By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO

Social media can be a challenge to keep up with. Not only are the current platforms constantly changing and updating, but new ones seem to be popping up with the claim that they’re the next hot thing that everyone on the internet is using. (Remember Google+ blowing up for about two minutes?) So, we’ve decided to look at three new social networks to let you know whether or not they are a good fit for your business and if they are worth your time and money.

Ello.co launched in March 2014 on an invite-only basis. The site promises that they will never sell user data to advertisers or third parties, never show advertisements, and not enforce a real-name policy. This simple operating procedure is highlighted by the minimalist black-and-white design of the site.

Should you be on it? In our opinion…eh, maybe. One way to use this platform is to show that you are an expert in your field—for example, the bare-bones design makes Ello a great platform to show off photography or other art. If your clients or fans want to connect with you as a person, this would be a decent platform for it. If they want to connect with your company as a whole, stick to a Facebook company page. (Keep in mind, it's been reported that interest in Ello has drastically declined, so as always, know where your audience is.)

Tsū.co (pronounced “Sue”, as in “a boy named…”) is a content sales platform that shares up to 90% of revenues with its users. The defining feature of Tsū is that users have complete ownership of their content. They explain on their FAQ page, “On Tsū, you will get paid for your content. Half of your earned revenue is in the form of royalties generated by the content you post.” Tsū also launched mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Should you be on it? Sure—it’s one of the only platforms where you can truly get money out of it! However, keep two things in mind. First, new members can only join tsū by user invitation: “Our invite-only system enables us to track and distribute network value to the users who help tsū grow,” they explain. Second, since your earnings are dependent upon how much your content goes viral, already established celebrities will benefit more than lesser-known folks.

Yik Yak is a mobile app that serves as a feed for what’s going on around you or on certain topics. Users post and comment anonymously on topics such as ball games, colleges, and the weather. Similar to Reddit, users can vote up favorite posts (or vote down ones they don’t like). The more points a post receives, the more “karma” the original poster receives.

Should you be on it? We're split on this. On the one hand, Yik Yak has been accused as being a platform for the young population of users to bully each other. Still, Yik Yak can serve as a good way to watch what people in your area are saying on various topics. However, if you attempt to post something promotional about your business, be wary…anything appearing to ad-like can be voted down. We recommend posting promos that are to the benefit of the other users: “FYI, women’s jeans at XYZ Fashion are 30% off. Time to go shopping!” or, "Well drinks only $2 at ABC Bar and Grill! Who's going out tonight?"

Have you used any of these platforms? What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know!

By Hilary Montgomery, Research Associate

When I arrived in China to teach English at a university, I had no real idea of what to expect. People had given me many suggestions, including to get a VPN for my computer...which I did without any real understanding of what a VPN is or what it does. I must say, I am thankful for it. Without it, I wouldn’t have access to Skype, YouTube, or Facebook. Being an American in China is a very strange thing. I don’t understand much of what is going on around me. Since I’ve been here, though, I’ve learned a bit about the world outside of Facebook, for my students that is WeChat and QQ. 

Both WeChat and QQ use QR codes extensively for transferring information. If you don’t know what QR codes are, they are those weird little black and white boxes that are sometimes on advertisements. When I want to add someone to my WeChat, I can go to my profile and pull up my QR, and my new friend can use their phone to scan my phone. Then, I will get an invitation to be friends--no need to tell them how to spell my name or make sure they type my phone number correctly.

Understanding the different ways that customers use the internet outside of the little bubble in America can be extremely important for a business that is trying to grow. Even if your company is not trying to reach Asian markets, the customers that are currently in your market might be missed if you are only marketing using Twitter and Facebook.

What markets do you want to reach? Would WeChat and QQ be beneficial? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO

We’ve all experienced “necessary evils” when managing businesses—filing complicated paperwork, negotiating contracts, or doing detailed taxes and financial reports. Well, if these are necessary evils, we at Bon Visto Media would call paid advertising on social media a “necessary awesome”.

Many platforms recognize that they are being used for business promotion, and they’re trying to put the “social” back in social media. Not only that, but the owners of these platforms know that companies will pay top dollar to advertise on social media because it provides a captive audiences and allows for users to share company content. A notable example of changes to social media is Facebook, which changed their algorithms so that news feeds are more likely to show posts from individuals’ profiles rather than companies' like pages. If a company wants to get seen, paid advertising is nearly inevitable.

Fortunately, paid ads on social media deliver results. Want a real-world example? Contently.com reported that Castrol Moto’s social reach went from 2.7 million to, once they started paying for ads, 14 million users. The effect is evident: Even if you just spend a single dollar each day, you’ll see more activity on your social media platforms...more likes, follows, comments, and so on.

There are no hard, fast rules about the best social media platform for advertising—it varies from industry to industry, and from company to company. We’ve talked in a previous blog post about knowing which platforms your audience is using, which is a crucial first step in deciding where to spend your dollars.

If your company is present on multiple platforms, don’t limit your ad spending to the obvious choices. While Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are obvious choices for ad placement, less common options can reap benefits if you want to reach a niche market. For example, Pinterest is a great platform for advertising to moms, since 80% of their users are female. Content curating websites offer an alternative solution—StumbleUpon, for instance, offers full-page native advertising in which your entire website becomes the ad.

Have you had success with social ads? Or, do you have questions? Leave a comment below!

By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO

You never forget your first love...and mine was art. To this day, beautiful and interesting visuals stir my soul and warm my cold, dead heart. That’s why I am so in love with the shift toward images being an integral part of social media content strategy. Users across various social platforms are far more likely to engage with companies who posts images. If you want to use images in social media for your business, here are four ways to make it work!

Not all original images need to come from your company. Ask your fans to submit images of them using your products or services. While you’re at it, have them attach a unique hashtag to their images to make it easy to find—something like #coffeelover2014 for people taking pictures in that aforementioned coffee shop, for example. This tactic not only gives you plenty of contact with little effort, but also makes social media users feel like part of the community that is your brand.