EngagingMedia.Post it out loud

01/22/2025

The top question many have been asking pending if TikTok becames banned, and one everyone should continue to keep their eyes out for is: Where to go from TikTok?

I know a lot of people are moving toward Rednote - which is why I kept it as the #1 trending app in Google store. Lemon8 is another one some are moving to as well.

Bluesky has gained in popularity, although was much further down the list of trending apps. It's popularity was more due to news around updates being on Meta platforms.

Here's the issue with Rednote and Lemon8. Both are China owned and Rednote is also owned by Bytedance. While currently the apps aren't used by enough of the populace to be considered a national security risk, as more people switch, they will become one.

Which leaves us with which app?

Apparently people are checking out the following:

Clapper
Snoopz
Likee

and I included Bigo Live because it was one of the apps asked about on Reddit. So it's in the realm of possibilities.

All of these apps have a at least 16 years old age requirement, if not 18 years old. Clapper is an American company and the others are from Singapore and Saudi Arabia.

Will any of these become the next TikTok? Who knows. It's still really early in the game and there's still time for a completely new app to come to the market before we know if we have to give up on TikTok or not.

We do know that no one who uses TikTok wants to give up on the app as of yet. But it certainly is worthwhile to keep your eyes out for lesser known apps taking advantage of the current uncertainty to try to step into some big shoes, or at least be in people's sights.

01/21/2025

Woo hoo! It's back to the business of entertainment and making money on TikTok...or is it?

Lot's of people breathed a sigh of relief and were excited to have TikTok back up after it's brief server shut down. But should you be? And should you still be counting on it as an influencer or for marketing your business?

Trump issued an executive order to allow TikTok, and tech related businesses associated with it's operations, to be legally protected from the ban and millions in fines for associated tech companies, that was passed by Congress.

This reprieve is only for 75 days and pending seeing significant or consistent progress of Bytedance selling shares of it's company so that all data is not in the hands of Chinese Government. (Currently this app is banned in a few countries - including India, for these same reasons and other countries have restrictions on its use)

There's is just one big issue here... The President does not trump (all puns intended) a law passed by Congress. Therefore, while Congress may allow some time to see how things play out, if they do not see appropriate steps being taken in a significant way - then it's all gone. The ban is back in full effect.

Some Constitutional lawyers are stating that the President's Executive Order truly does not protect the other tech companies associated with the app - like Oracle, Akami, Google and Apple. Which is why the app is not relisted in app stores. Oracle and Akami are willing to take their risk.

Let me remind everyone that this ban has been in progress for over 4 years, attempting to give TikTok ample time to change ownership. They have not done it.

Our President is hoping to be able to persuade them to make this change and negotiate a deal. If we are to go by TikTok's record, then we would have to say - it isn't going to happen.

Now I understand many people would rather believe the oppasite. That President Trump being a business man, "of the people" with Elon Musk on his side, will pull it off. It's possible.

But up to now, Bytedance has not shown inclination to meet us there.

So much so that President Trump is using this ban lifting as a means to stake claim on 50% of shares of TikTok and that should they not negotiate, it will be viewed as an act of hostility and he will impart tariffs of 25% to 100%. (NPR and Forbes) Whether he can legally do that, I can't say. But it does speak to a lack of confidence in persuading Bytedance or China to voluntarily negotiate.

So what are you to do?

If you already have a solid presence on TikTok, then continue but also reinforce your presence on another app. Preferably not RedBook.

I know a lot of people are going there but that is another Chinese app and I'm sure should a lot migrate there, then it too will be banned. Currently, it's main saving grace is that it is intended for Chinese audience.

Where to go? That's a bit tricky. I won't lie.

It may mean you will need to revamp your strategy for a completely different app. Yes, there's Instagram and You Tube but I know many are looking for one with the same vibe as TikTok and not Meta owned. Currently, we don't have one that truly measures up. Possibly because no new app could compete against TikTok.

At times like this, new apps pop up, or old apps become something new now that there is space and opportunity for them to do so. Keep your eyes and ears open to changes.

But for the next couple months, I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket. Diversify where you post and show up. It won't be easy. It won't be fun. But it's better than being caught with your pants down should TikTok permanently be banned in the coming months.

01/20/2025

With all the news about TikTok becoming banned, word of Capcut, a popular video editing app, also being banned didn't really hit the media until the last minute.

Even if you don't use TikTok, many who do social media videos used Capcut. And currently, it still is not available despite TikTok temporarily being back online.

This leaves a lot of people scrambling to figure out which apps to use as replacement!

Capcut (Pro) could be used on desktop or mobile and was very versatile in either version. And the best part - it was very social media friendly in it's set up and tools.

What are your options?

Your big video editing names; Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro and Davince Resolve - while great options if you edit on your desktop, are less versatile on mobile or have a big learning curve if coming from a "made for social media video editing app".

For example:
Premiere Pro has Premiere Rush but many of the great features of Pro are missing.
Final Cut Pro is available on Ipad but only the M1 version. Davince Resolve is available also on Ipad

Many will most likely be trying Canva which personally I find to be overly limiting but many do like it. Adobe Express (Adobe's Canva competitor) also can do short video.

Ok, so beyond the big guns.

Video Leap mobile app. Has a lot of templates with music which you then edit to fit your clips. (check music for copywrite) Including some cool AI transition clips. Personally, I have found this app great in a pinch. When you don't have a lot of time and want a template with all the transitions in place and I just plug in my clips and change the text. If you don't want the musical choice, you can delete it in app or in the editing features of the platform you are uploading it to.

Motion Ninja mobile app. This app is much more of a video editing software but has a lot of options and flexibility. If you are wanting a more robust mobile editing experience, this is the one.

Storybeat is another quick and easy app with lots of variety of templates for video and Stories.

Descript: This app first came out as a great app for editing video based on the transcript it created from the video you uploaded. A feature I loved! It has a lot of great features but it's organization isn't as obvious but definitely worth a try. They are always working on making it better and once you have it set up for your needs, you will be golden.

Inshot mobile app. Inshot came out at the same time as Capcut and at the time was recommended as an option. I haven't tried this one but some have mentioned it.

Filmora by Wondershare - an often overlooked video editing app that is robust, versatile and social media friendly. It has desktop and mobile versions.

I know there are plenty of other great video editing apps available, including AI editing apps. This list is ones that I have tried myself or have had other video editors or marketers recommend.

01/13/2025

How much time are you spending on a heading for your post?
Is it the same amount of time you spend on the two lines of your captions?

Have you noticed that on LinkedIn and Facebook, only two or three lines are visible below or above a post on mobile - the most often used format?

Two or three lines which either are your second chance to grab someones attention if the post caption failed, or is where it's time to step it up so people will keep on reading.

On LinkedIn and Facebook you have 3 lines which can be visible above a post. However, especially on LinkedIN, did you know it was recommended that you write one line and then a space and then the next line leading into the rest of your captions.

Which makes them the most important two lines you write after your post caption/heading. And the heading has an extra advantage of being able to use color and imagery to further attract people's attention.

What can you do in those two lines to lure someone to read more?

- Ask a question
- write a shocking or bold statement or statistic
- a funny pun/ play on words or a line from a pop culture trend.
- something that evokes emotion
- a story lead in with active verbs

01/07/2025

4 months ago Instagram announced that they would be doing trial changes to random profiles by changing the grid format to better display the 4:5 (1080 x 1350) post format.

As more accounts get hit with this change, many people are surprised and not prepared. The word did not get out very loudly and many did not receive the memo!

So what is the low down?

Almost two years ago Instagram changed it's preferred post format to 4:5 or 1080 x 1350 (portrait mode). Why is this important? Because the original grid was designed to display images in squares, not rectangles. So switching post formats meant many people's posts were/are cut off on the grid when they switched to the new post format.

But, Instagram kept the 1080 x 1080 post size accessible while rolling out the portrait size change. Therefore, many people didn't make the change in format because the portrait mode is incompatible with crossposting to fb. Plus, the change in design does take some getting used to.

Point being, then IG announced about 4 months ago that they would be doing a trial run of rolling out changing the grid format to display the preferred post format. But too many people didn't hear about it or didn't consider it crucial because of the use of the word "trial". (Btw, IG does a trial for every update so don't take that literally. Assume it will happen. )

So what is the result? Many accounts now receiving the grid update who were still using the 1080 x 1080 format have previous posts now that don't look right because they don't fit properly into the new grid.

And they aren't happy about it. Not only are they not happy because their grid looks less professional, but they didn't even know it was coming. It's just another "unexpected" IG change in a list of constant changes.

My suggestion is if you are still creating using the 1080 x 1080 format, switch asap to the portrait format for IG. Get accustomed to changing format sizes for FB and IG. Then when the grid change hits your account, you will be adjusted and your grid will look just fine.

Or keep doing what you are doing, and accept your posts will look off when the grid changes and then change your design format. Your choice.

01/06/2025

I posted announcing interactive AI profiles was coming to Meta platforms. Here's an article discussing the responses to them currently being introduced in various markets.

I will add to this article by saying that as much as many complain about AI, the overall public does/has been responding to posts made by AI for over a year. They will also post/share AI created photos of cute animals, food, and even AI created videos. ( those aren't glitches you are seeing!)
How much is a case that not everyone is sophisticated enough to identify them? I don't know. Or is it a case of "nothing we can do about it anyhow" so don't think about it? Also, hard to say.

What about you? Where do you stand on AI in social media? In our workplace?

AI-generated bots are coming to take over social apps, whether you like it or not. 

01/06/2025

When you choose to follow the Sheriff dept cuz you love their copy! 🤣🤣
Anyone else follow a page because what they write is just that good?

01/02/2025

I wasn't going to do a New Years Resolution this year. Still have the same ones from 5 years ago.😅. But as I was going through my emails, I realized that I have way too many emails from newsletters or individuals. So yep - cleaning out who all I am subscribed to is now my New Years Resolution.

Which then begs the question of how do you decide which ones to keep? And as a marketer, it's kind of like market research. What makes a digital newsletter worth keeping?

1. Did I only subscribe to get a free download and then forget to cancel? Free downloads are a great way to add to an email list for newsletters but the future open rate may not be all that high.

2. Am I getting what I expected out of the newsletter? If I genuinely subscribed, I had certain expectations of value and if most are only about your programs and offers - I'm out.

3. Does the newsletter offer the value I expected? Am I getting current updates around the subject as I expected.

4. Is the newsletter written in personal, engaging way that makes me want to visit links or finish reading it? Or, if is essentially a list of updates, are they clearly listed in easy to read format.

5. Do the links stay active? I subscribed to one newsletter, and I starred it to look at later. Two weeks later the links included were no longer valid. Which made me question the validity of the source.

6. Is the information included current and not something I will casually see on social media. Does it demonstrate genuine experience? I don't need easily accessible information. I want information that is more in depth and not commonly seen which primarily comes from real world experience.

7. Is the overall composition clear, easy to get the highlights of what the topics are and attractive? Obviously not keeping a newsletter if it is put together well but not engaging or informative but also not keeping one that is cluttered and doesn't have a flow to it.

These are my criteria. What about you? What makes you want to keep an email subscription for a newsletter?

01/01/2025

Happy New Year everyone! For the last few years people were choosing a word of the year. I decided to choose a motto to remind myself. What do you think? Can you get behind this for motivation throughout the year?

12/31/2024

Well, Meta is at it again. While their 2024 attempt to create AI generated bots of famous celebrities flopped, Mark Zuckenberg recently announced that the platforms where they encourage genuine engagement and interaction - "be social" - will be populated with AI profile accounts.

Per Rolling Stones article (and several others), this is an excerpt of their recent announcement:

“We expect these AIs to actually, over time, exist on our platforms, kind of in the same way that accounts do,” Connor Hayes, Meta’s vice-president of product for generative AI, told FT. “They’ll have bios and profile pictures and be able to generate and share content powered by AI on the platform … that’s where we see all of this going.”

The reason? It's a bit mixed. When Metaverse flopped, Meta has been attempting to get back on top of the tech industry. That's why the celebrity bots came about. Now, users can create their own animated bots. And now we are at Meta wanting to have accounts created for AI profiles. The other concern of Meta - staying relevant to the younger generation which of course would be the future of any growth on their platforms.

So far, at least on Threads, the reception to this announcement, paired with the recent news of bringing ads to Threads, is not well received and is raising even more concerns about being on social media. It could potentially have huge impact on businesses who use social media to connect, engage and market to their audiences. Personally I can't help but question how a teenager or young adult is going to feel that a profile they engage with is actually an AI.

I hope there will be filters to block those accounts if you choose as well as clear markers that say profile is AI but it's too soon for that discussion.

12/02/2024

The tagline for Engaging Media is "Do it Different" - but what does that even mean really? On it's own, it's a vague sentence that could mean just about anything to anyone.

So let me clarify it. For me it means:

Less “rule” focused and more “Do” focused

Less grind, more quality

Less comparison and more authenticity

Less sales focused and more engagement focused

Less about fitting a mold and more about creating a new mold of how you show up

I can't tell you how many small business owners I talk to that dread social media. Some even h*te it! Why? There is a lot of different reasons but most boil down to:

Insecurity.
Comparison- ism.
Feeling they can't be themselves and
That it's all about being loud, majorly entertaining and always in people's faces.
And always having to hit the numbers or you won't see success.

I started researching and digging into social media for businesses about 2012, before I started formerly into the industry. Then and now I still see the same methods that garner true success.

Be boldly you. Share about yourself while also sharing about your business. Be a mix of lighthearted, entertaining to some extend and show you know your sh . Everything else is just noise that will distract you.

Granted, there is a certain polish to all of this, but it doesn't have to be scary or insurmountable. And it can be fun! At least 50% of unsuccessful social media has mindset and perception at the root...not actual content.

Isn't it time to Do it Different? Think about it Different?

09/01/2024

Telling someone to " just Google it" is a great way to remove yourself as a possible expert. People want a human with real world experience answer, not an AI answer or 50 blog articles that each explain it differently or contradict themselves. Just answer the question.

07/11/2024

I feel a bit like a hypocrite saying this because I love to learn new things and figuring out as much as I can on my own. Yet I can acknowledge that in the long run, there are many things that cost me more time and money because I chose that route.

When it comes to marketing, social media, website, writing copy or content for our own business, we tend to be less objective. We make choices based on our mood that day, what image we fell in love with, or what trend is really fun. Any of those could be completely off brand for your industry or really tell people nothing about you as a person at all. And that doesn't include buying into programs promising $30,000/month after 8 weeks.

This said, if you are going to DIY, here are my recommendations:

- be prepared to spend more time than you expect.
- do lots of research before, during and after. Especially related to website design and copy.
- accept you will make a lot of mistakes along the way
- you may still end up hiring a professional in the end
- you may not see the results you want as quickly
- not only can it cost you time and money trying to figure it out, but it also prevents you from making money by not focusing on income producing activities and it will delay you from doing the truly necessary planning and innovating that you, as the business owner, should be doing.

As a small business owner, I get it. You don't necessarily have the money starting off to cover the basics of what needs to be done. We don't all start off with a substantial savings or invest in our business wisely, especially if this is your first time being an entrepreneur. But I do strongly suggest aiming to create a budget for marketing as soon as you are able so that you can give it away to someone else while you focus on building your business.

07/09/2024

Smooze so you don't lose! Nurturing past clients, reminding friends and family what you do, informing other professionals you have relationships with - hairdresser, dentist, doctor, etc.. ,people you meet at Networking events and people who sign up for a newsletter or freebie from your website are all resources to gain clients.

Past clients and friends and family being the best because generally they are more likely to take actions so long as you:

TALK ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS!
Let them know that you offer some reward both to the one referring and the actual referral.
ASK FOR THE BUSINESS

Asking for business is not some shameful activity. Keep it natural and light with no pressure but also no downplaying what you do. Being modest of your wins is one thing - downplaying what you bring to others is another and is just self-sabotogue.

Nurture people in your SOI - sphere of influence as it's called. People you know or have made a contact.

Make sure your testimonials are visible. 98% of people check out testimonials so kinda important.

81% of shoppers are influenced by friends and family social media posts. Ask your friends to support your business by giving them a limited time free or discounted services that they can post about.

The majority of solopreneurs business thrives off of referrals once you build your contacts and initial clients. Not only does it make you money, but it also saves you money by giving you warm leads without spending so much on ads for still chilled leads.

03/26/2024

If you aren't in the professional design or social media creation space, you may think this doesn't effect you. But if you are using Canva at all for one off designs, the changes coming in the future may be more impactful.

Canva, pushing to become the creation space for multiple media formats, acquiring a graphic design software software company is huge! While it will probably be a while before some of the tools that designers would love to use within Canva becomes available, it certainly ups the ante the skills users may need to learn to design even better as expectations will increase.

As for those who use Affinity in place of Adobe, due to its economical pricing, similar tools and non-subscription service, rest assured, your graphic design software isn't going anywhere. Matter of fact, the Version 2.5 beta is planning to be tested soon.

This is exciting news and much is unknown in how the two plan on merging the individual companies to best serve both Affinity and Canva... hopefully it will be one that all who use either will only see the best of benefits.

02/14/2024

I am all about genuine connections. They totally light me up! Social media started as a way to keep in touch, sharing, expressing with hopes of making new friends, connecting with old friends and family that weren't so close. Now I see how much it's also about sharing interests, relating, and teaching. And I am here for it! It's easy to become jaded and only see the negatives of social media. But there really is a whole lot of positives too!

For those of you that I know personally, or we share an appreciation virtually... Happy Valentines day!

01/27/2024

The only thing I have more of than screenshots and downloads on my phone is my Google Inbox... 😅😆