Predicting Future Online Social Trends

(image source)

Recently Track Social put out a report listing Instagram, MyYearbook, del.icio.us, and Pinterest as the fastest growing social networks in terms of audience size. This may be able to predict the "next big thing" in terms of social online interactions and communities.

"Social growth measures how many new connections a brand is making across the already well-established social media platforms."

The key behind a lot of these up-and-coming social networks is that they are leveraging their brand names and services through huge social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Smaller platforms like Instagram (potentially the best platform for sharing photos) and Pinterest make it incredibly easy to share through these larger social networks, which attract non members to sign up for their services.

These social networks can predict future trends for online activity.

Most of these top growing social networks have similar characteristics: (1) photo-sharing, (2) broadcasting through large social networks (Facebook and Twitter), and (3) there is something uniquely perfect about each of these networks.

MyYearbook is so unique because it is a dating site that stands behind the saying "friends first." Instagram has perfected the art of the photo filter that other "hipster" apps have yet to perfect (however, there are still top Instagram alternatives). Pinterest is unique because it allows you to "pin" photos that also create links and branding opportunities (plus it's incredibly fun - learn how to get started on Pinterest).

But who knows - what's popular today may be gone tomorrow.

Tips on Planning Your Summer Vacation

It's warming up and the sun is finally coming out of hibernation. April showers will lead to May flowers and summer will be underway (unless you live in coastal cities where you have to push through June gloom). With the current state of the economy, summer vacations are less possible for a lot of people, but there are ways to cut corners and still have that little summer vacation to get out of town and beat the heat.

Viva Las Vegas

Las Vegas used to be known for gambling, clubbing, and sinful behavior, but it really has cleaned up its image recently to make it more family friendly. There are plenty popular things to do in Las Vegas, including amusement parks, zoos, shopping malls, and shows to see that even makes Vegas the perfect family destination. Before you go, make sure to check out the 10 things you need to know before traveling to Las Vegas.

Experience the Great Outdoors

Camping is a great alternative to visiting a different city and staying in a hotel because it's a lot less expensive. California has a great array of national parks including Yosemite and Redwood National Park. You can see Yosemite's highlights in three days (part 1, part 2, part 3) or even try your hand at tent camping outside of Yosemite. Another great destination (which our expert deems "California's unappreciated treasure") is Redwood National Park which is neither hot nor dry and a fantastic place to witness some wilderness firsthand.

Singletons, Try Your Hand at Jamaica, Man.

If you're a single pleasure-seeker, try going to Jamaica. From the nature to the indulgent activities to the salty water of the Caribbean, Jamaica is a great retreat from everyday life. We recap where to stay in Jamaica if you're single (don't get us wrong, you can still visit if you're attached).

Other Great Spots to Hit Up this Summer

You don't have to limit yourselves to the spots that we feature, but if you are going there, we have a lot of great content that can help you make your vacation the best it can be. Miami Beach is another hot spot (10 things you need to know before traveling to Miami Beach) with beautiful people, hot sandy beaches, and delicious food. It also hosts a great nightlife and music scene.

If the Canadian Rockies are more your style, you can always visit Banff, Canada where popular activities include hiking, skiing, and sightseeing. For more details read popular things to do in Banff, Canada.

For more travel tips check out the travel section of Experts123 where you can ask questions, read answers, and get more info through our travel articles.

Best Saint Patrick's Day Cocktails

For many of us, Saint Patrick's Day is an excuse to have a party and grab a keg of beer. The consumption of alcoholic drinks is highest on this holiday than any other - so why not drink the most real Irish drinks? From mixed cocktails to novelty drinks, this holiday beckons for creative, tasty, and green drinks. Let's all be Irish for a day!

Green Beer

Green beer will be sold at each single bar this year on Saint Patrick's Day. Lots of places use organic dye to drip into beer bottles, or fill up pints with green frothy beers. To get the greenest beer possible , it is suggested to drink a lighter beer as the green will show through more. But if you're looking for that real Irish beer, look no farther than a tall pint of Guinness. The green will barely color the beer, but it will turn the froth green.

Irish Car Bomb

This drink is threatening as it calls for your mates to stand around you in a circle and yell "Chug! Chug! Chug!" Take 3/4 of a pint of room temperature Guinness, and a shot of 1/2 Bailey's Irish Creme and 1/2 Jameson Irish Whiskey. Drop your shot into your 3/4 pint of Guinness and drink it as quickly as possible (otherwise it will curdle).

Emerald Isle Martini

An important part of Saint Patrick's Day cocktails is transforming everyday cocktails into glowing green cocktails. The Emerald Isle Martini takes a basic martini, but instead of adding vermouth and olives, you add creme de menthe which should give a fresh flavor and turn your cocktail green. Rather than a tart, salty drink, you'll now be drinking a smooth, minty drink that is also green!

Irish Cactus

Are you an ardent tequila drinker, dreading Saint Patrick's Day because tequila is a long way from anything Irish? Never fear , the Irish Cactus is here! The Irish Cactus mixes tequila with a smooth Irish cream liqueur to make a delightful after dinner sipper.

Connect with Us Through Social Media

Experts123 is really working hard to create an online community, a network so to say. We're excited to expand our brand to multiple social networking sites to keep you connected and hopefully spread the information that you're looking for. While we love connecting with members of our Experts123 community, we also feel like we have a knack for keeping our finger on the pop culture and news pulse! Find out the multiple ways to connect with us through the different social networking communities:

Twitter
Start a conversation with us! From our most recent articles, to our favorite findings on the internet, our twitter account is starting a community of it's own. We aren't shy to retweet any gem you may send us. Follow us, tweet us, and we'll share the love with you.

Tumblr
Want to get more out of us than a 140 character tweet? Our tumblr account also shows off our favorite, most well-written articles as well as highlighting some treasures that we find on tumblr. We love to share interesting photos, and to engage with interesting people. If you tumble interesting content, we will definitely follow you and reblog some of your content. Just follow us, send us a message, and we will take a look at your blog!

Pinterest
Pinterest is a new venture for us, but we think that it will be the perfect platform to share with you recipes, reviews, and even how-to's. Not everything will be from the Experts123 website, but we definitely will add a lot of the content that has great graphics and photos.

Google +
Google + is the newest addition to our social media platforms. To start, we are utilizing Google + as a way to spread information in a more interactive way. We will add photos and fun facts that we find online, as well as highlighting important news events from the Google + community. We're excited to start diving in to Google + since it arguably is the least explored large scale social media platform.

Help Us Help You: Tell Us What You Think

We are thrilled to announce that we are figuring out more ways to make content even better on Experts123. You may have noticed under each question a box asking if the page was helpful to you that looks like this:

And when you hover your mouse over the box, it will transform into this:

The Goal

Here at Experts123 we are constantly trying to find more ways for us to make your experience better by enhancing the content and helping you find the information you seek. By offering this completely anonymous voting process, our users can tell us which pages they like (and don't like) with a click of their mouse, and without consequence.

With this automatic feedback process, we can make content better on pages that need more information, and we can help to redirect you content that can better assist you.

Since we can't be in one million places at once, and since we get so much content, it is impossible for us to filter out all of the less useful content without the help of our trusted community. So please, tell us what you think! Send us your votes on pages that you visit. Together we can make it better!