Facebook is testing different ways to encourage users to share events with their friends, including suggested invites and prompts to post about the event.

“Events are more fun with your friends,” says a dialog that appears after users click the “join” button to RSVP. In this dialog, some users are seeing an option to invite specific friends, whereas others get a share module to post the event to their Timeline and friends’ News Feeds. These features could lead more users to engage with Facebook Events and discover things to do.

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Facebook will now let advertisers customize the headlines of their ads within the sidebar. This will be available via the API, Power Editor and self-serve ad tool.

Previously ads for pages, apps and events had to use the name of the page, app or event that they were promoting. However, ads linking off Facebook.com were allowed to have custom headlines. Now all of these ads can have unique titles up to 25 characters. This gives advertisers more opportunity to create attention-grabbing ads and test creative variations with different audiences to optimize their campaigns.

We’ve seen the feature live in the self-serve ad tool and Power Editor, though some users report that it has not rolled out to their accounts yet. These changes are also reflected in the Ads API documentation.

Facebook introduced a new feature for events this week that allows users to quickly create a similar event as one they previously hosted or attended.

When a user clicks “create repeat event” from a drop-down menu on most event pages, Facebook will automatically populate a new event dialog with details from the last event, including the invite list. Users can change the date or any other details if necessary.

The new feature makes it simpler for users to plan repeat events. This is especially useful for page owners that regularly host similar events or are planning a tour around the country, for example. Instead of manually filling out each field, they can keep most of the description the same and edit the location or time.

Users can create repeat events for any that they previously created or for any friends’ events that they attended. Users cannot use the repeat event feature for events created by pages they do not manage. This is likely to avoid spamming large audiences of a page’s fans. Similarly, when users recreate events that were originally hosted by a friend, the full guest list doesn’t carry over. They can only invite people they are already friends with.

Unlike with most calendar apps, Facebook events cannot be set as repeating from the point of creation. A useful feature for pages, groups and some users would be a way to create an event that automatically reoccurs every Monday and Thursday, for instance.

Image via Facebook engineer Bob Baldwin, who built the repeat event feature and announced it on his public profile.

Just a few days remain until Inside Social Apps in New York City. Come join us on Monday, December 3 for a full day of focused panels, presentations, and fireside chats by experts in the social and mobile industries. Session topics include:

• Platform opportunity in 2013
• Mobile app discovery and marketing
• Social game design and development
• Maximizing audience engagement
• Monetization and investment strategies

You can view the full lineup of speakers and check out our agenda on the event website.

Register before December 3 and save  $170 on a conference pass or $200 on a combo pass for Inside Social Apps and AllFacebook Marketing Conference on December 4-5.

We hope to see you in NYC!

Some Facebook users are seeing stories about upcoming events and recently released albums in their News Feeds, we’ve found.

The new stories are similar to the “upcoming concerts” module that some users began to see last month. Now, Facebook is suggesting some non-music events, as well, based on their location, pages they Like and friends’ plans. Previously these suggestions appeared on users’ event calendars but not in the feed. Users don’t typically visit their events page very often so they were less likely to discover these options. As long as the recommendations are relevant, users may welcome seeing suggested events in News Feed.

A new music-related module highlights a recently released album by an artist that a user has listened to on Spotify. Users can click to begin streaming the album through Spotify. It is unclear whether Facebook is offering the same feature for Rdio users.

[Update 12/6/12 -  We've now seen the recently released albums feature directing users to Myspace. The module now also includes a link to Like the artist's page on Facebook.]

News Feed has always been a place to see stories and activities from friends and pages users have explicitly connected to, but these modules show how Facebook can use Open Graph data and other cues to generate new types of stories. We may begin to see more News Feed items like this, which do not come directly from a user’s friend but might be interesting to users. Trending articles and trending videos were an early example that seemed less personalized, but for example, Facebook could let users know about a new movie opening this weekend if the user watched a trailer for the new release or likes a similar film.

Another benefit of these types of stories that don’t come directly as the result of a user’s friend taking an action or making a post is that they lend themselves well to sponsorship. Upcoming events, recently released albums, the hypothetical movie module or other similar features could easily be options for ads in the future. If Facebook moves toward a feed with these algorithmically generated stories — as opposed to straight friend activity and page posts — new ad units will feel more native. For instance, there could be a “Happy Hour” module for bars and restaurants or “Ongoing Sales” for retailers or online stores. Businesses could pay to be featured among other organic recommendations.

For now, the upcoming events and recently released albums modules are not sponsored. Facebook is likely gauging how interested users are in seeing these types of stories by how frequently they click through. There is not a way for users to provide direct negative feedback on the units, such as hiding them or marking them as spam.

Our East-Coast edition of Inside Social Apps is happening in New York City in less than three weeks. Come join us on December 3 for a full day of focused panels,presentations, and fireside chats by experts in the social and mobile industries.

Recently added speakers include:

• David Chu, Director of Developer Marketing—GREE International
• John Getze, VP of Product Marketing—KIXEYE
• Wilson Kriegel, Former CRO—OMGPOP / Zynga
• John Spinale, Senior VP of Social Games—Disney Interactive

You can view the full lineup of speakers and check out our agenda on the event website.

Registration prices increase at midnight tonight, so register soon in order to secure the best deal on your conference pass or combo pass for both Inside Social Apps and AllFacebook Marketing Conference on December 4-5. See you in New York!

We’re excited to announce the first East Coast edition of Inside Social Apps, happening in New York City on December 3, 2012. This full-day conference will include focused panels, presentations and fireside chats on timely topics and trends. If you’re a marketer in the social or mobile app industry, you won’t want to miss our great lineup of expert speakers.

Marketing session highlight: The Social Apps for Marketers and Brands: Maximizing Audience Engagement panel will explore how marketers can reach customers and increase conversions using social apps. Panelist include:

• David Berkowitz, Vice President of Emerging Media, 360i
• Maya Grinberg, Chief Evangelist, Wildfire
• Jon Siegal, Founder and CEO, Fan Appz
• Roland Smart, Vice President of Social Marketing, Oracle
• Jeremy Toeman, CEO, Dijit Media

Check out the agenda to see the full lineup of sessions.

ISA is just 6 weeks away! Register now for the event and save $200 on a conference pass or $300 on a combo pass for access to ISA and the AllFacebook Marketing Conference on December 4-5. We hope to see you there.

Facebook stock sees post-earnings surge – Following the company’s third quarter earnings call on Tuesday, Facebook experienced its largest single-day leap in stock price since the company went public in May of this year. Shares went as high as $24 on Wednesday after the company reported better Q3 numbers than expected. The stock closed at $21.94 this week, up 14 percent for the week. Shares had been mostly below $20 since Oct. 10. The stock is expected to continue to fluctuate, especially with major lock-ups ending next month and putting more than 1.2 billion in employee restricted stock units on the market.

COO Sheryl Sandberg, VP of Marketing David Fischer, VP of Engineering Mike Schroepfer, CFO David Ebersman, Chief Accounting Officer David Spillane and General Counsel Ted Ullyot all had RSUs vest this week, however, Facebook will withhold about 45 percent of those shares and pay the tax on them, preventing executives from having to pay the taxes themselves while helping to protect the stock price.

Facebook, Mozilla team up to make Firefox more social - Mozilla released Facebook Messenger for Firefox this week as part of the beta version of its new Social API. The company worked with Facebook to create a Firefox sidebar that allows users to share content and check Facebook notifications without leaving the site they’re on. The Social API enables other social networking services to integrate with the browser and create more social experiences for users.

Salesforce reportedly laying off Radian6 staff - Cloud account management giant Salesforce is cutting staff from its social media listening service Radian6, according to TechVibes. A Salesforce rep confirmed that the company was undergoing some restructuring following both Radian6′s May 2011 acquisition and the acquisition of Buddy Media this past June.

Eventbrite study shows Facebook generates the most revenue for planners - Facebook drives more event ticket sales than other social networks, according to a new study by virtual ticket sender Eventbrite. Eventbrite found that each event posted on Facebook on average gives the organizer an additional $4.15 in revenue. By comparison, Twitter links generate an average $1.85 additional revenue per event, and LinkedIn generates only $0.92 per event.

Some Facebook users are seeing a new “Upcoming Concerts” story in their feeds. The feature seems to suggest nearby music events based on a user’s interests, listening activity and friend connections.

It is unclear whether Facebook is testing other recommended event stories or if this is limited to music for now. Either way, this is another example of how Facebook can leverage data beyond the social graph, and help people discover things based on their interests and location. As users Like more pages, add location to their posts and use new Open Graph applications, Facebook can provide interesting and relevant recommendations for a number of categories.

Nearly a year ago Facebook began testing “Suggested Events,” a list of recommendations based on pages users Like, places they’ve been and actions they’ve taken in Open Graph apps. When the company redesigned the events product this summer, suggested events began appearing directly on users’ calendars rather than on a separate page accessed through a sub-navigation menu. Even still, users don’t typically visit their events page every day so they might not discover these options. As long as the recommendations are relevant, users may welcome seeing suggested events in News Feed.

Besides the new upcoming concerts feature in the feed, Facebook has other music discovery features. The music dashboard launched last year at f8 lets users know what songs and artists are popular among their friends. Recently, it also began highlighting music that is similar to other artists users have listened to.

Thanks to Tom Waddington for the tip and the screenshot of Upcoming Concerts.

Are you new to social marketing and want to learn how to drive sales and engagement through social media channels? Then join us for our online Social Media Boot Camp, happening October 18-December 13. This 8-week e-seminar consists of keynote webcasts, how-to sessions, and small group discussions designed to help you formulate a successful social media strategy for your business.

Our all-star lineup of speakers includes Amy Porterfield, author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies and Brian Carter, author of LinkedIn for Business. You can peruse the full agenda on the event website.

Register today for this great event and start building your social media audience and increasing conversions this fall.