Category: Social Media

More than half of the world’s population has a presence on social media, with that percentage topping out at more than 80 percent in North America alone. With that said, social media plays a big role in our lives, and that includes our professional lives. Social media can be a hindrance to your job search, but it can also be a major help. Here are five tips for utilizing social media platforms to reach employers or prospective clients.

Keep a Clean Profile

Many of us know that LinkedIn is the go-to website for those who are looking for jobs or want to establish networking connections, and people take it very seriously. While you could have all of the experience in the world, it’s probably not going to get noticed unless you’re allowing yourself to stand out via your profile. With that said, tidy up your profile on LinkedIn, showing off your list of accomplishments, skills, and job history.

This will allow any recruiters or clients to see your work without you even needing to send them a resume. Think of your LinkedIn profile as your CV that’s open for others to see. Even if you don’t have deep experience, you can still show off some of the skills you’ve acquired over the years. As for other social media platforms, try to keep things professional. A good rule of thumb is, “If I wouldn’t post it on LinkedIn, I shouldn’t post it on (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).”

Get Engaged

When we say get engaged, we don’t mean that you have to start wedding planning, you just have to start taking part in online conversations. Sites like LinkedIn will have plenty of opportunities for you to discuss job-related topics on other posts while also creating your own that can be seen throughout your network or even to the general public. Getting involved in these discussions is a great way to get your name out there, and they can act like pre-interview questions for recruiters.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should start getting into arguments with strangers online as you might on Reddit. If you’re able to have a discussion where you keep it professional even while disagreeing with someone on a topic, that is going to be a good look for the way you present yourself online, which tends to translate in person. Look for more active discussions, too, as that will bring more eyeballs to your profile.

Avoid Desperation 

When the money is getting tight and you haven’t gotten any bites back from the applications and resumes that you’ve already sent out, it can be easy (and perfectly natural) to go into desperation mode. When this happens, you’re likely to see a lot of people post on social media about how they need a job right now and are practically begging for anyone to hire them. While it can get a lot of attention, it might not be the attention that they want.

The more that you engage with recruiters and other posters online is a great way to get your name out there, but you don’t want to comment something like “Hello hire me” every time that your dream company posts a status update. There are many ways to get attention on social media, but employers tend to look down on those who frequently ask for the job when they probably don’t have the right qualifications.

Follow the Trends

Every social media platform out there is going to have a section where you can see what’s trending and why. The best way that you can get eyes on your profile and establish a presence that will get the attention of potential employers is by following these trends. Businesses always want to know what’s trending, too, and social media teams are frequently scouring the latest hashtags and searches so they can get engaged.

Whenever you post a new update, try to include a trending hashtag, but make sure to do it tastefully. You’ll want to avoid using a hashtag that’s blatantly criticizing a particular company because that could get you landed on a recruiting blacklist. Also, try to stick to hashtags that are relevant as companies don’t really need to know your opinion about the latest single release or celebrity breakup.

Delete What’s Not Used

Have you gotten to the point in your life where the only social media platform that you’re using on a daily basis is LinkedIn? If that’s the case, there are a couple of options that you should consider. The first option is to make all of the other social media profiles that you have private that way potential employers can’t go through your entire history. This is the method that most use when they want to hang on to their Facebook or Twitter accounts “just in case.”

The other method, of course, is to wipe those profiles from the internet completely. If you haven’t touched your Facebook profile in years and the most recent picture is of you at a college party looking a little “under the weather,” then it might be time to delete the profile. While having just a LinkedIn profile doesn’t tell your complete story, it tells the one that you want employers to see.

In the world of technology and entrepreneurship, few names are as synonymous with success as Mark Zuckerberg. As the co-founder of Facebook, Zuckerberg’s journey from a Harvard dorm room to becoming one of the world’s youngest billionaires has captured the imagination of aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide. Understanding the secrets behind his meteoric rise not only provides inspiration but also offers valuable insights for individuals striving for their own success. Today, we delve into the key factors that propelled Mark Zuckerberg to fame, exploring the lessons and wisdom that can benefit aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators.

Early Life and Education:

Mark Zuckerberg’s story begins with his upbringing and early experiences. From a young age, he displayed a keen interest in programming, which eventually led him to Harvard University. It was during his time at Harvard that the seeds of Facebook were sown. Zuckerberg’s passion for coding and his ability to identify opportunities laid the foundation for his future success.

The Creation of Facebook:

The genesis of Facebook marked a turning point in Zuckerberg’s life. Recognizing the need for a digital platform that connected people and facilitated social interactions, Zuckerberg, along with his co-founders, set out to create the world’s largest social networking platform. However, the journey was not without its challenges. Zuckerberg faced technical obstacles, legal battles, and intense competition. But his unwavering determination and belief in his vision propelled Facebook to unprecedented success.

Key Factors Contributing to Mark Zuckerberg’s Success:

Several key factors played a crucial role in Mark Zuckerberg’s remarkable journey. First and foremost was his vision and innovation. Zuckerberg identified a gap in the market and consistently evolved and adapted Facebook to meet the changing needs of its users. His technical expertise and coding prowess were also instrumental. Zuckerberg’s hands-on involvement in Facebook’s development ensured the platform’s technical excellence.

Moreover, an entrepreneurial mindset and a willingness to take risks set Zuckerberg apart. He fearlessly pursued his vision, taking bold steps and overcoming obstacles and setbacks along the way. Additionally, his leadership and management abilities were vital in building a strong team, making effective decisions, and strategically planning Facebook’s growth.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Personal Characteristics:

Beyond the external factors, certain personal characteristics contributed to Mark Zuckerberg’s success. His determination and perseverance were evident throughout his journey. Zuckerberg’s long-term commitment to Facebook’s success, even in the face of legal and ethical challenges, showcased his resilience.

Focus and drive were other defining traits. Zuckerberg relentlessly pursued his goals, staying focused on the bigger picture while navigating through distractions. Furthermore, he was not afraid to learn from his mistakes. Zuckerberg responded to criticism and feedback, continuously improving both as a leader and as a person.

Impact of Mark Zuckerberg’s Success:

The impact of Mark Zuckerberg’s success extends far beyond his personal achievements. Facebook revolutionized the world of social media and technology, connecting billions of people worldwide. Furthermore, Zuckerberg’s philanthropic efforts, such as the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, have focused on addressing pressing global issues, inspiring others to use their success for positive change. His journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators, showcasing the transformative power of passion, determination, and strategic thinking.

Criticism and Controversies:

No success story is without its share of controversies, and Mark Zuckerberg’s journey is no exception. Facebook has faced scrutiny over privacy concerns and data breaches. Allegations of monopolistic practices have also shadowed the company. Addressing these criticisms highlights the importance of ethical considerations and responsible business practices in the pursuit of success.

Lessons from Mark Zuckerberg’s Journey:

Mark Zuckerberg’s journey offers valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs. Firstly, persistence and resilience are vital in the face of challenges. The path to success is rarely smooth, but by persevering and adapting, individuals can overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. Secondly, technical expertise and continuous learning are crucial. Zuckerberg’s commitment to mastering his craft and staying up-to-date with industry trends contributed to his success.

Balancing innovation with ethical considerations is another critical lesson from Zuckerberg’s journey. By placing a strong emphasis on user privacy and data protection, entrepreneurs can build trust and long-lasting relationships with their customers. Lastly, embracing leadership and effective management practices is essential for scaling a business and nurturing a talented team.

Algorithms are an integral part of our daily lives, shaping the way we interact with the world around us. They power everything from search engines to social media, e-commerce, and healthcare. While algorithms have made our lives easier and more efficient, they have also raised concerns about bias, privacy, and ethical considerations. Today we will explore the role of algorithms in our everyday lives and how they impact us.

Search engines are perhaps the most widely used application of algorithms. Whether we are looking for a restaurant recommendation, a news article, or a tutorial video, search engines are our go-to source of information. But have you ever wondered how search engines work? The answer lies in their algorithms. Search engines use algorithms to analyze the vast amounts of data on the internet and present the most relevant results to us. They take into account factors such as the user’s location, search history, and the popularity of the content. Search engine algorithms have revolutionized the way we access information and have made knowledge more accessible than ever before.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have also become an integral part of our lives. Social media algorithms analyze our behavior on the platform to show us content that is likely to keep us engaged. They take into account factors such as our interests, search history, and the popularity of the content. Social media algorithms have a profound impact on our lives, from the way we consume news to the products we buy.

E-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay also use algorithms to personalize the shopping experience for their users. These algorithms analyze the user’s purchase history, browsing behavior, and search history to recommend products that they are likely to buy. E-commerce algorithms have made shopping more convenient than ever before, but they have also raised concerns about privacy and the use of personal data.

Healthcare is another area where algorithms are playing an increasingly important role. Healthcare algorithms analyze patient data to identify patterns and make predictions about their health. For example, algorithms can predict the likelihood of a patient developing a certain disease based on their medical history and genetic data. Healthcare algorithms have the potential to revolutionize the way we diagnose and treat diseases, but they also raise concerns about the accuracy of the predictions and the privacy of the patient data.

One of the biggest concerns surrounding algorithms is the issue of bias. Algorithms are only as good as the data they are trained on, and if the data is biased, the algorithms will be biased as well. For example, facial recognition algorithms have been found to be less accurate in identifying people of color, as they were trained on data that was predominantly white. This bias can have serious consequences, from wrongful arrests to discrimination in hiring.

Another concern is the ethical considerations surrounding the development and use of algorithms. Algorithms have the power to influence our behavior and decisions, and it is important that they are developed and used responsibly. There have been instances where algorithms have been used to spread fake news, manipulate elections, and even facilitate genocide. It is therefore important that algorithms are developed and used in a way that promotes the public good and does not harm individuals or communities.

Steps are being taken to address the issue of bias and ethics in algorithm development and use. For example, companies are hiring more diverse teams of data scientists to ensure that the data used to train algorithms is not biased. There are also calls for increased regulation and transparency in algorithm development and use.

In conclusion, algorithms have become an integral part of our everyday lives, shaping the way we interact with the world around us. While algorithms have made our lives easier and more efficient, they have also raised concerns about bias, privacy, and ethical considerations. It is important that we are aware of the role of algorithms in our lives and that we use and develop them responsibly. This means ensuring that the data used to train algorithms is not biased, that algorithms are developed and used in a way that promotes the public good, and that individuals and communities are not harmed.

Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. It is not just a platform for personal communication and entertainment, but also a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target audience. Social media integration can help businesses expand their reach and engage with customers in new and exciting ways.

What is social media integration?

Social media integration refers to the process of connecting your business’s social media accounts with other marketing channels such as your website, email marketing campaigns, and mobile applications. This helps you reach a wider audience and enables your customers to interact with your brand across multiple platforms.

Benefits of social media integration

1. Increased visibility

Integrating social media into your marketing strategy can increase the visibility of your brand. By sharing content across multiple platforms, you can reach a larger audience and increase brand awareness.

2. Improved engagement

Social media integration allows you to engage with your customers on a more personal level. You can respond to comments and messages, share user-generated content, and create interactive campaigns that encourage customers to participate in discussions about your brand.

3. Better customer insights

Social media provides valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. By integrating social media data into your analytics tools, you can gain deeper insights into customer behavior that will help you refine your marketing strategy.

4. Cost-effective marketing

Social media is one of the most cost-effective forms of marketing available today. Integrating it into your overall marketing strategy can help you save money while still reaching a wide audience.

Tips for successful social media integration

Here are some tips for successfully integrating social media into your marketing strategy:

1. Choose the right platforms: Focus on the platforms where your target audience is most active.
2. Consistency: Ensure consistency in branding across all social channels.
3. Share relevant content: Share content that is relevant to both your business and the interests of your followers.
4. Engage with followers: Respond promptly to comments or messages from followers.
5. Measure results: Use analytics tools to measure the impact of social media on traffic, engagement, and sales.

In conclusion, integrating social media into your overall marketing strategy can help you reach a wider audience, improve engagement with customers, gain valuable insights into customer behavior, and save money on marketing costs. By following these tips for successful integration, businesses can maximize the benefits of this powerful tool for expanding their reach and growing their brand online!

It can be hard to have one of the most viral posts in Twitter history as you have to already have a large following while also saying something that catches the attention of even the most casual of Twitter users. There have been a handful of tweets that have garnered millions of likes, with some standing out well above the rest. In fact, the most liked tweet has more than 2 million likes above any other. Here are the five that went viral and got the most attention.

Joe Biden Becomes President

The 2020 Presidential election was one of the most contentious ones that the United States has ever seen. Donald Trump had been running for re-election, but ultimately lost out to former US Vice President Joe Biden. That didn’t stop Trump and his supporters from claiming that the election results weren’t valid, which led to both sides becoming even more heated toward one another.

Despite all of the lawsuits and court hearings, Biden’s win was declared legitimate and he was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021. Biden had his first tweet as President that day, simply tweeting “It’s a new day in America.” Millions of people liked the tweet over the course of the day, and despite being in the first three weeks of 2021, became the most viral tweet of the year.

Greta Thunberg Claps Back

Nobody has been a bigger lightning rod on social media than Andrew Tate. Tate has had a lot of controversial opinions, especially when it comes to relationships with women. Tate has even tweeted out at other notable people on social media, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Tate posted a photograph of himself fueling up his car, saying that he has 33 of them.

Tate then said in the tweet “Please provide your email address so I can send a complete list of my car collection and their respective enormous emissions.” Thunberg’s viral tweet responded to Tate by saying “yes, please do enlighten me. Email me at smalld***energy@getalife.com.” Tate attempted to create another response of his own but received less than 10 percent of the number of likes and gave away his location via a pizza box, leading to his arrest.

Barack Obama’s Response to Charlottesville

In August 2017, James Alex Fields Jr. caused havoc in Charlottesville, Virginia when he ran his car through a crowd of protesters. The protestors were standing against the Unite the Right rally, and it was found that Fields had neo-Nazi beliefs. There were dozens of people injured as he drove his Dodge Challenger through the crowd, ultimately taking the life of Heather Danielle Heyer.

Fields pleaded guilty to a hate crime act resulting in death and 28 counts of hate crime acts that carried an attempted murder charge. Barack Obama, who had left the White House as President just a few months prior, quotes Nelson Mandela on Twitter in a post that went viral. He started out by saying “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion,” garnering over 4 million likes on the social media platform.

Elon Musk Buys Twitter

2022 was perhaps the most interesting year for Twitter as there was a change at the top for the first time in the site’s history. Billionaire and oft-richest man in the world Elon Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion in one of the most talked-about acquisitions ever. Musk had been a regular on the platform and he only became more involved after he took over.

On April 27, 2022, shortly after the acquisition was announced, Musk said that he had another purchase in mind. “Next I’m buying Coca-Cola to put the cocaine back in,” Musk tweeted. Originally, the drug was part of the Coca-Cola formula, and Musk was clearly joking, but it did draw a lot of attention. Unfortunately for Musk, Coca-Cola would be nearly a $200 billion investment if he wanted it.

Chadwick Boseman’s Death

Chadwick Boseman had starred in many films throughout his career, but most know him for playing T’Challa (a.k.a The Black Panther) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Black Panther” was a monumental film and one of the highest-grossing movies in cinema history. For the final years of his life, Boseman was battling colon cancer, and only those who were closest to him knew.

That’s why so many people were blindsided on August 28, 2020, when his Twitter account announced his death, with his family making the post. “It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman,” the tweet read. “Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV.”

Instagram allows us to simply share a photo with a caption and it can be seen by millions of people around the world. It’s an extremely useful app for those that don’t want to read too much into backstories and simply enjoy photos for what they are. Over the history of Instagram, there have been several posts to garner tens of millions of likes, with these five going more viral than any other.

For this list, we wanted to make sure that we only got one Instagram post per user. The 2022 World Cup saw the top of the list get filled up by many posts from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, so we’re taking just the top one from each player.

Ariana Grande Gets Married

Singer Ariana Grande has had a ton of hits throughout her illustrious career including “7 Rings”, “Thank U, Next” and “Bang Bang”. The amount of success she was able to achieve before turning 30 was remarkable, though perhaps her best day came on May 15, 2021. It was on that day that Grande married real estate agent Dalton Gomez.

For Grande, it was the first time that she was in a relationship with someone who wasn’t a celebrity, so many people didn’t even know that she was getting married. Donning a Vera Wang dress, Grande posted an album of her wedding on Instagram and it became one of the most-liked posts in Instagram’s history.

The Last XXXTentacion Post

XXXTentacion got his music career off the ground in his early teenage years when he was releasing his tracks on Soundcloud. By the time he was in his late teens, he had developed a large following thanks to his song “Look at Me” from his debut album “17”. Born Jahseh Onfoy, XXXTentacion had a lot of personal problems, and sadly only lived to be 20 years old.

On May 19, 2018, XXXTentacion posted what would end up being his final photo on Instagram. The photo was simply of him shirtless and upside down with the caption “LOVE IS WAR”. Almost exactly one month later, XXXTentacion was murdered in broad daylight in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Many went back to his last post to like it as it became a piece of history.

Ronaldo’s Advertised Chess Match

We now get to the soccer portion of the list as Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated a good portion of the list of most-liked Instagram posts ever. Ronaldo’s most popular post of all time, though, is simply an advertisement that he posted in November 2022. The photo shows Ronaldo playing a game of chess on top of a Louis Vuitton case that resembles a chess board.

The caption makes it so that people are fooled and states that it’s an advertisement from a photoshoot. “Victory is a State of Mind,” Ronaldo said. “A long tradition of crafting trunks photographed by (Annie Leibovitz) for (Louis Vuitton).” What made it so popular is that it took two legends of the sport and put them together, with celebrities instantly calling it one of the most iconic pictures in sports history. 

The Egg

On January 4, 2019, a man named Chris Godfrey set out to have the most-liked post on Instagram and wanted things to be very simple. He posted a photo of an egg with a white background and nothing more. Godfrey named the account world_record_egg and it would be the account’s only post.

Godfrey succeeded in his mission as the egg became the most-liked post within weeks, destroying the previous record of 18 million. The caption said “Let’s set a world record together and get the most liked post on Instagram. Beating the current world record held by Kylie Jenner (18 million)! We got this.” Naturally, everyone wanted to be part of history and started liking the egg photo tens of millions of times over.

Messi Becomes the GOAT

We had already mentioned soccer legends and Lionel Messi, and now we get to both his top post and the top post in Instagram history. There had been one accomplishment that Messi was searching for in his illustrious career, and that was winning the World Cup for his native Argentina. Messi did just that with a huge game in the finals of the 2022 event.

Shortly after winning the title, Messi took to Instagram, posting an album of his team celebrating while he holds the prestigious trophy. When translated to English, the post reads “Champions of the world! So many times I dreamed it, so much I wanted it that I still don’t fall, I can’t believe it…Thank you so much to my family, to all who support me and also to all who believed in us.”

These days, people are becoming more and more exposed to disinformation across the internet. Disinformation is when you’re fed false facts through any form of media, and it usually pertains to propaganda, especially on a political scale. No social media site is able to fully avoid disinformation on the internet, and that even includes messaging apps like Whatsapp.

Some of the most common ways in which disinformation is shared come from when people that you know and typically trust intentionally misguide you so that you see things their way. If you feel like you’re being tricked into falling for fake news, there are some ways to avoid it. Here are five ways on how to dodge all of the disinformation that can come from Whatsapp groups.

Always Check Sources

Some of the biggest sources of disinformation are websites that have little to no legitimacy. If you see something that’s shared from a news site that has hundreds of journalists working and checking their sources, then there’s probably a lot of weight to that story that was shared with you. Some of the most reliable sources for news include the Associated Press, BBC, C-SPAN, and The Christian Science Monitor.

These are media outlets that mostly report facts without putting their own personal spin on things. Much of the disinformation that we see in today’s day and age will come from URLs that are operated by one or two people. Sites that have names like FreedomBeliefFigtherRebel.net or something along those lines that use buzzwords are often recently-created disinformation content mills.

Know Who You’re Talking To

There are always going to be people in our lives that we love dearly, but we know that they’re susceptible to falling victim to fake news. You should familiarize yourself with the people in your network and how often they’re sharing news stories from untrusted sources. If you’ve received seemingly countless messages like that from the same people, just pretend that those links were never sent.

Instead, try to steer the topic into something that’s completely different. You may also want to inform them that they’re spreading fake news and need to check their sources. Some people only find what they want to believe, so it can be like talking to a brick wall, but it’s worth it to let someone you love know that they’re being targeted with disinformation.

Look For Satire

You may have heard of the phrase “eating the Onion” when it comes to people who fall for satire that they believe is real news. This phrase comes from the satirical news outlet The Onion, which has had headlines including “New Zealand Prime Minister Resigns Citing Burnout” or “Election to Be Decided By Whoever Can Keep Hand on White House the Longest”.

There are more and more satirical websites that are popping up each day. Sites like The Babylon Bee, ClickHole, and Topeka News are all known for their humorous headlines that can often be taken too seriously. If you see someone sharing links to websites like this, let them know immediately that it’s just satire.

Take a Break

Social media will often bombard you with a lot of news headlines on a daily basis, and sometimes it’s just best to step away for a little while and live life while you can. People can easily become addicted to reading articles, many of which can be sensationalist and fake. Disconnecting from a Whatsapp group for a few days or even permanently can be good for your health.

While you should always be connected to what’s going on in the world so that you’re well-rounded and educated, ignorance is bliss when it comes to fake news. You don’t have to avoid the internet altogether, but sticking to trusted sources and avoiding certain groups can be great for you.

Look at the Headline

Any legitimate headline will be able to tell you exactly what you’re about to read without using sensational buzzwords. If you see a headline that’s something along the lines of “BUSTED! Joe Biden’s Hidden Secrets Revealed!” or “JAIL? Donald Trump On the Verge of Being Sentenced FOR LIFE!”, avoid them at all costs.

These types of headlines only exist to get you to click on them, and in many cases, try to pander to those who only want news that they want to believe is true. On the flipside, if you see a headline that’s something like “Department of Justice Investigates Donald Trump Over Classified Documents” then it’s likely going to be an article that contains mostly facts without personal opinions.

TikTok is one of those platforms where all of us wish that we would’ve gotten in on the ground floor because it exploded in popularity almost overnight and made stars out of those that were there first. Many of us are now left to play catch up and attempt to build a following, but that’s much easier said than done. There are millions of users on TikTok, so it can be hard to stand out in such a massive crowd.

If you’re dead set on finding TikTok fame but aren’t sure where to start, don’t worry. We’ve got some tips and tricks that are sure to get you plenty of viewers and even develop a new following on one of the world’s most popular apps. Here are five ways to make compelling TikTok videos that stand out.

Get Trendy

There’s no better way to get noticed on TikTok than to jump in on something that has just started trending. Check the hashtags that are starting to get traction on TikTok, and try to make a video when there aren’t too many videos just yet. There’s a bit of a parabola that happens for each trend as it comes out of nowhere, quickly reaches a peak, then fades into obscurity quickly.

If you’re able to stay on top of trends and get a video posted before that trend has hit its peak, you’re going to be getting a ton of shares and views. There will be plenty of opportunities every day to find a new trend, whether it’s a lip sync video, dance challenge or anything else in between.

Find a Gimmick

Almost all of the biggest names on TikTok have a certain gimmick that they stick to that helps them to stand out. Some of them interject themselves into other videos for comedic effect, some simply respond using only facial features to others’ content, and some have completely original ideas that have never been seen on the platform before.

At the end of the day, the people that have a formula and a gimmick are going to be the ones that are the most successful. Try to think about what it is that you’re best at, whether it’s dancing or being funny. There’s no doubt that people will keep coming back to your videos to see what you come up with next in that genre.

Get The Right Setup

Out of all of the TikTok accounts that end up getting a lot of followers, very few of them have grainy videos and poor lighting. If you’re serious about getting people to follow you on TikTok, you have to make sure that you’re spending money on a good setup. While it’s your personality that’s going to take you to the top, the professionalism of your videos will get you noticed.

With that in mind, you’ll want to invest in some good lighting more than anything. Make sure that you also have a phone that’s capable of recording high-definition video and audio. These key factors alone are more attractive to people that are scrolling through and only clicking on the thumbnails that look the most appealing.

Work on a Script

There are plenty of videos that are completely ad-libbed and the candidness can make them insanely hilarious. However, many of the videos that you see from some of the biggest names on TikTok are 100 percent scripted. It’s true, even the ones that tend to be “x reacts to y” are scripted far in advance.

While it takes away from some of the authenticity of what makes a TikTok fun, a script is what gets more views. Make sure that you’re coming up with something funny that people are going to want to watch, or some commentary that hits hard with people.

Keep It Short

Every once in a while, a TikTok video that’s several minutes in length will end up going viral, but most of the ones that get millions of views are only a few seconds, and hardly ever longer than 25-30 seconds. People don’t have a lot of time, and they want to watch a bunch of videos all in one sitting rather than a couple of long ones.

You can also mix it up a little bit on your profile. Not every video has to be short, but try to focus on those more often than the long ones. Once your following is large enough, it won’t matter how long your videos are as people will still want to watch them from beginning to end.

Whatsapp is one of the most used apps worldwide, with 2 billion active users each month. That’s an astonishing number as just a few years ago, that number was less than half. Because of the growth in popularity, we’re seeing more and more people join Whatsapp on a daily basis, with many of these users having no familiarity with how it works.

For new users, Whatsapp might be a little overwhelming, but thankfully it can be easy to master the app. If you’re one of the people that hasn’t yet joined Whatsapp but want to get in on the action, we have some tips on getting started. Follow these five things you need to know before you start using Whatsapp, and you’ll feel comfortable with the app in no time.

Setting Your Profile

The first thing that you’re going to want to know about Whatsapp is how to set up your profile. You can enter your phone number, and when you do, you can choose to have all of your contacts imported from your phone. This is the easiest way to make it so that you don’t have to go through and individually add every person that you know.

You can also import all of your contacts from Facebook to make things easier. This can also help you to set up your entire Whatsapp profile if you don’t feel like entering your details manually. If you do want to enter this info, though, you can do so by clicking the settings tab and changing your information in the ‘about’ section.

International Internet Importance

One of the things that people love about text messaging is that you can be just about anywhere and still get a message out. As long as you have cellular service, you don’t have to be on wifi to use Whatsapp, but it does help if you have a solid internet connection. Whatsapp has become popular as you can send texts on an international basis without being charged for international messages.

To take advantage of this and avoid the fees for texting overseas, make sure that you are connected to wifi before using Whatsapp. This will also help protect your messages better while also providing a more reliable delivery. Not all apps run better on wifi, but Whatsapp is certainly one of them that does.

Group Messages

Whatsapp became popular worldwide for a lot of reasons, with one of the most important being the ability to send group messages. This has helped keep families and groups of friends connected no matter where they are in the world. To get a group message started, simply head to the ‘broadcast lists’ tab on Whatsapp.

From there, you’ll be able to select which contacts you want to be involved with in your new group chat, and more than 250 people can be in one group. This isn’t just great for connecting with loved ones, but can also be a huge advantage for small businesses where you can send messages instantly and not worry about them not getting read like an email would.

Finding Old Messages

There will be times when someone mentioned something to you in a chat and you completely forgot what they said specifically. When this happens, many of us simply scroll up until we find the right message, but if there is a lot to sift through, it can be nearly impossible to find that exact message you were looking for.

Thankfully, Whatsapp has a feature that allows you to search through both group and individual messages to find what you were looking for. Click the contact info at the top of the screen within the chat and then on the ‘search’ button. From there, you can find keywords that were typed out in the chat, taking you to each message that contains those words.

Clearing Storage

Whatsapp is a great communication tool and allows for a lot of video and image sharing, but it can wreak havoc on your phone’s storage capacity. If you find that your storage space is getting a little bit low, you can sort through which chats are taking up the most and delete some of the images and videos that have been shared.

To do this, go to the ‘settings’ tab and then click on ‘storage and data.’ From there, you’ll be able to click ‘manage storage’ and choose the contact that you chat with the most. An option will pop up that allows you to delete all multimedia, clearing up a lot of valuable space on your phone.

Mastodon has emerged as one of the top Twitter alternatives, leaving many to wonder if it’s time to set up an account. The up-and-coming social media site was formed in 2016 but saw a massive user boost after Elon Musk took over Twitter. If you’re considering making the switch, it’s worth comparing the two sites first.

What is Mastodon?

Mastodon is a decentralized social media site broken up into servers operated by various entities. Each server has its own themes, rules, and moderators. Still, you can communicate with users from other servers as well as those on your server. This concept may sound complicated, but it’s easy to understand once you get your account up and running.

Mastodon vs. Twitter

Twitter is a social media and micro-blogging site owned by Elon Musk. It was previously publicly traded but has been a private company since October 27, 2022. On the other hand, Mastodon is decentralized, meaning it isn’t owned by a singular entity. According to Mastodon’s founder, Eugen Rochko, “The code is free, open-source software, and nobody can change the license or take it back retroactively, and all of the different servers are owned by other people.”

Mastodon’s decentralized approach makes it an attractive option for those who disagree with Twitter’s new direction. Twitter provides a more robust user base, meaning you’ll see more posts and get more engagement. Still, Mastodon’s growing user base already includes notable figures like George Takei, Neil Gaiman, and Stephen Fry.

Both sites let you follow others, write short posts, and like posts from other users. Additionally, both can be accessed on your web browser or via their smartphone apps.

Mastodon pros and cons

Pros

• Character limit: Mastodon posts are limited to 500 characters instead of the 280 you’re allowed on Twitter.
• Enhanced security: In April 2022, Mastodon tweeted, “We’ve been planning on adding end-to-end encrypted messages to the platform for a while now. It’s coming.” Although direct messages aren’t yet encrypted, the site gives you plenty of control over who can see your posts.
• Decentralization: The decentralized nature of Mastodon means large corporations can’t purchase it. Additionally, it makes it less likely that a single point of failure could shut the site down.

Cons

• Fewer users: As it stands, Mastodon has around 2 million active users, compared to about 206 million active Twitter users.
• Less user-friendly at first: Although the various servers become easier to understand over time, they can be intimidating when you first start.
• No monetization: This can be a good thing, but it may cause issues down the line. People and organizations are paying to operate the servers used to host Mastodon accounts, but they have no financial incentive to do so. Over time, we’ll see if Mastodon’s community-funded model works or if servers begin to shut down when people are tired of paying for them.

Is Mastodon better than Twitter?

Mastodon offers an exciting alternative to those who don’t support Twitter’s new direction. It’s better than Twitter in many ways, but ultimately, it boils down to your preferences. If you care more about decentralization and security, Mastodon is the site for you. On the other hand, Twitter is still the best choice if you want exposure to as much content as possible.