent of students agree. Entering a competitive job market, students and graduates are searching for on-the-job training and hands-on techniques, which the majority of schools do not provide.

Students need to educate themselves on what institutions can help them to jumpstart a successful career. Check out the infographic below, created by Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business, for tips on how find a school that will help you find a job after graduation.

Venture Capital Trends by State, Industry (Infographic)

Venture capitalists drive many successful companies, whether by assisting startups searching for funding or rejuvenating established companies seeking to expand. According to research compiled by Startups.co, about $20 billion in VC money is invested in U.S. companies each year. To find out how this money is spent and which industries receive the most funding, check out the infographic below.

Tips for Investing in Emerging Markets (Infographic)

Emerging markets worldwide are increasingly drawing companies and individuals looking for new areas to invest. According to the International Monetary Fund, emerging markets can expect two to three times as much growth as develop economies in the coming years.
For companies, growth means profit, with half of companies saying at least 30 percent of global revenues will come from emerging markets by 2017. Top countries to watch include Russia, China, India and Brazil.
Check out the infographic by Timothy Sykes below on tips and trends you need to know before investing in emerging markets.