Facebook features

Events
Timeline
Social Plugins
Embed-in-Post
The Wall
Relationship Status
Messenger
The Like Button
News Feed
Photos

0. Events
Want to know who among your friends is celebrating a birthday? For those who want to
update their social life, Events is the feature for you. Without it, you would not know what
is going on with your friends.

9. Timeline
With the new Timeline feature, pictures, new friends, and other content are flowing
smoothly in a wider, double barrel river. Like most re-designs, Timeline was met with
mixed criticisms. But some people like it better than the old wall which was too cramped.

8. Social Plug-ins
Want to comment on an article that you read about Barrack Obama or Lebron James?
With Facebook social plug-ins, it is now possible to make a comment on various sites
such as the New York Times and Global Grind. All you have to do is log-in to your
Facebook account and your comment will be directly posted on the site where you made
the comment.

7. Embed-in-Post
This is where Facebook scores a major advantage over Twitter. When posting articles,
videos, and pictures on Facebook, the linked content is delivered right in the post. This
way, you do not have to make another click.

6. Turn off Push Notifications

With a little adjustment on the settings Tab of your Facebook app, you can easily switch
off push notifications. After all, you do not have to be always informed about what is going
on with your friends and what is keeping them busy. Anyway, it could be an invite to play
Candy Crush or Farmville.

5. Relationship Status
With this new feature, it would be much easier to determine whether the guy or girl you
met recently is single, engaged, married, or in an open relationship. All you have to do is
invite them to become your Facebook friend. Once confirmed, you can easily look at their
profile and check their relationship status.

4. Facebook Messenger
For some people, messages popping up once in a while can be annoying. However, it
turns out that others like the chat platform. Today, it is now one of the top 75 most
downloaded apps in the App Store.

3. The "Like" Button

Liked the picture or comment that your friend just posted? Well, it used to be that you
need to type words such as "Like," "Yeah," or "Yes" to approve of a comment. Now, you
just have to click on the Like button.

2. News Feed
This was one of the new updates that was met by protests from its opponents. Zuckerberg
responded calmly. Now, using Facebook will never be the same without the News Feed
in our walls.

1. Photos
Undoubtedly, this is the most popular feature of Facebook. Launched in October 2005,
Photos was the brainchild of Napster co-founder, Sean Parker, and was engineered by
Scott Marlette. Now, it is giving Instagram a run for its money.

Top Five New Facebook Features You Should

Know
Liza Brown
Jan 24,2019• Proven solutions

0
There is no doubt to say that Facebook is one of the most interactive social
media applications. And the great news is that developers keep on updating it
time to time with new set of features. Some of you may not be aware about
the changes that were made to Facebook platform but they are actually very
interesting and useful. No matter whether you are using Facebook for your
personal needs or it is an important business promotion platform for you; in
both cases you will be benefited with new features of Facebook. So, why not
to stay tuned to these latest trends and make most out of them to engage
your audience on social media.

The article below will provide you detailed information about five new
Facebook features that were added recently in 2018. Stay here on this page.

1. Facebook 360 :
Facebook 360 was launched on 8th March 2017. This app is powered by
Oculus and supported in Samsung Gear VR. With this latest technology, users
can share breathtaking 360 degree videos as well as stills on Facebook. Right
after its launch date, this feature has been accessed by millions of users and till
now one million 360 videos and 25 million 360 photos have been posted on
Facebook.

This type of videos can be shared and liked on Facebook same as other
regular videos. Users can easily find the trending content on Facebook, they
can save favourite media files, share videos and photos of followers or
manage their favourite collection on a separate tab.

If you want to download this recently updated Facebook 360 app for your
Gear VR then simply open Oculus app on your device and initiate search for
Facebook 360 app. You can also visit official site of Oculus to get started.

You may also like: How to Create and Post 360 Photo to Facebook

2. Messenger Day – The Snapchat Way:

This app was also launched in the month of March and surprisingly it
appeared like biggest competitor against Instagram Stories and Snapchat.
However, few features like stickers, filters and posts disappearing within 24
hours etc are also same as that of other competing platforms.

You can find Messenger Day feature directly in already existing Facebook
Messenger and it will help you to check people that are active for real time
chats. Reviews about Messenger Day reveal that this tool boosts thought
sharing on social media platform. Users can easily share about what they are
doing or what are their plans ahead. For example if you have having coffee at
your favourite restaurant and want to tell your friends about it then you simply
need to capture a selfie, put a sticker on it and simple transfer it to your friend.

One more interesting thing to know about this recent update to Facebook is
that it now contains so many interactive filters that users can easily apply to
their photos to impress the audience. If you are a biased Snapchat user then
this feature can help you to move to Facebook app soon.

3. Facebook Live:
Earlier, Facebook users were utilizing Facebook Live API to live stream on
Facebook from their smartphone or tablet. But now it is possible to start
broadcasting directly from your Laptop or Personal desktop computer using
Facebook Live Feature. Further, Admins can also tag others as Live
Contributors during streaming process on pages. You can also add comments
to live broadcasts which were not possible earlier. So it is right time to explore
the new Facebook Live feature on your device, you will easily find it on top of
the news feeds.

Related: How to invite people to create a split screen live streaming

4. Advertising Capabilities:
If you are a publisher or use Facebook for business promotions then here is
great news for you all. This recent update of Facebook has revolutionized your
advertising capabilities and now your brand can avail maximum exposure
within minimum time. Here are few interesting things that you can do now:
  Publishers can now use Audience Networks to upload their ads as well
as bids to Facebook so that their targeted audience can stay tuned to all
latest brand updates.
 It is now possible to merge ad breaks of about 25 seconds into live
videos. That’s really impressive.

How to make better Facebook video ads

5. Group Videos:
Last but not the least, Group video chat is the best solution to all crazy
messenger users who wants to stay connected with all their friends on the go.
The amazing news is that you can add about 50 users to one video group
chat. Further, it will also help you to put fun filters to keep your chats
interactive and full of laughter. In case if you find those Facebook chat heads
annoying on your device screen then you can now easily remove them from
profile settings. In simple words, Facebook has lots of things wrapped inside
its platform for you all; get ready to have the real fun.

1. Facebook Live Video (for all)

Comparable services: Periscope, Meerkat

Usage of these apps remains low, which may give Facebook Live Video an opportunity to
become the go-to live-streaming app rather quickly. No additional app is needed to use this
feature: the Live Video content prompt is located in the normal “Update Status” prompt in
the mobile app.

Introduced in August for public figures only (this service is called “Mentions“), Facebook has
started a small roll-out to US users, and just introduced the service to verified business
Pages (to learn how to verify a Page on Facebook, click here). Expect the service to expand
to more users in 2016 and for brands to begin experimenting with more live video content.

Multiple studies have concluded that video engagement is higher on Facebook than on any
other platform (including YouTube and Instagram), so this is something to pay attention to in
the coming months.
Take PR to the next level. Get our free “Video Streaming Best Practices for PR” white
paper today!

2. Facebook Professional Services

Comparable services: Yelp, Google reviews (aka Google My Business)

If you haven’t noticed, Facebook actively prompts you to review the places you’ve been. If
you check in at or tag a location, odds are Facebook will ask you to elaborate about your
experience…and (of course) this is purposeful.

Facebook wants to be a recommendation engine. Mark Zuckerberg alluded to this right

before he rolled out the first iteration of Google Search suggesting that a Facebook user
could search for a sushi restaurant and get inferred recommendations from their contacts.

Now it seems that the personalized recommendation may be generalized for a more Yelp-
like experience. Facebook Professional Services recently did a soft-launch and the resulting
product is currently more akin to Google reviews than to the robust reviewing community of
Yelp.

That said, the utility is evident and for my search (Indian Restaurants in the Cincinnati area),
there were more Facebook reviews than Yelp reviews (Yelp’s stock price decreased upon
announcement of this feature).

3. Facebook at Work
Comparable services: Yammer, Slack

Facebook at Work is Facebook’s (currently in beta) enterprise solution, and they have a
pretty compelling sales pitch: an enterprise social solution with functionality that most
people are familiar with.

For communication professionals, this means that in the near future you may perform
internal communication in a closed Facebook ecosystem.

PR firm Weber Shandwick is one of the pilot beta testers and their initial impressions are
that the Facebook at Work workflow isn’t as clearly delineated as it is with Yammer or
Slack, though ease-of-use and scaled collaboration are aspects that are identified as its
strengths.

Expect a lot of emphasis on Facebook at Work, as stockholders envision higher

profitably with a strong enterprise-level product.

Twitter is changing too. Learn how 8 new features will affect your brand’s strategy in
2016!
4. Improved Search
Comparable services: Google, Bing

When Facebook quietly dropped Bing as the search provider powering Facebook’s Internet
search, few people knew that Bing’s replacement would be Facebook itself.

In October, Facebook rolled out an improved search function opening up all public posts as
well as improved intelligence to inform personalized results.

For communication professionals, this means that public posts are more accessible to the
Facebook community and that Facebook search may become a greater driver of activity in
the future.

5. Uber/Lyft integration Through Facebook Messenger

Comparable services: Native apps for Uber/Lyft

integration with Lyft

While the communication implications of this additional feature are probably slight, it’s worth
noting that Facebook users may start using Messenger instead of the native apps to use
these services.

6. Facebook Shopping Tab

Comparable services: Google Shopping, (if scaled up) Amazon Marketplace

Back in July, Facebook added a “buy” button and allowed e-commerce partners to sell
products on Facebook through Shopify. Even though the results of social shopping were
disappointing for Facebook this year (as well as for Pinterest and Twitter), Facebook
appears poised to expand their e-commerce offerings in 2016.

Facebook has begun to roll out a shopping tab to a small number of users, with paid results
similar to Google’s shopping tab.

Communication professionals should be able to partner with marketers to leverage this

feature for increased sales when it is rolled out on a greater scale.

7. Instant Articles
Comparable services: Apple News, Snapchat

In May of this year, Facebook introduced Instant Articles for iOS, a feature that allows
publishers to have their content distributed and viewed directly within the Facebook app.
Just recently, Instant Articles was expanded to Android devices as well. A feature designed
to mimic Snapchat’s agile, unique content (provided through publishing partners), Instant
Articles can be viewed in nearly all mobile devices with great reach than Snapchat or the
similar Apple News app.

Along with Snapchat, Apple News and others, communication professionals need to
understand that content may be consumed entirely on a third-party platform. This could
have ramifications for measurement and monetization for branded content.

8. Events
The new Facebook Events allows you to do all of the following in a very user-friendly
environment:

 Browse invitations
 Accept/decline invitations (public and private)
 Bookmarks
 RSVPs
 Schedules
 Calendar entries
 Ticket buying
 Check-ins
 Photos

For communication professionals that coordinate a lot of events, Facebook Events may be
a straightforward and accessible way to manage them.

9. Non-profit crowdfunding
Utilizing the Facebook “donate” button and Facebook’s platform and distribution, nonprofits
may be able to fundraise more effectively on Facebook than with other crowdfunding sites.

Communication professionals working with nonprofits should be aware of Facebook’s

crowdfunding capabilities.

10. Music Stories

Comparable services: Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer

We’re introducing “Music Stories” today to enable better music discovery and
sharing on Facebook. The new post format allows people to listen to previews on
Facebook from Apple Music and Spotify. You can read more about it on
Facebook for Media: http://media.fb.com/blog

Mid-roll video advertisements

Facebook Live computer broadcasts
The Facebook Journalism Project
Messenger goes independent
News feed update
Discover People

Key Features of Facebook

Here are a few features that make Facebook so popular:

 Facebook allows you to maintain a friends list and choose privacy settings to
tailor who can see content on your profile.
 Facebook allows you to upload photos and maintain photo albums that can be
shared with your friends.
 Facebook supports interactive online chat and the ability to comment on your
friend's profile pages to keep in touch, share information or to say "hi."
 Facebook supports group pages, fan pages, and business pages that let
businesses use Facebook as a vehicle for social media marketing.
 Facebook's developer network delivers advanced functionality and monetization
options.
 You can stream video live using Facebook Live.
 Chat with Facebook friends and family members, or auto-display Facebook
pictures with the Facebook Portal device.

The Advantages of Facebook

Facebook for Networking
Facebook is arguably the most powerful social media and social networking site out
there. You can use Facebook to connect with your family, friends, work colleagues, and
you can even meet new people on Facebook.
Most people who know how to use a computer and internet have a profile on Facebook.
Moreover, it’s easy to find like-minded people by seeing their interests, and you can
easily connect with them using wall updates, private messages, and video chats.
Facebook for Dating

Facebook is also known for finding dates.

Indeed, with a social network powered by over 1 billion active users, it’s easy to find a
date that shares common interests and hobbies.
Finding dates in this way, much of the time you won’t get into incompatibility
issues. (Much of the time…)
One should be careful about fake Facebook profiles, though, as they are usually created
by stalkers or spammers.
(Perhaps this is a disadvantage, but Facebook is also becoming one of the major vehicles
for failed relationship and breakups.)
Facebook for Business

Facebook is one of the largest sites in the world where we are not only allowed, but
encouraged to connect with everyone.
Anyone can take advantage of Facebook to maintain a good relationship with others
who identify with certain tastes or products. This is very important because as a business,
you can sell or promote a product/service to a highly targeted audience, thus increasing
the possibilities of making money on the internet.
Facebook allows the establishment of partnerships between various projects. Moreover,
using a Facebook fan page, you can increase your brand value and social media
presence for your business. If used properly, Facebook can help you find new leads and
clients.
Facebook Video Chatting

Facebook can also be used as video chat tool.

Recently, Facebook implemented the Facebook video chat feature in partnership with
Skype. Now you can make video calls to your friends using Facebook’s inbuilt video chat
service.
Facebook for Image and Video Hosting

You can also use Facebook as a site to host images and videos. You can set privacy levels
for individual albums to control who can see what you share.
Moreover, you can always download your complete collection of Facebook photos and
videos using the Facebook backup account feature.
Facebook for News & Information

The real advantage of Facebook is that it’s a real-time social networking site. This makes
it one of the best sources to stay updated with the latest news and information. Major
news usually goes viral on Facebook, and most brands use it to announce important
things regarding their products/services.
Bloggers and internet marketers can subscribe to popular blog fan pages and keep
themselves aware of the latest updates. In fact, I have one profile just to gather news.
Facebook as a Personal Portfolio

Facebook’s Timeline gives a completely new look regarding your personal profile
branding.
With the Facebook Timeline cover, you are allowed create a dramatic first impression as
the cover pic will quickly tell people what you are all about.
Also, you can make certain updates public, and if done strategically, you can use it as
a portfolio. For example, if you want people to recognize you as a Facebook business
expert (provided you are one), you can set your privacy to Public for your most
commented and liked “Facebook for business tips, articles, and discussions”.
This way all your new profile visitors will see your expertise, and they will be connecting
with you because of your useful and targeted updates. This will also help you get more
subscribers and potential clients.

The Disadvantages of Facebook

Facebook Privacy

One of the major concerns and disadvantages of Facebook has to do with Facebook’s
privacy.
In the past, it has created a lot of buzz due to sudden changes, but now Facebook has
simplified its privacy settings.
Another thing to consider has to do with the availability of really personal information,
whether it’s in video, pictures, or text.
Here’s a good rule:

 Never give out too much personal information.

All throughout the internet, we should always keep in mind the privacy of our personal
data. After it’s placed online, we lose all control.

 How To Remove Yourself From Facebook Public Search

Private Status Published Publicly

Even though Facebook has simplified its privacy settings, many unknowing users still
end up publishing private images and status updates publicly.
Also, people usually keep their Facebook friends list visible to the public, and this helps
Facebook stalkers find more information about you.
Read our guide: How To Hide Facebook Friends List From Others.
Fake Facebook Profiles

Facebook is full of fake profiles.

There is no limit to these profiles. Most of them are created by stalkers or marketers
looking to gain more friends and use it for their marketing purposes.
There are many ways by which you can identify a fake Facebook profile. (We will cover
this in an upcoming article.)
Not Using Facebook List Feature

Many users still don’t use the Facebook list feature which is very helpful to keep your
status updates targeted to a specific group of friends (e.g college friends, office friends,
etc.)
I’m sure you don’t want to get fired from your job because of silly status updates about
how much your boss sucks.
If you are new to the Facebook list, read our guide: How To Use The Facebook List
Feature.
Time-consuming
Of all of Facebook’s disadvantages, I believe this is one of the major reasons why
people deactivate or delete their Facebook profile. Being one of the best ways to stay
updated about what your friends are doing, people spend too much time on this vast
social networking site.
Facebook offers many entertainment applications and games which engage users to a
great extent. Apart from that, Facebook chat and Facebook video chat are another two
time-consuming features.
If you want to use Facebook to your advantage, set yourself a time-limit. Spending too
much time on Facebook might make you a Facebook addict, and you might end up
wasting too much time.
Conclusion

Weighing the scales, where we put the advantages and disadvantages of Facebook, we
can conclude that, if Facebook is used in the right proportions, and with proper care, it
can be a powerful tool for marketing and networking.
In particular, any online or offline business can leverage the power of Facebook for
business success. It’s why Facebook has become, in a short time, one of the most widely
used marketing tools in today’s business world.

Advantage of Facebook ads

Let's start with what you can get best on placing Facebook ads.

1. Facebook Has A Lot Of Users

In your business, you need customers, and the people online are your potential
customers. Also, you are in need of good contacts that can help you to expand
more in your business. So placing ads is like presenting an advertisement to a huge
crowd. People are using it from all walks of life, from students to workers, young
and old. And it is a hassle-free way of handing them about your business. You are
just some clicks away from reaching millions of people.

2. Facebook Ads Are Cheaper And Longer

According to most of the internet marketers, these ads are much cheaper than other
advertisement services online. And not just cheaper, but offers longer placement
for text which can help a lot in introducing your business to your potential
consumers.

3. The Advantage Of Newsfeed And Friends'

Activity
Facebook is a social media platform designed like a chill-out lounge of people.
Yes, you can know and watch most of your friends' activity with the help of the
newsfeed. If someone clicks your ad, liked it, and commented about that, it will
appear in their friends' newsfeed. So it is like exposing your ads double.

4. Filtering Of Potential Client

One of the good things that most of the marketing tips online are suggesting is to
maximize its feature which can set a particular target client based on the age of the
users. Because it includes age in making an account, they can easily filter in which
account your ads will appear as you wish. So if you have a brand that has a
particular target audience, Facebook ads is for you! Aside from filtering the age
bracket of potential customers, you can also filter them through the places where
the users live in, called the local awareness advertisements. Through this filtering
feature, ads can be sent to people who are just within or near the area of your
business.

5. Chance Of Being Viral

Facebook has served as a home of viral videos, photos, posts, and even ads! When
people think that your ad is interesting, made with full creativity, or informative,
they like, comment, and share it big time! If you think you have a very creative
mind and some unique ideas, contact management team now and place your ads!

Disadvantages of Facebook Ads

After knowing the good things you can get from Facebook marketing guideline,
now it is time to see the disadvantages of placing ads in this social media platform.

1. Can Be Difficult In Catching People's Attention

People in Facebook are busy with their own stuffs: communicating with friends,
looking pictures and videos, and updating their own profile. Sometimes, ads are
being snubbed by the busy users most especially if the ads are dull and plain. So if
you are planning to put ads on Facebook, it requires a lot of creativity.

2. Negative Comments Are Everywhere

The disadvantage of being just a click away from everything in the internet
continues in Facebook. If a customer tried your product and services and
encountered something bad or he didn't like the experience at all, he can comment
in your Facebook page right away. Many of the other customers are reading
comments in a particular page for research, so if they can read negative comments,
it can affect your sales. This can test your Facebook management skills. You must
be ready to handle these negative feedbacks and make sure that this cannot affect
your credibility as a service and product provider.
4. Competitions Everywhere
Because Facebook has a lot of users, ads are sprouting like mushrooms. And
because of this, competition is tight. It is hard to stand out. There are times that you
just launched a new ad, and after a while, new ads are coming from the competitors
as well, the same with what you have on your Facebook page. Duplication of the
contents in your page by others can be easily done which you do not want.

5. Facebook Marketing Requires A Lot Of Time And

Resources
Maintaining Facebook ads and pages need a lot of time, resources, and energy.
Earning likes and followers cannot happen overnight so you need to do a lot of
promotion. And if you reach more likers and followers, you need to do a lot of
replying job on comments and queries on your page and same with putting up
attractive ads. Remember that there are lots of ads. So you need to think of things
properly, which may cost you a lot of producing some effective campaigns.

DISADVANTAGES OF FACEBOOK:

1. "Facebook Addiction" A new disorder.

There are many, who are addicted to FB. People just start living in this virtual
world & spend hours & hours on Facebook. Due to this, a new type of
disorder has also come in human life i.e. Facebook addiction disorder in
which person spend far too much time on Facebook, have difficulty cutting back.
Furthermore, this disease keeps you away from real people and eventually
creating problems with real-life relationships, relatives, school, or in the career.
This is the biggest disadvantage of the Facebook site.
2. The fight continues against fake profiles & phishing bots.
Opening an account, making a fake profile & ID is simple for anyone on
Facebook. And there is no limit for these fake profiles. There are so many
cases of harassment & abuse that are often formulated by the fake
accounts. Once you get into this trap, it would be very dangerous. Many cases
have been reported about these fake accounts, bullying, stalking, blackmailing,
due to which many lives have been destroyed especially, teens.

3. Scams are spreading like fire.

Suspicious emails, messages & notifications are the most widely used
trick to hack your account & to get your personal information by using the
phishing website that looks similar to the original Facebook site. Hackers
send continuous emails asking for login data to check your newsfeed, new
photos of their friends, & something akin to this. When you open that website,
with the link given in that email, it 100% looks like original Facebook. And the
user didn’t even know that the hackers are stealing his account details. In this
way, the scammers are trapping thousands of people on FB.

People received some scam messages from scammers & ask something about
your bank details by telling them that they have won some prize & you are the
lucky user. The user then gets attracted to the fake offer, click on the fake
link, open fake site but then put his real login info and then he got
phished by scammer successfully. And the ultimately this result to
massive loss of your money, mental health & lots more.

4. Can’t keep things personal.

People are now used to reportedly sharing fewer personal updates on
Facebook. The updates from you, about your private life, come in terms of the
notification of your friends & other friends of friends so that your privacy is
compromised automatically. It's a fact if you see, every breakup, makeup,
adventures, emotions are uploaded up there & the main reason behind this is
most obvious to seek the attention of the people & to get share & be social, get
likes, & comments. It’s a cycle that once you start updating about
everything, then you can’t stop yourself further anymore.
5. Criticism.
There are many groups & pages on Facebook published which is being
created to abuse or violate other religion, personalities, nation, etc. This
kind of activities disturbs the social environment. Many cases of public
violence & religious tensions, many false rumors are spread through Facebook.
The pages & groups that condone extremist, incepting points of views, & create
abusively or attacking posts & hate speech about different religions, personalities,
nationalities, etc. and especially used to misguide the people & increase the
malice in them. These discriminatory & often racist activities are not acceptable
on global sites like FB.

6. Effect on academic’s activity.

Too much time on FB has proper with bad grades on the student's
results. Even it’s often found that many employees waste their time for surfing
FB. That’s why many offices have blocked these kinds of sites from their
networks completely.

7. Data privacy issues.

The Facebook provides you the reliable & secure privacy settings, but
many people don’t use these settings properly, that causes an effect on
your personal info that you provided and shared by using the
Facebook. Now a day’s people have many tricks to view your private FB profiles.
Even Facebook profile pictures are also not safe. Moreover, the games such as
Farmville, or some popular quiz apps, where you permit an application to be
installed with your profile that you might not be aware that you are allowing
them to manage your private info & to use your data with the third party.

ADVANTAGES OF FACEBOOK:
1. Better Socializing - Facebook is changing the way we think &
feel.
You can connect with the world by just signing into Facebook. You get the
information about various sectors, peoples, their culture, religion; it’s a social
platform where the world comes together. Facebook isn't a social network
anymore. Sometimes it could be a better matrimony site or advanced version
of penpalworld. It is easy to find out like-minded people by seeing their
interests, & you can easily connect with them by looking up their wall
updates, interests, & here you can connect with them by sending a free
message.

2. Chatting: A better Internet communication.

Fb provides you the chat option so that you can talk with your friends,
family members through FB just by using your laptop, & even with your
mobile phones. Facebook has launched the Messenger app earlier for mobile
users by means of chatting purpose. Facebook can be used as video chatting
tool. With the implementation of Skype partnership, Facebook has started video
chatting using FB inbuilt video chat service. Moreover, using WhatsApp video
calling feature, you can make free video calls to your friends.

3. Find & invite your friends.

It’s the most amazing thing to find your old friends, & to keep in touch with
them. Friend Finder feature helps you to find out your friends, with their
names or email addresses. You can see their photos, updates & keep up to
date with what they are doing. It is really real that many people found their old
friends once again on FB they never knew they will ever contact again & they are
not only now connected with FB but in real life too.

4. Business promotion.
It is one of the biggest advantages of Facebook. Through FB ads & fan
pages, you can advertise your business. It helps you to maintain a good
relationship with your customers. This is really important as in business you
can sell or promote your product or service to the targeted audience & increase
your brand value & social media presence for your business. There are billions of
active users on FB, so it’s the best platform for any kind of business to fetch the
right kind of customer. You can start making FB pages for your brand or
company & can use this advantage to earn money online.

5. Entertainment unlimited.
Facebook is the best thing to spend your time when you don’t have to do
anything & just getting bored. You can see your friends post, or share your
photos, status, or even play games on FB. Yes, FB has a game corner where you
can play games alone, or along with your friends. It's just like endless
entertainment.

6. Free.
The best part of Facebook is that you do not have to pay money for its use
& it’s the best medium for communication in the social networking sites.
Messaging, video calls, uploading photos & videos without any charges don’t you
think this is the best part of the FB. Lots of active users use Facebook as a
personal diary, where they upload and post their day-to-day life events and also
post valuable notes with social friends.

.0

7. A platform to share feelings, life events.

Through Facebook, it is very easy to share your feeling, opinion & what’s
happening in your life. It's just like a platform you can use in your own way to
share what's going into your mind, your achievements, sorrows, happiness all
feelings can be expressed & then you will able to get some guide, support, or
help from your generous friends.

8. Pages, groups, news-feed.

These features of Facebook are most amazing. I think FB gets most favorite
just because of these several applications, features available under one
roof. News-feed plays a significant role in getting the latest information. In the
case of fan pages, the admin or the users publish the post, news, info, photos,
videos, etc. regularly to stay connected and being engaged with their fan
followers.

The Purpose of Facebook

by Sarah Morse

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On the surface, it can seem like businesses do not have a place in the purely social realm of
Facebook. It's precisely that social aspect, however, that makes Facebook a great place for
businesses to establish a presence. Facebook business pages and, to a lesser extent, Facebook
groups are valuable business tools.

Connecting with Customers

A business cannot create a profile on Facebook; instead, a business communicates with the public
through a business page, which is typically an offshoot of the personal Timeline of the company's
owner or manager. Business pages work a bit differently than profiles. When a customer "Likes" a
page, he receives page updates in his news feed, which he can then share with his friends. He can
also post on the business page -- if the page administer allows posts -- and send a private message
to the administrator. With a presence on Facebook, organizations can connect directly with their
customers and answer questions they may have. Facebook's social status may also potentially
increase the business's likability factor.

Branding and Marketing

Facebook can reinforce your website and business brand. Just having a Facebook presence and
participating in conversations can spread your brand recognition. Post useful or intriguing content on
your page -- content that people will share -- for cheap brand marketing. People on networks
respond better to this soft sell than to a hard marketing sell.

Businesses with products or services to market can create coupon offers to distribute through their
business page's network. Facebook also offers a paid "promotion" option, which positions an update
in a prominent position in a follower's news feed for a specific amount of time instead of letting it fade
when other news feed updates appear. With Facebook ads, you can specifically target your
audience and promote your brand or service.

Networking With Other Businesses

Business pages cannot comment on or interact with personal profiles. They can, however, interact
with other pages, which puts them in contact with other businesses. Using this option, you can form
mutually beneficial relationships with related businesses all over the country and the world. When
you establish a relationship, you can cross-promote one another's services or products and share
ideas.

Communication Within an Organization

Depending on the social networking expertise of your employees and the size of your business,
Facebook's groups option may provide an effective interface for communication and collaboration
within the company. Groups have a message board format conducive to conversations among small
groups of people who share a common interest. To participate in a Facebook group, each member
must have a personal Facebook profile. The privacy options for groups are different from those for
pages. In addition to an open group, which everyone on the Internet can see, you can choose closed
and secret groups, which keep conversations hidden and -- in the latter option -- keeps the existence
of the group secret.

What is Facebook's mission statement?

Founded in 2004, Facebook's mission is to give people the power to build community
and bring the world closer together. People use Facebook to stay connected with friends
and family, to discover what's going on in the world, and to share and express what
matters to them.

The official stated purpose of Facebook is to make the world more open and connected.
Facebook's latest mission statement is that people use Facebook to stay connected with
friends and family, discover what's going on in the world and share and express what
matters to them.
Facebook is a social networking website where users can post comments, share photographs
and post links to news or other interesting content on the web, chat live, and watch short-form
video. You can even order food on Facebook if that's what you want to do. Shared content can
be made publicly accessible, or it can be shared only among a select group of friends or family,
or with a single person.

Twitter features

Power Twitter Extensions for Chrome

Download All Tweets

Create Twitter Moments

Customize Tweet Alerts

Advanced Search

Use IFTTT to Add a User to Your List

Attach Up to 4 Images in a Tweet

Pin a Tweet Permanently

Keyboard Shortcuts

 Quote a Tweet
 Use Twitter lists
 Tag accounts in tweets
 Pin a Tweet to the top of your profile
 Tweet links with clickable Images
Twitter

Advantages and
Disadvantages of
Twitter
Twitter, this social network that promises a lot, which is based on writing 140
characters and showing them to your followers. There is many advantages and
disadvantages of Twitter. All this is part of the development of computer technology
in the Internet area.

Advantages of Twitter
1. Twitter is a very simple social network because it allows you to be aware of
everything that interests you, such as communities, celebrities or just people who
are not famous but who you know. This is a very important advantage of Twitter.

2. The fact that everything has to be written in 140 characters makes the social
network simple and practical for human thinking.

3. If you have written a tweet and one of your followers like what they see, this can
be retweeted so this tweet is also seen by all the followers of your follower.
4. Another great advantage of Twitter is the structure it has since it is made up of
your followers and the ones you are following.

5. It is possible to combine your Twitter account with your Facebook account so that
what you post on Twitter is also done on the other social network. This is a great
advantage to not waste so much time publishing on both social networks.

6. You can place buttons on the websites to tweet the page and other users can
observe and review the subject in question.

Disadvantages of Twitter
1. With Twitter you have to summarize everything that is happening to you in 140
characters. This can generate problems by having to abbreviate everything that
happens.

2. Another disadvantage of Twitter is that there is a lot of spam on the network and
this is not so controlled. This also makes the network too fast in terms of number of
Tweets and sometimes the trust of the network is lost.

3. It is very common to see insults from people towards companies.

4. False profiles on Twitter are very common and this can generate distrust in the
network.

5. Another big disadvantage of Twitter is that having false profiles, any person can
create a famous account and many people begin to follow when in reality this profile
is not of this celebrity but a random person.

The 8 main advantages

1- Free
Twitter is a free social network. This means that you do not have to pay any kind of fee
to be able to subscribe. This represents one of the main advantages of this network.
2- Massive
Twitter has one of the largest and most complete virtual platforms. This has contributed
to its transformation into a massive network.

This platform connects millions of users through the follower system. The information
that tweets a user can be read by all his followers, and they can share those tweets with
other people by retuiting them. This creates a massive data exchange string.

Twitter goes beyond the website: it can be used on smartphones and tablets through an
application. This increases your range.

For this reason, many people use the platform to promote themselves worldwide. Most
celebrities have Twitter accounts, through which they advertise their movies, albums,
among other works. Self-employed workers also use this network to make their services
more reachable.

3- Safe
The Twitter platform offers various levels of security. The main thing is the privacy of the
account; this means that the user can decide who is allowed to see their publications.

On the other hand, the user can also decide what content to watch. An example of this
is the regulation around multimedia content: the platform can block images and videos
that are considered inappropriate, offensive or violent.

4- Quick
Twitter allows to establish communication in real time, as long as the people involved
have access to the Internet.

The speed of this social network has made many companies use it to keep their
customers informed of the products and services they offer. Also, this social network is
used as a way for customers to express their doubts and comments regarding the
products of a company.

5- Free of publicity
Unlike other social networks, Twitter does not have advertisements. This represents a
great advantage as it does not saturate the user with information that may not interest
you.

6- Easy to use
The Twitter platform is very easy to use. Just register with an email and start following
the accounts that are of interest (news, celebrities, stores, friends, among others).
The way to post tuits is also simple. Simply select the option"tweet", write the message
in the corresponding box and send it.

7- Uploading multimedia content

This social network allows you to upload multimedia content: from images to audio and
video files. This makes it a much more interactive platform.

8- Relationship with celebrities and other public

figures
Twitter allows you to establish a direct relationship between celebrities and their fans.

Many public figures have Twitter accounts in which they publish information related to
their work and personal life. In this way, your followers can feel closer to them.

The 8 main disadvantages

1- Addictive
Like other social networks, Twitter is very addictive. This generates wasted valuable
time.

2- It has spam
Despite the fact that Twitter has policies against spam or junk mail, many accounts
continue with these practices.

Although this content is easy to remove, it is a nuisance for users.

3- Limitation of characters
Sometimes the character limitation of this platform (280 only) causes users to be forced
to reduce the information they must post.

4- Inactive accounts
Many Twitter accounts are inactive: some are created to increase the number of users,
and others to send messages spam .

5- Tuits"buried"
According to Twitter statistics for the year 2012, about 340 million tweets are published
every day. Within this quantity of publications many tuits are lost or"buried", which
diminishes the possibility that the messages are read by the ideal recipient.

6- Collapse by the large number of users

More than 150 million people have active Twitter accounts. With so much information
being sent and received, the platform of this network is prone to collapse.

7- Viral
The information posted on Twitter can become viral in a matter of seconds. This is a
disadvantage if the publication is false or offensive.

8- Appropriation
Content posted on Twitter may be subject to illegal appropriation. This is because the
platform does not have a policy against plagiarism.

Twitter has grown exponentially over the past 10+ years. Its purpose is
ultimately to spread information fast -- while that information is not always
serious (Kim Kardashian's thoughts on makeup, for instance), it sometimes is
(like when Iranian protesters used Twitter to assemble marches).

The Purpose of Twitter

B Y S OPH IE SOU THERN

In laymen's terms, Twitter is a website for sharing what you are doing an any
given moment with other people online. In more complicated terms, Twitter is
a powerful social networking tool for both business and personal use. Twitter
uses "tweets," which are the 140-character (maximum) messages you post to
your Twitter profile. The restriction on length is one of the features that
makes Twitter unique compared with other social networking sites.

Networking
One of the primary purposes for creating a Twitter account is to network
online. Twitter's system of shortened links and hashtags make it easy to find
people or businesses posting tweets in the same areas that you are. Hashtags
are hyperlink keywords embedded into tweets; you can turn any word into a
hashtag by adding the "#" sign before the word in the body of your tweet.
Twitter's "@Mention" system allows you to contact any other Twitter user,
regardless of whether or not they follow you, by placing an "@" symbol in
front of the Twitter user name in the body of your tweet.

Building Traffic
Many businesses, bloggers and website owners use their Twitter profiles to
increase traffic and find new visitors for their websites. Embedding links into
tweets is one of the ways you can use Twitter to increase traffic to your
website. Link-shortening services allow you to create links with as few
characters as possible to leave space within Twitter's 140-character limit. Most
of these link-shortening services also allow you to track statistics and see how
many Twitter users click your links.

Business Promotion
Using Twitter provides the opportunity to take innovative approaches for
promoting your business. Many businesses specifically offer special deals and
promotions exclusively through Twitter. Twitter's "retweet" function allows
other Twitter users to re-post your tweet if they find it interesting; being
retweeted by several popular Twitter users can significantly increase exposure
for you tweet and your business. You can also use your Twitter account as a
way to allow your customers to get in touch with you directly without having
to go through customer service.

Social Communication
Although Twitter has become a useful business tool, many Twitter users still
use the service to share what they are doing with their friends online. You can
use Twitter to tell your friends what you are doing or share interesting
websites you find online. Twitter photo-sharing services, such as TwitPic and
YFrog, allow you to post photos to share with your friends through Twitter.

The main purpose of Twitter is to make profits for those running the business (founders,
investors, employees and more).

From a user's perspective, it may serve many purposes including but not limited to:
 1. Keep an eye on trending events/news
2. Connect with like-minded people
3. Marketing or promotion of business
4. Stalk and spam
5. Vent out emotions or anger
6. Business Support
7. Finding and connecting with influencers

The Purpose of Twitter. In laymen's terms, Twitter is a website for sharing what you are
doing an any given moment with other people online. In more complicated
terms, Twitter is a powerful social networking tool for both business and personal
use.There’s 280 character limit for tweet messages and this restriction of the length is one
of the features that makes Twitter unique compared with other social networking sites.

With the Twitter what you can easily build is:

 Networking
 Building Traffic
 Business Promotion
 Social Communication

Instagram Feature Summary

 Image editing
 Location tagging
 Private messaging
 Commenting
 @mentions
 Push notifications
 Group messaging
 Hashtags
 Filters

 Video editing tools

 Text & drawing tools
 Live video streaming
 Stories feature
 Disappearing photos & videos
 Search functionality
 User tagging
 User profiles
 Public & private profiles

New Instagram Features You Need To Try ASAP

Some of these features were specially designed to help you organise your Instagram feed and
keep track of your favourite posts.
Others were created to help you make your Instagram stories even more fun to play with.
Ready? Let’s get started.

Personalise Your Instagram Feed

1. ARCHIVE POSTS
That picture of a crazy haircut you took five years ago? You were probably wondering how your
feed might look without it. No one blames you, we’ve all tried something wild.
Has the thought of deleting posts from ages ago ever gone through your mind?
Let’s be real. The only thing standing between you and delete is wondering if you removed it,
would your feed still look ok?
Instead of deleting a post (and maybe regretting it later), now you can simply archive it.
The best part:
1. No one can see archived posts but you
2. You can restore them whenever you like
3. And YES, keep all the likes and comments
How to Archive a Post:
Open the individual post on Instagram and tap the three dots in the right corner.
Select “archive” and – puff! – you’re done!

The post is automatically added to your archive page and removed from your feed.

2. INSTAGRAM COLLECTIONS
You’re scrolling through Instagram posts and see something that you really like. A post about a
mouth-watering cheesecake or a tutorial that shows you how to draw the perfect eyebrows.
One week later there you are, struggling to remember who posted it, when on earth you saved it
on your phone or did you?
Eeep, you didn’t even take a screenshot! Scrolling back through a week of Instagram posts just
to find it…? Well… no thanks.
How Can Instagram Collections help?
This new feature allows you to save posts to personal collections, kind of like Pinterest.
You can create a bunch of photo albums, each dedicated to a different topic (cute dogs, flowers,
dresses… you get it).
Or you can just store them all in one collection.
All you have to do is tap the Bookmark icon under the post and save it directly to one of our
collections. Easy!

Set Your Creativity Free: Tools For Instagram Stories

3. SELFIE STICKERS
Q: What’s cooler than taking a regular selfie?
A: Taking a mini-selfie and placing it all over your Instagram story! Woot!
In case you haven’t tried it yet, here’s how to use this fun new story feature:
 Take a photo or a video
 Tap the smiley-face icon in the right corner, just like you do when you want to add a sticker
 Tap the camera icon in the magic folder and take a selfie
 Place your selfie sticker wherever you want

Put your face on a billboard, a cloud, or on a t-shirt – hilarious!

4. CUSTOM STICKERS FOR HASHTAGS

Why sticker hashtags?
Because it’s making normal #’s look prettier, that’s why.
Plus, it’s a great way to draw extra attention if it’s a hashtag you’re promoting.
Extra tip: Discover how you can brand your instagram stories.
Here’s how to make one:
 Take a photo
 Tap the stickers icon
 Select the hashtag (it’s in a white box, you can’t miss it!)
 Customise it to your liking and add it to your story. Voila!

5. REWIND TOOL
OK. This tool was 100% created just to have more fun with stories.
 Drop a glass on the floor and watch it fly back in your hands.
 Throw your hat in the air and watch it fall back on your head.
 Jump off something
 Pour a coffee
 Do the moonwalk… Oh wait, you don’t need a rewind feature for that.
How?
Open Instagram, go to Stories and tap the Rewind button.
Then, wait for the magic to happen.

6. THE ERASER BRUSH

The eraser brush takes things to a whole new level. It’s freaking awesome to play with!
1. Take a photo, select the drawing tool and pick your favorite color.
2. Then, hold it for a few seconds to flood the screen with bold color.
3. The fun part starts when you tap the eraser icon and reveal parts of the photo underneath.
Pretty sure you wouldn’t need to be Van Gogh to fall in love with this!
7. DOWNLOAD YOUR INSTAGRAM STORIES AND REPUBLISH THEM
It would be a shame to share that awesome story only on Instagram, right?
The good news is that you don’t have to. You can now download your entire story and watch it
play out over on your Facebook page…YouTube or on your Twitter page… or on your blog… or
attach it in a private message.
There’s nothing like repurposing great content to make you feel productive!

8. INSTAGRAM LIVE VIDEO AS A STORY

Live videos take a bit of courage and many people are jumping on them more regularly.
Whether you are wanting to share a talk at an event, your favourite band’s concert or making
your next recipe to share with your audience, sharing these moments can create a real bond.

instagram
1. Face Filters
Face filters is the newest feature in Instagram Stories. Just like in Snapchat, these filters apply
goofy effects to your face. Whether Instagram copied it or not isn’t a matter of concern for
consumers like you and me. All that matters is how well it works.

Instagram face filters execute perfectly. Even in Stories, it works in selfie mode, and ideally, you
need a good front-facing camera. As long as the camera can track your face, the filter will move
in real time.
To see your face filters, start a new story, switch to selfie mode, and tap the face icon next to the
camera button. Flick through the different filters to check them all out.

2-3. Rewind and Hashtag

Rewind and Hashtag are the other new features, and again, these are only available in the new
Instagram Stories. Hopefully they’ll come to the regular mode soon enough, but there’s no
guarantee.

How to Use Instagram Stories Effectively: Basics, Tips, and Tricks How to Use
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photo-sharing giant's take on Snapchat. The purpose is to add a new layer of fun to your images and videos.
Here's everything you need to know.READ MORE

Record something as you normally would, then swipe right in the “modes” in Stories.
Thankfully, neither Rewind nor Hashtag are restricted to the selfie camera. You’ll find Rewind
and Hashtag after Boomerang.

Rewind, as the name suggests, plays any video in reverse. Hashtag lets you add a new sticker to
any Story, and type a hashtag in it. Your Story is then tagged with that hashtag. Don’t overload
the Story with multiple stickers — use only the best hashtag.

How to Find the Best Instagram Hashtags for More Likes & Followers How to Find
the Best Instagram Hashtags for More Likes & FollowersHashtags are an
essential part of Instagram. If you need help getting started, here's how to find the best Instagram
hashtags.READ MORE

4. The New Eraser Brush

Instagram Stories also added a new brush: the eraser. It’s yet another creative tool to edit images.

Take a photo in Stories and use the other brushes to add anything you want. Tap the eraser brush
and erase just the parts that you want. It can be a cool way to highlight something by darkening
out all the other parts of the image.

5. Save or Bookmark
When you come across a photo that you like, you can save it for later. Instagram now has
bookmarks, and in many ways, this is like a better version of Pinterest.
You can save any image with a single tap on the bookmark button, found at the bottom-right
corner below an image or video. But the cool part is that you can make “collections” like you
used to on Pinterest.

Tap and hold the bookmark button to add the post to a collection or create a new collection for
photos like it. It’s one of the best bookmarking solutions I’ve seen.

6. Add Multiple Photos

A picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes, you need a series of images to tell a story.
Instagram now lets you add multiple images to a single post.

To do this, start by uploading an image from Gallery or Camera Roll. Once you’ve selected it,
tap the “multiple images” button. You can add up to 10 images or videos. Tap the “Next” arrow
to add filters or rearrange the order of the images.

There are two benefits to this. First, you no longer spam your followers with a series of images
on their timeline. And second, you no longer have to use the Layouts for Instagram app to create
collages. As good as that app is, it’s not the ideal way to narrate a tale.

7. Use Instagram Offline

Android users, your Instagram app has something the iPhone app doesn’t: offline mode. It hasn’t
rolled out to all Androids yet, but if you have a smartphone with Android 7.0 Nougat, it should
be working by now.

Instagram’s offline mode means you can take photos and edit them, and they’ll be posted
automatically the next time you go online.

You can also interact with your timeline while you’re offline. Like an image or comment on a
post, and it will all be updated when you are online.

8. Instagram Windows Desktop App

For a long time, Windows and Mac users have had to make do with third-party Instagram
clients. The social network has finally released an official app for Windows 10, which works on
both phones and desktops.
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made a desktop app. But you won't miss it with these five tools. From workable desktop apps to tools that
make hashtagging easy, there's something for everyone here.READ MORE

But bad news, folks. You still can’t upload images from the desktop app. You can browse your
feed, comment and like photos, and even send direct messages to friends. But how dare you want
to upload photos to a photo-sharing social network? Even now, the workaround hack site
Gramblr seems to be your best bet to upload photos to Instagram from a desktop.

How to Upload Photos to Your Instagram Account Without a Phone How to Upload
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to upload content to Instagram. Here are five awesome workarounds you might not know about.READ
MORE

Download — Instagram for Windows 10 (Free)

9. Two-Factor Authentication
Instagram has a lot of your data, so don’t let anyone else gain access to it easily. Two-factor
authentication (2FA) is one of the essential security protocols to use for any service. And
Instagram now supports it, so turn it on.

In the app, go to Your Profile > Menu > Two-Factor Authentication > Require Security
Code and flip the toggle to switch it on (it will turn blue). You will need to associate your
account with your phone number, after which you’ll get a code to enable access.

Here’s a little bit more on what 2FA is and why you should use it. Think of it as the gatekeeper
to deter anyone from gaining access to your account.

What Is Two-Factor Authentication, And Why You Should Use It What Is Two-
Factor Authentication, And Why You Should Use ItTwo-factor authentication
(2FA) is a security method that requires two different ways of proving your identity. It is commonly used in
everyday life. For example paying with a credit card not only requires the card,...READ MORE

10. Self-Destructing Messages

In its constant quest to replace Snapchat, Instagram also added a way to send self-destructing
messages to friends. It’s what made Snapchat so popular in the first place.
7 Reasons Snapchat is a Teenager's Favourite Social Network

Advantages of Instagram:

 It increases the artistic ability by taking pictures at different scenerios.

 Communication will be improved.
 Friend lists get increased. Professional network also increases which is quiet
helpfull.
 Can share information with friends/family in original way.

Disadvantages

 Using incorrectly would leave bad impact on this feature.

 Sharing private information which should not be done on internet.
 Spending lot of time on it.
 Some use to spy on others even if they do not know them.

Advantages of Instagram
Here are the core benefits of Instagram for businesses today:

1. It’s enormously popular

There are over 100 million active users, and those 100 million people are putting up
some impressive stats:
 60% log-in daily
 90% are under 35
 50% of users use it for market research (this number excludes users from China)
Pretty much everyone is using it: 48.8% of brands are on Instagram, and if we only look at the top
100 brands in the world, then that number jumps to 90%.

2. The internet is a visual place

Sharing a blog post is great, but any number of statistics will show you that enriched media like
photos and videos drive astronomically more engagement.
Instagram is a platform entirely dedicated to that process.
It’s no wonder engagement is so high. By jumping on a platform that is entirely built for sharing
photos and videos, brands can leverage consumers’ love for imagery quickly and effectively.
Disadvantages of Instagram
It can’t all be sunshine and rainbows, and like the other social platforms, Instagram does have some
drawbacks for brands.

1. Engagement is high, but conversion is low

The problem with Instagram is, ironically, that their user experience is almost too good. Sharing,
liking and commenting is so easy that it’s difficult to convert users into dollars and cents.
Users tend to like and share because it’s so simple, but they don’t always have a meaningful
connection to the brand. It means the behavior that marketers can track has little relevance to the
behavior that we want to drive.

2. It requires strict brand enforcement

The plethora of Instagram filter options is a nice microcosm of this problem. It’s easy for a brand to
lose their look and feel completely. Suddenly they’re presenting a face to the world that isn’t theirs
(or, worse, multiple faces that are sort of theirs, but not really theirs).
To run a solid branded Instagram account, it takes intense brand control, either through strict
approvals or a robust set of brand guidelines that companies may not have.

3. It’s enormously popular

Yes, we know we listed this as an advantage. But it’s also a problem: how do you stand out against
Kylie Jenner’s baby announcement (currently the most liked post on Instagram)?
The answer is: you don’t. To make Instagram work for brands that aren’t Kylie Jenner (and, if you’re
reading this Kylie, keep on killin’ it), brands need to hyper-tailor their content to their audience. This
means dedicating a LOT of time to curating content that will resonate.

Instagram

Advantage
1- Massive
Instagram is a social network that has grown widely in recent years. Between
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the latter is the one with the highest number of active
users per month.

2-"A picture is worth a thousand words"

The main feature of Instagram is that it allows you to share photos. Sometimes the
images are able to convey more information than a written text.
Images have the ability to evoke emotions and feelings. They are also more attractive
than other forms of interaction. This establishes a much more effective communication
system among users.

3- Ideal for virtual stores

Instagram has now become a marketing tool. Many virtual stores employ this platform to
promote their products.

Thanks to this platform, the relationship between sellers and buyers is more interactive.

4- Privacy and security

One of the most important advantages of Instagram is its privacy and security policy.

Their use is limited to persons over 13 years old, in order to protect children from certain
contents that may not be suitable for them.

In addition, it can be established that the publications are private. When choosing this
option the other users who want to see the photos, videos or any other element of the
profile should send a follow-up request to the user with the private account. This user
has the authority to accept or reject such request.

Finally, if a user is violating the conditions of Instagram or if it violates the security of

other members of the network, it can be blocked and will not be able to see the
publications of those who have blocked it.

5- Free
Like other social networks, the Instagram service is free. Neither the subscription nor
the download of the application generate additional costs to the derivatives for the
payment of Internet service.

6- Sharing Options
Instagram lets you share photos and videos that can be created directly from the
application, or can be uploaded from the memory of the mobile device.

The application also offers the option of sharing these files on other social networks,
such as Twitter and Facebook.

7- Communication medium
Being a social network, Instagram is a means of communication. In addition to
publishing multimedia files, this application offers instant messaging services.
8- Promotes artistic skills
The Instagram social network encourages people's artistic skills. Thanks to this
application many users are more aware of the fundamental elements of photography:
angles, planes, focus, among others.

Disadvantages
1- Designed to be portable
The Instagram application was created as a portable system. That is, its design is best
suited for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

There is a web version of this social network that can be used on desktop computers,
but does not offer as many services as the mobile application.

2- Not compatible with all operating systems

The Instagram application is only available for iOS, Android and Windows Mobile
operating systems.

This excludes people who have devices with BlackBerry systems, OS and Linux, among
others.

3- Limited tools for editing images

To be a network that is based on the publication of images, it has limited tools for the
editing of these files.

It only has a couple of dozen effects (filters) and additional options must be downloaded
separately.

4- Possibility of image theft

By posting quality or professional images on a social network, it is possible for someone
to access them and use them for professional issues of which they benefit
economically.

Therefore, there is a possibility of"stealing"images to a user without their consent.

5- The privacy of the images is collective, not

individual
You can not configure the privacy of each photo individually. This means that there are
only two options: that all publications are public or that all are private.

6- Addictive
The Instagram social network can become an addiction for its users. For this reason, it
must be used with caution.

7- False advertising
Many stores rely on Instagram to promote their products and services. Sometimes
these accounts resort to false advertising to attract customers. This can generate
mistrust on the part of the users.

8- Depends on the images

The popularity of an account is largely based on the quality of the published images. If
the photos are not attractive enough, then the account will not have as many followers.

In the case of virtual stores, if the photos of the products fail to convey the benefits of
these, then the store will not generate sales.

Advantages of Instagram
Instagram is free to use: Instagram is free to use like other social networks. Anyone can
download, install and use Instagram on their smartphone. I always say free has power and that’s why
Instagram gain popularity. It is the main advantage of using Instagram for your personal and business
purpose. It’s free so it reduces your initial cost of business. You can use all features of Instagram freely
so you can post, follow, DM freely on Instagram.
Instagram is fastest growing social network: Instagram is fastest growing social network that has
grown widely in recent years. Instagram reached 800 million monthly active users in 2017 while it has 500
million active users daily. More than 52 million photos uploaded per day on Instagram. Instagram has
more than 60% users from outside the USA. If you are looking to promote your business on Instagram
then it is the wise decision.
Best for Photo sharing: The main feature of Instagram is photo sharing. A picture is worth a thousand
words like that images convey more information than written words. Instagram is the best platform for
photo sharing so if you are photographer or graphics designer then Instagram is the best choice for you.
You can promote your brand or products visually on Instagram.
Build community using Instagram: You can follow people on Instagram and people will follow back you
on Instagram. It is best for building an interactive following community. You can comment and tag people
in your Instagram posts. Instagram has instant messaging feature too and it is called as ‘Direct Message’.
You can connect or contact your followers or your followers can contact you via DM. It means Instagram
is also best choice to build your community and share your work with like-minded people. You can also
use hashtags in Instagram posts to boost your reach. Now you can follow and unfollow hashtags on
Instagram.
Security and privacy policy: Instagram has very useful security and privacy policy and it is one of the
most important advantages of Instagram. Like other social networking sites, Instagram has also the age
limit for users. Persons over 13 years old can create an account on Instagram or use Instagram.
You can keep your Instagram profile private. While picking this choice other users who need to see the
photographs, videos or some other component of the profile ought to send a follow-up demand to the
user with the private account. This user has the authority to accept or reject such demand.
In case of the user, violates terms and conditions or privacy policy of Instagram can ban or block a user
from posting on Instagram. You have also option to block, unfollow and report people to Instagram.
Best for visual marketing: Instagram is the best photo and short video sharing platform. Nowadays
visual marketing is latest in this era. Images play a vital role in visual marketing and images being part of
the business marketing method.For each result of business, actually pictures was an absolute necessity
medium for visual advertising to make simple for customer thought about the product and through
Instagram, the merchant should know how to give an extraordinary data as indicated by the pictures
rather than only a plain content of data.
Advantages of Instagram for students: Instagram also provides educational benefits so here we are
covering both advantages and disadvantages of Instagram for students. If you are interested in
photography then Instagram is the best place to learn and improve your photography skills. Some
students started learning photo editing tools due to Instagram.
Instagram improve your language skill. Students use Instagram to share opinions and views on different
topics. Students also can take part in the group discussion on Instagram by taking part in a group activity
where here each student asks the others to comment on a photo or video. Thus students can improve
their language skill using Instagram.
Students can share knowledge on Instagram. Students can share knowledge via multimedia or students
can do two-way communications using DM. Nowadays Instagram has a poll option so students can use a
poll option to discuss different topics with other students. these are the advantages of Instagram for
students.

Disadvantages of Instagram
Instagram has a lot of advantages but it also some disadvantages too. Here we are discussing some
disadvantages of Instagram.
Mobile friendly design: Instagram was created for mobile use only. The Instagram design is more
suitable for mobile phones and tablets. Instagram has a desktop version too but it has limited features as
compared to a mobile version of Instagram. It means to use Instagram you have at least smartphone.
Addictive: Like other social networking sites Instagram is also addictive. Once you get addictive on
Instagram it will cost you a lot. It will consume your valuable time.
Rely on images: Instagram depends on images. If your images are attractive then you will get more
Instagram likes, comments, and followers. If the photos are not attractive enough, then the account will
not have as many followers and if your business is virtual then your business will fail.
Image stealing problem: Your followers can easily view and access your Instagram images. You can’t
keep every image private so other users can easily steal your images. It means if you have quality and
professional images there is always a fear of someone stealing your images.
Image Privacy: Image privacy is another disadvantage of Instagram. You can’t set the privacy of each
photo differently. They are all either private or public.
Advertising Issue: Numerous stores depend on Instagram to promote their items and services. In
some cases, these accounts turn to false advertising to draw in clients. This can produce doubt with
respect to the clients. It means Instagram has false advertising and it is also one disadvantage of
Instagram.
Disadvantages of Instagram for students: As I mentioned earlier, Instagram is addictive and it will
consume your time. If you are a student and you are the heavy user of Instagram it will waste your
valuable time. For students time is money so use Instagram with caution.

Advantages of Instagram
 Instagram is providing many advantages to its users. Some of them are listed below.

1...Sharing pictures is much easy with Instagram

“A picture is worth a thousand words.”

The most exciting feature of Instagram is that it allows you to share photos. You may
enhance your images with some photo editing tools. Most often images are more
captivating than words. Images attract more peoples rather than written text.
Your emotions and feelings are more likely to reveal in pictures. Your friends can also
become part of the special moments of your life. On the other hand, the features of
filters in Instagram is more exciting. A Separate filter is not required for enhancing the
features of your photos. Everything related to photos is available on that single platform.

2... Privacy and security

Photo Credits: https://www.naijatechguide.com

One of the most remarkable features Instagram is providing to its users is privacy and
security of their content. Your shared content is not public; you can set your account
to private for keeping your content with your contacts only.
If someone wants to see your content, he/she will send you request. It’s up to you to
accept or reject that. By this feature, you can make your account safe from
unauthorized access. Besides that, another main feature is that only 13+ age groups
are allowed to use Instagram for keeping children away.

A person who violates the laws of Instagram or tries to damage the

network of another person will be blocked from Instagram.

3...Instagram can be used for business and advertisement

also
Video Credits: Chalene Johnson via https://www.youtube.com
Instagram also provides you with a platform for Marketing and advertising products
online. We can visually promote our brand or product easily with Instagram. The
clothing brands, shoe brands, cosmetics etc. Everyone can share pictures of their
products on Instagram and market them.
Instagram also provides a description field to which you add whatever you like to write
about the product. Combining both text field and photos will surely help you to cope with
customers.

The relation between customer and sellers become more interactive with this platform.
It’s one of the biggest advantages of Instagram.

4...Instagram promotes artistic skills

Photo Credits: https://www.octopusandson.com

One advantage or feature of Instagram I also like to appreciate is it provides a complete
package to all those people who are interested in photography. Some people around us
are adept in photography but they wouldn’t get a chance of showcasing their talent.
Instagram provides a free platform to all those peoples. Common users are also getting
familiar with basics of photography like angles, planes, focus etc. A person like me
can also learn some skills of photography using that platform.
On the other hand, having followers on Instagram is much important in case of business
or advertisement. But the question arise… how to get followers on Instagram? It’s not
that difficult… we can do it by using some tricks. Some of them are discussed below.

1...Use artistic hashtag always

Photo Credits: https://hype.my

When we share our content on Instagram, we need to caption a single word that
demonstrates our content. These words are called Hashtag. You have to use those
hashtag that is more likely to put the nut in a shell.
Use ironic, powerful and funny hashtag… don’t use the boring hashtag.

2...Post consistently at least once a day

Photo Credits: https://www.theverge.com

It’s a common fact the more we post, the more people like and the more followers
we get. That’s why we should post at least one post a day in order to get followers.
 You can get double follower rate by posting one post each day or 1-6
posts a week.

3...Use videos and stories on Instagram

Photo Credits: https://wistia.com

Instagram not only provide you with the feature of photo-sharing, videos can also be
shared. Sharing videos increase your growth rate more than the images. Instagram
stories are also popular these days; it will also help you get more followers.

4...Provide quality material to fans

Photo Credits: https://www.youtube.com

Engagement with fans is really important for having a massive fan following. It is
determined that how many people would be able to see your stuff. The more people
have engagement with you the more people can see you. You should like and reply to
comments from fans for more response.
These are some of the methods by which we can get massive followers on Instagram.

According to me Instagram shows you the REAL FACES of people, I mean it shows who they
really and and not how they look and what they’re doing in their life.

Instagram is not only about editing, uploading, liking photos or videos, there’s more. You
may think that through instagram we would be able to connect to our friends and show
them what are we doing. “NO”, Instagram isn’t there to make friend it is there to make Fans,
and show them what they are missing( and not what we are doing).

Instagram is a social media app that allows users to share photos and videos
from their lives, add captions, edit filters, tweak settings, engage with others,
explore and creep, and so, so much more — you just have to know what
you're doing so you don't get overwhelmed!
The Point

In short, the point of Instagram is to make connections with people who see the world in
interesting ways. You can find and follow people based on the kinds of images that
inspire them, and if they like yours, they’ll follow you back. The simple mechanisms of
liking and commenting provide great fun and feedback. It’s a new kind of network that’s
perfect for the smartphone age. No wonder Facebook bought it.

Similar to Facebook or Twitter, everyone who creates an Instagram account has a

profile and a news feed.

When you post a photo or video on Instagram, it will be displayed on your profile. Other
users who follow you will see your posts in their own feed. Likewise, you'll see posts
from other users whom you choose to follow.

Pretty straight forward, right? It's like a simplified version of Facebook, with an emphasis
on mobile use and visual sharing. Just like other social networks, you can interact with
other users on Instagram by following them, being followed by them, commenting,
liking, tagging and private messaging. You can even save the photos you see on
Instagram.

5 Blog Features You Need to Be a

Successful Blogger
August 14, 2019

| No Comments

You’ve been putting a lot of effort into writing your blog posts. But, for some
reason, your posts aren’t getting the traffic you’d hoped for.

Hardly anyone is viewing your posts. And no one ever leaves comments. You
know you’ve got some valuable information, so what gives?
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To be a successful blogger, you can’t just slap some words on a screen and
hope people read them.

Blogging requires a great amount of strategy. Quality blog posts contain

certain key features. These key features keep people reading until the end
and make them want to share the post with their friends.

Let’s take a look at the top 5 blog features you need in order to succeed:

1. The Right Structure

Structure is often one of the most overlooked aspects of blogging.

But, without a set structure, you’ll appear unorganized and scatter-brained. No

one is going to take the time to read a post like this. The right structure makes
your posts readable, skimmable, and shareable.

Plus, when you structure your posts the same, your audience will know what
to expect from you and start to trust you more.

Here’s what your structure should look like:

The Intro

The intro is your chance to hook the reader right away.

Also, a good intro gives the reader a glimpse of your personality and your
writing style.

Seriously- do not skimp on the intro. If anything, it deserves the most focus. A
good intro grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to keep reading.
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Here are some effective ways to create an attention-grabbing intro:

 Present the reader’s problem in a way that’s relatable (i.e. Ask a

question like: “Are you stressed out about all of your credit card debt?”
 Start with an eye-catching statistic
 Share a personal story

Or, you can combine any of these elements.

The intro should then conclude with a smooth transition to the body that will
make the reader want to learn more.

The Body

You’ve probably got several points you want to make in your post.

So, first things first: break these points up into logical headings and sub-
headings. Big walls of text are unappealing and nearly impossible to read. If
you do this, you’re going to lose your readers.

Basically, you want to think of each heading like a miniature blog post. Each
mini post should transition smoothly into the next mini post.

And don’t forget to showcase some personality. No matter how valuable your
content is, no one is going to read it if it’s presented in a stale and boring
manner.

Conclusion

If someone makes it to the end of your post, congratulations.

This means you said something that resonated with the reader. And likely,
they’re going to want to hear more from you.

They might also be interested in buying your products or services.

Therefore, make sure you conclude your blog post with a strong call-to-action.
For example, you might want to navigate them towards another blog post so
they stay on your site longer. To do this, you could say something like, “Click
here for more useful tips on managing your finances.”

2. Visual Content
You’ve probably heard a million times that written content is the most
important aspect of boosting your search rankings.

This is undoubtedly true. But, visual content (infographics, videos, slideshows,

images) is also a crucial feature that can take your blog to the next level.

Remember how we said we want to avoid huge walls of text? Images are a
great way to break those up.

Also, people just love visual content: 65 percent of the population are visual
learners. A few simple infographics can really go a long way.

3. A Clear Focus
Readers don’t visit their favorite blogs in hopes of finding something
interesting.

They visit their favorite blogs knowing that the posts will contain specific
information they’re looking for.

Maintaining a clear focus is one of the most important blog features of

successful sites.

Don’t try to be a one-stop shop for your readers. Instead, niche down to ONE
area of focus. When you niche down, readers know exactly what they’re
getting into every time they visit your blog. They know that they won’t have to
sift through any useless info to find the stuff they can relate to. And this will
keep them coming back for more.

For example, let’s say you’re interested in writing about money. Think about
how you can niche this down: Do you want to write about money-saving tips?
Do you want to write about money investment opportunities?

You may think that narrowing your focus limits your readership. While it does
to some extent, trying to talk about everything throws your credibility out the
window. A blog that maintains focus establishes you as an expert and allows
you to build trust with your audience.

4. Regular Content
Ok, you just wrote a killer blog post that got tons of comments and social media
shares. Time to kick back and relax a bit now, right?

Wrong. Make no mistake- blogging is hard work. You need to be blogging on

a consistent basis in order stay relevant with your audience.

With that being said, make sure you’re always striving for quality over
quantity. One solid post per week is better than five thrown-together posts.

Everyone is competing for consumer’s attention, so make sure you stick to a

disciplined schedule so your blog doesn’t get lost in the fog.

5. Internal Linking
One of the main goals of blogging is to keep people on your site for as long as
possible.

We already talked about how you can do this with a call-to-action in your
conclusion. But, you should also focus on doing this throughout your blog
post.

Important Features All

Blogs Should Really Have

Blogging is more commonplace now than ever before. It’s estimated

that there are at least 147 million blogs[1] covering topics from
technology to Japanese theme restaurants.
But regardless of the vastness of the blogosphere and the diversity of
blog topics, there are a handful of site features that you’ll likely find in
most of them. In addition, readers have come to expect these site
features to be available to them when they visit their favorite blogs.

This article covers the standard features that all blogs should have.
These features are meant to improve the user experience by
enhancing community engagement, content sharing, findability of
posts, and more.

Blog Post Archive

Typically, when site visitors first land on a blog’s homepage, they’re
greeted with the latest blog posts sorted from newest on top to oldest
at the bottom. This is what blog readers expect to see, but that’s not to
say it’s all they want to see.

Many visitors will enjoy going through your older posts once they
decide that they like what you have to say. Having a post archive — a
web page or section in your blog that lists previous blog posts,
customarily sorted in a logical fashion such as by date or by category
— is an excellent way to draw in more page views and improves the
ability of readers to discover content on your site.

A post archive can serve as a way to increase the conversion of first-

time visitors to steadfast readers because it shows them what to
expect if they choose to follow your blog. For existing readers, a post
archive gives quick access to posts they want to revisit.
It’s not difficult to construct an archive of past blog posts either; most
blogging platforms and good content management systems have the
capability to display and list your posts. Take for example, WordPress.
WordPress has core functions, a core template, and API hooks
specifically for dealing with archives
(e.g., wp_get_archives and archives.php).

At Viget Inspire, a company blog, posts are listed and categorized per
month in their archive page.

RSS Feed
RSS started out as a simple way to syndicate content throughout the
web, though most people didn’t see the resourceful nature of the
distribution medium until recently. With blogs being updated
frequently, and with the vast amount of blogs out there, RSS has
allowed readers to keep up with new content on their favorite blogs
without having to visit them regularly to check if something’s been
posted.

With free RSS feed readers such as Google Reader, it’s easier than
ever for web users to stay current with their favorite blogs.

Having an RSS feed for your blog has become a necessity. Interested
readers will actively look for that conventional orange RSS feed icon
signifying that an RSS feed for the site is available. RSS also gives
you opportunities to cultivate a loyal following and grow your
community due to subscribers staying tuned for your updates.

Vandelay Design Blog uses Feedburner for its RSS feed.

Most content management systems will have RSS capabilities built
right in. If you’re looking for something more robust, you can use a
free service like Feedburner that has tools for optimizing, checking,
and analyzing the use of your RSS feed. If you’re a developer, build
your own RSS feed using the SimplePie PHP class.

Comment System
The benefit of blogs versus old media like print and TV is that
consumers of blogs have the unique opportunity to converse with the
content provider. From a reader’s perspective, it’s enticing to leave a
small remark or to push ideas and conversation topics further after
reading a post they like. Commenting capabilities on your blog also
bolster community building by allowing your readers to discuss the
subject of a post not only with the blogger, but also with other readers.
It empowers readers by making the reading experience engaging and
interactive. Highly regarded computer programming blogger, Jeff
Atwood, goes so far as to say “a blog without comments enabled is
not a blog.”

Coding Horror’s comments are interesting and adds value to the posts
being published.

A good publishing platform like WordPress or Drupal will have a

comment system built in. Services like Disqus and IntenseDebate can
supercharge conventional commenting systems with other community-
building features such as the ability to vote on comments, integration
with social media/networking services like Twitter and Facebook, and
the ability to view a commenter’s activity history.
Comment Spam Protection
Though this feature is primarily for site administrators and owners, it’s
also a feature that benefits users. Shady internet marketers think
(quite ignorantly, since most commenting systems will assign nofollow
rel attributes to hyperlinks posted in comments) that link-spamming on
blogs will give them a bit of link juice back to their sites for the benefit
of search engine rankings. Without any precautions against comment
spam, your comment system quickly decays from something useful to
nothing more than additional page weight. Spam comments drown out
legitimate comments and leave readers little incentive to read the
comments on a post, much less to participate.

Don’t let comment spam kill the discussions in your blog.

Make sure that your blogging platform has spam protection, not only
for your sake, but also for the sake of your community. WordPress, for
example, has Askimet. Drupal has the Spam module. TypePad
has AntiSpam.

Automated spam protection systems will block blatant spam attacks

but can’t always get everything, so you could combine manual
comment moderation with spam protection features.

Search
Aside from visiting your archives, visitors won’t have many other
options for finding content in your blog. They can use search engines
to search your site’s indexed content (e.g., Google has the site:
search syntax), but for convenience, you shouldn’t expect your
readers to use another site to locate certain blog posts.
Impressive Webs has a search feature at the top of its sidebar.

Having a search feature on all pages of your blog is a critical feature

for a proper user experience.

Social Media Integration

Content on the web is meant to be shared. Make it easy for your
readers to share your blog posts in their social networks by integrating
social-media-sharing capabilities on your blog.

Mashable has plenty of social media buttons integrated in their blog

posts.

Most social networking services have APIs that you can take
advantage of. For example, Twitter provides buttons and widgets that
you can customize and install on your blog.
Likewise, Delicious, StumbleUpon, and Facebook have similar
offerings.

Contact Method
You have to make it easy for your readers to make a connection with
you. The ability to contact a blogger is important because the human
element of a blog is what makes it appealing to many readers.
Readers should be able to reach you for questions, to make
comments they’re hesitant to share publicly, to report issues with the
site, to share tips and ideas for future blog posts, and to offer
collaborative opportunities to you.
Smashing Magazine has a contact form as well as instructions for
communicating with them.

Publishing platforms may have contact web forms built in, or at least
plugins available such as Contact Form 7 for WordPress and the
Contact Forms module for Drupal. You can also consider using
versatile third-party form builders like Formstack. Form builders make
it easy to make robust web forms and they take the burden of dealing
with incoming data out of your own web server.

And of course, email is still effective. If you’re not up for using contact
forms, display your email address on the sidebar, footer, or contact
page.
Blog Advantages,

1)Better Writer.

2)Awesome Marketer.

3)More Human.

Blog Disadvantages

1)You can fool around with your time, you need to be very systematic.

2)You have to learn lot of things and brain keeps you engaged.

3)There would less time to waste on social media

Five advantages of Professional Blogging

Being a professional blogger myself, I know the advantages of blogging.
And that’s why even after four years of my blogging career, it’s still my professional
career.
Here I’m outlining pros about why you should start blogging right away. Most of my
point is in the context of professional blogging, but if you are a part-time blogger, you
can easily connect yourself to these points.
Become your boss

Unlike any other job, if you are blogging, you don’t need to work from 9-5. You can
work at any time of the day and work with your ease.
You are your boss. You are free to do anything. You can plan your work and easily work
on it. No boundaries at all.
More Energy

This is for part-time bloggers.

Remember days when you return from your office, and you want to write an article for
your blog.
But, you can’t.
Because you don’t have any energy left. Your boss has sucked all your energy in the
office work. So you prefer to sleep instead of working enthusiastically.

Working as a professional blogging will pump up your energy, and you will be able
to work more creatively and freely.
Concentration on Work

There is no one give you orders. You can do your work freely. You can
easily concentrate on your work and write some posts daily.
You can do your work in an organized manner. Everything becomes so simple, either you
are satisfied with your work or criticizing your work.
Easily find clients

If you are providing services such as blog designing, blog consultancy or any other
services through your blog, then you can be available all the time for your clients.
You can give more and more time to your clients, and you get more time for finding new
customers.
No time limit. No frustrations.
Increase blog revenue
All the points I mentioned above leads to an increment in blog revenue. You can easily
surpass your salary. If you are lucky, you can get more and more work. You can earn two
or three times more than your day job salary.
Personally, when I left my job for a full-time blogging, I was making more from blogging
than my regular job. And now my online income has increased by 10X. However,
decide if you can spend 16 hours a day online?

 Read: ShoutMeLoud monthly Income report

Disadvantages of blogging full-time

You feel alone

This is a common problem, among full-time bloggers. They feel alone. They miss their
earlier colleagues. They even miss those people who create problems during work. It is a
very bitter truth of blogging.
You have to work alone till you struggle hard and find a new opportunity to expand your
work so that you can hire someone. Sometimes this lead to significant frustration.
Therefore, if you are planning a full-time blogging, select a partner and get a room or a
small office and work together.
Make sure you maintain a decent balance between social and internet life. Talking to
friends on Facebook or IM is not considered as socializing. You should go out and meet
friends and be a part of family.
Honestly, I find it hard to do it at times as I like to get everything done online that
includes paying bills and shopping. But, if you manage a good balance between social
and professional life, you can always move ahead to the next level.
Economy condition

I know many bloggers who struggle with their full time blogging. They love blogging but
they don’t have a fix source of income. Some choose freelance writing job for earning
money and few choose to depend on their parents to fulfill the need of money.
No work while you are ill

We are human and every human gets ill. This is tough time for those blogger who work
alone. They don’t get time to update their blog and it ultimately results in loss of blog
income and traffic. Their is no best solution of this problem.
You can either request to your friends to update your blog or you can hire any
professional writer to work for you in your bad time.
Discipline

Blogging requires discipline. Most of the bloggers don’t have a schedule while moving
from day job to full time blogging. Sometimes they work during the day and sometimes
during the night. This breaks the discipline which a blogger should have while working
online. The reason behind this is freedom and plenty of time in life to enjoy every
moment of this opportunity.
Attitude and learning:

Blogging is all about being social. You need to answer to people queries and for that
reading should be a part of day to day tasks. You need to have some basic skills like
SEO, good writing, soft skills to become an A list Blogger.
These are the advantages and disadvantages of blogging. Are you a full time blogger?
Have you faced any of the above mentioned factors? Mention your views in a comment
section.

There are many reasons for starting a personal blog and only a handful of strong ones for
business blogging. Blogging for business, projects, or anything else that might bring you
money has a very straightforward purpose – to rank your website higher in Google SERPs,
a.k.a. increase your visibility.

As a business, you rely on consumers to keep buying your products and services. As a new
business, you rely on blogging to help you get to these consumers and grab their attention.
Without blogging, your website would remain invisible, whereas running a blog makes you
searchable and competitive.

So, the main purpose of a blog is to connect you to the relevant audience. Another one is to
boost your traffic and send quality leads to your website.

The more frequent and better your blog posts are, the higher the chances for your website
to get discovered and visited by your target audience. Which means, a blog is an effective
lead generation tool. Add a great call to action (CTA), and it will convert your website traffic
into high-quality leads. But a blog also allows you to showcase your authority and build a
brand.

When you use your niche knowledge for creating informative and engaging posts, it builds
trust with your audience. Great blogging makes your business looks more credible, which is
especially important if your brand is still young and fairly unknown. It ensures presence and
authority at the same time.

Blog structure
The appearance of blogs changed over time, and nowadays blogs include different items.
But, most blogs include some standard features and structure. Here are common features
that a typical blog will include:

 Header with the menu or navigation bar

 Main content area with highlighted or latest blog posts
 Sidebar with social profiles, favorite content, or call-to-action
 Footer with relevant links like a disclaimer, privacy policy, contact page, etc.

What are the purposes having a blog?

To share their knowledge

Blogging is an excellent way of sharing your knowledge about a particular

topic to a wide audience. You can blog about any topic of interest in the world.
The main thing that determines the success of your blog is your passion.
If you are truly passionate about a topic and are willing to write on the topic for
a long time, your blog's going to be a success.

Initially, most of the bloggers who are passionate about a topic, dive into the
blogosphere to share their knowledge and showcase their expertise in the
field.

To learn and earn at the same time

The best thing about blogging is that, if you take blogging as your profession,
you could be a student for your lifetime. How sweet was that?
You learn, share what you learnt, and earn money out of it. Rinse and repeat.

You can learn about something you are interested in, share the same and
earn money. Blogging is not a work. It's fun.
It can be a profession and as well as a hobby. Blogging as a profession is
more trendy these days.

You can earn huge bucks with your blog by,

 affiliate marketing
  CPC advertising
 sponsored posts
 reviews
 direct advertising
 product creation
 plenty more

To promote a product

If you have a soft product, software or an ebook, wouldn't you like people to
buy it? The best and cheapest way to promote a product online is via
blogging. You can educate your people about the product and then make
them buy it.

Another benefit is that there's no limit to the extent of interested audience you
can reach on the internet. There will be an audience interested in every single
type of product online.

All you need to do is write content on your topic, create awareness about the
product and sell it to the right people.

Many bloggers, also blog for a particular company as their part-time

profession. Their job is to enhance the search presence of the company and
to create brand awareness.

Building relations

By blogging in a particular niche, it's easy to attract the people or fellow

bloggers who are interested in the same topic you are blogging in.

By building these relations, you can further boost your blog and share the
experience and enhance your expertise in the niche.

These kind of relations are like having friends with the same mindset as yours.
You can connect with them on social media sites; chat with them.

With this, blogging would become a less lonely journey

 Blogging as side income

Most of the people who are up to 9 to 5 jobs are not satisfied by their income.
Most of them do blogging as their spare-time hobby, and earn some bucks
out of it (ex: to pay rents, bills or travelling expenses).
Blogging would be an alternate source of revenue for them.

For these people, their blog also acts as a backup to their main job, if anything
goes wrong.

Creating an online empire

Creating and developing online assets like authority websites, niche sites and
YouTube channels are of great importance now.

Everything has become online. With the ever increasing number of internet
users and explosion in consumption of information, the demand for more and
more information has been created. That's where blogging comes to play.

Building a strong authoritative online presence and building an online kingdom

is more profitable, considering the aspects.

Creating blog brand awareness and also personal brand awareness is also a
trend nowadays.

For satisfaction

Blogging gives a sense of satisfaction that you are doing something that
involves the creative part of your brain. As it grows to be your good hobby, it
surges your feel-good hormones that gives you a sense of achievement. You
develop a good addiction to blogging.

Most of the passionate bloggers have this good addiction. Having short term
and long term goals in blogging, and by achieving them you can transform
blogging to a gamification system and feel motivated.

Bottomline
Blogging is more than just a hobby. You can learn, earn, express and help
others through blogging. It's a perfect example for win-win strategy. Blogging
is the first step for establishing an online presence, building an online empire.

Blogs satisfy the ever increasing growth of demand for quality information
online.

These are the reasons why people blog. Without any purpose, no one blogs.

If you are a blogger, I am interested in knowing for what reason you bl

What is the Purpose of a Blog

A recent post in a business forum asked the question "How can I make my blog
popular?". This got me thinking about creating something that answers the seemingly
simple question, what is the purpose of a blog and how to blog effectively.

Advantages and Disadvantages of

VLogs
Vlogging is a positive way for people to develop and create ideas of the events occurring in their lives. The
option of the comment box lets people provide constructive feedback for creators to maintain or modify
accordingly to audience preferences. Vloggers is considered a very simple concept to enjoy the freedom to
present any material desire.

A negative impact of Vlogging are Vloggers are not approaching the concept appropriate, therefore unable to
attract and retain a consistent audience. There people that strive to cause trouble and put people down. So they
will leave nasty and hate message resulting emotional instability of the poster.

What Is The Purpose Of A Vlog?

A vlog is designed to share experiences, thoughts, and ideas with an audience. It is a
form of communication which is used to engage an audience in a personal fashion.
Some creators use vlogging as a way of developing a greater connection with their
current audience, others simply find it to be a fun and creative outlet.

Why vlogs? Do they have a purpose?

Posted on February 16, 2015
There a million vlogs on YouTube if not more and are commonplace amongst young people. I’m
going to talk about the purpose and influence that vloggers particularly those made by young people.

I do believe that vlogs have huge role of amplifying views about ways audiences should be acting
and behaving. Since the internet is becoming a way of life, vlogs can contribute the shaping the
identity of audiences.

What is important, is the majority of the popular vloggers on YouTube are all positive in some way.
These young vloggers establish new representations of young people that once have been negative.
So, overall I do feel that vlogs have a purpose and that it is often positive in regards to the impact
they have on young people. Vlogs have huge social and cultural influence
Advertisements

5 ELEMENTS OF A GREAT VLOG

Adding video to your blogging repertoire is becoming more and more important for
several reasons.

Mason Jar Salad Recipe

Play Video
 It allows your readers to see and hear you.
 It allows your personality to shine through.
 SEO benefits. YouTube is the second largest search engine.
 Brands are not only welcoming to vlogs, but often WANT this to be a part of a
campaign. This is happening more and more as the internet becomes more video
driven.

1.) SOUND
One of the most important elements of a video is sound. If people can’t hear what you
are saying, they won’t watch it. It’s like trying to read a blog post with different fonts
and colors going on – clicking away will be the result if you can’t be heard.
Using an external microphone is probably the best way to get the most desirable
sound but smartphones do amazing things these day. It’s all about placement. Make
sure background noise is minimal.
And don’t forget the camera on your computer. Webcam has excellent visual and
sound quality. You just need a warm and inviting place to record, with little
background sights and sounds going on

2.) LIGHTING
Lighting for video is much the same as with still photography lighting. Natural light
is best. Facing the light makes a pleasing presentation. If the lights are behind you
then your face becomes dark, lost in the shadows. Not what you’re going for at all.
Nor do you want bright lights, like the midday sun, shining directly on you. It gives
you a very eerie look. Think Edward in Twilight. Not something we want either,
unless you’re Bella. Or a vampire.

Lighting tips:
 If you’re shooting outside – shoot early in the day, late in the day or when it’s
overcast for best results.
 If you’re shooting inside – be careful of windows and lighting. If there is
too much light coming through the window, try covering it with a white
sheet. This works like magic for your video. Remember, lighting needs to be
in front and not behind you.
 Using trial and error is a great learning tool. If it’s not the best,
make adjustments and try again!

3.) EDITING
There are several video editing programs available. Three of the most common are
Windows Movie Maker and Windows Live Movie Maker (for PCs) and iMovie (for
Macs). To make editing easy, especially when first getting started with vlogging, try
recording in small clips and piecing them together during the editing process. Add
transitions, text and music to your videos to add some entertainment, but less can
sometimes be more.
There are several tutorials available online for all three programs. Google to get
started on how to edit using Windows Movie Maker and iMovie. Or better yet, go
to Danielle Smith for some great vlogging tutorials.

4.) LENGTH
Length is another key aspect to videos. The shorter your video is, the more likely
people will watch it. 4 minutes or less is the best way to keep people watching and
coming back for more.
Don’t do a long intro at the beginning of your video. Get to the point immediately.
Use a title slate in the opening and closing of your video so that your site URL and
Twitter handle will always be shown, but will not take up a significant amount of
time. This will also brand your video and help direct people back to your site.

5.) ENTERTAINMENT
Remember that a vlog is just like a blog post, you want to engage your audience. You
don’t necessarily have to be a stand-up comic extraordinaire, but you do have to find a
way to grab their attention and keep it.
You can wow them with your mad editing skills, your fun personality, or your story-
telling ability. Whatever the case, just as we all want to read well-written posts, we all
want to watch well-done videos.
The beauty of a vlog is to let the world see the unique personality behind the words on
the blog. To watch mannerisms or hear the cute accent or southern twang (that would
be me) is a bonus you don’t get with a written post. If you need some ideas to get you
started I suggest watching MamaKat and I Make Myself the Queen. Well done,
entertaining and a wealth of learning from both of these
Now that you know the steps to create a killer vlog, get your cameras out and start
recording. And don’t forget to have fun!

WHAT IS A VLOG?
Hassaan Khan | August 5, 2016 | Vlogging | No Comments

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Vlog is a video blog that is published on the internet on any social or interactive platform. The term
“video blog” is a combination of video and blog, which many people know that these are two different
things. A video is a recorded footage or a clip, whereas the blog is all about writing and publishing
content online.
The Vlog (pronounced as wa-log, people also pronounce it as vee-log, which isn’t appropriate) is a
video that gives you a platform to talk, discuss, and share you have got to share. The coolest part is
that it all starts with the internet and technology. You would need a camera or smartphone to record it
and then basically the internet to upload to a video platform like YouTube. (You will read a lot about
YouTube, later on, on this blog).

WHAT IS VLOGGING?
Now, if you’re clear on the vlog, let’s move forward to vlogging. Obviously, when you begin to create
your vlogs and upload to the online platforms, that’s called vlogging. Some people might not
differentiate vlogging and video making (for YouTube). In fact, both vlogging and video making are
slightly different, however, you make videos in vlogging too, but let’s say, in technical YouTube
terminology, the vlogging is kind of different from regular video making. I will go deeper into the
characteristics of a vlog that will help you understand that what the vlog actually is, but before digging
deeper, I want to tell you three elements of vlogging.

3 ELEMENT OF VLOGGING
1. Platform: This is probably the basic one. It’s something where you put your vlogs online. Most
probably, it would be the YouTube because it’s the biggest videos website and second most popular
search engine in the world. In fact, it provides lots of features that help video creators manage and
portray their video content.
2. Purpose: The purpose is your WHY. What’s the reason that made you a vlogger? What’s the
biggest reason of making videos? Why would you want to make vlogs? Find that purpose and make
sure it helps others because if it is helping others, that would be the success key for you. All top
YouTubers and successful video makers started their YouTube channels with a reason behind their
back and they got huge success.

3. Style: This is something that will make your voice unique. Standing out from the crowd is the most
important thing to do. The most valuable advice for being a vlogger could be opting your natural style
instead of mocking someone else’s style or choosing something that doesn’t belong to you. The style
is something that differentiates you from others. It includes your cinematography, speaking, content
(that you talk about), areas you film, lessons you share, and value you deliver. Everything that you
present on the regular basis is your style. It would be better off if you choose more natural style
because people would find it anyway either you are being genuine with them or not. For
instance, Casey has a unique filming style. He vlogs while he is on a boosted board, he films at his
office, he regularly records his vlog during traveling. Roman Atwood is more a family vlogger. He vlogs
mostly at home as well as while they are driving, at friends & family meetups and dinners etc.

6 CHARACTERISTICS OF A VLOG
Let’s dig a little deeper into the characteristics of a vlog. These characteristics will help you understand
that what will eventually make your vlog stand out from the crowd:

#1: MISSION BEHIND IT

There must be a goal, mission, or a strong reason behind it. Alex Ikonn started his YouTube channel
when he was fired from his job and he decided to create something of his own. Then he got an idea
and now he has turned his channel into a full-fledged business. Alex and his wife Mimi got an idea
about hairstyling, so they created their brand Luxy Hair. Now, they’re quite popular with their business
as well as YouTube channel. So, what we learn from this story is that if you’re not passionate about
something, don’t start a channel about that because you would end up disliking it anyway. I’d rather
suggest finding that one special thing that you won’t quit and will always love to do in life. (Mine is
blogging, by the way. No matter how many entrepreneurial endeavors I do, I’ll always be sticking to it)

#2: VALUE IT DELIVERS

The value is the message that people take from it. If a vlog is a bit pointless and there isn’t any specific
story around it, then people might not be able to get your point. Vloggers know storytelling. They
always share their stories, personal life plans, married life, and business goals — because it makes
an attachment between the audience and vlogger. In addition to that, vloggers try to maximize their
sharing so that people find it helpful and useful, this is how they deliver value to their audience. In fact,
people either want to get entertained or learn something from vloggers. If the vlog successfully does
either of them, it generates traction and people start getting attached to it. Roman Atwood always tells
about his past that he worked at his father’s factory for 10 years and then he pursued his filmmaking
career and ended up getting a huge success on YouTube, but that didn’t come suddenly, it took more
or less 5 years to reach the level where he has around 9 million subscribers on prank channel and
almost 7 million subscribers on daily vlog channel.

#3: NICHE IN WHICH IT STANDS IN

When you define the mission of your vlog, it shows you understand what you want to achieve and
when you try to choose your niche, it shows that you’re figuring out your target market. Because your
target market is the audience that will be interested in your content. For instance, if you’re a
businessman and you think you should make vlogs on entrepreneurship guidance, you may be filming
your personal activities, but somehow everything around your vlog would be related to business and
entrepreneurship, so whenever you would think to give an advice, it might be related to the
entrepreneurship. It’s actually good for a vlog because a vlogger starts getting a specific audience that
is interested in that sort of content. Fashion and Beauty YouTubers and vloggers have a female
audience which is specifically interested in the beauty and fashion line. Take Sydney Alexandra, for
example. She does all that makeup, beauty products, and fashion outfit reviews. She does occasional
vlogs too. Your hobbies could help you find a niche, in fact, most of the times, it’s a hobby that drives
your whole vlogging strategy.

#4: TYPE OF AUDIENCE IT TARGETS

Think about this. Get off your bed and think who should you target. Who are the ones that should be
listening to you? Idealizing the audience you want to meet is something that will keep you on track.
You won’t miss out the point. For instance, Roman Atwood is more a family vlogger now, although, he
is known as a prankster, but, since his vlog channel is growing rapidly and he films with his sons,
girlfriend, dog, friends, and family, so he has a mixed audience but most of the subscribers could be
between 8 to 20. Every time he meets his diehard fan, he or she turns out to be a school kid.

#5: CINEMATOGRAPHY STYLE IT FOLLOWS

Your vlog must have some cinematographic effects and specialty which could become a trademark
for your vlog. Nikki Phillippi is known for her small clips (to explain the whole routine/day/process) and
voiceovers in her videos. Casey Neistat is known for his different camera gear usage and filming his
every tiny step during the process. You should get inspiration from other vloggers and YouTubers and
try to come up with your own style.

#6: INNOVATION IT BRINGS

Speaking of innovation, nothing could bring it better than being natural. Innovative approach while
having an inspiration could trigger the creativity and you may end up creating your own style. It’s
extremely important to create your style from a success standpoint. People don’t like someone who is
a copycat and imitates others. There is a clear difference between impersonating and getting inspired.
When you get inspired by someone, you passionately work on something of your own. That’s the
innovation you should bring into your vlogging. For instance, Adam Saleh is a popular YouTuber and
vlogger. He has a certain style of giving his vlog intro by saying a certain dialogue “Hey Guys, What’s
up? I hope you’re having an amazing day, Because I’m having an amazing day, so if I’m having an
amazing day, so you all should be having an amazing day”. What I’ve seen in past few months, some
newbie vloggers have started impersonating him with the similar kind of vlog intro dialogues. The point
is, bring something new, something of your own.

CONCLUSION
Vlogging is getting huge in 2016. It seems that it will be the next-big-thing on YouTube. Since the video
has got so much attention in 2015 and brands and influencers are confident that video is the most
important audience building and engagement strategy for 2016 and the years to come, that’s why
they’re leaning towards vlogging or video making so quickly.

It’s a fact that vlogging is incredibly important, which is why YouTube Creator Academy wrote a bunch
of best practices as well as a PDF guide for vlogging. This vlogging.pk’s article + mentioned resources
will help you understand vlogging. If you’re new to this concept, head over to the YouTube Creator
Academy page and find out more about it. You can find a bunch of vloggers on YouTube. Go check
out their channels and see what they do in their vlogs. That’s how you will learn more about vlogging.
What is Podcasting?
1. A podcast is a media file (such as audio or video files) that is downloadable
from the Internet. These can then be played back on a computer or be copied
to and played by portable audio/video player (e.g. iPod). Video podcasts are
also known as "vodcasts."
2. A key feature that distinguishes a podcast from other media files that can be
downloaded or streamed is the ability for end users to download the podcast
automatically using software that reads RSS or Atom feeds.
3. The term "podcast" is both a noun and a verb. As a noun it refers to the file
that is downloaded or streamed; as a verb it refers to the process or method of
delivering the file.

Why use Podcasting?

1. By subscribing to podcast (using an RSS or Atom feed), users do not have to

seek out files that are of interest to them. Instead they are received
automatically using an aggregator. Users can then listen/watch previously
recorded media files at their convenience.
2. Commonly used in teaching: instructors podcast lectures so that students can
listen to/view these as a review, if they missed class, or in distance delivery of
a course, as the means by which they obtain information that is podcast. Also
guest speakers who cannot come to face-to-face class can be interviewed (in
person or via telephone or VOIP service) and the interview shared as podcast.
3. Personal and professional use: users can subscribe to podcasts on a wide range
of topics (such as through iTunes podcasting library). Increasingly articles
from professional journals are available as podcasts (e.g. Educause, Phi Delta
Kappa's e-Kappan). News organizations provide podcasts of news stories, and
TV stations are beginning to podcast TV shows (for purchase by viewers).
4. Students can create podcasts to demonstrate understanding or for final project
(especially valuable in foreign language classes).

Advantages of Podcasting?

1. The automatic subscription feature of podcasts is a key advantage in ensuring

that subscribers receive the latest files without having to go to each site that
hosts media files check to see if there have been updates. This is especially
helpful when users wish to keep up with multiple sources. e.g. (1) students do
not have to check each of their course websites to see if there are any new
podcast files; instead, using an aggregator, all podcasts from all classes will
 automatically be "delivered" to their computers. (2) users can keep up to date
with latest podcasts from news and professional organizations.
2. Flexible learning opportunities: can listen/watch any time.
3. Do not have to use computer for playback --> can review audio files while
driving, walking, biking etc.
4. Valuable to students to review classes. This is especially an advantage for
students who may have had difficulty understanding what was said during the
"live" class (e.g. speakers of other languages, students with disabilities). If
transcripts of the podcasts are also made available, students can read along and
listen at the same time (note: accessibility issue: transcripts must be provided
to students with special needs who are unable to listen to the audio files).
5. Students learn through more than one modality (listen to audio files/watch
video on content as well as read course materials)
6. Audio files can easily & inexpensively be created & uploaded to course
website/blog/wiki.
7. Greatly increases access to classes, lectures, talks (educational, professional
and personal) by making these available for download to people who could not
attend the session in person (this is especially an advantage to college students
who miss lectures).

Disadvantages of Podcasting

1. Accessibility issues:
1. Transcripts must be made of files to ensure accessibility (time
consuming & costly)
2. Large file size (especially of video files) requires broadband connection,
thus making these files difficult (or even impossible) for users to access
if they have slow dial-up connection.
3. Creators need to ensure that file format is appropriate for all mp3
players (not just on iPods).

Issues & problems with Podcasting

1. Important for those who share podcasts to consider copyright issues (e.g. when
podcasting of a guest lecture, ensure that permission from lecturer is obtained
for podcasting the lecture).
2. The ease of recording talks, lectures, concerts and so on (by people attending
them) makes it possible for these sessions to be recorded with or without the
knowledge of the person who is speaking/singing and subsequently podcast (or
shared through other digital means). This raises issues of copyright.
 3. Although it is relatively quick, easy, and inexpensive to record and podcast a
lecture (or other recorded event), editing and creating high quality files can be
time consuming.
4. Instructors wishing to podcast lectures immediately following a class can do
so quickly & easily if they podcast the entire class without first editing it, but
as soon as they want to edit out parts that are not needed for the podcast (e.g.
silent time during class when students are working independently, or during
group activities), and if transcripts need to be made for students who cannot
hear or are not able to access the podcast, then this becomes a much more
complex, time consuming and costly endeavor.
5. Although podcasts can easily be made available through iTunes, iTunes shares
files in a format not accessible to all computers and mp3 players.

Emerging issues and tips regarding Podcasting

1. It is very important to ensure that podcasts are created in a format that can be
played on all mp3 players and not just on iPods.

Podcast Features
Below are a list of all of our podcast features. Think of a cool new
feature?

Overview top

Hipcast doesn't require you to download any software or store anything on your own
computer (other than a web browser). Everything you need to start and maintain your
podcast can be found on your website.

Access your Files Anywhere

You can upload, record, and manage your episodes from anywhere with internet
access. You can even record your next episode live from your local coffee shop and
post it to your podcast, without getting up!

Scheduled Releases
You can schedule any post in any podcast to be released at any time, on any day.
When it's time, our servers will automatically update your podcast RSS and notify all
the top services, like iTunes™ and Google Podcasts, that a new episode has been
released.

On All Your Computers and Devices

If you do all your recording and uploading in a home studio, that doesn't mean that
you have to manage your files there as well. You are no longer limited by the
creativity you can muster from a single location.

Stay Creative, and We'll Stay Technical

Podcasting is a creative process, and with Hipcast, that is where your work starts and
ends. Simply focus on generating content, and let us manage all the complicated
details.
If you ever feel like we're stifling your creativity, let us know, and we will do our best
to keep up with new ideas.

Podcast Hosting top

Hipcast makes it easy to start, manage, and build up your podcast.

Tons of Ways to Create Multimedia

There are many ways to get started when you're setting up your first podcast, but we
ensure first of all that you can get your media to us.
1. Record by Phone (Mobcasting)

Mobile podcasters have it easy. The only thing you need to get started is a
telephone. Simply dial our number, record, save, and your audio will magically
show up in your Hipcast Audio List. You can even publish to your podcast
directly from a phone call without even logging in!
2. Record by WebRecorder™

If you don't have any recording software on your desktop, you can record directly
from our Web Recorder. All you need is a Web Cam or a Microphone.
3. Upload your Multimedia
 For those of you that are already set on multimedia, simply upload your files, and
we'll encode them into a web format so that they can be enjoyed by everyone.
4. Use Remote Multimedia

If you have media on another service, you can use that too. We provide the ability
to create posts using remote media urls. No need to upload anything.

Hipcast is iTunes™ Ready

When you make a podcast with Hipcast, submitting your feed to iTunes™ is simple.
We supply an iTunes-ready RSS feed, and all you have to do is copy it into iTunes.
Worldwide syndication has never been so easy.

Podcast Importer
If you're moving from hosting yourself or are dissatisfied with your current hosting
provider, we can help you transition all of your media to our servers. We'll provide
you with a verification key to place anywhere in your RSS feed, and then begin
downloding your catalogue for you. It really is that simple.

We track Stats
If you're just starting out, or you found some new advertising, it's important to track
your daily popularity. That's why hipcast has a dashboard that updates you every time
you log in. We keep track of all your podcasts, as well as your most popular files and
display them on graphs that are simple to read.

Podcast Directory top

The most difficult part of creating a new podcast is trying to attract subscribers.

Let Subscribers Find You

When you start a podcast with Hipcast we take steps to ensure that you are visible to
anyone looking.

On Demand Streaming
When someone stumbles across your podcast in our directory they will be able to
listen to or watch your multimedia instantly with our web-players. They can also
browse through all of your episodes easily without downloading anything in advance.
Podcasts are all about listeners, and the Hipcast Directory is the easiest listening
experience yet!

Search Engines Love Podcasts

Search Engines crawl popular websites more often than new websites, so when you
add a new podcast to our directory, the likelihood that Google will pick it up and
index your content quickly is much higher. The more relevant your title and
description are, the more likely that you will be found by potential listeners.

Featured Podcasts
Our Silver and Gold users' podcasts are listed in the featured section of the podcast
directory automatically. This increases the likelihood that both visitors and search
engines will discover them.

Our podcast directory can be found here.

Podcast Pages top

We've set up a new way to deliver your podcast episodes to your subscribers and
potential fans without depending on iTunes™ or podcast directories.

An example of a podcast page can be seen on our Podcast Directory.

Podcast Pages for Facebook Fans

We've integrated with Facebook so your fans can be more involved than ever with
your podcasts. Once you link up your Facebook account with Hipcast, you can add a
comments section and moderate it on the fly! Learn what your subscribers want and
gain valuable input.
A sample of our Facebook integration in action can be seen on Our Facebook Page.

Simpler Podcast Distribution

The main flaw of normal podcasts is that they rely on notoriously buggy software to
retrieve. We solved this problem by making entire podcasts functional directly from a
link.

That Means Social Networking

Share your Podcast Page link in:
 Facebook
 Twitter
 Google +
 Linked in
 and more!

Physical Pages Mean SEO

Since each of your podcast episodes will have their own physical page on
Hipcast.com, they can be indexed by search engines and expand your audience
organically.

Fast Download Speeds top

Unlike many of the low budget file hosts out there, we can deliver your podcast to
subscribers at high speeds to ensure that your podcast can be listened to as quickly as
possible.

Don't Let Your Host Bring You Down

There is nothing that can kill the momentum of a podcast like long download times.
Remember, your subscribers have to download your episode first before they can even
decide if they like it.
We have amazing up-time, and consistently blazing upload speeds so you can be sure
that you aren't losing people before they even know what you're about.

File Optimization
Everything you upload to Hipcast runs through our encoders to minimize the file size
while retaining quality. Once these files are optimized (transcoded) into web
formats, they can be published on your blogs and podcasts where anyone can get
them.

Over 99.9% Uptime

Speed can only get you so far if your podcast goes down, but with Hipcast this won't
be a problem. Our architecture has been consistently stable for over a decade, and
we certainly don't plan on getting any worse!

15-minute Backup top

If you've ever had a computer crash in the past, you know how frustrating it can be to
lose all your irreplaceable media.

Keep Your Media Safe

We keep three copies of all the audio and video you upload to ensure that you don't
have to worry about losing your podcasts if your hard drive decides to quit. Our
backup process runs every 15 minutes to help ensure that we don't lose anything. In
addition, we keep two copies in our datacenters, and another in the cloud...

We're Crazy for Backups

It doesn't matter how good the quality of your media is if you don't have it, so we've
gone to great lengths to ensure that once you upload something, it's there until you tell
us to remove it. We've battle tested our methods for over a decade.

Thats What the Cloud is For

When you keep your episodes on Hipcast, they're immune to local failure. Keep
everything on the web so if you decide you need a new computer, you don't have to
install any new software. Reformat your computer at will, and we will hang on to your
old episodes.

Unrivaled Stability
Hipcast.com has been running strong and stable since 2004. You can be sure that
anything you host with us will remain on our servers as long as you're with us.
Backups and file security are our top priority.

User Experience top

Subscribers are the most important reason why we podcast, so we will never clutter up
your content with ads or promotions. That's just not cool.

No Ads Means You Control Your Content

Everything that your users hear or see comes without strings attached. Publish as
many or few episodes as you want without ever seeing an advertisement.
Although we will never insert ads into your content, that doesn't mean you can't. Our
target is for our users to have full control over what your subscribers see and hear.

Lightweight Media Players

Our HTML5 media players are compatible with 99.9% of internet users, and if your
audio file is being listened to on a iPhone, iPod, or iPad then we will make sure they
get a compatible file format. Our goal is to help our members get their podcast to
anyone, and everyone, who can enjoy it.

We Want You to be Popular!

Our goal is to enable our subscribers to get their message to the world, and we go to
great lengths to make sure that message isn't diluted by our own agenda.

Mobile Users top

Publish all your multimedia to your blogs and podcasts without even sitting down!
Once you set up your hipcast account and blog/podcast information, you can post
straight from your phone.

Podcast on the Go
Hipcast's site is optimized for small resolutions and mobile browsing, so you don't
even need an application to manage your media. Depending on your device, you may
never even need to touch a PC to publish your podcast, and our directory is fully
mobile compatible so your listeners don't have to either!

Authenticated Access top

Limit access to your podcast by username/password, or keep it internal using Network

Address Filtering features built into every podcast.

Advantages of Podcasting

Convenience
Since iPods can play back Podcasts, files can be viewed or listened to anytime,
anywhere. You do not have to be glued to a computer in order to review the files.
Podcasting can be valuable to students or employees who want follow up on
information or refreshers in order to fully understand lessons or work ideas. Students
and employees can learn through various modalities aside from reading. Audio files and
videos can be aids and supplements for studying and working. These files can be quickly
and inexpensively created and uploaded to any website. Therefore, lectures and
presentations can easily be accessed regardless of time and location, offering flexible
learning options for students and employees.

Easy Reach
With a podcast, you can easily reach your students or employees, any time. More
importantly, the information that is sent can be conveniently accessed. No more FAQs
that need to be updated. Podcasts do not have expiration dates and they can be
permanently archived.

Accessibility issues
Materials, such as transcripts, must consist of audio or video files in order to be fully
accessible. This, as well as editing and uploading high-quality files, can be time-
consuming. Large files will require broadband connection, which makes them difficult
for those users who only have slow, dial-up connections. Those who are creating
podcasts also need to make sure that the file format used will be compatible to all MP3
players and not iPods alone.

Productivity Issues
Allowing iPods at work or in school can encourage employees and students to work less.
IPods in the office or classroom can be a source of distraction. Students and employees
can be tempted to watch movies, listen to music or other audio files rather than work.
They can be sidetracked by the endless media possibilities that an iPod can provide. This
could mean less than average performance and less productivity.

Disadvantages of Podcasting

Time Consuming
Podcasting can be used by professors as a means to provide or receive information from
students. However, a disadvantage to this form of data is that the Web is such a vast
and very public space where anyone from anywhere can publish files. Therefore,
instructors and teachers have to spend time checking if the files and data published are
verified. It can be very time consuming especially for larger files. It is also estimated that
it takes 45 minutes to produce an 8 minute show.

Not Searchable
Podcasts are not always easily searchable. Although there are several search engines you
can use, it is impossible to directly search within the audio file itself. This could be a
huge disadvantage for many individuals, especially those who prefer to gather their data
by quickly scanning through the texts.

Accessibility Problems
Editing and uploading files, especially if they’re high quality files, can be quite a
challenge. Large files will demand not just a broadband connection, but a connection
that is fast enough. Using dial-up connections for uploading and downloading will
probably take too much of your time. Podcast creators will also need to make sure that
the file formats they use will be compatible to other devices and not just iPods alone.

Limiting Your Audience

Not everyone owns a mobile device. Podcasting may just divide the market and alienate
those who cannot have access to it. Some people are also just not interested in having
to download files from the Web in order to have access to them, and some will prefer
reading instead of listening to an audio file.

Distracting
Allowing the use of iPods in schools and companies can provide distractions and may
result in poor productivity. Those with iPods can easily be sidetracked and listen to
music or watch movies instead of doing actual work. Distractions for students and
employees could mean poor performance.

Question2:
Facebook and Twitter are examples of Social Networks and Media Sharing tools. By
using the concept of anytime, anywhere learning, how these tools can be manipulated
to take advantage of the passion of young people for learning by tapping into the tools.
Discuss in detail and provide example for each. Your comment and analysis must be
supported by at least THREE (3) articles. The articles must be enclosed together with
your submission. (If it is longer than 3 pages, then, you may provide the URL).

Through my analysis and from my personal comment, I found that, social networks are
one of the best tools to engage students to be more IT-savvy. Based by tapping the
tools there are more advantages which make the young people especially students to
learn and inherit it to more educational purpose. Social network could be a tool which
enables real online (and offline) collaboration between learners and presents a way to
record the interactions of learners. ••

Communication Skills
The students listed technology skills as the top lesson, followed by creativity, being
open to new or diverse views and communication skills. They will meet vast number of
people trough this social network from different countries. This make them to look
forward towards the communication skills and analyse them how good is their language
power are.

Towards Technology
Students are developing a positive attitude towards using technology systems, editing
and customizing content and thinking about online design and layout. Teenagers will
more expose to latest technology when they try to explore it.

Creative Ideas
They’re also sharing creative original work like poetry and film and practicing safe and
responsible use of information and technology. This is a very good idea because once
we post something on the wall people able to comment on their work and the result is
they will be more progressive with their work.

Tutor
Also have implications for educators, who now have a vast opportunity to support what
students are learning on the Web sites. Enable teachers to share good examples of work
with others, provide a means to track learner progress and provide a searchable history
of work completed and contribute to the overall Assessment system. Those individuals,
who would hesitate to approach an instructor for help, may find that the social network
provides the kind of support they need, whether from peers or resources tailored to
specific learning styles (i.e. video, audio, illustrations).

Messaging
Learner’s first access to email and why shouldn’t it be a high quality email experience
which a learner can keep for his/her lifetime and make it to as a medium to
communicate with their lecturer’s.

Exchange of media to accommodate all learner types.

While this is true for most digital learning support systems, it is especially true when
presented in a social network that includes a wide range of learners. The freedom to use
the medium most appropriate for each user’s learning style will enhance the success of
the curriculum.
Application
Mobile apps and tablet apps which integrate with the network, pulling and pushing
content to/from the network. Can be accessible from a mobile device and we should be
encouraging our learners to make use of these incredibly powerful devices in class

Chat/Video Conferencing
We are able to chat with our teacher who is online and discuss about tomorrow’s topic
or which implement from Anywhere/Anytime learning.

Restrictive emulation of the traditional training experience

Social networks reflects the relationships traditionally shared in a learning situation,

between student and trainer/educators, between one another, between the students
and the material itself. This is much more conducive to social exchange and interaction
than email or remote learning systems have been in the past.

Discussion/news feed
Here we able to discuss about latest hot news in town. Recently we had an earthquake
in Japan. This discussion board act as a tool to help and relay news about latest
phenomena happening there.

Familiar platform for many learners to operate within

As Social Networks like Facebook and MySpace grow in popularity, that paradigm is
familiar to users and becomes less daunting when applied to a learning situation. Similar
to the way many early iterations of software used the conventions standardized by
Microsoft in its Windows operating system for their interfaces. Users were familiar with
their function and could understand their meaning transferred.
 14 Features Your Podcast
Website Needs – TAP256
FEBRUARY 16, 2016 DANIEL J. LEWIS AUDIO 0:52:15 2 COMMENTS
1x

 14 Features Your Podcast Website Needs – TAP256

0:00
...

Apple PodcastsAndroidGoogle PodcastsDownloadSpotify
How your website functions is highly influenced by the features you add with plugins
and coding. Here are my general recommendations for podcast websites.

1. Podcast players
Your podcast website needs to be as easy as “Visit website; press play.” Your site’s
design makes the players prominent, but the plugins or embed code are what put a
player on your site.

Here are the podcast players I like best for WordPress.

 PowerPress players (free)

 Simple Podcast Press
 Smart Podcast Player
 PodcastPlayr (coming soon)

If you’re not on WordPress, or you are okay with pasting code in each post, then
consider these embeddable players that work anywhere HTML and iframes are
accepted.

 Libsyn’s embeddable player (included with your account)

 Spreaker’s embeddable player (included with your account)
Choosing a podcast player for your website is a commitment. Consider how easy the
player is to integrate with your existing tools, what kind of workflow it requires, and
whether it is templated and retroactive.

2. Backup
Keeping your site and information backed up is crucial. I think it’s even more
important than security because if your site is compromised, you could still restore
from a backup.

You can manually backup your site by copying folders and exporting your database.
Your web hosting company may provide regular backups (but understand what their
policies are before you rely on them!). If you’re running WordPress, my favorite
premium backup solution is BackupBuddy.

3. Security
Security is important for your site and your audience. Ensure your web host takes the
appropriate measures to keep the server secure. Managed hosting providers (such
as WP Engine) will also keep your site secure.

You can use a plugin like WordFence or iThemes Security Pro to protect your
WordPress website.

But remember that security starts with you! Use secure passwords, don’t install
questionable themes or plugins, don’t click on malicious links, don’t give out your
admin password (if a trustworthy company legitimately needs access to your site to
fix something, make a temporary admin account for them). In other words, be smart;
don’t be dumb.

4. Contact information
You need to be accessible enough that someone can contact you from your website.
This should be at least a contact form (I recommend Gravity Forms) or email address.
There are more ways you can be contactable, but start with the essentials and add
what you’re comfortable sharing.
A vital place you should double-check is the email address listed in the
<itunes:email> section of your RSS feed.

Out of 320,000 rss feeds going to iTunes, 42,000 feeds contain 1 of 25 email contact
addresses from podcast providers that have more than 500 feeds submitted to iTunes.

Which means 42,000 Podcasters can never be contacted from the email address in
their podcast feed. This means they will never get notices from iTunes when there is
an issue with their feed, and with syndication providers.

So whose email address is in your podcast feed?

—Todd Cochrane [source]

The biggest offender is SoundCloud. If you use SoundCloud’s RSS feed for your
podcast, check your content settings and ensure “Email address displayed” is set to
your email address.

5. Social-Sharing
Make your content easy to share by including social-sharing
buttons. Appendipity themes already include these, or you can add basic buttons to
any WordPress theme with Shareaholic and other social-sharing plugins. But my
absolutely favorite social-sharing plugin is Social Warfare, which allows me to
customize the images and text that go to Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and even
Pinterest!

6. Search-engine optimization
(SEO)
Make your podcast findable with quality SEO. While some WordPress themes include
SEO features, I recommend Yoast SEO (formerly WordPress SEO by Yoast). This
maintains your SEO if you ever switch themes.

Make sure whatever is generating your podcast RSS feed also gives you control over
the SEO.
I’ll talk more about search-engine optimization in my next episode about website
optimizations.

Learn more about SEO for podcasters in my complete course!

7. Stats
What do you know about how people consume your content and how many there are?
This what stats are for. Google Analytics is really easy to integrate with any kind of
website.

For podcast stats, use Blubrry Podcast Stats or host your media on Libsyn.

Podcast and website stats will be worthless if you don’t integrate them properly, so
make sure you follow the instructions!

8. Speakable URLs
If you ever need to refer to something on your website, it’s easiest if you have a
familiar and speakable URL. For example, these show notes are accessible at
TheAudacitytoPodcast.com/websitefeatures. You could use episode numbers, names,
topics, or other keywords. It’s most important that your spoken URLs be memorable,
relevant, and unambiguous.

I love Pretty Link Pro for making all of my speakable URLs. The Pro version makes it
faster and easier to create additional URLs for my pages and posts. Plus, the Pro
version can automatically hyperlink customizable keywords with my own links. For
example: HostGator, TextExpander, Spreaker, Appendipity. Those were turned into
links automatically with Pretty Link Pro.

9. Speed
While thinking of the features your site needs, don’t forget to keep your site fast!
Reduce the number of images, optimize your image file sizes and resolution, and
remove unnecessary plugins.
 Listen to my past episode about speeding up your website, and I’ll talk more about
website speed in my next episode about website optimizations.

10. Engagement
How much engagement you allow is your own decision to make. Many of the
following methods can be enhanced or added with plugins.

 Feedback
 Post/episode comments
 Forum
 Real-time chat
 Polls and surveys

11. Search
If your content helps people with things (and is not only for entertainment), you may
need the ability for people to search your website. WordPress has a basic search
widget you can add, but you can get a lot better results and enhanced features
with SearchWP.

But search will be almost pointless if you don’t have searchable content. Ensure you
write some basic show notes and use tags on your site to build relationships between
similar posts.

I talk more about “internal SEO” in my SEO for Podcasters course.

12. Podcast RSS

There are reasons you may want to host your own podcast RSS feed, as well
as reasons you may not want to host your own podcast RSS feed. If you decide to host
it at the same place where you are managing the rest of your content, then you need a
plugin to make that podcast RSS feed possible.

PowerPress is the only podcasting plugin I recommend for WordPress users. Some
others may be okay, but PowerPress has the stability, maturity, features, and quality
support behind it that you can rely on.
 If you’re on a content-management platform that doesn’t provide good podcasting
tools, then consider using FeedBurner with SmartCast. (Otherwise, avoid the
SmartCast feature. It and stats are what make FeedBurner horrible, unreliable, and
sometimes damaging to your podcast.)

13. Email opt-ins (optional)

Growing an email list is vital for online businesses, but having an email list also
provides many benefits for regular podcasters.

It’s best to offer an incentive for people to join your email list. Consider these
different ways of providing the opt-in form.

 Embedded form—You can get the code from your email service provider, or use a
form plugin like Gravity Forms.
 Offsite link—Make a simple icon, link, or button that takes people to your email
service provider’s hosted form for joining your email list.
 Intelligent opt-ins—Use LeadPages, OptinMonster, or Rapidology (free
from LeadPages) to make smart and ethical popups, buttons, and more features that
are scientifically proven to get more opt-ins. I use LeadPages and I’ve grown my
email list more than 1,000%!

14. Monetization (optional)

If you choose to monetize your podcast, you may need features on your site to make
podcast-monetization possible.

Here are some recommendations if you’re going to keep your monetization on your
own site (as opposed to using off-site tools).

 Donations—Use a simple PayPal button or get more advanced with Gravity Forms.
 Selling—Easy Digital Downloads and WooCommerce are the most popular
WordPress ecommerce plugins. You may also need a security certificate for your site
if you accept payments on your site.
 Affiliates—I love Pretty Link Pro for easily promoting my affiliate links,
and EasyAzon Pro for easily making internationalized Amazon affiliate links.
 Affiliate program—If you sell stuff, have you considered offering your own affiliate
program? I recommend AffiliateWP for that.
 Display ads—If your site receives a lot of page views (more than 100,000 per
month), you may wish to monetize with display ads from Amazon CPM, Google
AdSense, and such. I recommend AdRotate Free or AdRotate Pro to manage those
ads.

Identifying a purpose for your podcast

Podcasts may provide an opportunity to record and share digital copies of experiences or events
in your world. They may be a weekly show in which you discuss current events with a colleague.
It may be a short, informal piece of content in which you identify science misconceptions,
classroom management tips, or research from your field. In any of these circumstances, you most
likely already conduct these discussions with a colleague or friend. Podcasts are usually
conversations that happen to take place in front of a microphone.

Try and identify in a sentence the purpose of your podcast. What need, or pain point will your
content fill? What is the goal of this podcast? Having a clear, identified, granular purpose will
help you as you get started.

That being said, I should also indicate that there may be multiple reasons why we create and
share content. Sometimes we help fill a need for another individual or group. You might provide
news or a service to the community. There are also times that you serve your own needs and
document your thinking over time. You may choose to record and share your synthesis of the
week’s events in a given field to help you curate and synthesize your own thinking.

In many ways, this is like the process we engage in when we write. You may write for yourself.
You may write for others. You may make your purpose obvious, or keep it to yourself. I believe
that identifying the purpose of your podcast, you have a goal to keep you focused as you create
and share. You should be aware that your purpose will most likely change over time….but I
believe that you should have a starting point.

Podcasts are becoming very popular as a new storytelling medium to spread ideas and your
message online. In this series of posts, I’ll detail everything that you’ll need to know as you get
started in the world of podcasting.
We spent some time in our first post understanding, subscribing, and listening to podcasts. This
post will take that thinking a step further and discuss considerations you should have as you
prepare to record and share your podcast.

As our world becomes increasingly digitized, there are opportunities for us to create digital
copies of events that previously only existed offline. I believe that educators need to identify
opportunities to create digital copies of all teaching and learning materials. These materials need
to be captured or developed with the purpose of making them easily sharable online. You might
also create these materials and consider opportunities to allow other to interact or annotate your

content…but that is a talk for another day.

I believe that you should identify opportunities to record, produce, and share your own podcasts
online. Before we get into the finer details of how to do this, let’s examine why you would want
to get started.

The Best Features of Google Drive

(And How to Use Them)
Part cloud service, part productivity must-have, and part private social network...
February 19, 2016

Since Google Docs became Google Drive, you can do far more than just create documents
online. Even though some people use the two names interchangeably, Drive is part cloud service,
part productivity must-have, and part private social network. The list of things you can do with
Drive is nearly unlimited, but these seven features will at least get you started.

7 Features to Use on Google Drive

Get started on the Drive…

Getting Into Google Drive

All you need is an email account to get started with Google Drive. Download the app for your
computer, Android, or iOS device for free. You can also access Drive online via your Google
account, or set up a new account using the Create Account link on the sign-in page.
Backup Everything With Google Drive

Cloud storage services are a must for ensuring you never lose irreplaceable photos or files. You
can even save Gmail attachments straight to drive. Drive serves as an easy to use and
inexpensive cloud backup solution.

When the service was just Docs, all you could backup were documents. The first 15 GB are free
and it’s only $2/month for up to 100 GB with plans ranging up to 30 TB for $300/month.

Download the Google Drive app on your device and drag or add any files to the Drive window
that you want to backup. This syncs the files between your device and account. Even if you make
changes to the file on your desktop, the changes are synced as long as the file stays within the
Drive app.

From Drive in your browser, click the red New button to add new files or create new documents.

Use Google Drive for Streaming Music

Want to stream music online, but prefer your own collection? Simply sync your music library
with Google Drive. Not only does this backup your music, but you can stream your music from
anywhere there’s an Internet connection.

Follow the same process as if you were backing up your files. You can drag and drop your entire
Music folder to make things easier. You can also stream straight from the Chrome browser by
setting up the DriveTunes plugin. You’ll likely want to pay for more storage, especially if you’re
backing up photos to your account.
Convert PDFs to Text

Sometimes you need to do more with a PDF file than just read it. Drive has a built-in PDF
converter. Want to edit the text or turn the file into a fillable form? Drive has you covered.

Right-click the file you want to convert, choose Open With, and select Google Docs. Resize the
blue border that appears so it contains just the text you want. You can then edit it within Google
Docs.

Do More With Docs in the Drive

Google Docs used to be a slimmed down version of Microsoft Office, but now, it’s even more
powerful. Drive has updated the free productivity suite and added new features, such as voice
typing, better templates, form creation, and built-in research tools.

To access any of these features, open or create documents in Google Docs, which can be
accessed from Drive.

Get Creative With Google Drive Apps

On its own, Drive is incredibly useful, but it’s even better with apps. Google Drive has numerous
apps available to do anything from edit an image to converting a video. Each app allows you to
add even more functions and features to your Drive account.

Login to your Drive account and visit the Chrome Web Store. Find the app you want and click
Add to Chrome. You’ll need Chrome for these, but these apps allow you to pull and sync files
from Drive, such as editing photos stored on Drive.
Share and Collaborate Via Google Drive

The most obvious feature of Drive is the ability to share and collaborate with others. While Docs
allowed you to share documents, now you can share photos, PDFs, music, and more.

In this vein, you can use it as your personal social network. Share photos just with family
members or create an online journal for you and your friends to contribute to. Just right-click a
file to change the permissions to share just what you want with only the people you choose.

9 hidden features of Google

Drive
Learn Drive's secrets to get the most out of Google's
cloud service.

Google Drive lets you sync files on PCs, phones and Google's servers.
Google

I use Google Drive every day. I use it for work. I wrote this blog post in
Google Docs, in fact. I use it at home, whether using Sheets to map
out the summer schedule for my kids, or adding to my ever-expanding
folder of recipes -- it makes it easy to share favorites with friends or
access needed ingredients on my phone when I'm at the grocery
store. It's hard to imagine my digital life before Google Drive.

I've used Drive long enough that I've discovered a few hidden gems
along the way that make Google's cloud service an even better tool.
Here are nine features that I use that might also help you.
Watch this: 3 ways to get more Google Drive storage for free
1:04

Kick photos out of Recent view

I turn to Google Drive's Recent view to find the documents I'm working
on this week or this month. Or, I did before I started using Google
Photos to back up photos on my iPhone. Now, photos clog my Recent
view, rendering it largely useless. I wish Google would give me an
option to exclude photos from my Recent list of files, but until it does,
you can use this workaround.

In the search field, enter -jpg and all of your photos will be filtered out,
letting you browse the files you've recently created or edited. You can
use this workaround in Google Drive on the web and the mobile app.

Turn on Quick Access

This new feature adds a belt of thumbnails across the top of the My
Drive view that give you, well, quick access to recently modified files.
(And, thankfully, it doesn't include photos like the Recent view does.)
You'll find a line for Quick Access in Drive's settings. Just click the
box for Make relevant files handy when you need them and then
refresh the page.

Filter your searches

This one's hiding in plain sight. In the search box at the top of Google
Drive, there's a down-arrow button along the right edge. Click it and
you'll get a panel of search options to filter your search results. If
you've used Google Drive for years and have accumulated a large
library of files, then these search options are hugely useful to narrow
your results. You can filter by file type, date modified and owner. For
shared documents, you can filter by someone with whom you've
shared a file. And so you don't leave someone hanging, you can also
filter by files that have an action item assigned to you or have
suggestions waiting for you in a file.

Send links to files instead of

attachments
There's a little Drive icon at the bottom of Gmail's compose window. It
lets you attach files you have stored in Drive or simply send a link. For
Google Drive formats -- Docs, Sheets, Slides and so on -- your only
option is to send a link to the file. For other file types -- PDFs, Word
docs, images -- you have the option of sending them as an attachment
or a Drive link, which lets you share files larger than Gmail's 25MB
size limit for attachments.

Quickly clear formatting

You've got a few options for clearing the formatting for text you paste
into Docs. You can highlight the text and select Normal text from the
toolbar at the top. Or you can go to Format > Clear formatting. (For
the latter, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-\, or Command-\ for
Mac.) You can avoid the format-removal process by holding down
Shift when you paste text. Yep, Ctrl-Shift-V pastes without any
formatting.

One-tap phone backup

Want to back up your phone's important data to Drive? You can! And
with a single tap. On the mobile app, go to Settings > Backup and
choose what you want to back up -- contacts, calendar events or
photos and videos (or all three). Just tap the Start Backup button to
get rolling. It'll likely take a while, so you might want to start the
process overnight. Your phone will need to be plugged in and
connected to Wi-Fi.

Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET

Back up folders on PC or Mac

With Google's Backup and Sync app, you can back up the contents of
your Mac or PC -- or just selected folders. And you can go the other
way and sync the files you have stored on Google Drive to your
computer for easy, offline access. Check out how to get started with
Google's Backup and Sync app for instructions on how to start
backing up and syncing your files.
Comment directly on Microsoft Office
files
Earlier this year, Google added the ability to comment on Microsoft
Office files, saving you from needing to convert a Word doc, for
example, to a Google Doc in order to comment or using a Chrome
extension. Now, you can open a Word doc, Excel file, PowerPoint
presentation and the like and add your comments directly to the file.
Your comments will show up whether your collaborators open the file
in Google Drive or in the applicable Microsoft app. To add your
comment, click the add comment button -- it looks like a square
speech bubble with a plus sign inside it. Why can't we all get along as
well and Google and Microsoft when it comes to commenting on files?

Set up offline access

Need to work during your commute or other times when you are not
connected to the internet? No problem. Google Drive lets you access
your files when you are offline, and then it'll sync your changes when
you get back online, but you must do two things first to set up offline
access:

 Install the Google Docs Offline extension.

 Sign into Google Drive, click the cog button to open Settings and
then check the box in the Offline section for Sync Google Docs,
Sheets, Slides & Drawings files to this computer so you can
edit offline.
Best feature of Google Drive
Posted by: Jacob on October 5, 2016 Under: Cloud Storage |

Cloud storage service is used in every household and business organization at present and it is up to the
user to decide on the features they want from a cloud storage service provider. There are a lot of cloud
storage companies and it is quite difficult to choose the most suitable one. Individuals and business
organizations should go through the following article and understand the various features offered by
Google Drive. This enables them to evaluate the services offered and further come to a conclusion on
whether or not they would go for Google Drive. Features provided by Google Drive is comparatively far
better when put to the test against other cloud storage providers.
Data storage
Google drive offers a standard 15GB of storage space for free to all the users. Gmail users can store all
their email communications, attachments, photos and videos directly on to the Google Drive storage
servers without any fuss. Users are also offered with a variety of other storage plans. Subscribers can
choose a suitable storage plan depending upon their need.
Different file storage
Microsoft office files can also be stored in the Google Drive safely. Businesses can save their
presentations and other project documents on the Drive under high security. Employees and businesses
can communicate and execute their business without any hassle with the help of Google Drive. All types
of files and data can be stored in the Google Drive, which is one of the important benefits as users need
not worry about the type of files they possess.
Collaboration
Files stored in the cloud are kept confidential and it is up to the user to decide on whether to share their
files online or not. Users can share their files with their loved ones and this allows others to edit and
comment on the file shared. Invitations can be sent in a swift manner and likewise, the invitees could join
their closed ones without any trouble. Online collaboration is probably one of the best features provided
by Google Drive when compared to all other cloud.
Data security
Data stored in the cloud is stored under high quality security and protection. Security to the files stored in
the cloud is very important. Secured Socket Layered online protection is offered by Google Drive and with
the help of this, the user can protect their data stored in smartphones and tablets too. All Google services
use SSL encryption to protect the data.
Gmail attachments
Most of the individuals and business organizations use Gmail accounts and Google Drive offers excellent
platform for users to store their email attachments and documents on to the Drive at ease. In the
attachment, the user could find the Google Drive logo and with just a click, the user could send the files
they want on to Drive.
Google Drive search
Drive also provides ease of accessibility to the user by providing a search feature which enables users to
find the files they need from the cloud by just entering the keyword. All the documents corresponding to
the keyword would be displayed and the user could choose the file they need from the list.
Google Photos
Users can store all their personal photos on the Drive and give them a new life with the help of Google
Photos. Google photos can be used to perform expert editing, animation settings etc. without having to do
anything. Users can transform their pictures completely.
Chromebook
Individuals and businesses that use Chromebook are provided with a built-in Google Drive application.
Every new Chromebook purchase comes with a standard 2 year free storage plan of 100GB and the user
could store all their files and photos on to this platform. Automatically all the files and photos of the user
would be uploaded directly on to Google Drive.
Application development
Google Drive subscribers can make use of the application platform to create or make changes to their
PDF files, documents, spreadsheets and Power Point slides on the move. By this way the user could
save a lot of time and money.
Google Forms & Drawings
This feature enables users to create surveys or instruction forms to their team roster and then get results
in the form of a spreadsheet. Google drawings help users in creating charts and diagrams at ease. Flow
charts created with the help of Google Drawings can also be used to incorporate the flowchart on to other
files that have been stored in the cloud. Google Drive also provides various other applications and the
user could download any of these applications from the Chrome Web Store.
Scanning and offline operations
Google Drive can also be used by Android users to scan all the paper files. Important documents such as
statements, receipts and other documents can be scanned and stored instantly on to the cloud. An active
internet connection is necessary for surfing the files stored in the cloud, but in case of Google Drive, there
is an option to Work Offline. Users can make use of this option and gain access to the files stored in the
cloud offline too.
File versioning
Google Drive also uses file versioning system that assists users in seeing older versions of any file. Files
versioning is maintained for every single file stored in the cloud for a period of 30 days. Users could track
the changes performed on the file and also can find the date and time at which the change was
performed
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Google Drive
Posted onSeptember 19, 2019AuthorLee Hoong4 Comments
Google Drive is like a server or place where you can store all your files and data into it
safely. You can store all your files such as videos, photos, Google Docs, PDFs and etc. It
can be managed by either individual or joint venture, both parties can manage the files
in a joint project.

8 Advantages of Google Drive

1. Access your files everywhere

Google stores your files in their server and you can access them no matter where you are
as long as you are able to access to internet.

2. You can edit and make changes to the files

Google Drive gives you instant access to Google Docs, a suite of editing tools that allow
you to edit and make changes to your files.

3. Able to access with various devices

You can simply access to Google Drive and access your files anytime and anywhere as
long as you have a device on hand with network, it is access-able with various devices
such as PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

4. Easy to search your files

Google Drive has the feature of searching by keyword and filter by file type, you get your
files very quickly. Even though your file is an image file, you can also search the word in
the image file.

5. View any types of file

Google Drive can opens any types of file such as HD video, Adobe Illustrator and
Photoshop, there are up to 30 file types in your browser. The best thing is that you don’t
have to install or own this file type in your PC.

Related Reading: How To Start Your Own Wedding Photography Blog

6. Share your files with your friends

It has the feature which you can share your files to your friends with just a few simple
click. You can set the permission where your friends can either view, edit, comment on
your stuff, or all of them.
7. Open discussion
You can create and reply to comments to get feedback and make files more
collaborative, it can be done by commenting directly on the files.

8. 5GB Disk Space and It’s FREE!

You can get started with 5GB of disk space, it’s free! You can store everything you want
with this 5GB of disk space, you can choose to upgrade to 25GB for $2.49/month,
100GB for $4.99/month or even 1TB for $49.99/month. When you upgrade to a paid
account, your Gmail account storage will also expand to 25GB.

Disadvantages of Google Drive – My Personal Thought

Google Drive is a powerful file storage tool, it has countless advantages and I believe
that it might has disadvantage as well.

1. Hackers hack or remove your important data

One of the disadvantages that I think might happen will be the hackers who hack or
remove your important data, or they install virus into your server and your files are
gone. You may have some confidential file such as financial statement or cash flow
which you need to share between you and your partner, these files might be dangerous if
3rd party can hack and view it too.

Yes, Google is strong and it should has powerful anti-virus or security system to protect
the files, but sometimes it may happen, who knows. Google Drive is still new and the
number of users are not huge, therefore the problem may not be occurred yet, but the
problems will arise one day later when the number of users increases day by day.

Related Reading: 5 Health Affiliate Programs for Wellness Bloggers

2. Uploading and Downloading Speed

Another disadvantage that I foresee will be the uploading and downloading speed, when
millions of user are uploading and downloading together, the speed will be slow down.
Still the same word, Google Drive is new and the number of users is not huge yet, it may
happen shortly, I believe that will be very soon.

Google Drive is an online files storage service that gives you 15GB of cloud storage for free.
You can use it to create documents and store, share folders and files with other people.
The Google Drive is used for syncing files between your Google drive online and your
computer. It also allows you to share files, documents online through your pc file system by
right clicking on a document in your pc Google drive folder

This business app allows you to:

 Access your work anywhere, anytime

 Upload and share files
 Works across operating systems
 Security

Google Drive is a free cloud-based storage service that enables users to store
and access files online. The service syncs stored documents, photos and
more across all of the user's devices, including mobile devices, tablets and
PCs.

Google Drive integrates with the company's other services and systems --
including Google Docs, Gmail, Android, Chrome, YouTube, Google
Analytics and Google+. Google Drive competes with Microsoft OneDrive,
Apple iCloud, Box, Dropbox and SugarSync

What is Dropbox?
Dropbox is a file hosting service that allows files and folders to be saved and shared through the
cloud.
What is the purpose of Dropbox?
The purpose of Dropbox is to allow access to files from any device through a secure login. Files
can be uploaded to the Dropbox folder on one device (i.e. a desktop) and accessed on another
device (i.e. a laptop). Users are also able to share folders or subfolders and their contents with
others, if they enable file sharing
Here are 12 of the best features you may have never noticed in Dropbox before.

1. Share Screenshots Quickly

2. Add Comments to Files
3. View Any File Without Installing Extra Software
4. Edit Microsoft Office Files Online for Free
5. Use Selective Sync to Save Space
6. Favorite Files to View Them on Mobile
7. Go Back in Time With Previous Versions
8. Keep Your Files Safe
9. Find Everything You're Sharing
10. Back up All Your Pictures to Dropbox
11. Customize Your Dropbox Notifications
12. Be The First to Get New Features
13. Bonus New Feature: Request Files via Dropbox

Advantages of Dropbox
The main advantage of Dropbox is that it is completely free. There are no upfront
charges or any additional charges once you start using the service. When you register
for a Dropbox account, you automatically get 2 gigabytes (GB) of storage space. This
is a good amount of storage space. However, there are methods that you can use to
increase the space without paying a single cent. These methods include sending fan
mail about Dropbox, connecting your Dropbox to social media as well as inviting
family, friends and other people to join Dropbox.
Dropbox is extremely convenient. It is easy to use and one can learn how to use it
very quickly. You can access Dropbox by connecting to the Internet. On the other
hand, you can simply download the application on your smart devices and your
computer. Thus, you can simply open the application and upload or download files.

Dropbox is designed such that you will be able to access the latest version of
every file. As such, if you update a document using your smart-phone, you can
download the same updated document using your computer. By using the application,
you bypass the need for a browser.

You can share files using Dropbox. To accomplish this, all that you need to do is
place the files in a folder that is designated for sharing with specified users or the
general public. In addition to this, Dropbox is an ideal platform for backing up
information. This means that if your computer crashes or your smart-phone is lost,
you can easily use Dropbox to access all the files that were in them. This saves you a
headache.

Disadvantages of Dropbox
One of the disadvantages of this service is that the administrators or developers who
maintain the service have the right to delete information from free, inactive
accounts. This means that if you store some information on Dropbox and abandon the
account for a few months, it is unlikely that you will get it after you log back on.

Also, there are serious concerns about the security of Dropbox. There have been
various cases of servers being hacked and information stolen. Thus, one would want
any sensitive information stored on Dropbox to remain secure. Currently, the
encryption used to secure user data on Dropbox is only known to the developers.
Users are not allowed to perform encryption on their information before uploading it
on Dropbox.

Introduction to Dropbox
Dropbox is a cloud-based productivity tool built for individuals and a team

that enables them to save and store documents or files or pictures across the

cloud and the same can be shared with others as needed.

The best thing is that it offers an amazing suite of storage and sharing

capabilities. It is also known as online backup service because all our files

which are needed important to keep back up to those important files and to

ensure that we never lose those files permanently, preferably store in more

than one place, we use the dropbox. This comes free of charge.

Dropbox Hosted in cloud, to use dropbox is not complicated just you need to

download the app on your preferred device ( the app is available for all

platform, for example, Windows, Linux and Macintosh desktop operating

systems even apps is for iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android devices.), next

step is to create an account, and start sharing content as required. It is like you

synced local storage with dropbox account data, data will always available to

you, even offline can use them.

The Key Features of Dropbox

In brief if we can talk about its features which are any device accessibility,

Automatic updates, Automatic organization and back-up, File storage, Efficient

syncing, File sharing, Large file sharing, Offline access, Manually set
bandwidths, Online back-up and file recovery, Simple link-sharing via chat,

email or text message, Preview and download lastly security.

1. Free Storage
It provides free storage up to 2GB and 100 GB on various for-fee plans. The

350 GB free storage for Teams provides by dropbox.

2. Encryption Security
The most important feature is the security, while we are sharing the most

confidential files it is important to share securely, so dropbox uses the 256-bit

AES encryption security to share files.

3. Extend Storage
It provides an option to extend the storage space upto 100 GB based on pay

cost.

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4. Access
All stored files can be accessed anytime and from anywhere, because Dropbox

stores all files on remote servers and can access via the internet.

5. Security
It stores all the files securely and only the authenticated person can give

access with the help of using user name and password. you wish to by using a

password and username.

6. Backing up Data
As the Dropbox stores all data and files remotely, while you may need to back

up, it backs up instead of storing everything on your computer.

7. Sharing
Another best thing is you can share files with others. To share the files with

others we need to place the files in a dropbox folder that is designated for

sharing with specified users or the general public.

8. Tool Availability
The tool is available for all the platform like windows operating system, Linux

operating system, and Mac operating system. The dropbox tool is even

available for the android operating system platform as well.

9. Share Screenshots Quickly

Screenshot feature reduces the work for screenshots, we no need to take a

screenshot, no need to drag them into Dropbox, and no need to copy the

share link. Just we need to enable the screenshot-sharing feature on your Mac

or PC.

10. Add Comments to Files

As we know Sharing a Dropbox folder is very easy, just right-click on the folder

or file, which we decided to share and invite people to join our folder or

another way is to just share a link to peoples of the file. Now with the help of

the commenting feature, we can add comments to the shared files such as

using email or chat to discuss your changes to the file. And this way we can

easily keep the conversation about our files in the same place.

11. Edit Microsoft Office Files Online for Free

The dropbox’s feature integration with Office Online is a free basic version

of Microsoft Office that runs in your browser by which we can open and edit

Office files from Dropbox, without installing a copy of Office.

12. Use Selective Sync to Save Space

Dropbox users can select the most important files to save or sync by using the

Selective Sync feature of dropbox.

13. Go Back in Time with Previous Versions

By mistake, if we save the file by different versions to recover it we can backup

the file/s to its Previous Version with the help of the Previous Version feature

of the dropbox.

14. Find Everything you’re Sharing

All our shared history we see just by opening Dropbox.com and select

the Sharing or Links button in the left sidebar.

15. Back up all your Pictures to Dropbox

The Carousel feature of a dropbox where we can see all the photos you’ve

uploaded, based on the date and location which is organized into sharable

albums.
16. Customize your Dropbox Notifications
As we share and comment on a lot of files, Dropbox’s email and push

notifications can get overwhelming, but no problem dropbox notification can

be customized and we can turn on or off email and push notifications.

17. Request Files via Dropbox

The Dropbox new feature FileRequests is a simple tool that enables the user to

send a request for files from others and have them automatically show up in

your Dropbox folder.

We can create two types of account into dropbox that are Professional and

Business Standard, which increased storage space officially for customers,

which allows to save and host the most important files. The Professional

account holders of dropbox will get a 2, 000 GB (2 TB ) of storage and shared

space, whereas the Business Standard teams account will get a 3, 000 GB (3 TB

) of storage and shared space, which help the business to simplify their task

easily.

How to Use Dropbox?

To work with dropbox or to use the dropbox the first step is to download and

install the dropbox associated application, once the dropbox is installed and

after we login, we can see the Dropbox folder. We can use this folder to save

all important files to the folder, drag and drop the system files from folders

just as we do with the local storage, we can add folders, we can delete files or

folders, etc. The Files which we saved into the Dropbox folder with an Internet

connection can be accessed from anywhere. Just in short we need to login to

our account and upload files, download any files and any share files.

How to Share a File?

For sharing a file, first, we need to upload a file into the dropbox folder and

then generate a URL from the Dropbox website and share the generated URL

with others to whom we want to share the files. The others to whom we share

the files they also should have a dropbox account and sign up to access the

files or folder. The shared files or folders show up in the folder system of the

recipients, they can access and can make changes to shared files. Dropbox

enables us to store and share files of all versions. Dropbox is broadly used in

IT, post office, bank, libraries, and video stores, etc.

Advantages
Advantages of the Dropbox are as follows:

 Work without Limits – Without eating up our hard drive with Dropbox

Sync, we can keep all our projects at our fingertips.

 Free up Desktop Space – All our desktop data photos, files, videos and

all can be uploaded to dropbox directly from our desktop and delete

them off from the desktop to free the desktop space. By doing this we

will get more space to store the other data.

 Free up Phone Space – All our phone data photos, files, videos upload

to Dropbox directly from our phone and delete them off from the phone

to free the phone’s precious space.

 View any File without Installing Extra Software – The file preview tool

of the Dropbox is actually one of its more handy features. If we want

feedback on an Adobe file, and the rest of our team members doesn’t

have Adobe installed then no worries the Dropbox can preview all

different types of file, so the only and only one software required that is

browser.
 Present Large Files – In an enterprise or its sector, the large files need

to be sent to a client for review. With the other services like Gmail and

others, we cannot send such large files, but with the dropbox service we

send large files and even without downloading special software with any

web browser anyone can mark up previews. And if we have a

Professional plan, then we can share files as tailor-made presentations

with the help of Dropbox Showcase.

 Keep Our Files Safe – The best advantage is that we can keep all our

files safely and when required we can take them.

 Community – The community of dropbox is one of the best things,

which creates your shared file and when the system available file we

edited, all who are having the credentials will receive an instant

notification when the updates have been made and also will be able to

see it. This kind of community communication, discuss changes and in

teams need to edit a file as team work these all can perform at a

minimal cost.

 Automatically Backs up Camera Photos – The automatically backs up

camera photos make Dropbox unique which automatically backs up

camera photos from our mobile or computer device. Just we need to

sign in, automatically all camera’s photos and albums stores in

chronologically and can back up them when we need where ever need

we can take the backup. If by mistake we delete files from the system,

we have the option to recover them, and 30 days undo history. This is

another way of data security precautions.

What are the advantages and
disadvantages of using YouTube ?
BY HEBA SOFFAR · PUBLISHED JUNE 9, 2015 · UPDATED NOVEMBER 10, 2019
YouTube is an excellent platform for personal use such as sharing videos with
friends & family , It’s not intended to sell the products and the services , It is a
popular video sharing website that open to the public , YouTube videos will
appear in both YouTube & Google search engines , You can get your brand that
get to millions of views , You can introduce your company & the benefits of your
products and they are all free .
YouTube advantages
YouTube is free , there are no fees to pay in using YouTube , So , You should not
worry if you are starting out and experimenting on its use , You can practice and
test your own creative ways on doing videos and see how the market reacts for free
.
YouTube allows you to associate your Google Adsense account with it and give
you an opportunity to earn the money from your uploaded videos , If you don’t
have already Google Adsense account , It allows you to create new Google Adsense
account with your YouTube profile .

YouTube

Using YouTube to reach the media is cheap and easy , It will show any video , The
service is clean and clear , You can stay up to date with the new videos
at YouTube , It has easy rating and feedback system , It has Privacy features , safe
browsing and quick access to various videos .
YouTube has a wide variety of videos & the infomercials , Expressing your
creativity through YouTube is a major benefit and you can get a good deal of
information to many people in a short amount of time .
YouTube is easy to use even for those of who have no computer skills at all , You
need a video recording device such as a web cam , video editing software or a
camcorder , You will be uploading , and sharing videos in no time .
YouTube is easy to share , You can share videos with friends and family
in Twitter , Facebook or send the video through e-mail to the friends , You can
attach invitation links to have your viewers conveniently subscribe as well , You
can also blog about it and then embed the YouTube video on your website .
You can contact other YouTube users easily , You can get fame over the internet
world , There are millions of videos are viewed per day on YouTube as per
YouTube statistic , So , If your videos are genuine and interesting, people would
like to see more uploaded videos on your channels, The people would recommend
your channel to other peoples over Internet .
If you own a website , you can get back-link from YouTube by creating YouTube
profile page and add your site link to there , If you are making videos related to
your articles , You can get quick PR 8 backlink to that article
because YouTube has PR 8 .
Disadvantages of YouTube
If you have made popular channel , you need to edit your YouTube videos and add
some video interference to it like the annotation , The video editing program you
need to buy and learn it or hire a person with video editing skills , So , You need
to pay him the salary for it .
The maintenance costs like the digital cameras, hiring skilled person, investment
for buying some costly instruments all require the money, You have to spend your
own money until you get payment from YouTube .
YouTube is public , So , anyone can see the videos that you post , Anyone can post
a video , There could be copyright infringement issues , And there could be issues
of privacy invasion .
If the children can access YouTube , you probably need a parental block , Some
videos can sometimes be inappropriate without warning , There is violence on
some of the videos , There are explicit videos and the teens are recording violence
to post on YouTube.
Your account will be disable or flagged , If you are copying anyone’s video or
making video that do not comply with YouTube terms and conditions , your
YouTube profile might get flagged or your Adsense account can also be banned ,
So , It is better to make video with own idea instead of implementing other ideas .
You must have the original content or have the explicit permission of the person
who creates the content to include it in your video , You must own the copyrights
and distribution rights for all audio and video content that you upload
to YouTube .
YouTube has a vast amount of rules that need to be adhered so that your
partnership can maintain a good standing , The amount of rules restricts some
aspects of what you can do in terms of optimization and design on your page .
YouTube Partners must not direct the user attention to the ads via the arrows or
other graphical gimmicks and they must not place the misleading images
alongside the individual ads .
The money is the first thing that wanted by everyone as if you are making videos
you need the money to buy the expensive cameras , You need to pay the
electricity bills and the internet bills , So , without the money you can not do
anything .

Advantages of YOUTUBE

YouTube is same as other site which has the advantages and disadvantages. For the good side or advantages side of
YOUTUBE there are benefit to all gender and ages.

1. In education YouTube help in term of provide the video of teaching and learning for the students to get the
knowledge from the professors in another part of the world.

2. The students are able to access to the sources of learning anytime anywhere they want without any payment.

3. Provide the chance for all the learner to study with the high professional teacher especially for those who have
no chance to go university.

4. There are many skill people who upload their video and we can learn from their skill.

5. YouTube is the very wide classroom for teaching and learning which we can save our time and budget.

6. It is a biggest source of study which easy to understand by the video such as video on how to make up, video
on how to cook, video on how …etc.

7. YouTube is place that we can get all the kind of entertainment such as music, movies, game show and many
more which we can release our stress and enjoy.

8. It is a big digital library which has both image and sound.

9. YouTube is a site with we can playback all the video which help people to not miss the interesting video
 10. YouTube is also benefit to spread the religion which we can access to our Uztaz in other country.

11. It is the place that everybody can promote their skill, their talent and there are many people become famous by
uploading their video on YouTube.

12. As we know that YouTube is a video sharing site which everybody can enjoy thus the world will become small
and smaller and the people is learning from each other.

13. There are plenty of knowledge in YouTube which the young age can enjoy the entertainment and education
while there are adult who need more skill in work can improve their skill, the couple age can learn how to be prepare
to be parent and old age can enjoy their god movies and song from many year in the past.

14. It is a place that all kind of video that we have such as accident video, attitude video and other more that we can
get the precedent.

15. Some of the video in YouTube help those who hopeless to be more hopeful.

Disadvantages of YOUTUBE
YouTube is one of the two-edged sword which one side is good and another side is bad but it is depend on the
purpose of the user if they use in the wrong ways there will get back the bad feedback and if they use it in the good
way they will earn the good feedback as well.

1. YouTube is a free site which sometime the young generation will get the bad example from the video.

2. There are many pirated movie and song spread in YouTube which effect to the copy right issue.

3. There are many uncensored or sexual harassment clip which is not suitable for the young age user.

4. There are many video which spread the wrong believes that is dangerous to follow such as eating Mentos with
carbonated drink.

5. Because of the freedom of uploading video there are many video was uploaded by another people and it effect
to the whole life of the owner.

6. There are many contents foster to use violence to the young generation or to the country.

7. Some skill that was spread vie YouTube will use in wrong purpose by those robber or terrorist.

 HubPages»
 Technology
The Advantages and Disadvantages
of YouTube
Updated on May 27, 2017

PGupta0919
more

Contact Author

Youtube Logo | Source

YouTube
YouTube is a video sharing website that was founded in the year 2005. Today, it has become so
popular that everyone, from students to housewives, is using this amazing website sharing and
viewing videos. In fact, people are now making and sharing useful content on the website as full-time
jobs. People can earn from YouTube as people view the videos and advertisements.

Here are some advantages and disadvantages of YouTube.

Advantages of YouTube
It is a great way to set up your own channel and share the content with the world. It provides a
platform to engage people in what you want to show.

Free Learning Source

You can learn a variety of things from YouTube, like never before. There are so many tutorials
shared on the website, from different food recipes to DIYs. So, one can acquire new skills and
discover new things.
You can discover so many new things from YouTube. One can follow YouTubers from all over the
world and can be exposed to so many different cultures that they have not been able to experience if
not for YouTube. I didn't even know Daylight savings was a thing until I was watching a English
Youtuber’s videos. Crazy right?!
Free Sharing of Content

The sharing of content is free of cost. So if one wants to start, they can easily experiment with the
website due to this advantage. If you have a website, you can generate video content to go along
with it, thus benefitting you.
Association of Google AdSense Account

YouTube allows you to create a new Google AdSense account, in case you do not have one and
you can also associate your existing Google AdSense account with your channel allowing you to
monetize your videos.
Easy Access on Mobile Phones | Source

Access Anytime, Anywhere

Another advantage of YouTube is that one can access it anywhere and anytime. Unlike TV where
your favorite shows are broadcasted at set times, on YouTube, the content is available 24x7.
A Place for Everyone
YouTube is a place for everyone. You can find videos that cater to all kinds of audience. From anime
& k-pop bands to the niche community of mukbang (which is a popular trend in which the host eats
large quantities of food), there is something for everyone.

Access to a Large Audience

YouTube gives you an opportunity to showcase your creativity and content to a large audience. If the
quality of your work is really good and your videos are unique, you can get millions of views on your
work.
Showcase your Talent
It is a great platform to showcase your talent. Many YouTubers in different fields have done big
projects and gone a long way. Justin Bieber, the popular Canadian popstar, also started his journey
from YouTube.

Entertainment for All

YouTube is an entertaining hub. You can find all kinds of videos here: from short skits to animated
videos for your amusement.

Disadvantages of YouTube
Like the two faces of a coin, there are some disadvantages too for YouTube. Having said that,
YouTube tries its best to overcome its challenges.

Cost for Making Videos

YouTube has become a very competitive market & is turning into a business where each day
someone better is coming up with better content than you. To stay relevant and keep up with your
peers, there are costs to maintain the quality of your videos like the costs of camera equipment,
hiring skilled people such as video editors. You have to splurge from your own pocket until you start
earning from YouTube.

Copyright Infringement Issues

YouTube is a public platform, open to all. Anyone can access your content. With growing audience,
there could be copyright infringement issues. Also as a YouTuber, the privacy becomes a threat.

Explicit Content
Videos on YouTube can be inappropriate for children. There is violence on some of the videos as
well as explicit content is also a common sight.
Rules and Regulations

There are a number of rules and regulations that need to be adhered to, on YouTube which can
sometimes pose a threat to the creative expression of a creator.
Constant Access to the Internet

To view the videos, one must have a continuous access to a functional Internet connection. With that
you will be unable to view the content.
YouTube is a social networking site for creators to share their video content on. Today it has around
81 million videos (approximately) on the website and has over a billion users. It provides a very user-
friendly platform to share one's creativity and thoughts with the world for the same reasons, it has
become immensely popular today.
Here’s a quick look at the new YouTube features:

1. Improved Comments
While comments are welcomed, junk comments are a distraction the majority of users, if not all
don’t want to see when viewing videos and sharing with like-minded people. The new ranking
system is designed to lower the visibility of junk comments for a cleaner layout.
According to Kiley McEvoy, product manager at YouTube, this has resulted in lowering the rate
of dislikes by more than 36 percent across YouTube.

2. Subscriber Notifications
With billions of viewers watching videos on YouTube every single day, it is safe to say there
extremely loyal followers who love their channels. Content creators can use the new subscription
notification feature to let their fans know they have uploaded a new video.
Fans will have access to opt in and receive notifications through their mobile and email every
time a new video is published. Say good-bye to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

3. New Types of Cards

Promoting your content is one way of ensuring you will keep your current users, and you
increase the number of new viewers. The new types of cards will make it possible to promote
other content, sell merchandise, raise funds and more.
The first card is the Channel card, which will let you link the videos you create to other channels
so you can share them with people you collaborate with. This interlinking can increase your
presence by introducing your content to viewers you might have not considered in the past.

4. Easier Access to the Subs Feed

The subscription feeds lets creators see who is making the effort to watch the content that is
being produced. The new sub feed will make it easier and faster to get to the subscriptions feed
and update the YouTube mobile app.

With so many metrics available to measure user engagement, it will be possible to give priority
or loyal customers personalized service to ensure they continue watching.

5. A Faster, More Useful Creator Studio App

With mobile continuing to increase as the preferred medium for consuming video content, the
company is working on improvements to the Creator Studio app.
Creators will have more analytics tools to gain valuable insight for making informed decisions
on how to better interact with their viewers and optimize their channels. This includes new
notifications for taking action.

6. Video Management on the Go

Video is the mainstay on YouTube, and improving its functionalities is crucial. Based on the
request of users, content mobility management now has two new features. The first one is the
ability to update custom thumbnails from your mobile device and the second one is, the option to
enable or disable monetization on your videos, no matter where you happen to be.

7. 360-Degree Videos
This is one of the coolest new YouTube features. New video capturing devices such as GoPro
and drone based recording means a 360-degree can add a new dimension to the content we view.
The recently added 360-degree feature lets the viewer see everything that is taking place at a
particular location. If that is not enough of an immersion experience, YouTube is also working
on adding 3D.

8. Better Live Streams

Live streaming is not only for video content. Entertainment, gaming, learning and more are part
of the delivery system. Content creators, whether it be video, apps or games, will now have an
easier time of setting up and managing their live streams.
The company also announced its upcoming YouTube Gaming app, which will give gamers a
chance to take the improved live stream technology for a ride.

9. New Creator Community

As a social platform, YouTube thrives on the community of users it has created. This is
responsible for the success it currently enjoys. The new Creator Cummunity will be a new online
forum to encourage collaboration, share advice and give the company feedback on how to
improve products and service.

10. Updated Creator Academy

An undeniable fact about the Internet is the way it has democratized education. Users from
around the world can now access free classes from Harvard to Stanford and almost everyone in
between.
The Creator Academy added more than 50 lessons and features designed to find the lessons you
want learn more quickly. It also makes personalized recommendation on what to learn next.
YouTube says some of these new YouTube features will be available in a matter of weeks, while
others will be released throughout the year after all the tweaks are finished.

The 10 Best Unknown Features of YouTube

by Neil Davidson | Aug 5, 2014 | Video Marketing, Youtube | 0 comments
YouTube is a name that triggers immediate recognition, which is hardly surprising given that the site
now boasts more than 1 billion unique users per month.

That’s mind-boggling enough, even without the knowledge that over 50% of those unique users will
watch one business related video per week, 80% will remember any online ads they watch, and
75% will visit a marketer’s website after viewing an online video.

With statistics like that, mentioning YouTube as an essential marketing tool is a bit like telling a
carpenter that hammers are really in right now.

However, in a world where marketers are uploading more videos than ever before, cutting through
the noise means not only using YouTube, but learning YouTube’s lesser known features. If you’re
serious about rising above the competition, integrating some of the following will help give you that
edge.

1. Audio Library
The emotional impact of music is well documented and when music, visuals, and a strong story work
together, the results can be stunning. A great example is the current video for Greenpeace, which
uses the music of Radiohead to underscore their ‘Save the Arctic’ campaign.

Irrespective of your thoughts on Greenpeace or Radiohead, there’s no denying this video makes a
powerful statement.

Of course, you may not have the budget to license music at that level, and that’s where YouTube’s
Audio Library comes in. Audio Library allows you access to royalty free music and sound effects,
and they’re free to download. For an idea of the genres on offer, check out this trailer:

Or have a play here.

2. Live Streaming
YouTube Live is where social media and video marketing combine, giving you the capacity to form a
real-time bond with your online audience. This feature shouldn’t be used flippantly, as it’s exactly
the same as hosting a company event, and YouTube will only let you stream if you have 1000+
subscribers and a good grounding.

Qualifying criteria aside, with the right planning, messaging, and equipment, live streaming has the
potential to be one of the most powerful marketing tools you’ll ever use. For an excellent breakdown
on how YouTube Live works, and some tips on how to get the most from it, check out this article.
3. Fan Finding
YouTube Fan Finder may have a cute name, but it packs serious clout if you want to attract people to
your content. In a nutshell, Fan Finder is free YouTube advertising, targeted at what the site believes
will be your key audience.
The feature gives you up to five ads and, provided they make the grade, YouTube will use its
algorithm to target users.

Make sure your ad has similar impact to the ones featured in this article, as all Fan Finder ads are
played as a TrueView ad, and you know how ruthless people can be with that “Skip Ad” button!
4. In Video Programming
This feature is designed to drive brand recognition, by allowing you to embed a thumbnail of your
logo or associated video, in any videos you upload. Consistency is the key to good online marketing,
and this is a great tool for keeping you at the front of your audiences’ mind.

All you need to do is visit the Video Manager page, select InVideo Programming from the Channel
Settings page, and upload your watermark. Transparent logo’s work best, as you don’t want to
distract from your actual video. For more detailed instructions, this video will help:
5. Captioning
Many video marketers ignore captioning, figuring it’s only useful for the hearing impaired or foreign
language subtitles. However, as this explainer video demonstrates, a YouTube study shows that
simply adding English language captions can increase views by up to 4%.

Captioning also helps search engines to find your videos, as it adds more text metadata, allowing
your video to rank higher on query searches.
6. Improved Comment Management
There’s nothing worse than spending time on a video marketing campaign, only to have it damaged
by negative comments. Conversely, disabling your comments altogether may stop you from
maximising the impact of positive comments.

Thankfully, YouTube has recently introduced a streamlined comment management system that will
allow you to sort comments for review. With this improved functionality, you can quickly remove
negative comments, thumb-up positive ones, and get back to creating content.
7. Associated Website Annotations
As YouTube marketing becomes increasingly sophisticated, savvy marketers are moving away from
heavy-handed calls to action. As well as engaging viewers’ emotions through effective storytelling,
such as the campaigns featured here, annotations give you the option to layer text, links and
‘hotspots.’ You can also link to your company website. An emotive story, combined with strategic
and interactive annotations, can make for a heady mix that is hard to resist.
8. YouTube Creator Studio
In today’s mobile world, the chances of you being tied to a desk are increasingly slim. To respond to
this, YouTube have designed the Creator Studio. While all of your functionality still exists, Creator
Studio allows you to access statistics, respond to comments, and receive channel performance
notifications from your Android device.

More information is available in the video below, and don’t despair if you use Apple, because
YouTube has promised an IOS app in the very near future.

9. Fan-Made Subtitles
Every marketer dreams of their video going viral, but how about viral to a truly
international audience. Fan-made subtitles feature, means your campaign could be reaching
audiences you’ve never imagined. Basically, fans of your campaigns can submit subtitles, helping
your audience grow organically. That’s a lot of potential market to attract!
10. 48 and 60 Frames Per Second (FPS) Video Playback
This feature is aimed at gamers, but is a boon for video marketers too. With more people watching
YouTube on large screen HD televisions, the clarity offered at 48 and 60 FPS, allows for
unprecedented emotional and psychological impact. YouTube have only released examples of
60FPS, in a gaming environment but it’s well worth watching in HD, to get a taste of the clarity you
could be harnessing for your next YouTube campaign.

YouTube is a free to use service and a can be a great space for teens to discover things they like. For many
young people, YouTube is used to watch music videos, comedy shows, how to guides, recipes, hacks and
more. Teens also use the video-sharing service to follow their favourite vloggers (video blogger), subscribe to
other YouTubers and celebrities they are interested in.

YouTube is all about getting visitors to stay and consume video after video so that they can
see ad after ad. According to one small study, conducted by Phil Nottingham of Distilled,
only 0.72% of viewers of YouTube channels with URL’s in the description clicked thru to the
linked site. What that tells us is, if you are trying to get people to come to your website,
YouTube might not be the answer you were looking for. After all, 99.28% of viewers are
watching a video and moving on with their lives, according to that data.

Don’t think of Youtube as a pile of videos waiting for your video to be added to it. Think of
it as a social media network where each user has a ‘channel’. Whatever videos you upload to
your account are added to your channel’s programming. If the only thing on your channel
are an assortment of commercials for your company or product, nobody is going to want to
watch it …unless of course your product is a really cool robot. Other than that, would you
watch a TV channel if it was all commercials about the same company?

YouTube is great if you have a video that has viral potential because it’s amazing or funny,
or if you have a series of videos that will teach or entertain your target market and your goal
is to build a following of subscribers. Think of how you use YouTube. Would you click on a
video that is called ‘Rose’s cafe -the best coffee in town’? Well, you might like coffee, but
you probably didn’t go on Youtube hoping to watch a commercial about it. Take a look at
what is trending for a clue as to what sort of video content is most interesting to YouTube
users. You won’t find commercials …unless they are amazing and have an eye catching title.

The Purpose of YouTube

by Dr. Hamad Al-Majid | Mar 31, 2009 | Opinion |
Political leaders, celebrities, and entertainment figures are full of anger at YouTube’s ability to climb their
walls and expose their secrets to hundreds of millions of viewers around the world.
In 2005, the idea of this useful but harmful website was launched when a group of friends had a dinner party
and filmed some scenes which they wished to share with their friends. They were unable to send these videos
via e-mail due to the low upload capacity of e-mail at the time, and so the idea for a website where video files
could be uploaded and shared crystallized, and only a year after the website was founded YouTube ranked fifth
in the list of most visited websites.
This interesting website – which contains the world’s largest [online] library of video footage – is the number
one means of publicizing scandal, exposing secrets, and shedding light on people’s private lives. It is a website
that can best be described as one with a diverse range of content, ranging from the useful, to the most useless
and superfluous content. Despite the various beneficial contributions, this internet website has become the last
refuge of every slanderer, scandalmonger and gossip. In the past anybody who wished to spread slander or
gossip had to spend time and effort to do so, and in the end such gossip would reach tens or even hundreds at
most. However now, it is only seconds and a mouse-click away before scandalous material can be viewed by
the entire world, from the islands of Japan in the East to the shores of California in the West.
In our Arab world, despite the [religious] pressures in Islam against unveiling other people’s secrets, our Arab
society is one that most enjoys hearing scandalous news, and spreading gossip. It goes without saying that this
enjoyment would further increase if the scandal revolved around a famous political, entertainment, or sporting
figure. These gossips and scandalmongers have found an easy means to publicize their gossip and slander
which is via the YouTube website. What is painful in this regard is that some of these scandalmongers justify
their actions on the grounds that the celebrity in question has committed a sin, such as committing adultery, or
drinking alcohol [and so a scandal is their just deserts]. However these scandalmongers do not distinguish
between those who commit these sins publicly, and those who commit them clandestinely. Originally, Islamic
Shariaa Law helped to protect a Muslim and conceal their sins, as was advised by Prophet Muhammad
[PBUH] when he said “Whosoever protects a Muslims sin, God will protect [his sin] in this world and the
next.” There is also the story of the Prophet’s companion Ma’ez who confessed to committing adultery [and
was sentenced to death by stoning], the Prophet [PBUH] told a man named Hajjal of the Aslam tribe “Had you
covered him with your cloth, it would have been better for you.”
And so the excuse is uglier than the sin itself, for the motivation behind disclosing such secrets can be blind
sporting fanaticism, such as the case when the subject of gossip is a member of a rival, club, town, country, or
tribe. However this does not justify exposing any perpetrator of sin, unless he commits this sin overtly.
Another significant issue is that people never imagine that those who commit adultery or drink alcohol might
have any faith in their hearts, and they may say, how dare this person – who did good deeds- do such and
such? But this is also wrong, for good believers may sometimes be led astray by desires. Some of the prophet’s
companions committed adultery, such as Ma’az, and the woman from Ghamid, while another companion No’
man Bin Omar was found guilty of drinking alcohol, while he was being punished it so happened that a man
cursed him for his weakness, but the Prophet said “Do not do this, for he loves God and his Prophet.”
Therefore YouTube should not be used for this purpose.

Vimeo is a video sharing platform that was launched in 2004 by a group of filmmakers.
Since then, the platform has grown to over 80 million creators — most of them artists in
film, animation, music and other works of art — who’ve been able to use Vimeo as a
way to share and promote their work.

It differs largely from YouTube because of its “artsy” distinctiveness. That’s not to say
that artists shouldn't promote their work on YouTube, because they should if their
audience is there.
Making Videos for Vimeo
Here are some of the cool features Vimeo offers to its content creators:

 Uploader: Select a video file to upload from your computer, Google

Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or Box account.
 Enhancer: Vimeo will help you add a music track from its music catalog to any of
your videos, many of which are free to use.
 Collections: Add your favorite videos to your own portfolios, albums, channels
or groups.
 Video School: Vimeo has a section completely dedicated to showing you
tutorials and lessons on how to create the best videos.
 Music Store: Browse through all of the music tracks available that you can use
with your videos and put them together using the Enhancer tool.
 Creative Commons Videos: Vimeo has a section of users’ videos that are
Creative Commons licensed, meaning that there are certain ways you can use
them legally for your own work.
 Video Stats: See how many plays your videos get, which videos are played all
the way through and all your comments at a glance.
 Tip Jar: Vimeo recently introduced the “tip jar” for content creators, which allows
them to accept small cash payments from viewers who wish to tip you in
appreciation for your work.
 Sell Videos: This feature is for upgraded members only, which allows you to sell
your own videos as part of Vimeo's On Demand feature.

What You’re Supposed to Do on Vimeo

Simply put, you upload your own creative videos for others to enjoy and browse through
the available videos on the platform to watch ones from other creators. Anyone can like,
comment on or share a video. You can also add any video to your Watch Later list or to
a Collection you've made.

Because Vimeo is regarded as more of a professional network of artists, the community

is much more appreciative of the content that gets shared there, resulting in kinder and
more useful discussions compared to YouTube. Depending on the video (and
audience), you might notice a big difference in the comments left on a video on Vimeo
compared to the same one uploaded to YouTube.

Advantages of Vimeo
Vimeo's approach has some clear differences from YouTube's. You have to pay for an account if you
use it for business, but you get a higher-quality environment in return. This can be especially helpful
 in B2B situations. At 170 million monthly viewers, Vimeo certainly isn't small except by comparison
to YouTube.

 Vimeo doesn't run video adverts. Nothing will interrupt your video, so people are more likely to
watch it all the way through.
 A paid business account offers a lot of value. You can store up to 5 terabytes of video, and you get a
good set of analytic tools. You can customise your channel with your logo and colours.
 Privacy settings give you detailed control over who can see your videos. Among other choices, you
can password-protect a video or specify which accounts can view it. YouTube gives only public,
unlisted, and private options.
 You can set up a Portfolio in your account, with your own branding and domain name.
 Vimeo has a reputation for better quality. It promotes staff picks rather than whatever is getting the
most views.

Disadvantages of Vimeo

 Visibility is lower than YouTube by all measures. It has a smaller audience, fewer views, and lower
standing in Google's search results.
 You can't accept ads to sponsor your videos.
 Vimeo imposes limits on the total amount of storage you can use. How much you get depends on the
plan you choose.
 What is tik tok?
So, tik tok is a mobile app which allows the user to make a short clip of their own face. Music
will be played in the background and the creator should act like that music and the speed up,
slow, and you can use filter also to make your video attractive. And you can record for 10 or 15
seconds of video then you can publish that.

Advantages of Tik Tok:

Let’s talk about some advantages of tik tok also. So it is mostly used by people for fun. They are
making short videos and share it with their followers for getting comments and like and they
want to famous by this tik tok app. It seems very enjoyable and amazing if you use it when you
are free. Therefore, there will be a variety of background music and the people will act only. So
it has a lot of advantages I shared with you which I have seen and observe them.

Disadvantages of Tik Tok:

I have told you the advantages of tik tok. So, it is time to tell you about the disadvantages of tik
tok app. People are wasting their time for making such a useless video and they think that they
will be famous no you are wasting valuable time. I think it is very shameless for those who are
making the video in order to be an actor. And it does not have any good because they are hitting
the book, education, jobs away. I request to don’t let your child use delete it from there because
in order to read the books to get information so that they will be open minded. So it was all my
experience which I shared with you guys.

What is Tik Tok (formerly musical.ly)?

Tik Tok (formerly known as musical.ly) is a social media platform for creating, sharing and discovering
short music videos, think Karaoke for the digital age. The app musical.ly was used by young people as an
outlet to express themselves through singing, dancing, comedy, and lip-syncing. The app is now called Tik
Tok, complete with a new logo, has all of the same features as musical.ly and allows users to create videos
recorded in 15 seconds or less and share them across a community. The Tik Tok newsroom states:
“TikTok incorporates the most popular elements of both apps with a feed that highlights the users’ community,
in addition to a “For You” feed that uniquely serves a curation of personalized video recommendations based
on viewing preferences. The app will also introduce new upcoming features including:

 A “reaction” feature that allows user to react friends’ videos directly from the phone
 Enhanced creative tools like interactive gesture filters unlock features such as funhouse mirror
camera effects;
 VR-type filters that can be activated just by blinking;
 Green screen-like background effects”
Are There Any Age Restrictions?
UPDATE: Under the new E.U General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Ireland has now set the
Digital Age of Consent to 16 years old. This means young people under the age of 16 in Ireland are not
allowed to access this platform.
How to Create an Account?
Users, or formerly known as ‘musers’, can either sign up using their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or email
account.

Why Do Teens Like it?

Tik Tok (formally known as musical.ly) is a fun app that allows teens to
create and share videos with their friends.
Since the early days of social media (in particular on YouTube,) lip-syncing videos have proved a popular
form of user-generated content among teens. The popularity of TV shows such as Lip Sync Battle has also
helped drive interest in this type of platform.
Teens also enjoy competing in the different challenges which can be entered via the trending hashtags on the
app. The app has a very dedicated, young community of users. For many of these users, gaining likes,
followers and getting their videos featured on the app are important priorities. Creating and sharing their
own content is now a big part of how teens spend their time online. Teens are moving away from being
spectators online to becoming content creators. This app can be a really creative way, fun way for teens to
express themselves and create their own social content.

How Does it Work?

Like most other apps and social networks, users can follow other users, like and comment on other
users’ videos. Teens can send emjoi’s to their favourite singer on Tik Tok/ Musical.ly.
Users can select the song they wish to use in their video first, then record themselves miming along to the
music. Alternatively, users can record their video first and then select a song. The app has lots of ways to add
more fun to user’s videos, for example, there are options to shoot in slow-mo, time lapse, fast forward, filters,
effects or even play the song backward etc. Once users are happy with their video, they can post it to their
followers and share it on other social networks for example; Messenger, Vine, WhatsApp etc. There is also a
duet feature which allows you to connect with another user and lipsync together.

The search tool allows users to view other videos. Users can also view content under the trending hashtags and
submit videos using these hashtags (similar to how Instagram works). The hashtags are also used to submit
videos for challenges – for example; #Lipsncychallenge, #Comedychallenge, etc.
Tiktok is a social software that lets you share your life with the tiktok app, where you can
also recognize more friends and learn about the anecdotes.

Tiktok is essentially a short video community dedicated to young people. Users can choose
songs with short videos to form their own work. Tiktok users can make videos more creative,
rather than simple-to-mouth, by making video effects, VN video APP video editing, and
special effects (repeat, flash, slow motion).

Tiktok is generally a young user. The soundtrack is mainly composed of electronic music and
dance music. The video is divided into two groups: dance school and creative school. The
common feature is that they are very rhythmic.

The TikTok mobile app allows users to create a short video of themselves which often feature music
in the background, can be sped up, slowed down or edited with a filter.[31] To create a music video
with the app, users can choose background music from a wide variety of music genres, edit with a
filter and record a 15-second video with speed adjustments before uploading it to share with others
on TikTok or other social platforms.[32] They can also film short lip-sync videos to popular songs.
The app's "react" feature allows users to film their reaction to a specific video, over which it is placed
in a small window that is movable around the screen.[33] Its "duet" feature allows users to film a video
aside another video.[34] The “duet” feature was another trademark of musical.ly
The app allows users to set their accounts as "private". Such accounts' content remains visible to
TikTok, but is blocked from TikTok users who the account holder has not authorised to view their
content.[35] Users can choose whether any other user, or only their "friends", may interact with them
through the app via comments, messages, or "react" or "duet" videos.[33][35] Users also can set
specific videos to either “public”, “friends only”, or “private” regardless if the account is private or not.
The “for you” page on TikTok is a feed of recommended videos to you based on your previous
actions on the app, consisting of what kind of content you've liked. Users can only be featured on the
“for you” page if they are 16 or over per TikTok policy. Users under 16 will not show up under the “for
you” page, under sounds, or under any hashtags.[36]
Users can also add videos, hashtags, filters, and sounds to their “saved” section. This section is
visible only to the user on their profile allowing them to refer back to any video, hashtag, filter, or
sound they've previously saved.

In Get informed, Parents

Explained – What is Tik Tok (formerly

musical.ly)?
 What is Tik Tok (formerly musical.ly)?

Tik Tok (formerly known as musical.ly) is a social media platform for creating, sharing and discovering
short music videos, think Karaoke for the digital age. The app musical.ly was used by young people as an
outlet to express themselves through singing, dancing, comedy, and lip-syncing. The app is now called Tik
Tok, complete with a new logo, has all of the same features as musical.ly and allows users to create videos
recorded in 15 seconds or less and share them across a community. The Tik Tok newsroom states:
“TikTok incorporates the most popular elements of both apps with a feed that highlights the users’ community,
in addition to a “For You” feed that uniquely serves a curation of personalized video recommendations based
on viewing preferences. The app will also introduce new upcoming features including:

 A “reaction” feature that allows user to react friends’ videos directly from the phone
 Enhanced creative tools like interactive gesture filters unlock features such as funhouse mirror
camera effects;
 VR-type filters that can be activated just by blinking;
 Green screen-like background effects”
Are There Any Age Restrictions?
UPDATE: Under the new E.U General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Ireland has now set the
Digital Age of Consent to 16 years old. This means young people under the age of 16 in Ireland are not
allowed to access this platform.
How to Create an Account?
Users, or formerly known as ‘musers’, can either sign up using their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or email
account.

Why Do Teens Like it?

Tik Tok (formally known as musical.ly) is a fun app that allows teens to
create and share videos with their friends.
Since the early days of social media (in particular on YouTube,) lip-syncing videos have proved a popular
form of user-generated content among teens. The popularity of TV shows such as Lip Sync Battle has also
helped drive interest in this type of platform.
Teens also enjoy competing in the different challenges which can be entered via the trending hashtags on the
app. The app has a very dedicated, young community of users. For many of these users, gaining likes,
followers and getting their videos featured on the app are important priorities. Creating and sharing their
own content is now a big part of how teens spend their time online. Teens are moving away from being
spectators online to becoming content creators. This app can be a really creative way, fun way for teens to
express themselves and create their own social content.

How Does it Work?

Like most other apps and social networks, users can follow other users, like and comment on other
users’ videos. Teens can send emjoi’s to their favourite singer on Tik Tok/ Musical.ly.
Users can select the song they wish to use in their video first, then record themselves miming along to the
music. Alternatively, users can record their video first and then select a song. The app has lots of ways to add
more fun to user’s videos, for example, there are options to shoot in slow-mo, time lapse, fast forward, filters,
effects or even play the song backward etc. Once users are happy with their video, they can post it to their
followers and share it on other social networks for example; Messenger, Vine, WhatsApp etc. There is also a
duet feature which allows you to connect with another user and lipsync together.

The search tool allows users to view other videos. Users can also view content under the trending hashtags and
submit videos using these hashtags (similar to how Instagram works). The hashtags are also used to submit
videos for challenges – for example; #Lipsncychallenge, #Comedychallenge, etc.
 What is the TikTok App?
TikTok is a video app social media for live broadcasts, short video clip
recording, adding filters or favorite music and sharing on social networks.
Initially, the idea to combine music, video and social networking came to Alex
Zhu, a TikTok creator, when he was watching a group of teenagers. They
used different applications for listening to favorite songs, taking selfies and
short videos, adding stickers and sharing them on social networks.
He thought that the new generation needs a music app of a completely new
format.
 Today TikTok is one of the biggest valuable startups in the world with over 1
billion downloads and 500 million monthly active users. But there is more.
 On average, users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app.
 The app is popular among teenagers and 41% of TikTok users are aged 16–24.
 In October 2018, TikTok overcame Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram
in US download rankings.
 Since the beginning of 2019, the app downloads have grown by 25% in the US and
by 20% worldwide.
 Tik Tok in-app purchases bring $3.5 million per month.
 In the first half of 2019, global Tik Tok revenue reached $39 Billion.
It’s impressive, right?
Now, let us take a closer look at how Tik Tok works and find out why the app
became so popular.
The most notable TikTok features overview
TikTok, like other social media platforms, allows users to interact with each other by
following, liking and re-sharing content. But it also provides users with other features,
including:
Video uploading. Users can upload ready-made videos to their TikTok account, rotate
or crop them, and even change the playback speed.
Video editing. Just like Snapchat, TikTok has an impressive toolset of AR effects for
changing the color of the eyes, hair and even adding makeup. There are also many
stickers, animations, and masks.
Live streaming. Using this premium TikTok feature, video creators can make live
streams and receive virtual goods from their fans purchased with TikTok Coins.
Recording the reaction. TikTokers can record their reaction to other users’ video and
publish it in their feed.
Social sharing. TikTok users can share all their videos edited in TikTok in their
Instagram, YouTube, and FaceBook profiles.
 Soundtracks. Users can add a favorite song to their short videos from the built-in
TikTok library.
QR code scanner. To make TikTok users subscribe to each other in a quicker way, the
app provides them with a unique QR code.
Duet Option. All users, who like to sing, enjoy this feature. TikTokers can create a
video, add a #duetwithme hashtag and ask other users to duet with them.
Geolocation. Using geolocation, the app displays users currently active bloggers
broadcasting live, nearby, in an instant.
Now let us see how to create a music video app and make it profitable.
5 steps to develop an app like TikTok
Below we share the most useful tips on how to transform your business idea into a
popular app like Tik Tok.
1. Research your target market
The first step to your goal is to receive more insights into your target audience. For
that, you should research:
 Demographic profile. You need to learn the average age of your users, their
location, types of devices they are using and their financial situation. In addition, it
would be great to find out how often they have access to a reliable internet
connection.
 Behavioral trends. While every app is unique, you can still spot a couple of trends
you can apply to your future app. Such trends include decreasing the user's desire
to download something, rapidly decreasing patience for slow loading times, low
tolerance for lack of security, high value on the app utility and so on.
To create a better product that will respond to your users' wants and needs, we
recommend creating a buyer persona, a concrete portrait of your ideal users.
2. How an app like TikTok can make money
When you know who your potential users are, it is time to select your future business
model. Below we share several monetization strategies you can adopt for your future
music app like TikTok.
Fundraising
At the initial stage of your project, you can attract investment with fundraising. This is
the process of collecting money as donations from individuals and businesses. Even
for TikTok, fundraising is one of earning premium mode. Recently, high-class
investors funded the app with $3 billion.
In-app purchase
TikTok allows its users to support live broadcasters with coins, purchased with real
money. The coins can be exchanged for gifts that users can bestow on others during
their live streams. Coins are available in bundles from 100 to 10,000 that range in
price from 99 cents to $99.99. According to Sensor Tower data, the 100 coin bundle is
 the most popular among users, followed by the 500 coin bundle priced at $4.99. You
can use the same monetization strategy for your future app.
Advertising
This is another option for app monetization that includes several types of in-app
advertising such as:
 Cost Per Click. Advertisers pay each time the app users interacts with the ads in
their app.
 Cost Per Mille. The app owner charges advertisers for every 1,000 impressions of
their ad inside the mobile app.
 Cost Per Action. Advertisers pay only for clicks that lead to a specified action, such
as an app install, a form submission, website registration, or newsletter signup.
Now, when you know your future business model, let us dip into the app development
process.
3. Cooperate with the app development team
With target audience research and business model in hand, you need to contact the
development team and start the project discovery phase.
In the first phase of a software project, Discovery Phase involves business analysis
and requirements elicitation, technology stack choice, cost estimation, and project
planning.
During the Discovery(Inception) Phase, we usually conduct the following activities,
which might vary more or less depending on requirements:
 Define the project scope, main features of the future software, and business
priorities;
 Create an app development workflow, taking into account the monetization
strategy;
 Identify main app features and user roles;
 Design a future app concept.
Next, the team will prioritize the app's features, create project milestones, and start to
develop the app MVP.
4. Create an MVP
The development of social video application is a complex project. Instead of creating
a fully-functional and costly app, we recommend launching your project as an MVP.
With MVP, a minimum viable product launch, you can gather feedback from users
and consider them for further app improvement.
Below we have put together a feature list required for social video app MVP and
estimation in hours.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using TikTok
by Freelance Web Designer Singapore | Sep 14, 2019 | blog
TikTok is a mobile app which enables the user to create a small clip. Music will be played in the background
and the creator should act like that music and the speed up, slow, and you can use filter also to make your
video attractive and good so that other TikTok users can watch your videos and like. Now TikTok is being
used globally and trending number one in google play store.
Advantages of Tik Tok:
TikTok is commonly utilized by everybody. Peoples are making little video clips and offer it with their
followers for getting comments and likes and they need to be renowned by this TikTok application. It seems
very satisfying and awesome if you use it when you are free. There is a wide variety of background music and
the people acts according to the music. So it has a lot of advantages I discussed here which I have seen and
observe them by using TikTok personally.
Disadvantages of Tik Tok:
There is no disadvantage of TikTok if you utilize it in your relaxation time. But if you retain using Tik Tok for
many hours a day neglecting all your significant work then it is an issue. Your sense of balance is your biggest
strength, so balance your time according and assign minimum possible time for Tik Tok.
Peoples are wasting thеir time in making such a useless movie plus they belіeve that they will be well pоpυlar
no you might be wаsting crucial time. I do believe it is rather indеcent fοr thе folks who are evoking the movie
to be an entertainer. Also, it doеsdon’t hаve аnу greаt since they will be hitting the guide, іnstruсtiоn,
emplоyments awаy. I solicitаtiοn to don’t provide your tyke with an opportunity to use erаse іt from the period
in light to the fact that to perυsе the books to have information so theу will likely to be rеceptіve. Therefore it
waѕ all the experіencе that I imрarted for you fοlks. Apart from taking the time to make those videos to one,
sometimes some people go over and even spend money to buy suits just to make the respective videos.
Aside from setting aside the effort to make those videos to one, here and there certain individuals go over and
even burn through cash to purchase suits just to make the particular videos.