Monster Worldwide, one of the last major job sites to come to the social recruitment table,  has finally announced the ability for job candidates to see which of their socially-networked friends have connections to the hiring firm, right from the Monster.com site. Candidates won’t be searching Facebook or LinkedIn -  they’ll be searching BeKnown, the Monster-Worldwide-owned Facebook app. If a candidate tries the search and is not set up on BeKnown, she or he will be prompted to create that free BeKnown profile and account.

There’s nothing really innovative here. However, the fact that it’s Monster means that 100 million monthly visitors –  most of whom have not set up a BeKnown profile –  will be encouraged to do so.  That’s good for BeKnown, which in the social recruitment battle is way behind both fellow-Facebook-app BranchOut, and LinkedIn. For more on what each of these big three social recruitment sites offer, what Monster told us about the socialization and why it waited so long,  and where each firm is headed, see our upcoming CIR.

Here’s the Monster Worldwide announcement:

Monster Brings Networking into Core Site with the Integration of BeKnown(TM), its Professional Networking App on Facebook

Market research firm ForeSee was commissioned to study both merchant and customer satisfaction with Groupon. The Daily Deals behemoth scored an 83 with customers and 79 with merchants, way ahead of most online retailers.

The jump from 25 percent to 30 percent mobile access from December 2011 to March 2012 may have been the catalyst for the new “up-to-the-minute” Groupon Now success, with 1.5 million Now deals sold.

With past store-owner complaints that Groupon was being far too selective in its choice of who could offer Deals, it’s nice to see that merchants are declaring their happiness with a Deals site.  We suspect that merchant approval is partly due to the Groupon Merchant Center, where merchants can track response, administer and see the history of their deals, and manage their Groupon Rewards activity. Here’s the earnings report.

According to The Washington Post, Certifikid, a DC-based Daily Deals site focused on children’s products, is expected to earn in 2012 more than $350,000 from $2 million worth of Daily Deals sales.   The Post also reported a record February for the site and its teleworking-mom founder Jamie Ratner,  with $100,000 in gross sales for the month. Promotions included gyms, summer camps, haircuts for kids, birthday party packages, and family photography. The top-selling Deal that month was Baltimore Harbor’s Urban Pirates Family.  Certifikid buyers spent nearly $30,000 for that one family outing. Certifikid recently launched a “special needs” focus, with alerts and deals especially for children with special needs. In a video interview with Baltimore’s WBAL TV Ratner talked about her company’s mission to put “special needs” families together, and provide them the outlet they needed.  A Certifkid Cares project offers schools and other organizations a group-referral program that can make up to $1000 for the organization. It all sounds great, doesn’t it? Perhaps not. 

It’s all quite warm and fuzzy, at first glance –  especially since a travel-to-the-office mom was able to turn stay-at-home mom and still make this happen. Our first thought was that local classified and online marketplace publishers could and should seek out local netpreneur wannabes – perhaps even among their staff – to find their niche and get going on a deals site. Perhaps The Washington Post, clearly interested in local and social (see our upcoming CIR coverage of the new Service Alley,) should reach out to Certifikid about collaboration.

What about the local merchants, though? Is anyone watching their revenue backs? We have to wonder. It might well be that these merchants are raking in the big bucks after their Certifikid deals, with consumers returning time and again to pay full price. But given what is clearly Certifikid’s considerable ability to generate local media coverage, the fact that merchant testimonial is nowhere to be found has us thinking otherwise.

So we approached Ratner by email to request a phone conversation. We said we wanted to ask the hard questions – What about the all-too-common complaint from merchants that Daily Deals discount too heavily and then the publishers take another big cut and the merchant takes a financial bath? (Certifkid takes 35 percent.)  All of a sudden Certifikid was not responding to us.  We asked if Certifikid merchants saw customers come back after the discount deal to pay full price later. We got no reply from Certifikid. We asked if merchants came back to repeat their deals. Certifikid did not respond.

The Certifikid.com merchant page espouses its benefits for merchants. “Certifikid has become an online playground for families to build relationships with each other and participating businesses that will last beyond the initial transaction,”  it reads. We’d really like to know if that’s happening. Certifikid is not saying.

Ratner and her staff have talked about how much money they’ve made, and how nice this is for families, but nowhere did we see a conversation about or by the merchants.

No one discussed with any media outlet if this worked for the merchants, and if buyers came back later to pay full price. That’s what we want to know.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote about one local bakery about to launch its first Daily Deal through Certifikid. No medium seems to have checked back to see what it brought that bakery. We will.

That’s the issue we have with Daily Deals. If you don’t take care of the merchants, you won’t have a Daily Deals site after you’ve run out of local merchants to lure to the site for the first time. Of course, that might take awhile (and you might get rich as you head down that road to demise, of course. So if you don’t really care about your local business community, it won’t matter to you ).

Certifikid, according to WPAL, is expanding nationwide. It’s already gone from DC /Baltimore to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Hampton Roads (VA), and all of Delaware. An aggressive and accomplished sales staff should be able to keep this “try-us-once” approach bringing in revenue for quite some time.

This problem isn’t exclusive to Certifikid. Since we’ve been writing about Daily Deals, Certifikid is the first Daily Deals site that declined to speak to us openly about the issue, however. So we have to wonder if the news here is not really very good for the merchants. That ultimately isn’t going to be very good for Certifikid. We’ll be asking the merchants, and we’ll let you know. If we’re wrong and all is rosy here, we’ll say that.

The Daily Deals concept is hot right now, and we still suggest that local classified and online marketplace publishers be the incubator helpers and publishers for local niche-focused netpreneurs. We think the concept is going to crash and burn, but in the meantime there is money to be made, and business relationships to be created. What’s absolutely crucial (and would be a standout in this space) is that publishers take care of their merchants.  Local news publishers with classified verticals and online marketplace products can do that well.  After all, what they can offer these local merchants that others cannot are additional traffic and publication / site resources, and trusted, long-standing community relationships.  Local newspapers and broadcasters might include advertorial coverage as well.

A Daily Deals site has to be a win-win-win (publisher – consumer – merchant) or it’s not going to last beyond this short-term “everybody-create-one” Daily Deals craze. Too many Daily Deals site are forgetting that third win. Its seems that Certifikid might be one of them. We’re going to find out.

The switch at the top was orchestrated in perfect textbook fashion – from the early announcement, careful avoidance of uncertainty and rumor-mongering, and clear communication, to the simultaneous announcement of the successor.

Groß-Selbeck will be succeeded by Thomas Vollmoeler (52), who is at this stage still acting-CEO of Swiss-based trade and logistics firm Valora Holding. Vollmoeler will start at Xing on Aug. 15 as board director and will take up his duties as CEO on Jan. 15, 2013, Xing announced (read full media statement in English here).

When Groß-Selbeck switched from EBay to Xing in January 2009, we were skeptical about his management abilities, but we were wrong. Under his leadership Xing successfully launched new products in the areas of e-recruiting, advertising and events, grew the membership and tripled revenue. He oversaw the acquisition of event manager Amiando and the growth of the staff size from 160 to 450. In many ways the Xing of today is a vastly different animal from the one in January 2009.

Dr. Stefan Groß-Selbeck

In March 2009 we asked (here) whether Xing has what it takes to become more than a German-only network. Four years later it seems not. The only criticism one could, perhaps, level at Groß-Selbeck, is that Xing painted itself in a corner under his leadership. A “German-only corner”, where the prospects for future growth are limited. More about that here.

But, that’s Vollmoeler’s challenge now.

If your publication, classified site or firm seeks to target a specific demographic, the latest study by Online MBA would be helpful indeed. The higher-education service site learned the following:

• Women make up a whopping 82 percent of Pinterest users
• Forty six percent of Facebook users are 45 years of age or older
• Of the 90 million Google+ users 71 percent are male, and the largest group are young engineers and other technical professionals. Nearly 44 percent are single.
• The top reason 5.5 million monthly visitors turn to Reddit is for humor. Visitors stay more than 16 minutes on average – more than twice that of time spent on LinkedIn. [Additionally, Reddit recruitment listings launched in 2009; as of today 3360 openings are listed, and 3950 candidates have posted their availability. ]

There’s much more in this insightful infographic. Mashable reported the details, including the graphic below.

“LinkedIn grew over 100 percent for the seventh consecutive quarter and achieved records for adjusted EBITDA, operating and free cash flow,” said Steve Sordello, CFO of LinkedIn, in the company earnings announcement.  “We remain focused on investing in our technology and product platform as well as expanding our business in new international markets and customer segments.”

Despite the good news, however, other social recruitment platforms just might be nipping at LinkedIn’s candidate-traffic heels. Facebook-focused BranchOut just celebrated its own upswell in audience, and secured $25 million to keep the competition at bay. For more on this story, see our upcoming CIR.

Here’s the LinkedIn earnings release.

The gossip about Zillow has just gotten ”juicier.” Amidst a rumor that Zillow is about to spend $45 million to buy rental management software firm RentJuice, the third-largest online real estate marketplace has just announced its new Android rental app. Both follow on the heels of Zillow’s launch of Rent Zestimates. (For even more on Zillow doings, and industry-insider ponderings about what’s really going on, read our upcoming CIR.)

RentJuice made its own important announcement two weeks ago, making it an even “juicier” buy for Zillow. The new RentJuice product is called Common Application. The new online and mobile-enabled tool could be described as a Facebook Connect for rental listings. With the new Common Application, a prospective renter can complete her or his online application one time and then send it in one-click thereafter to any property she favors. The tool also enables online and smart-phone or tablet-based lease application as well

Here’s the Zillow app news release: 

Zillow Launches First Mobile App for Rentals

Zillow Rentals for Android App is Company’s 10th Mobile App; Provides Access to Rent Zestimates, Allows Renters to Compare Favorite Homes Side-by-Side

SEATTLE, April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Zillow, Inc. (NASDAQ:Z), the leading real estate information marketplace, today announced the launch of Zillow® Rentals for Android™ App, the company’s first dedicated rentals app, optimized for renters who need to make decisions quickly.

The Zillow Rentals for Android App is the only rentals app that allows users to access Rent Zestimates® – Zillow’s estimated rent prices on more than 100 million U.S. homes and apartments. Additionally, the app allows rental shoppers to: Compare and contrast favorite homes on a side-by-side list, a rental app feature exclusive to Zillow. Draw one or more boundaries around neighborhoods to narrow a search by geography. Use Android’s voice search capabilities to quickly search for-rent homes in an area. Quickly browse color-coded results organized by time on market, so renters know which homes are new to the market and which have already been viewed. Automatically receive on-screen notifications when new rental homes matching search criteria hit the market, with no login or sign-up required. Contact landlords by phone or email instantly. These properties are automatically added to the renter’s list of favorites with a time stamp to help keep track of when landlords were contacted.

“Renters shop differently from buyers and look at many homes quickly, in specific locations, in a short amount of time,” said Jeremy Wacksman, vice president of consumer marketing and mobile at Zillow. “The Zillow Rentals for Android App was created specifically to address their needs by organizing listings in an easily-accessible way and allowing them to shop for the right home on location, in the neighborhood where they want to live.”

This is Zillow’s 10th mobile app, adding to the most popular suite of mobile real estate apps with dedicated apps available on every major platform. Zillow’s early investment in mobile is fueling the company’s growth. In March, 155 million homes were viewed on Zillow mobile apps – that’s 57 homes per second.

Zillow Mobile’s full suite includes: Zillow on iPad®; Zillow iPhone® App; Zillow Mortgage Marketplace iPhone App; Zillow Android App; Zillow Mortgage Marketplace Android App; Zillow Android Tablet App; Zillow BlackBerry® App; Zillow Kindle® Fire App; Zillow Windows® Phone 7 App.

Zillow Rentals for Android App is free to download, and is available in the Google® Play store starting today. Search for “Zillow” in the Google Play store, or find it in the Lifestyle category.

About Zillow, Inc.

Zillow (NASDAQ: Z) is the leading real estate information marketplace, providing vital information about homes, real estate listings and mortgages through its website and mobile applications, enabling homeowners, buyers, sellers and renters to connect with real estate and mortgage professionals best suited to meet their needs. In March 2012, more than 32 million unique users visited Zillow’s websites and mobile applications. Zillow, Inc. operates Zillow.com®, Zillow Mortgage Marketplace, Zillow Mobile, Postlets® and Diverse Solutions. The company is headquartered in Seattle.

Zillow.com, Zillow, Zestimate and Postlets are registered trademarks of Zillow, Inc. Diverse Solutions is a trademark of Zillow, Inc.

Kindle Fire is a trademark of Seesaw, LLC. iPhone and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Google is a registered trademark of Google Inc. BlackBerry is a registered trademark of Research in Motion Limited. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp.

SOURCE  Zillow, Inc.

Consumers anonymously “netotiate” their own deals without The hassles or uncertainty of auction or daily deal platforms

Netotiate.com allows consumers to conduct price comparison and on-line negotiation (netotiation) in several product categories, including consumer electronics, appliances, watches, musical instruments, and select apparel products. More categories will be added as consumers and merchants are drawn to the benefits of price negotiation. In the coming weeks, netotiate functionality will also be available directly within merchants’ sites.

Unlike auction or “daily deal” type sites, Netotiate does not involve bidding against others, and consumers are not at the mercy of other consumers who must also purchase the deal in order to receive the desired product. Users simply search for the desired product on Netotiate.com and then select a merchant to netotiate with. They can submit a reduced offer price for the product, while guided by the Netotiate system for its probability of success. Consumers are only allowed to submit one binding offer per product for each merchant. The offer is then transferred anonymously to the merchant selected by the consumer, who can accept, decline, or counter the offer with up to three different counters. In addition to reduced pricing, the merchant also has the flexibility to offer additional incentives such as a coupon on future purchases, free or upgraded shipping, additional accessories, or a further discount for the purchase of multiple items.

Netotiate was founded by Amir Farhi (Chief Executive Officer) and Keren Zimmerman (Chief Revenue Officer), two Israeli entrepreneurs who came together when they saw a market need to change the consumer e-commerce landscape.  They understood that price-conscious consumers are becoming more and more tech savvy and are treating shopping like a game they want to win, and that mid-sized retailers were losing business because they simply could not compete with the largest online retailers.

“With Netotiate, we are transforming e-commerce from business-to-consumer (B2C) to consumer-to-business (C2B), a fundamental shift that reflects the consumer’s control of the process,” said Mr. Farhi.  “With the ability to netotiate pricing, we give consumers the power to enjoy real savings beyond the advertised price. In addition to savings, our consumers enjoy the negotiation process and the satisfaction that comes from getting your own deal, and yet without the discomfort associated with haggling, and all with just a minimal time commitment compared to other deal purchasing means.”  In fact, in an external usability test of the service conducted prior to the launch, 73% of consumers surveyed responded “definitely” when asked if they “would be inclined to use this website or suggest it to someone”.

Netotiate’s goal is to create a fair playing field for the consumers and merchants who work together for mutual benefit. “Netotiate is helping both the individual consumer and the merchant to get a good deal”, said Mr. Farhi, “We consider ourselves the perfect tool for “the 99%” of people who need to stretch their budgets and get the most out of every dollar. Unlike daily deal sites, our goal is to create an environment that provides a sustainable value to both sides of the equation.”

Merchants, especially mid-sized, are poised to gain substantial benefits from usage of Netotiate’s platform. They can now attract paying customers that would likely make purchases at only the bigger or most familiar retailers. Acquisition costs can be greatly lowered, as the merchant can reduce advertising and other initiatives designed to attract business, and instead rely on Netotiate to build repeat brand loyalty. By allowing merchants to counteroffer with future discounts or other incentives, Netotiate gives merchants another marketing channel and a way to encourage brand loyalty.

“Netotiating merchants are able to generate variable margins through an effective and legit price discrimination, which can directly boost their revenues and profits” continued Mr. Farhi. “They are only charged a fee on completed deals via Netotiate, giving them a cost-effective customer acquisition vehicle. Eventually, every product category will be on Netotiate, giving merchants a whole new way to convert sales and engage with consumers.”

About Netotiate:
Patent-pending Netotiate is a unique consumer-to-merchant online negotiation platform that allows consumers to “netotiate” with merchants in order to secure better deals on products. Launched as a beta platform in early 2012, the solution provides multiple benefits to both consumers and merchants. Backed by venture capital, the company is headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts, with R&D offices in Tel-Aviv, Israel. For more information, visit www.netotiate.com.

SOURCE Netotiate

The new online and mobile-enabled tool by rental-relationship-management innovator RentJuice can be described as a Facebook Connect for rental listings. With the new Common Application, a prospective renter can complete her or his online application one time and then send it in one-click thereafter to any property she favors. The tool also enables online and smart-phone or tablet-based lease application as well. To kick off its launch in Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York and San Francisco, every rental application enters the applicant into a drawing for a $500 Amazon gift card.

Here’s the announcement: 

RentJuice Rolls Out Unprecedented Online Lease Signing and “Common Application” for Renters,

Enables New Way of Signing Up Tenants

 Gives Apartment Seekers a Leg Up in Their Hunt, Enables Real Estate Pros to Dial Up Their Leasing Business From a Smartphone or Tablet

SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwire – Apr 12, 2012) – Renters can now gain an edge in the rental race thanks to the “Common Application” by RentJuice, provider of lease marketing technology to thousands of real estate property managers and brokers. Similar to Facebook Connect, consumers fill out RentJuice’s Common Application online one time and their personal information can subsequently prepopulate any real estate office’s custom leasing-related forms, as well as applications for separate rental units.

To encourage community growth, those who bring their own network connections into the BetterWeekdays fold are rewarded with a highlighted profile.

The mission of the site is to “raise the contributions of businesses to society by improving the effectiveness of its leaders.”

Chicago-based founder Chris Motley also founded and oversees The Founder Institute,  a technology startup accelerator and entrepreneur training program currently on pace to launch over 500 companies per year in over 13 cities worldwide. Read more about BetterWeekdays at Ere.Net.

Consumers searching for dining deals can, for example, search as specific as cuisine. They can see reviews and recommendations for the various restaurants, as well as contact details and menu. The consumer enters her or his credit card information once and the BiteHunter BiteBuy technology takes care of the rest of the buying process for every transaction from then on.

This is technology worth emulating. We hope they add Android capability soon.

Please note: this update is a correction of a prior version that affiliated the publication with Chicago-based Tribune Company. That is not the case. The entirely separate Tribune Limited organization is based in Nassau, Bahamas.

Prior to the launch of classified listings, the Marketplace product offers ad sales opportunities to auto dealers, real estate practitioners, property managers and service firms through its business directory product. Marketplace enables a directory of local businesses, typically at no charge to the business, with upsells that boost the publisher’s bottom line. Coupon capability, and ad tracking / analytics are part of the package. While not the only Marketplace product for publishers, Mediaphormedia’s Marketplace has a long history of working with media clients that include Ogden Publishing Corp., Amarillo (TX) Globe News, and Fayetteville (AR) Flyer. For what Marketplace can do for classifieds, take a look at WorldClassifieds, the classified home of The World Company’s flagship newspaper, the Lawrence (KS) Journal World.

Describing use of the two leading social networks for recruitment as “a no-brainer”, Cohen said “it is free, it is extremely efficient, and it is not going to go away”.

While the figures might be eye-catching, the growth in social recruiting may not come as a surprise. Still, Cohen underlined the importance of traditional job boards, which have seen a 10.8 percent rise during the same period. As Cohen put it: “The job board market is still going strong.”