As Facebook reaches 500 million users, the application of social networks to all our activities”business and consumer-side”provides great fodder for analysis. One studys circular logic found that 60% of Facebook fans and 79% of Twitter followers are more likely to recommend those brands since becoming a fan or follower. And an impressive 51% of Facebook fans and 67% of Twitter followers are more likely to buy the brands they follow or are a fan of.

Social networking is also increasingly going mobile, especially in Europe. According to ComScore Data Passport:

For talent management strategy, this means we need to up level our knowledge of using social networks and technology tools to establish and polish our employer brand. Technologies already being utilized by your company can assist you in maintaining brand integrity and driving employee engagement.

You can get a view of corporate social networking as a tool to create “employee ambassadors” and see how creating relationship brands and leveraging the social web can promote grass roots brand engagement in the upcoming Taleo-sponsored webcast, Telling the European Employer Brand Story on Friday, June 25, 2010 at 9:00am EDT, 2:00pm GMT. This webcast will look at multiple technology platforms that can work with your existing brand–and provide big results at a small investment level.