5 Social-Media Trends to Prepare For In 2019

5 Social-Media Trends to Prepare For In 2019
  • 10 min. read
  • Dec 12th, 2018
  • Technology

Recently, social media platforms have evolved from simple communication medium to a full-fledged news, entertainment and marketing hub. With new features and this year’s innovations like IGTV and Snap chat’s Story Ads, all social platforms are racing against each other to keep its users engaged and entertained – which signifies that your company shouldn’t be left too far behind. To keep up with these current social media trends brands need to upgrade themselves by reevaluating their strategy to thrive in this ever-evolving industry.

In this dynamic landscape, marketers and businesses are vying for ways to stay ahead of the competition by boosting brand awareness.

Here are few pointers to keep in mind as you prepare your social-media calendar for 2019

Social CEOs will become the new custom

In the digital age, one of the most prominent changes we have noticed is how we perceive a company's frontrunners. Lack of online presence and transparency with the audience has diminished public's trust about the brand. However, in 2019, CEOs and other company leaders need to use social media extensively to share their insights, connect with their community, and listen to their audience. Making social media a part of doing business in 2019 is imperative for the success of the brand.

User-generated content will make brands' efforts more reliable

User-generated content will do the trick if your organic social reach is on the decline.  Instead of spending hours crafting unique content for social media, one can rely on user-generated content from their actual audience base which will increase the engagement more authentically and build a stronger relationship with the followers.

LinkedIn Dynamic Ads are making ads more subjective

Waving off your new members through invasive or impersonal ads would be the last thing any marketers would do to their TGs. Luckily the new feature rolled out by LinkedIn would help you to avoid such errands. With LinkedIn Dynamic Ads one can customize paid ad content and cultivate more authentic communication with their target customers.

Social listening will give brands an edge

Engaging your audience is the thumb rule of any social strategy! So while developing your social media plan, put the effort to hear your audience to balance the engagement equation.  Social listening comprises analyzing conversations, phrases, and other details about your brand and competitors. Social listening tools can help to identify patterns and collect meaningful interpretations. Using that to your advantage can significantly benefit your campaigns in the future and give your brand an edge over the competition. Instead of bombarding with promotional content, focus on engaging with your followers.

Instagram Stories feature will get more prominence

In the last few years, Instagram Stories have become a popular way for users to constantly update their profiles, keep followers engaged, and, in some cases, even increase follower base. From the past trends, it has been observed, possibly the most valuable content is short-lived. To make the most of this feature, one can share pictures or behind-the-scenes videos that give your audience a glimpse to the ethos and culture and make them feel like a part of your brand. However, overwhelming your followers with a dozen posts a day would definitely impede your Social media strategy.

The goal is to implement these trends by next year while many of them are already in use. So, keep an eye on what social media experts and other leaders in the industry are saying and incorporating in their marketing plan and rework on it to beat the competition with an exceptional social-media strategy for 2019.


Tags

  • Sun Dew Solutions
  • bespoke website
  • ecommerce website development
  • web development
  • digital innovation
  • php framework
  • creative agency

Related Blogs

sundew

Blog

Generative AI Security: Compliance Burden or a Strategic Advantage?

For many global enterprises, generative AI security started as a legal concern. Risk and compliance teams were often the first to raise their hands and ask.Can we use this tool?Is our data exposed?What will regulators say?But that conversation is evolving. Fast.In present times, GenAI security is less about passing audits and more about enabling scale. It plays a direct role in how confidently and securely you roll out AI across customer platforms, internal copilots, and decision-support systems. The real question is no longer “Are we compliant?” It is “Are we secure enough to move forward without hesitation?”This blog answers all your doubts and shows how security, governance, and compliance can shift from being a hurdle and become your secret weapon for standing out.Why Traditional Security Doesn't Cut It AnymoreThink about how we've always approached security. Build a perimeter. Control access. Monitor for breaches. It worked when you knew exactly what your systems would do. But Generative AI doesn't work that way.These systems create new content, make recommendations, and directly influence business decisions. A customer service chatbot trained on your knowledge base might inadvertently expose proprietary information. A contract review tool could perpetuate biases from historical data. A marketing assistant could easily draft content that drifts away from brand guidelines or, more concerning, crosses regulatory boundaries without anyone noticing at first.Microsoft's GitHub Copilot demonstrated this challenge in 2023 when research revealed the tool could suggest code snippets containing real credentials and API keys from its training data. Researchers extracted over 2,700 hard-coded credentials, with at least 200 being valid, active secrets. The issue wasn't a breach in the traditional sense. It was just the model behaving exactly as designed, just with unintended consequences.How Generative AI Security Flips Risk into a WinWhen you align AI risk management with your business priorities, vulnerabilities stop being roadblocks and start becoming differentiators. Security, governance, and compliance form an interconnected framework that protects both innovation and trust.Instead of treating security as IT’s compliance burden, leading enterprises are turning it into a competitive edge. Curious how? Let’s look at a few use cases: Banking and Finance Sector: The major concerns of banks and financial institutions are data privacy and security. Isn’t it? And GenAI systems often require access to sensitive financial data, which raises valid concerns under regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. Many organizations view data minimization as a limitation. In reality, it’s a discipline. By restricting models to only essential customer data, masking sensitive fields, and narrowing dataset scope, banks can reduce exposure while maintaining performance and regulatory confidence.The outcome was clear: faster compliance reviews, reduced security exposure, and more predictable model performance. What began as a GDPR-driven adjustment ultimately improved operational efficiency and strengthened client trust during enterprise audits.The Healthcare Industry: Several hospital networks are using GenAI to pre-fill patient intake summaries and assist with clinical documentation. Instead of layering AI governance and compliance later, they defined it upfront. Every interaction is logged. Outputs are traceable. Bias testing runs alongside deployment cycles. Access to patient records is tightly permissioned.What‘s the Payoff?Compliance teams gained visibility. Clinicians gained efficiency. And when partnering with insurers and digital health platforms, documented AI controls strengthened credibility during due diligence reviews.A Supply Chain Example: In 2025–2026, global logistics leaders such as Samsung SDS, DHL, and Walmart have expanded AI monitoring across forecasting and routing systems. Instead of relying on static deployment checks, they strengthened security controls, introducing drift detection, output validation, role-based access restrictions, and real-time anomaly tracking.So, what changed for the businesses? Forecast accuracy became more consistent, even during demand swings. Reduced risk of flawed predictions, data leakage, and unauthorized model interactions. Operations teams were able to identify anomalies earlier, rather than react after delays had already occurred. AI oversight also shifted closer to day-to-day operations. Planning, routing, and inventory decisions were supported by systems leadership could actually trust, which translated into steadier delivery performance and tighter cost control across regions.How Secure AI Deployments Win Enterprise Trust and Become a Growth EnablerEnterprises often ask: Is AI security just about passing audits, or is it about building trust? The truth is, regulators, customers, and partners are all expecting more, and the upside of meeting that expectation extends well beyond simply staying compliant. The two questions that change everything: What are Regulators Really Expecting?Global frameworks, from the EU AI Act to FTC guidance, are pushing for transparency and lifecycle accountability. Waiting until deployment to think about compliance often leads to delays. Embedding regulatory alignment into development keeps scale predictable.Why is Governance Suddenly a Competitive Advantage?  Because your customers are asking harder questions, an IBM Data Breach Report found that 97% of organizations that experienced an AI-related security incident lacked adequate AI access controls. Why does it matter? Because your customers and partners aren't just evaluating your features, they are evaluating your judgment.Strong governance is your SUPERPOWER for building trust.  It’s what distinguishes enterprises that operate with discipline from those simply assuming things will work out.How To Reframe Your AI Security Framework: A Checklist To Gain Market AdvantageCompliance can slow you down, or it can sharpen your edge. The difference lies in how you approach it. Here's your quick compliance checklist to build trust and speed:Think like your customers, not your auditors: Anticipate regulatory shifts and don’t wait for mandates to arrive. Track emerging standards and align early with what your customers will expect in terms of transparency and accountability.Use data discipline to move faster: Limit models to only the data they truly need. Leaner datasets reduce exposure, simplify oversight, and accelerate approvals.Engineer security into day one: Privacy and access controls shouldn’t follow deployment. Build them into architecture and product design so expansion doesn’t trigger rework.Maintain clear documentation: Structured records of model decisions, updates, and controls make audits manageable and reduce friction during reviews.Turn explainability into a selling point: Help your customers understand how your AI reaches conclusions. Clarity builds confidence, and confidence drives adoption.The pattern is clear. Those who lead with this mindset don’t treat enterprise generative AI security as overhead. They use it to strengthen products, credibility, and long-term position.Now It’s Your Turn. Is Your Enterprise Ready?Ask yourself this first: Are you building compliance in from the start, or are you planning to address it after everything else is in place?Most organizations rush to production, then someone from Legal shows up asking about audit trails. Or a customer asks how your Generative AI makes decisions, and nobody has a good answer. So you layer in safeguards, documentation, and controls,  hoping everything holds up under review.That approach slows momentum and increases exposure. So, what’s the right way to do this? Build compliance into the foundation of your enterprise AI strategy and embed privacy controls directly into user workflows. With that structure in place, you will be better positioned to scale responsibly, protect your reputation, and operate with certainty.Connect with our experts to assess where your GenAI initiatives stand and define a secure path forward.

Read More
sundew

Blog

5-Step Mailpit Configuration for Offline Email Testing

There are several ways to test and debug SMTP emails. The most common method is to use an online service like Mailtrap or Mailgun. While these tools are incredibly useful, they often come with a cost and require an internet connection, leading to resource constraints, especially with the free tiers.Developers often find themselves sending email notifications frequently to test different functionalities. In the search for efficient and cost-effective solutions, professionals often look for alternatives that could be used offline. Among these are two offline-based software options for testing emails locally: Helo (Paid) and Mailpit (Free | Open Source). Given that Mailpit is free and open-source, it is a go-to tool for many. In this blog, get familiar with how to install and configure Mailpit, making email testing both accessible and efficient.How to Use Mailpit for Offline Email Testing?If you’re wondering how to set up Mailpit, the following steps can help you get started.Step 1 - Download MailpitFollow the install instructions here:GitHub - axllent/mailpit: An email and SMTP testing tool with API for developersFor windows you can check the releases page. There can be multiple variants, namely AMD, ARM and x386. You would need to download the file based on your OS and processor type.AMD/AMD64 - For Intel/AMD processorsARM - ARM processor (mostly found in mobile devices)x386 - 32-bit Intel processorsStep 2 - Install MailpitWhile installing on Linux is easy, there are a few more steps to follow on Windows.Once the zip file is downloaded, extract it to a location as per your choice. The extracted contents will look like this:Step 3 - Add mailpit path to environmentTo add the mailpit path to environment $PATH variable, follow these steps:3.1. Search for env3.2. Click on the control panel item. It will open this window. Then click on the highlighted button. 3.3. You may choose to modify either the user or system variables. Select path and then click on edit according to your selection.3.4. In the newly opened window, click on New and add mailpit installation path like the following.3.5. Click OK → OK → Apply → OK.Step 4 - Using persistent storageAll email data will be lost once mailpit closes. To mitigate this, we can use a sqlite database.Just create a blank file but make sure to keep its extension as .sqliteYou can keep the file anywhere on your system but it is suggested to create the file in the installation folder.Step 5 - Launch MailpitRun the following command in your terminal to launch Mailpit with persistent storage.mailpit -d "" -vReplace  with the actual path to your sqlite DB file. -v is used to enable verbose loggingOnce the mailpit server starts, you can access it via 127.0.0.1:8025.Other customization options can be found in their official documentation.Bonus: Create alias to launch mailpitalias mpit=mailpit -d "C:\\mailpit\\maildb.sqlite" -v $*Wrapping UpThank you for reading! Hopefully, this guide on Mailpit configuration and use for offline email testing has been helpful. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us. We’d love to hear about your experiences with Mailpit or any other tools you use for email testing.Stay connected for more tips and tutorials!Happy coding!

Read More
sundew

Blog

How to Reduce Page Load Time in WordPress? 9 Proven Strategies

First impressions matter, especially online. A fast-loading website enhances brand perception, while a slow one drives users away. Page loading speed is a fundamental aspect of website performance that directly impacts user satisfaction and engagement. How to reduce page load time in WordPress is, therefore, a crucial consideration to ensure your site delivers a seamless experience. A slow-loading site can lead to high abandonment rates, affecting everything from user experience to search engine rankings. For website owners and developers, addressing these performance issues is a necessary step in boosting overall site functionality and improving user retention. While the platform offers flexibility and a range of features, it doesn’t always make it straightforward to achieve optimal page load times. To keep your WordPress site running smoothly, it’s important to find out what is slowing it down. Fixing these issues can create a better experience for your visitors and improve how search engines see your site. Let’s explore the tools you can use to measure your site’s speed and identify areas for improvement. Why does Speed Optimization matter for your website?As digital attention spans continue to shrink, optimizing website speed and performance has only become more apparent. Research shows that 40% of users abandon websites with load times exceeding three seconds. These delays not only impact the user experience but also lead to increased abandonment rates and diminished engagement.Here are some key reasons to prioritize improving your website speed:User Experience: Slow speeds frustrate users, reducing engagement and satisfaction. Optimized websites encourage longer visits and higher conversions.Mobile Usage: With growing mobile traffic, optimizing for varying connectivity conditions is crucial for high performance during internet browsing.SEO Impact: Site speed is a ranking factor in search engines like Google. Websites that load faster gain better visibility and rank higher in search results.Conversion Rates: Slow speeds hurt conversions because users leave if the page takes too long to load. This makes speed optimization vital for revenue-generating websites.Web Complexity: Increased scripts and integrations demand prioritization of performance for optimal user experience.Sustainability: Efficient websites consume less energy, contributing to reduced digital carbon footprints.Scalability: Speed optimization ensures your site performs well as traffic and content grow.5G and Edge Computing: Advanced technologies like 5G set higher user expectations for speed and lower latency.E-commerce Revenue: Faster websites improve sales and revenue by reducing friction for customers.Competitive Edge: Faster sites attract and retain users and, thus, offer an edge over slower competitors.9 Proven Ways On How to Reduce Page Load Time in WordPress Boosting your WordPress site’s speed and performance is well within your reach with the right strategy and approach. By addressing specific areas, you can improve your site’s speed and overall functionality. To get started,  here are some proven techniques:Find Out What Makes Your Site Slow You first need to understand what is causing your site to lag, which is necessary to optimize its speed. Run performance tests to assess your website’s current performance and identify areas for improvement since performance depends on multiple aspects like visitor location, internet speed, and browser caching. So, there is no single definitive metric. Page speed can also vary across different pages based on their content and structure. While homepages are often used to estimate load speed, it is equally important to test high-traffic pages. It helps you to gain a complete understanding of how to reduce page load time in WordPress and improve overall performance.Optimize ImagesOne of the main reasons behind slow site performance is large image files. High-quality images often have large file sizes that increase load times to a great extent. While it is important to maintain quality, you can typically reduce file sizes without compromising visual integrity. Additionally, on plugin-enabled sites, various tools are available that help identify images to be further optimized for better speed. You can use image editing software to compress image sizes. Minimize Plugin UsageExcessive plugins can slow down your site by adding unnecessary code to each page load. To maintain optimal performance, use only the essential plugins. WordPress hosting services already handle certain functions like:Security & SSLCachingDatabase ManagementStagingSpam ProtectionBackupsSo, there is no need to add plugins for these features. Regularly audit and remove any plugins that aren't necessary to keep your site streamlined and running efficiently.Manage Third-Party ScriptsThird-party scripts, like embedded videos or widgets, affect load times as they require content to be fetched from external servers. While the delay is typically minor, it becomes noticeable on pages with heavy third-party content. To learn how to reduce page load time in WordPress, consider removing or delaying the loading of these external resources. Eliminating unnecessary third-party scripts ensures faster page load times without compromising content quality or functionality.Choose a Lightweight ThemeYour WordPress theme plays a key role in both website design and performance. While aesthetics matter, the functionality and speed of the theme are just as important. Themes with too many built-in features slow your website down, negatively impacting user experience and SEO rankings. Focus on themes that are designed with speed in mind, choosing only those with the right features for your site’s needs. In addition, be sure to check compatibility, user reviews, and recent updates to confirm that the theme won't compromise your website’s speed, functionality, or user experience.Invest in a Reliable Hosting ProviderThe foundation of a fast and efficient WordPress site starts with selecting the right hosting provider. Shared hosting is often a budget-friendly choice but can cause delays when server resources are stretched. To ensure consistent performance, consider upgrading to managed, VPS, or dedicated hosting. This ensures fast load times and prevents slowdowns, even when your website experiences increased traffic or resource-demanding operations.  Choosing the right hosting is a crucial step in understanding how to reduce page load time in WordPress and delivering a seamless user experience.Install A Caching PluginA WordPress caching plugin speeds up performance by storing fully built HTML pages. Instead of generating pages dynamically for each visitor, the pre-assembled pages are delivered instantly. For a high-performing WordPress site, caching is an essential strategy. It helps maintain fast, responsive interactions even under demanding traffic conditions or resource constraints.Maintain a Clean DatabaseUnused themes, old users, and spam comments can accumulate in your WordPress database, slowing down your site's performance. To understand how to decrease page load time in WordPress, use plugins like WP Optimize to audit your site and safely remove unnecessary files. Regularly cleaning up, including manually deleting unused media from the library, ensures your database remains optimized, improving overall performance and load speed.Optimize CSS for SpeedThe design of your website is determined by CSS, a language used to style its appearance. However, these files can grow quite large, particularly with plugins adding additional CSS. The increased file size results in more data for the browser to process, which impacts your website’s load time.Optimizing CSS loading is an effective strategy to ensure faster rendering by prioritizing essential styles. Tools like Jetpack Boost provide one-click settings to move critical CSS to the top of the page, speeding up content display.  It also combines CSS files, which reduces load time and minimizes the number of requests needed for optimal performance.Putting It All Together: WordPress Speed OptimizationTo wrap up, mastering how to reduce page load time in WordPress is critical to achieving a high-performing website. The steps discussed here provide clear guidance for optimizing your WordPress site and enhancing the user experience. Regular updates to your hosting, plugins, and theme will keep your site responsive and competitive. Continuous monitoring and improvement are key to staying ahead of performance bottlenecks. With a little effort and attention, you can improve page load times and drive better outcomes for your business and users.

Read More

Thank You!

Excellent!

Successfully subscribed to Sundew Solutions newsletter!

Acknowledged