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Deal to create ‘European tech champion’ follows tumultuous few years for food delivery groupView the full article

EU officials underscore urgency for Merz to form new governmentView the full article

Election winner could struggle to reform strict borrowing rules due to opposition in next parliamentView the full article

This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here. Books offer a compelling, slower alternative to the onslaught of negative news. With terrific new free tools, it’s increasingly easy to access print, digital, and audio books. Read on for my favorite book sites and apps. The heavy-hitters Libby lends out free e-books and audiobooks through libraries in 78 countries. It works for 90% of U.S. libraries. You can search for and check out nearly anything, instantly, for free, on any device. Audiobooks: Check out and listen to audiobooks at any speed. You may not need to pay for an Audible subscription. Definitions: Click on any word in an e-book you’re reading in Libby for its definition or to see where else that name or phrase appears. Highlight: Save memorable passages for your notes. Multiple cards: You can use multiple library cards within a single Libby account. That helps you check which library has the shortest waiting list for a book in high demand. (See where you can get non-resident library cards). Limitation: Libby is digital-only—you can’t use it for physical books. That requires a separate app or site, like the NYPL app in New York. Kanopy provides free access to top-notch feature films and documentaries. I log in with my library card. Watch on the Web, iOS or Android, or on a SmartTV app like Google TV, Roku, or Amazon Fire TV. Limitation: libraries limit the number of videos you can watch monthly. Hoopla is an alternative to Libby that works with 3,900 library systems in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Like Libby it hosts audiobooks and e-books, but also bundles in comics, movies, TV shows, magazines, and music. Use Hoopla to read, watch or listen from the Web or on a mobile device. I recently discovered its free Bingepasses, which allow instant access to a collection of magazines or videos for a week. World Cat tells you which of 10,000 global libraries near you have a particular book. It works in multiple languages. Search for books in print, e-book, braille, audio, or other formats. Find your next read Most Recommended Books shows you a list of smart people. Pick an expert or celeb you like and see which books they recommend, along with brief quotes on why they like each book. Check Goodbooks.io and ReadThisTwice for more expert/celeb book picks. Whichbook’s World Map offers a creative way to find a book about any part of the world. Select a country and see books set in that region. Where to find book recs is a nice list from a Writing About Reading post. I also like the eclectic recommendations in the New York Times’ Read Like the Wind newsletter. BookClubs lets you find a book group near you or organize your own. Fable hosts book clubs & communities for sharing what you’re reading. Find free and cheap books Project Gutenberg has more than 75,000 free e-books and audiobooks. No registration required. See the top 100 list for free reading inspiration. The Internet Archive has searchable e-books and a free library collection. Bookbub is handy for bargain hunters. It shows discounted and free e-books. Available as a newsletter or check the site for deals. Support Independent booksellers Alibris has 200 million titles from indy booksellers around the world. Powell’s is the world’s largest independent bookstore. Bookfinder lets you search online to find any book at the cheapest price. Indiebound helps you find a nearby real-world indy bookstore. Abebooks has great deals from independents. Check its bargain books + collections. Caveat: Amazon has owned it since 2008. Tertulia is a well-designed online co-op bookshop owned by readers. Make your own book list Listy is free. It’s easy to look up & add books, and later export your list. (See my prior post about it). LibraryThing is free and easy for cataloging books & tracking reading. Free Notion book tracking template lets you customize a collection page. Free Airtable book list template & my Airtable example: 30 authors I like. Find great children’s books Sora is a digital library for kids. Schools make e-books and audiobooks available on the app. It works well with graphic novels, picture books, as well as comic books and textbooks. (We also use Libby for kids books). Epic is another popular kids e-book app. It’s fun to use, but be aware that it leans into gamification and extrinsic motivation—using points and streaks to entice kids to repeatedly open the app. Kanopy has a great kids section with video versions of books by Eric Carle, Mo Willems and other great authors to spark an interest in reading. It also has math and science lessons. This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker masturbates in the men’s bathroom There is a guy in my office who will go into one of the stalls in the men’s bathroom for 20-30 minutes at a time. I have had the bad luck of entering a stall next to him and hearing audible masturbation noises. I think he does this every day we work in-office because I swear it’s happened 5-6 times. A coworker I’m close with has confirmed hearing it as well, so I know I am not going crazy. I have also seen this guy come out of the bathroom with headphones on, looking at something on his phone, so after repeated incidents, I’m pretty sure he just doesn’t know how loud he is. Not sure how to handle this one. He is more or less doing it “in private” and I feel like HR would escalate things too much. We also were recently acquired by an international company and no longer have in-house HR. I don’t really want to tell someone halfway across the continent about a coworker’s bathroom habits. On the other hand, I would feel uncomfortable going up to him and saying, “Hey, I hear you jerking it every time we’re in the office, can you knock it off?” Asking HR to intervene would not be escalating it too much. Far from it! This guy is not in private; he’s using a shared bathroom where coworkers are hearing him (and he’s apparently not even bothering to be discreet or to stop when someone is in a stall a couple of feet away from him). You don’t owe him privacy here; he owes you the ability to use the bathroom at work without being exposed to the sound of someone jerking off. “Not hearing someone masturbating” is pretty much a bare minimum expectation you should be able to have at work. Talk to HR. Say you’ve heard others report the same thing, it’s gross, and you don’t want to be exposed to it. 2. My employee doesn’t solve problems on her own I manage a department of three employees, and I’m struggling with how to supervise one of them. We’re a high-performing team with various responsibilities, so everyone has a lot on their plate. All three employees have been with the company for about the same amount of time, so I expect them to have similar levels of knowledge. Betty and Sally are both friendly, approachable, take initiative, and are solid problem-solvers. Velma is quieter, takes little initiative, and often relies on me for answers or guidance. I don’t mind questions, but it’s become a regular occurrence, and many of these issues she should be able to resolve herself with a little effort, basic reasoning, or research. This was understandable when she was first hired, but after more than two years, it’s become problematic. In previous one-on-one meetings, I’ve asked Velma to take more ownership of her problem-solving and attempt to find solutions on her own before asking me for feedback. I even listed this as a goal on her last annual review, but there’s been little improvement over the last year. Her responses often included that she wasn’t sure and knew I could find the answer faster, or that she didn’t have all the necessary information, even though I don’t always have it either and often end up taking a few minutes to figure it out myself. I’m getting frustrated with the situation, and am frankly tired of giving the same feedback every few months. We’ve all had to learn this skill, and none of us needed this much hand-holding. Velma is a fine employee and does good work, but she’s not a star performer like her colleagues. I try not to compare them, but I’m aware it’s probably affecting my perspective. I know I need to start addressing this more directly in the moment, but I’m not sure how to do it without coming across as annoyed. You need to escalate the seriousness with which you’re treating it. Sit down with her and name the pattern and what she needs to do differently: “We’ve talked about this in the past and it was a formal goal on your last review, but I’m not seeing the progress I need. Now that you’re two years into the job, I need you to take more responsibility for problem-solving and look for solutions on your own before coming to me. That’s true even if you think I can find the answer faster than you, because you won’t develop this skill without practicing it. So going forward, when you ask for helping solving a problem, I’d like you to include everything you’ve tried so far — whether it’s checking our documentation, looking through similar past projects, or XYZ (fill in here with specific things she should try in your context). If you haven’t tried solve it yourself first, I’m going to ask you to do that before I step in.” Then, when she brings you a problem she should be able to solve herself, ask what she’s tried so far. And rather than jumping in to figure it out yourself, think about how you’d figure it out yourself and then ask her to take those steps instead of you. (Here’s some advice on how to do that.) If after a few months of this you’re not seeing much improvement, this may be an ability she’s not likely to develop with the amount of coaching it’s reasonable to expect you to invest … at which point you’d need to decide what that means for her tenure in the job. In some jobs it would be prohibitive; in others it might just mean that she can’t advance or won’t be compensated in the same way as Betty and Sally are. 3. Do I have to keep working late now that I’ve resigned? I recently resigned from my hectic 9-5 job to go back to school in May, giving two months notice instead of the usual two weeks. The job is typically 9-5, but it is a busy time and in the past month I was added to two new accounts that are making me work late. I’ve been putting in about three extra hours of work per work day, and I don’t want to anymore. Will I be remembered poorly if I leave closer to 5 pm, or is there a tacit expectation that people aren’t going to go above and beyond when they’ve quit? You should return to your regular hours. You generously gave them two months of notice instead of two weeks; you don’t also need to give them 15 extra hours of work a week! Frame it this way: “I won’t be able to handle these two new accounts on top of my regular workload — I have time to do X and Y but not Z, or I could do about half of each of them, but I can’t do everything that’s currently on my plate within a normal workweek. Can you tell me how you’d like me to prioritize, knowing that not all of it can get done? Or alternately, would it make more sense to reassign the two new accounts?” If you hear you should just find a way to get it all done, you should say, “There’s not enough time in the work week to get it all done. I’ll do as much as I can, but I need to let you know that it won’t all get done.” And then leave on time. Related: since I gave notice at work, my boss has tripled my workload 4. References when you haven’t had many jobs I have been helping my daughter with her resume and applications for full-time employment (thanks to your column, we have great info), but there are many applications that are asking for three business references. She’s only had two part-time jobs, one in college and one she’s been at since graduation. Some of these are online where they won’t let her past the question without filling in all three. How do we navigate this? Each job has had only one supervisor/manager, so there aren’t even two levels of bosses she could add. In a situation like this, it’s okay if all the references aren’t managers. Is there a coworker she could add, someone who worked closely enough with her to be able to speak to her work with some nuance? Ideally it would be a coworker who was senior to her, but if no one like that is available, she could list a peer. 5. Can you use FMLA for clinical trials? I have a moderately-serious, life-shortening chronic condition (I have decades, not months, left, and I use a wheelchair outside my home) for which there is no treatment. About a year ago, I got the chance to do clinical trial for a new drug that was in development. It required a month-long in-patient stay in a treatment center. I asked my work’s EAP if I’d be able to use FMLA for that, but they told me “you can’t use FMLA if it’s voluntary.” That seems wrong to me? After all, most medical treatments are technically voluntary, in that you could choose not to do them — sometimes with the devastating medical consequences, but you have the option. I ended up working remotely during the trial, judiciously using PTO on days when I had a lot of procedures, but I still sometimes had to be on Zoom meetings while getting blood drawn. Anyway, I’m interested in getting your take on that decision. Should it have been covered? What are the actual rules? I might do other trials in the future, and I’d like to be sure of my options. Whoa, no, your work was 100% wrong. The law is clear that you can use FMLA for a clinical trial when it’s part of a serious health condition. The fact that clinical trials are considered “voluntary or elective” is not a factor. Your EAP may have been thinking of elective procedures for cosmetic treatments (like plastic surgery), which don’t qualify for FMLA — but they were fully wrong on the application here. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor issued an opinion letter last year, affirming that employees may use FMLA for clinical trials. View the full article

Brickwood’s UK Value Fund will focus on underpriced UK companiesView the full article

‘Harsh’ realities of travel and work restrictions are pushing people to seek backdoor EU access, say lawyers View the full article

It always was — at the right price and for those with eyes wide open to the economic downsideView the full article

Competition from Jonathan Orszag’s Econic Partners triggered 14% share price slideView the full article

‘Europe must take its own decisions’, says foreign minister José Manuel AlbaresView the full article

iPhone-maker is rare holdout in Silicon Valley against conservative efforts to force rollback on DEI issuesView the full article

Fair competition, regulatory certainty, industry subsidies and financial security are all under attackView the full article

The future of the post-1945 security order hangs in the balanceView the full article

Three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s president is facing his biggest fear: war without US supportView the full article

Plan will free up work coaches for more ‘valuable’ work as ministers seek to cut welfare billView the full article

Expectations of Germany’s next chancellor are already sky-high but coalition talks will be toughView the full article

Morse Micro's new HaLowLink1 extends any Wi-Fi network by miles - for what amounts to an investment of chump change. The post Never thought you could get miles and miles of Wi-Fi range? Guess again. Now you can. appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

Artificial intelligence can be a financial advisor’s ally, or it can be your competitor. By Davyde Wachell The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management Go PRO for members-only access to more Rory Henry. View the full article

Artificial intelligence can be a financial advisor’s ally, or it can be your competitor. By Davyde Wachell The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management Go PRO for members-only access to more Rory Henry. View the full article

Ceremony in packed 55,000-seat stadium comes five months after veteran leader’s passingView the full article

Maximize team efficiency through personalized time management and a tailored approach that boosts your collective performance. Hybrid work is supposed to mean flexibility and freedom—but for many teams, it’s become a chaotic mess of endless Zoom calls, constant notifications, and blurred boundaries between work and personal life. Instead of getting more done, teams are drowning in […] The post Work your way and win as a team with personalized time management appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

Far-right Alternative for Germany expected to make gains but CDU/CSU leads in pollsView the full article

President’s comment comes a day before third anniversary of Russia’s full-blown invasion of UkraineView the full article

For small businesses looking to increase their social media marketing in the new year, there are many social media platforms that could be a great fit. There are many popular social media platforms out there with an active user base, making it easier to find your target audience. We’ll look at some of the top social media sites to help you develop your social media plans. Most Popular Social Media Sites Social Media PageDescription FacebookThe largest social media site, known for its steady growth and wide reach for businesses. Facebook Messenger is also popular for its advertising opportunities. YouTubeA video-sharing platform great for long-form content. Offers businesses a promotional avenue to build a following. It is one of the most frequently visited sites with a billion monthly active users. LinkedInA professional networking site best used for personal and professional support and connecting with other users. Especially valuable for B2B businesses in building awareness and generating leads. TikTokA newer social networking site that has skyrocketed in popularity. It focuses on short-form video content and is especially popular among younger users. An excellent platform for businesses looking to build their brand in a fun, exciting way. InstagramAn excellent platform for building an online community and promoting a brand. Supports both video and image content and offers opportunities for influencer marketing campaigns to increase brand awareness. PinterestA visual search engine and publishing platform allowing users to 'pin' images they like. A useful tool for businesses looking to increase brand awareness and create easily discoverable content. WhatsAppAn instant messaging platform that has become popular for business use. WhatsApp Business includes features for businesses to send messages to customers and create a fast communication channel. TwitterA microblogging platform that lets businesses tweet short informational bites, updates, and promotions. It is primarily used as a customer service channel, but due to the active user base, promotional activities should also be considered. SnapchatKnown for its quick and easy use, Snapchat allows businesses to share promotions, updates, and other visual content to engage with users. Despite slower growth compared to other platforms, there are still millions of active users that businesses can connect with. VimeoA professional video platform that shares content. It's a paid platform, perfect for professional videographers and creatives to showcase work. Offers high-quality features for long-form, gated videos for communication and marketing. TumblrTumblr is a microblogging and social networking platform that allows users to post multimedia content and other short-form content. It is known for its highly visual and creative content, as well as its strong community of users who share similar interests. Tumblr provides a platform for artists, photographers, writers, and other creatives who want to share their work. QuoraQuora is a question-and-answer platform that allows users to ask and answer questions on a wide range of topics. It is known for its high-quality content and its community of experts who provide insightful answers to users’ questions. Quora is for anyone who wants to learn more about a particular topic or share their knowledge. RedditReddit is a social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website that allows users to submit content and vote on it. It is known for its highly engaged community of users who are passionate about a wide range of topics. If you want to stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends, as well as connect with like-minded individuals Reddit is for you. The great thing about social media platforms is that they come with a social networking app. That means you can reach users on a variety of devices to raise brand awareness, including mobile devices. The most popular social media platforms include: Facebook Facebook is the largest social media site and has seen steady growth over the years. It is the most popular social media platform with an active user base and wide reach for businesses. Facebook Messenger, which is Facebook’s messaging app, is incredibly popular as well and offers advertising opportunities. YouTube YouTube is a video-sharing platform that is great for long-form video content, and its parent company is Google. A YouTube channel is one of the best promotional avenues for businesses and can be a way to build a following. With a billion monthly active users, there is a lot of potential to build a social media presence and connect to YouTube users. LinkedIn LinkedIn is a professional social networking site with a large subset of active users. LinkedIn is best used for personal and professional support and connecting with other users. If your business is B2B, LinkedIn can be immensely valuable in building awareness and generating leads through your professional network. TikTok TikTok has been a more recent addition to social networking sites and has skyrocketed in popularity. It’s currently one of the most downloaded apps on both the Google Store and the App store. TikTok is a video-sharing platform similar to Youtube but more focused on short-form video content such as music and lipsync videos. For businesses looking to build their personal brand in a fun, exciting way with younger users, TikTok is a great platform to add to their social media strategy. Instagram Instagram is another social media website that is an excellent platform for building your online community and promoting your brand. You can reach potential customers in many ways on Instagram, as it supports both video and images. For example, you can use your business page to post images and short videos and repost user-generated content. You can also create influencer marketing campaigns on Instagram to increase brand awareness. Pinterest Pinterest serves as a visual search engine and publishing platform where users can ‘pin’ images they find appealing, organized by themes and groups. For businesses, Pinterest offers an excellent opportunity to enhance brand awareness and generate content that users can easily discover and pin. This content can encompass DIY tips, inspirational visuals, and other unique images that users will want to ‘pin’. Whatsapp Whatsapp is an instant messaging platform used by people all over the world. With WhatsApp, users can send text messages, voice and video calls, and group video chats over Wi-Fi. Many businesses have now started using WhatsApp Business and have created their own Whatsapp business accounts to enable easy communication with customers via instant message. Whatsapp for Business also includes features to make it easy for businesses to send messages to customers and create a fast communication channel. More Top Social Media Platforms Many other social media platforms have an active user base and are used by businesses for promotions, marketing, and customer communication. These include: X X is a microblogging platform used by users and businesses. With X, companies can quickly tweet out short informational bites, updates, and promotions and easily communicate with customers. It’s primarily used as a customer service channel, but X users are very active, so promotional activities should also be considered on the social networking platform. Snapchat Snapchat is one of the most popular social media platforms because it is so quick and easy to use and has a lot of visual user-generated content. In addition, Snapchat has a social networking feature that allows businesses to share promotions, updates, and other visual content to engage with users. Although growth has slowed for Snapchat compared to other platforms, there are still millions of active users that businesses can connect with using the platform. Vimeo Like YouTube and Twitch, Vimeo is a professional video platform that shares content. It is a paid platform, so monthly fees are associated with it; it is excellent for professional videographers and creatives to showcase work and provide information. In addition, Vimeo has some great, high-quality features regarding videos, so it is beneficial for long-form, gated videos for communication and marketing. Tumblr Tumblr is a microblogging and social networking platform that allows users to post multimedia content and other short-form content. It is known for its highly visual and creative content, as well as its strong community of users who share similar interests. Tumblr provides a platform for artists, photographers, writers, and other creatives who want to share their work. Quora Quora is a question-and-answer platform that allows users to ask and answer questions on a wide range of topics. It is known for its high-quality content and its community of experts who provide insightful answers to users’ questions. Quora is for anyone who wants to learn more about a particular topic or share their knowledge. Reddit Reddit is a social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website that allows users to submit content and vote on it. It is known for its highly engaged community of users who are passionate about a wide range of topics. If you want to stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends, as well as connect with like-minded individuals Reddit is for you. Why Should Your Business Use Social Media? Social media is a powerful tool that can be used to reach new customers, build relationships with existing customers, and promote your business. If you’re not using social media, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to grow your business. There are many benefits to using social media for business, including: Reaching new customers: Social media can help you reach new customers who may not have heard of your business before. You can use social media to target your ads to specific demographics, interests, and even locations. Building relationships with customers: Social media is a great way to build relationships with your customers. You can interact with them directly, answer their questions, and get their feedback. This can help you improve your products and services and create a more loyal customer base. Promoting your business: Social media is a great way to promote your business. You can share news about your company, your products, and your services. You can also run contests and giveaways to generate excitement and engagement. Gathering customer feedback: Social media is an excellent tool for collecting customer feedback. You can pose questions, request suggestions, and receive input on your products and services. This feedback is invaluable for enhancing your business and driving its success. Building brand awareness: Social media can help you build brand awareness. When you share interesting and informative content on social media, you’re putting your brand in front of potential customers. This can help people become more familiar with your brand and what you have to offer. If you’re not sure how to get started with social media for business, here are a few tips: Choose the right platforms: Not all social media platforms are created equal. Some platforms are better suited for certain businesses than others. For example, if you’re a B2B business, LinkedIn is a great platform to reach your target audience. If you’re a retail business, Instagram is a great platform to showcase your products. Create a strong social media presence: Once you’ve chosen the right platforms, you need to create a strong social media presence. This means creating a professional profile, sharing interesting and informative content, and interacting with your followers. Run social media ads: Social media ads can be a great way to reach new customers and promote your business. You can target your ads to specific demographics, interests, and even locations. Measure your results: It’s important to measure your results so you can see what’s working and what’s not. You can use social media analytics tools to track your followers, engagement, and website traffic. Here are some additional tips for using social media for business: Be consistent: The key to success on social media is consistency. You need to post regularly and share interesting and informative content. Be authentic: People can spot a fake from a mile away. Be yourself and let your personality shine through on social media. Be responsive: Respond to comments and questions from your followers as quickly as possible. This shows that you care about their feedback and that you’re engaged with them. Have fun: Social media should be fun! If you’re not enjoying yourself, it will show in your posts. So relax, have fun, and let your personality shine through. READ MORE: Social Media Channels You’re Probably Not Using Now Analyzing Social Media Trends and Metrics Understanding and analyzing trends and metrics on popular social media sites is essential for businesses to effectively navigate the constantly changing social media landscape. Here’s how you can use this data to enhance your marketing strategies and boost engagement: Identifying Key Metrics: Different platforms have different metrics. Key metrics typically include engagement rate (likes, comments, shares), reach, impressions, follower growth, and click-through rate. Identify which metrics are most relevant to your business goals. Utilizing Analytics Tools: Most popular social media sites provide built-in analytics tools. Leverage these tools to collect data on audience demographics, engagement patterns, and content performance. Additionally, third-party tools can deliver more comprehensive analyses and comparisons across different platforms. Monitoring Trends: Stay updated with the latest social media trends. This includes understanding popular content formats, hashtag usage, and emerging platforms. Tools like Google Trends and social listening software can be invaluable in tracking these trends. Competitor Analysis: Examine the social media presence of your competitors. Assess their content strategies, engagement rates, and follower growth. This analysis can offer valuable insights into successful approaches in your industry and help you pinpoint opportunities to set your brand apart. Content Performance Review: Consistently assess how your content is performing. Determine which post types generate the highest engagement and modify your content strategy based on these insights. Also, consider the days and times when your posts attract the most interaction. Audience Feedback: Beyond quantitative metrics, qualitative feedback like comments and messages can provide valuable insights into your audience’s preferences and perceptions. Use this feedback to refine your messaging and content. ROI Measurement: If you’re running paid social media campaigns, calculate the return on investment (ROI) by measuring the cost per engagement and the conversion rate. This will help in assessing the effectiveness of your ad spend. Adaptive Strategy: Social media trends and algorithms change frequently. Use the insights from metrics and trends analysis to continually adapt and refine your social media strategy for better alignment with your audience’s interests and behaviors. READ MORE: Social Media Channels for Marketing Your Business: The Ultimate Guide FAQs What is the best social media site for businesses? The best social media site for businesses depends on the type of business and the target audience. However, some popular social media sites for businesses include Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. What are the benefits of using social media for businesses? There are many benefits to using social media for businesses, including: Reaching new customers: Social media can help businesses reach new customers who may not have heard of them before. Building relationships with customers: Social media can help businesses build relationships with their customers by interacting with them directly and answering their questions. Promoting products and services: Social media can help businesses promote their products and services by sharing photos, videos, and blog posts. Gathering customer feedback: Social media can help businesses gather customer feedback by asking questions and soliciting suggestions. Building brand awareness: Social media can help businesses build brand awareness by sharing interesting and informative content. What are the risks of using social media for businesses? There are also some risks associated with using social media for businesses, such as: Negative customer feedback: Businesses can encounter negative feedback from customers on popular social media sites, potentially harming their reputation. Cyberbullying: Businesses may be the target of cyberbullying on social media, which can damage their reputation and morale. Data privacy: Businesses need to be careful about how they collect and use data on social media, as they may be subject to data privacy laws. Security risks: Businesses need to be careful about the security of their social media accounts, as they may be hacked. What are the most popular social media platforms for different age groups? The most popular social media platforms for different age groups vary, but some general trends include: Teenagers: Teenagers are most likely to use social media platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. Young adults: Young adults are most likely to use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Middle-aged adults: Middle-aged adults are most likely to use social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Seniors: Seniors are most likely to use social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. How can businesses use social media to reach different age groups? Businesses can use social media to reach different age groups by: Using different social media platforms: Businesses can use different social media platforms that are popular with different age groups. Creating different types of content: Businesses can create different types of content that appeal to different age groups. Using different marketing strategies: Businesses can use different marketing strategies to reach different age groups. What are the future trends for social media? The future trends for social media are difficult to predict, but some possible trends include: Increased use of video: Video is becoming increasingly popular on social media, and this trend is likely to continue in the future. Growing popularity of live streaming: Live streaming is gaining traction on popular social media sites, and this trend is expected to persist moving forward. Increased use of augmented reality and virtual reality: Augmented reality and virtual reality are still in their early stages, but they have the potential to revolutionize social media in the future. Enhanced personalization: Popular social media sites are becoming more tailored to individual users, and this trend is expected to persist moving forward. Image: Depositphotos This article, "Top Social Media Platforms to Elevate Your Marketing" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

For small businesses looking to increase their social media marketing in the new year, there are many social media platforms that could be a great fit. There are many popular social media platforms out there with an active user base, making it easier to find your target audience. We’ll look at some of the top social media sites to help you develop your social media plans. Most Popular Social Media Sites Social Media PageDescription FacebookThe largest social media site, known for its steady growth and wide reach for businesses. Facebook Messenger is also popular for its advertising opportunities. YouTubeA video-sharing platform great for long-form content. Offers businesses a promotional avenue to build a following. It is one of the most frequently visited sites with a billion monthly active users. LinkedInA professional networking site best used for personal and professional support and connecting with other users. Especially valuable for B2B businesses in building awareness and generating leads. TikTokA newer social networking site that has skyrocketed in popularity. It focuses on short-form video content and is especially popular among younger users. An excellent platform for businesses looking to build their brand in a fun, exciting way. InstagramAn excellent platform for building an online community and promoting a brand. Supports both video and image content and offers opportunities for influencer marketing campaigns to increase brand awareness. PinterestA visual search engine and publishing platform allowing users to 'pin' images they like. A useful tool for businesses looking to increase brand awareness and create easily discoverable content. WhatsAppAn instant messaging platform that has become popular for business use. WhatsApp Business includes features for businesses to send messages to customers and create a fast communication channel. TwitterA microblogging platform that lets businesses tweet short informational bites, updates, and promotions. It is primarily used as a customer service channel, but due to the active user base, promotional activities should also be considered. SnapchatKnown for its quick and easy use, Snapchat allows businesses to share promotions, updates, and other visual content to engage with users. Despite slower growth compared to other platforms, there are still millions of active users that businesses can connect with. VimeoA professional video platform that shares content. It's a paid platform, perfect for professional videographers and creatives to showcase work. Offers high-quality features for long-form, gated videos for communication and marketing. TumblrTumblr is a microblogging and social networking platform that allows users to post multimedia content and other short-form content. It is known for its highly visual and creative content, as well as its strong community of users who share similar interests. Tumblr provides a platform for artists, photographers, writers, and other creatives who want to share their work. QuoraQuora is a question-and-answer platform that allows users to ask and answer questions on a wide range of topics. It is known for its high-quality content and its community of experts who provide insightful answers to users’ questions. Quora is for anyone who wants to learn more about a particular topic or share their knowledge. RedditReddit is a social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website that allows users to submit content and vote on it. It is known for its highly engaged community of users who are passionate about a wide range of topics. If you want to stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends, as well as connect with like-minded individuals Reddit is for you. The great thing about social media platforms is that they come with a social networking app. That means you can reach users on a variety of devices to raise brand awareness, including mobile devices. The most popular social media platforms include: Facebook Facebook is the largest social media site and has seen steady growth over the years. It is the most popular social media platform with an active user base and wide reach for businesses. Facebook Messenger, which is Facebook’s messaging app, is incredibly popular as well and offers advertising opportunities. YouTube YouTube is a video-sharing platform that is great for long-form video content, and its parent company is Google. A YouTube channel is one of the best promotional avenues for businesses and can be a way to build a following. With a billion monthly active users, there is a lot of potential to build a social media presence and connect to YouTube users. LinkedIn LinkedIn is a professional social networking site with a large subset of active users. LinkedIn is best used for personal and professional support and connecting with other users. If your business is B2B, LinkedIn can be immensely valuable in building awareness and generating leads through your professional network. TikTok TikTok has been a more recent addition to social networking sites and has skyrocketed in popularity. It’s currently one of the most downloaded apps on both the Google Store and the App store. TikTok is a video-sharing platform similar to Youtube but more focused on short-form video content such as music and lipsync videos. For businesses looking to build their personal brand in a fun, exciting way with younger users, TikTok is a great platform to add to their social media strategy. Instagram Instagram is another social media website that is an excellent platform for building your online community and promoting your brand. You can reach potential customers in many ways on Instagram, as it supports both video and images. For example, you can use your business page to post images and short videos and repost user-generated content. You can also create influencer marketing campaigns on Instagram to increase brand awareness. Pinterest Pinterest serves as a visual search engine and publishing platform where users can ‘pin’ images they find appealing, organized by themes and groups. For businesses, Pinterest offers an excellent opportunity to enhance brand awareness and generate content that users can easily discover and pin. This content can encompass DIY tips, inspirational visuals, and other unique images that users will want to ‘pin’. Whatsapp Whatsapp is an instant messaging platform used by people all over the world. With WhatsApp, users can send text messages, voice and video calls, and group video chats over Wi-Fi. Many businesses have now started using WhatsApp Business and have created their own Whatsapp business accounts to enable easy communication with customers via instant message. Whatsapp for Business also includes features to make it easy for businesses to send messages to customers and create a fast communication channel. More Top Social Media Platforms Many other social media platforms have an active user base and are used by businesses for promotions, marketing, and customer communication. These include: X X is a microblogging platform used by users and businesses. With X, companies can quickly tweet out short informational bites, updates, and promotions and easily communicate with customers. It’s primarily used as a customer service channel, but X users are very active, so promotional activities should also be considered on the social networking platform. Snapchat Snapchat is one of the most popular social media platforms because it is so quick and easy to use and has a lot of visual user-generated content. In addition, Snapchat has a social networking feature that allows businesses to share promotions, updates, and other visual content to engage with users. Although growth has slowed for Snapchat compared to other platforms, there are still millions of active users that businesses can connect with using the platform. Vimeo Like YouTube and Twitch, Vimeo is a professional video platform that shares content. It is a paid platform, so monthly fees are associated with it; it is excellent for professional videographers and creatives to showcase work and provide information. In addition, Vimeo has some great, high-quality features regarding videos, so it is beneficial for long-form, gated videos for communication and marketing. Tumblr Tumblr is a microblogging and social networking platform that allows users to post multimedia content and other short-form content. It is known for its highly visual and creative content, as well as its strong community of users who share similar interests. Tumblr provides a platform for artists, photographers, writers, and other creatives who want to share their work. Quora Quora is a question-and-answer platform that allows users to ask and answer questions on a wide range of topics. It is known for its high-quality content and its community of experts who provide insightful answers to users’ questions. Quora is for anyone who wants to learn more about a particular topic or share their knowledge. Reddit Reddit is a social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website that allows users to submit content and vote on it. It is known for its highly engaged community of users who are passionate about a wide range of topics. If you want to stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends, as well as connect with like-minded individuals Reddit is for you. Why Should Your Business Use Social Media? Social media is a powerful tool that can be used to reach new customers, build relationships with existing customers, and promote your business. If you’re not using social media, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to grow your business. There are many benefits to using social media for business, including: Reaching new customers: Social media can help you reach new customers who may not have heard of your business before. You can use social media to target your ads to specific demographics, interests, and even locations. Building relationships with customers: Social media is a great way to build relationships with your customers. You can interact with them directly, answer their questions, and get their feedback. This can help you improve your products and services and create a more loyal customer base. Promoting your business: Social media is a great way to promote your business. You can share news about your company, your products, and your services. You can also run contests and giveaways to generate excitement and engagement. Gathering customer feedback: Social media is an excellent tool for collecting customer feedback. You can pose questions, request suggestions, and receive input on your products and services. This feedback is invaluable for enhancing your business and driving its success. Building brand awareness: Social media can help you build brand awareness. When you share interesting and informative content on social media, you’re putting your brand in front of potential customers. This can help people become more familiar with your brand and what you have to offer. If you’re not sure how to get started with social media for business, here are a few tips: Choose the right platforms: Not all social media platforms are created equal. Some platforms are better suited for certain businesses than others. For example, if you’re a B2B business, LinkedIn is a great platform to reach your target audience. If you’re a retail business, Instagram is a great platform to showcase your products. Create a strong social media presence: Once you’ve chosen the right platforms, you need to create a strong social media presence. This means creating a professional profile, sharing interesting and informative content, and interacting with your followers. Run social media ads: Social media ads can be a great way to reach new customers and promote your business. You can target your ads to specific demographics, interests, and even locations. Measure your results: It’s important to measure your results so you can see what’s working and what’s not. You can use social media analytics tools to track your followers, engagement, and website traffic. Here are some additional tips for using social media for business: Be consistent: The key to success on social media is consistency. You need to post regularly and share interesting and informative content. Be authentic: People can spot a fake from a mile away. Be yourself and let your personality shine through on social media. Be responsive: Respond to comments and questions from your followers as quickly as possible. This shows that you care about their feedback and that you’re engaged with them. Have fun: Social media should be fun! If you’re not enjoying yourself, it will show in your posts. So relax, have fun, and let your personality shine through. READ MORE: Social Media Channels You’re Probably Not Using Now Analyzing Social Media Trends and Metrics Understanding and analyzing trends and metrics on popular social media sites is essential for businesses to effectively navigate the constantly changing social media landscape. Here’s how you can use this data to enhance your marketing strategies and boost engagement: Identifying Key Metrics: Different platforms have different metrics. Key metrics typically include engagement rate (likes, comments, shares), reach, impressions, follower growth, and click-through rate. Identify which metrics are most relevant to your business goals. Utilizing Analytics Tools: Most popular social media sites provide built-in analytics tools. Leverage these tools to collect data on audience demographics, engagement patterns, and content performance. Additionally, third-party tools can deliver more comprehensive analyses and comparisons across different platforms. Monitoring Trends: Stay updated with the latest social media trends. This includes understanding popular content formats, hashtag usage, and emerging platforms. Tools like Google Trends and social listening software can be invaluable in tracking these trends. Competitor Analysis: Examine the social media presence of your competitors. Assess their content strategies, engagement rates, and follower growth. This analysis can offer valuable insights into successful approaches in your industry and help you pinpoint opportunities to set your brand apart. Content Performance Review: Consistently assess how your content is performing. Determine which post types generate the highest engagement and modify your content strategy based on these insights. Also, consider the days and times when your posts attract the most interaction. Audience Feedback: Beyond quantitative metrics, qualitative feedback like comments and messages can provide valuable insights into your audience’s preferences and perceptions. Use this feedback to refine your messaging and content. ROI Measurement: If you’re running paid social media campaigns, calculate the return on investment (ROI) by measuring the cost per engagement and the conversion rate. This will help in assessing the effectiveness of your ad spend. Adaptive Strategy: Social media trends and algorithms change frequently. Use the insights from metrics and trends analysis to continually adapt and refine your social media strategy for better alignment with your audience’s interests and behaviors. READ MORE: Social Media Channels for Marketing Your Business: The Ultimate Guide FAQs What is the best social media site for businesses? The best social media site for businesses depends on the type of business and the target audience. However, some popular social media sites for businesses include Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. What are the benefits of using social media for businesses? There are many benefits to using social media for businesses, including: Reaching new customers: Social media can help businesses reach new customers who may not have heard of them before. Building relationships with customers: Social media can help businesses build relationships with their customers by interacting with them directly and answering their questions. Promoting products and services: Social media can help businesses promote their products and services by sharing photos, videos, and blog posts. Gathering customer feedback: Social media can help businesses gather customer feedback by asking questions and soliciting suggestions. Building brand awareness: Social media can help businesses build brand awareness by sharing interesting and informative content. What are the risks of using social media for businesses? There are also some risks associated with using social media for businesses, such as: Negative customer feedback: Businesses can encounter negative feedback from customers on popular social media sites, potentially harming their reputation. Cyberbullying: Businesses may be the target of cyberbullying on social media, which can damage their reputation and morale. Data privacy: Businesses need to be careful about how they collect and use data on social media, as they may be subject to data privacy laws. Security risks: Businesses need to be careful about the security of their social media accounts, as they may be hacked. What are the most popular social media platforms for different age groups? The most popular social media platforms for different age groups vary, but some general trends include: Teenagers: Teenagers are most likely to use social media platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. Young adults: Young adults are most likely to use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Middle-aged adults: Middle-aged adults are most likely to use social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Seniors: Seniors are most likely to use social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. How can businesses use social media to reach different age groups? Businesses can use social media to reach different age groups by: Using different social media platforms: Businesses can use different social media platforms that are popular with different age groups. Creating different types of content: Businesses can create different types of content that appeal to different age groups. Using different marketing strategies: Businesses can use different marketing strategies to reach different age groups. What are the future trends for social media? The future trends for social media are difficult to predict, but some possible trends include: Increased use of video: Video is becoming increasingly popular on social media, and this trend is likely to continue in the future. Growing popularity of live streaming: Live streaming is gaining traction on popular social media sites, and this trend is expected to persist moving forward. Increased use of augmented reality and virtual reality: Augmented reality and virtual reality are still in their early stages, but they have the potential to revolutionize social media in the future. Enhanced personalization: Popular social media sites are becoming more tailored to individual users, and this trend is expected to persist moving forward. Image: Depositphotos This article, "Top Social Media Platforms to Elevate Your Marketing" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article