What is the Outlook for Our Favorite Social Media Platforms Going Into 2023

We’re nearing the end of yet another year, and what a chaotic 12 months it’s been for the major social networks. Meta (Facebook/Instagram) continued its gradual decline, TikTok continues to rise, and Twitter is right now in the midst of a chaotic management shift, which could basically see anything happen at the app.

We are going to review our thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat and Tik Tok as we are going into 2023. - Facebook: Could be in for a comeback in 2023. - Twitter: Who knows but it may be the most interesting - Instagram: See Facebook but continues to eat away at Snapchat - LinkedIn: Finally discovers Video/Streaming - TikTok: Gets more serious in the business world. Banned? - Pinterest: Continues to be under the radar. Needs new tools - Snapchat: Still king with the kids

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#socialmedia #predictions #2023

Check out our video - AIMC Marketing Tip - What is the Outlook for Our Favorite Social Media Platforms?

Why is Twitter Better Than Facebook for Business?

With the recent purchase of Twitter by Elon Musk, there is a renewed interested in the platform. Some people even claim Twitter is a better social media platform than Facebook.

Why is Twitter Better Than Facebook for Business?

One of the biggest advantages Twitter has over Facebook is the availability of numerous tools to analyze brand performance. There are many tools which brands can use without investing too much money. A large number of options are available free of cost, while the more premium ones entail a small fee. What are some of the other advantages of Twitter: - Analytics and Monitoring Brands - Customer Service Support - Viral Content - Trending Topics - Focused Communications - Tweets are Short - Real Time Search - Market Research

Check out our video for some details why Twitter has advantages over Facebook when it comes to marketing your business.

AIMC Marketing Tip - Top 5 Social Media Platforms for Video

Today we are going to talk about the Top 5 Social Media Platforms for Video. You will be surprised what they are. By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic — 15 times higher than it was in 2017. More and more of this traffic is coming from social video platforms, where video continues to evolve as a storytelling medium for brands and publishers, friends and family Videos are 12x more likely to extend reach and go viral versus the typical post w/ text and even pictures. It is a great way to promote your brand, your product or service. Here is a great blog on social media video - https://www.vidyard.com/blog/social-m...​ Contact us if you need any help at http://www.aimcbizsolutions.com

"Why You Need to Stop Just Going Through Your Social Media Newsfeed, You...

"Why You Need to Stop Just Going Through Your Social Media Newsfeed, You Need to Engage! Why Engaging Helps Your Personal Brand"

We are all guilty of it. We pick up our phone and start swiping through the News Feed on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter but never engage with our connections. The whole idea of social media is to be "social". So it is important to Like, Comment and Share a Post that you like. The more you provide comments and share content, the higher your social influence iand personal brand is.

Please like, comment and share this video with your connections!

Also like and share our Facebook Page for AIMC Business Solutions at http://www.facebook.com/aimcbizsolutions as well as our LinkedIn Company Page at https://www.linkedin.com/company/aimc-business-solutions/.

#socialmedia #influencer #personalbrand

#share #like #comment

The Day Facebook Went Down - So What Can You Do?

Today was not a good day for Facebook and Instagram.   Its nearly two billion users day-to-day operation of posting, engaging and enraging came to a halt due to the multiple technical issues with the Facebook and Instagram platforms.  There was specific issues with slowness, posting links and some cases, simply logging in.   Considering how much much Facebook has invested in high availability and software, this is a big one.  It is amazing how consumed we are all are with social media, you would think we lost electricity or survival food.  This can't happen.   So what did we do back in 1995?

Anyway, since my business revolves around social media whether it is working with my clients, or interacting with my connections promoting my networking events or products and services, I started to think about the world outside of Facebook, and realized that there are other social media platforms that are pretty cool, very effective and contain much less drama.

So I pulled out my smartphone and started to go through my applications and I found some pretty cool social media alternatives to Facebook.   So here we go. 

Shapr - Yes, this is a new one which is sort of a dating meets professional networking application.   I have met some successful professionals on this site and it does a good job matching you with people you like to meet and do business with.  The key is when you make a connection, is to follow-up and take the next step.   If there is not an immediate need, I request to connect this person on Linkedin for future potential.

Which brings me to Linkedin, the ultimate professional network.   Linkedin is my favorite social media platform and it is truly the place to inspire, educate and engage with professionals.  When Facebook is down and you want to get serious, Linkedin is a great alternative.  You feel like you just listened to a great educational podcast versus some mindset drama on the entertainment channel on Sirrus.  I also recommend using Linkedin to prospect and connect and to share your knowledge and offering value to your connections.

Before Facebook, there was Twitter.  Before Facebook Live and Instagram Stories, there was Periscope, the first true live platform.  Twitter is more real time and you feel closer to your celebrity connections on this platform.   Twitter does not get the credit it deserves because it is still text based versus visual, although that has changed a lot in the past year.  I recommend spending some time on this platform and updating your profile and study what is trending.   Twitter is really enjoying days like today with all the Facebook problems, claiming to its billion users, that is it still here.

Another Social Media Platform that has held its ground is Pinterest, you known the Pin Board.  Pinterest is also a serious platform with lots of great options for education, shopping and visual delight.  I always recommend Pinterest for any business that is selling visual products such as real estate, clothes, food and jewelry to name a few.    Once you are on Pinterest, you realize that you can spend hours on the site and feel like you didn't waste any time feeding through the drama.   I really pin pictures on Pinterest and realized that I now have over 250k visits to my profile a month! 

Finally, I would mention Google+, but that went out of business on February 28th, so I will mention Google's Social Media Site, YouTube.   YouTube is another addictive platform and there could be some drama depending on what you are searching for.  It is an amazing platform for learning and also to share your expertise.   You Tube videos are not as viral for the standard user as Facebook Live videos are, but it is great platform for promoting your brand.   YouTube is still the most important platform for promoting music.   Check out how many views of that Despacito video and you know this site has some power.

So I hope Facebook can figure out its problems today and put everyone at ease that the world is all good.   But always remember, there is always an alternative out there.   I bet the millennials are thinking, what the heck did the old people do before Facebook?   It is same thought we had before electricity was invented.

The Obsession, The Smartphone - How Businesses Can Take Advantage of Them

As I was driving into downtown Boston getting through yet another epic traffic jam, I couldn't help but look around at my fellow drivers and why periodically some end up drifting into another lane.  My betting money was they were not looking for their blinker, but instead they were heads down looking at their phone, checking out what is going on in their Instagram feed or responding to some worthless email.  I actually believe it is because of the smartphone obsession while driving and Uber, that traffic is worst than ever in Boston.

After an hour long commute to go 20 miles, I finally got to my office and decide to take a quick walk to Starbucks to get some caffeine.  On my way, it was like playing Frogger trying to walk around all the people not paying attention to where they were going, but instead  were looking down to their smartphone, hoping to get that last Facebook post in before they get to their destination.   Ugh!!

And it doesn't stop there.   On my way back to the office, I went by a bus stop and no word of a lie, every single person was looking down on their phone and there was no offline conversations going on.  Gee, have we forgot to smile and say hi to the person next to you?

I can go on on here including the time a young girl walked right into a bus, phone goes flying and her nose goes right into the side of the bus.    But heck, let's be realistic and positive here, we are in an online world.  The concept of conversation is Whats Up App, Facebook Messenger or tweeting more than the local bird sanctuary.   I actually saw someone freak out when they saw that rare pay phone at the train station. 

The old saying when something bothers you is if you can beat it, join it.  Yes, smartphones are a pain in the you know what, but there is a lot of ways for small businesses to take advantage of everyone's obsession.  Let's touch on a few quick concepts to turn the smartphone obsession to transactions for your business.

First, of course, is your website responsive?  Responsive websites are built to adjust to any device, whether is a computer, tablet or smartphone.   Since roughly 60% of all websites are accessed through a smartphone now and it is only going to get bigger, the time is now to make sure your website is built for the smartphone.

Do you use texting to communicate with your customers?  For example, can a customer have the capability to text an order to your company, for example a restaurant?  This is another fast growing concept, since the days of dialing toll free numbers and going through an endless menu of options is not the most convenient way to connect to customers.  They will likely hang up and pick up their smartphone and connect to your competitor.

Does your company have a mobile application to make it easy for your customers to collaborate with your company and conduct all business with you?  Think about a company like CVS or Open Table where via their application, you can do everything from ordering your prescriptions to reserving a table of 4 for dinner at your favorite restaurant.   If you have an application for your business, you are taking advantage of the smartphone obsession.

How prevalent are you on the social media channels?  How often does your company tweet or post on LinkedIn or Facebook?  Considering just about everyone has a smartphone and has all of the social applications on their phone, the sky is the limit in terms of who you can reach via the social channels.   If your company's post goes viral, it can reach millions of smartphone users!

So there you have it... does your business have a responsive website, or a texting capability to reach customers, are you active on social media or do you have your own mobile application.  If you are doing all this, chances are the obsessed smartphone user will be fully engaged and maybe become obsessed with your business.   That is powerful since they may refer business to you to their connections, via a text or a tweet.

Top Ten Reasons Social Media Is Driving Us Crazy and Making Us Want The Old Days Back

You have all experienced it.   You are plowing through your Facebook News Feed and after about 35 negative posts about Trump and how much people hate him, you get to that post that hits you like a brick.  You know, the one with the tagged picture of you looking cross-eyed after a few too many cocktails.   You want to kill your dear Facebook friend, but heck, things can be worse right?

Social Media and smart phones are an epidemic.  I was walking through the streets of Boston today,  you can feel the magnet of wireless connectivity from all of the people glued to their phones posting an Instagram Story, commenting about their hair or even better tweeting about Donnie boy.   It honestly drives me crazy and makes me yearn for the good ol' days of wall phones, cassette tapes and people that talk to you and say hi walking down the street.

So I came up with the Top Ten Reasons Why Social Media is Driving Us All Crazy with some throwbacks to the old days.  Enjoy :)

10.   Everyone thinks they need to practice the First Amendment and then troll anyone that has a different opinion.    You know this never happened in 1995 right?

9.  You know that old crush from high school is trolling through all of your pictures now and using your picture as their screensaver.   Now that is a creepy thought.   Back in 1995, you just had a pin board in your room.  Now it is all online.  Creepy.

8. People need to post their "check-in" to the gym, the hairdresser, the bar, their work, their house, their garage, even their bathroom.   Honestly, who cares where you are right now.   You are asking to get stalked.

7. Trump.   That frigging orange face is all over the place.     He finally is in first place and on the first page of Google because he is trending on social media every flipping day.

6. Traffic in major cities is worst than ever.  Why? Because everyone is multi-tasking texting and posting on social media when they should be looking ahead and driving.   Wanna solve the traffic issue?   Everyone, put their phones down.   Back in 1995, the issue was reading the newspaper and shaving while driving.

5. Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin, SMS... UGH!!!!  Where else can I post about something useless today?   I can't keep up with all of these social media apps on my phone.  Remember in 1995, when we just had a beeper and it beeped when someone was trying to contact us?

4.  Social Media is now a Sales Funnel for that great new business you started.  Honestly, people could care less you found this great little organic grain drink that gives you energy and makes your skin glow like a full moon.   This  drives a lot of people crazy and has caused a lot of blocking of friends.    Back in 1995, you simply sold lemonade on the side of the street.

3.  People get so emotional on Social Media.    See #10.   Honestly, people need to chill out and not take things so seriously.   Who cares if someone posted that you have a wart on the side of your ear or they hate the city you live in?    Relax and remember, "Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, But Words Will Never Hurt Me".   Move on.

2. Oh, great now they have live video on most Social Media platforms.  Nice, now some chick is going to post of video of her brushing her hair for twenty minutes.   That is sure to drive some people crazy.

1.  Always remember, everything you post cannot be deleted so if you screw up, it will be with you forever.   That is sure to drive you crazy.   Nothing like the old days when you can simply burn or shred that bad note.

Why it is Not Good to Go Cheap on Your Website for Your Business.

I have had my own IT, Digital Marketing/Website Solution business for a few years now and have met thousands of people through my extensive networking in Greater Boston.   About 75% of the people I meet either have their own main business, a side (part-time) business or are in sales and marketing.   About 50% of those people have their own website or are working on their own website.

A website is the focal point of your business.  Not the Facebook page, Pinterest page, your website is the main source of revenue, interaction with clients/customers and where people land to learn about what you do.   The first page of your website is the most important page.  It is also the page where you would want the connections to take action whether it is to sign up for a webinar, purchase a product or service or simply contact you.   Your website should be hosted on a secure platform that allows you to change the content as much as you want.   The buzz word is content and without changing it, you will never get on that first page of Google.   Your website should also be on a platform that allows you to grow your business to meet your financial and customer goals.  Finally, your website should have the capabilities to be able to reach out to potential clients in a professional manner.   Think email marketing or outbound marketing.

So why do the majority of business owners go cheap on their website?  When I meet professionals at events, the typical answer on who is building their website is that they are either doing it themselves, having an intern or their cousin build it and hosting it under their desk in their living room or for heavens sake, they got sold one of those expensive SEO/Website packages from some large company that could care less about their business.  In all respects, your business website is the most important marketing investment you are going to make, so why not spend your marketing dollars wisely and build a great website that your connections will remember you for?    In today's world is all about being online, even if your business has a brick and mortar presence. 

Finally, when you are in business, get your website up and running as quickly as possible, build it with the take action on the first page, and don't look for that free labor or make it your side project.  What will happen is that potential clients will not take your business seriously and then you may be out of business.