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More teens leaving Facebook for other sites

More teenagers are leaving Facebook for other online platforms that feature images or videos and give them more control over who can be their friends. Based on a new Pew Research Center survey, only 51% of US teens are using Facebook. By contrast, 69% of US teens were reported to be using Snapchat, 72% Instagram, and 85% YouTube.

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11 Jun, 2018 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Facebook, Social Media category
More teens leaving Facebook for other sites

More teenagers are leaving Facebook for other online platforms that feature images or videos and give them more control over who can be their friends. Based on a new Pew Research Center survey, only 51% of US teens are using Facebook. By contrast, 69% of US teens were reported to be using Snapchat, 72% Instagram, and 85% YouTube.

Reasons for user demographic shift

The same survey found that only 10% of US teens use Facebook most frequently, unlike other platforms like Instagram (15%), YouTube (32%), and Snapchat (35%). There are two main reasons why Facebook is no longer the first social media choice for US teenagers: visual content and control.

#1. Visual Content

The current youth demographic group favors visually appealing posts. As a result, teens prefer platforms like Instagram and Snapchat that allow them to beautify their photos and instantly share them with their friends. This is unlike Facebook where users can only upload, share, read, and like curated posts, which is deemed “uncool” by teenagers.

#2. Control

Youngsters are known to be highly expressive, but this is impossible to do if they’re friends with their mom, dad, or other adults on social media. Snapchat and Instagram solve this by allowing teens to control who’s able to see their posts. What’s more, Snapchat and Instagram stories allow users to send time-limited messages. Unlike regular Instagram posts, Instagram stories allow users to share images or videos on their app immediately. These images and videos will then be removed from the platform after 24 hours, similar to how Snapchat works.

These two features mean users can upload more “adult-oriented” posts without worrying that their parents will see them. Users can also get peace of mind knowing their uploaded photos or videos will be removed from the app after a period of time (usually 24 hours).

The next steps for SMB marketing

It’s crucial for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that have a limited marketing budget to understand which platforms reach which demographics. For example, SMBs targeting customers aged 13 to 17 years should rethink their marketing strategies if they’ve invested mainly in Facebook ads. They should consider reallocating their advertising funds to Snapchat, Instagram, or YouTube where their target customers are most active.

Is this the end for Facebook ads?

This doesn’t mean companies that have invested in Facebook marketing won’t see any more benefits. The survey discovered that 70% of US teens from lower-income households use Facebook, a much higher figure than those from middle income families or wealthy families.

But if you do decide to move your Facebook ad spending to other platforms, keep in mind the different preferences based on gender. More girls (42%) identified Snapchat as their go-to platform compared with boys (29%). On the other hand, more boys (39%) identified YouTube as the platform they used most frequently compared with girls (25%).

It is highly recommended that businesses of any size use more than one type of marketing channel to attract customers. Not only will your company’s search engine rankings increase naturally, but having more than one approach can also help you reach more of your target demographics and compete better with similar companies. We help SMBs make the best of their marketing funds by tailoring marketing strategies that reach the most teenagers, so if you’re interested in social media marketing, send us a message today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Debunking the top 4 virtualization myths

Unless you work in IT, you don’t need to understand the intricacies of most business technology. Complicated explanations usually just lead to misunderstandings, which is especially true for virtualization. Many of the things you’ve heard about it are false.

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08 Jun, 2018 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Hardware, Security category
Debunking the top 4 virtualization myths

Unless you work in IT, you don’t need to understand the intricacies of most business technology. Complicated explanations usually just lead to misunderstandings, which is especially true for virtualization. Many of the things you’ve heard about it are false.

Myth #1 - Virtualization is too expensive for SMBs

Many people assume that the more advanced an IT solution is, the more expensive it is to install and maintain. That’s not the case for virtualization, which is a strategy to boost hardware efficiency and cut costs.

Sure, a virtual server requires more support than a traditional one, but the capacity boost means you won’t need to purchase a second server for a long time -- resulting in a net reduction of hardware and IT support expenses. Furthermore, managed virtualization services usually follow a pay-as-you-go model that costs just a few bucks per hour.

Myth #2 - Virtualization adds workplace complexity

Most people feel comfortable with the traditional computing model -- one set of hardware equals one computer -- but that doesn’t mean a new model has to be more complicated. With virtualization, one “traditional” computer can run as two or more virtual computers. The technical aspects of how that’s accomplished may be confusing, but the good thing is business owners don't need to bother with those details.

Virtualization actually reduces complexity because it allows business owners to expand their IT systems whenever necessary without having to worry about hardware limitations.

Myth #3 - Support is hard to come by or inconvenient

You may be more familiar with The Cloud than with virtualization, but that doesn’t mean the latter is a niche technology. The value of the virtualization market in 2016 was $5.6 billion and supported by IT providers all over the country. It’s also a technology that works well with remote support, which means technicians can install upgrades or resolve issues without having to travel to your office.

Myth #4 - Software licensing is more difficult

There’s a misconception that if your server is running three virtual Windows 10 computers, you’ll have to jump through extra licensing hoops. In reality, virtualization follows the same licensing rules as traditional computing: one desktop, one license, which means you won’t need to rethink your software budget.

It’s natural for new technologies to cause confusion, and virtualization does require a new way of thinking about IT hardware. But as long as you have certified technicians like ours on hand, everything will run smoothly. Give us a call today to find out how we can lower your hardware costs and simplify your IT support.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Working remote? Use VoIP

The workplace has been steadily evolving, and much of this is fueled by the rise of remote workers. Last year’s Gallup survey showed that of more than 15,000 adults asked, 43% of them worked outside of the office. Why does remote working look more appealing to employees these days?

The appeal of working remote

The perks of telecommuting, or working remotely, go beyond wearing your jammies while doing your job.

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07 Jun, 2018 / by Complete Technology Resources / in VoIP category
Working remote? Use VoIP

The workplace has been steadily evolving, and much of this is fueled by the rise of remote workers. Last year’s Gallup survey showed that of more than 15,000 adults asked, 43% of them worked outside of the office. Why does remote working look more appealing to employees these days?

The appeal of working remote

The perks of telecommuting, or working remotely, go beyond wearing your jammies while doing your job. Employees are unbound by time and space, so talent can come from anywhere. They don't have to beat the traffic during rush hour since they can work in the comforts of their home or any place of their choice. Less stress and favorable working conditions help increase employees' morale.

But there are challenges to having workers physically apart. It’s not as easy to turn to a colleague to consult when he or she is across town. Meetings can be tedious to set up, and correspondences via email lose their immediacy. And there’s more possibility of miscommunication when you cannot see the other person’s body language.

VoIP as a must-have tool for telecommuting

For remote working to work, an effective and reliable system of communication is necessary. That’s why companies turn to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.

VoIP is a telephony system that uses the Internet to transmit data. So VoIP systems can transmit a variety of data aside from audio -- video, photo, file, etc. The more popular examples of applications using VoIP technology are Whatsapp, Facebook Video and Voice Chat, Skype, and Google Phone, to name a few.

VoIP systems make telecommuting viable. It allows remote workers to connect to one another in real time, at any time. Communication lines aren’t limited to audio; video calls bring remote workers face to face with one another. They can send files back and forth at the speed of a click, leave comments, or edit each other’s work with ease.

One of the best things about VoIP systems is that they're very affordable. Whether audio or video, so long as it’s sent through the Internet, it’s free. And because VoIP systems have flexible and changeable structures, it’s easy to expand or downsize as needed.

Getting the best out of VoIP

Here are a few ways remote workers can make the most out of their VoIP systems:

  1. Use a hosted VoIP system. The system is hosted in the cloud, usually maintained by a third-party provider. Being in the cloud means easier access for remote workers from different locations. Having an outsourced provider is more convenient because they have the experience and expertise to ensure the VoIP system is always in tip-top shape.
  2. Choose one with mobile app. This allows greater mobility for remote workers, as they do not always need to be in front of their desktops. And the more mobile your workers, the more agile your company.
  3. Get one that uses a VPN connection. A virtual private network (VPN) allows different computers to connect safely and securely via the Internet. Remote workers can send and share data without fear of cyberattackers even when they are using public WiFi networks such as those in coffee shops, malls, and hotels.

The flexibility of VoIP systems means one can be customized for you. If you need a VoIP telephony system that’s just right for your needs, call us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Microsoft Office 365 to block Flash

A few weeks ago, Microsoft made an announcement to block future content that is embedded with Adobe Flash, Shockwave, and even their own Silverlight platform from Office 365. While the developers have their reasons for implementing this, they should have pulled this feature earlier to avoid many irate customers.

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06 Jun, 2018 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Office, Office 365, Security category
Microsoft Office 365 to block Flash

A few weeks ago, Microsoft made an announcement to block future content that is embedded with Adobe Flash, Shockwave, and even their own Silverlight platform from Office 365. While the developers have their reasons for implementing this, they should have pulled this feature earlier to avoid many irate customers.

Microsoft recently announced plans to eventually stop the activation of Silverlight, Shockwave, and Flash content in Office 365. This is not just the developers disabling bugs with an option to click a link or button to look at content. Within a few months' time, Flash will be gone from Office 365 for good.

What media will be affected once this is implemented?

Microsoft Silverlight and Adobe Flash or Shockwave content that uses Microsoft’s OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) platform and the “Insert Object” feature will be blocked. However, media that uses the “Insert Online Video” control via an Internet Explorer browser frame will not be affected by this change.

The following timeline shows the various changes that will take full effect by January 2019:

  • Controls in the Office 365 Monthly Channel will be blocked beginning June 2018.
  • Controls in the Office 365 Semi-Annual Targeted (SAT) Channel will be blocked beginning September 2018.
  • Controls in the Office 365 Semi-Annual Channel will be blocked beginning January 2019.

Why did the developers choose to take out the embedded content?

Microsoft pointed out various reasons for making their decision. It cited that malware authors have been exploiting systems through Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files with embedded content, and that most Office 365 users did not use or rarely use the controls anyway.

Aside from this, the developers at Microsoft decided to take action after Adobe announced that Flash would reach its end-of-life cycle by 2020. Silverlight was discontinued in 2016, where enterprise customers would have support for the medium until 2021.

For businesses that still need to look at or embed Silverlight- or Flash-based content in an Office 365 document, Microsoft has provided a support page to guide users on re-activating the controls.

As more websites are transitioning away from Flash in favor of HTML5, Microsoft's once-popular platform has experienced a steady decline over the years. According to Google, Chrome users who loaded a single web page per day that has Flash media had gone down from an estimated 80% during 2014 to below 8% in early 2018.

For more information about utilizing Office 365 features and other IT related concerns, feel free to get in touch with us today!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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