I think I’ve figured it out!

Everyone knows that Facebook continues to grow with break-neck speed. Yes, Pinterest and others are gaining in popularity, but Facebook has racked up a staggering 800 million users.

Consumer products like Coke (42 million likes) or celebrities such as Lady Gaga (50 million likes) have had great success growing their “brand” on Facebook, but B2B has been mostly left behind.

Almost every day, one of our B2B clients asks about Facebook. They want to use it to boost slumping sales, to gain new prospects, to get their message out and build their brand. But if nobody sees your Facebook page—or if the content on the page doesn’t inspire or inform the people who see it—then your Facebook presence is a dud.

Example 1: Mary
I meet “Mary” at a recent AMA event. After we’ve chatted for a minute or two, it becomes clear that I can really help her with her digital marketing. When I send her a follow-up email, she sees my Facebook link in my signature and “likes” my page. I add a Facebook post announcing our new website launch, hoping to get an effective “touch” on the “Mary’s” in my network.

Mary goes home after a long day of work. She gets on Facebook for a few minutes before starting dinner, and sees my headline about our new mobile-friendly website for xyz.com. Then, right below my post, she sees a hilarious cartoon from her good friend Dave—and Lisa posted new baby photos! Before she knows it, half an hour has passed and it’s time for Mary to start dinner. I’m off her radar, at least for now.

Example 2: Beth
By any measure, Beth would be considered a promoter of US Digital: She champions projects internally; talks us up to her peers, has referred several opportunities to us, and has become friends with Jesy and I outside of work. In fact, Beth would have a Promoter score of a “10.”

For those of you not familiar with it: The Net Promoter Score is obtained by asking customers a single question on a 0 to 10 rating scale, where 10 is “extremely likely” and 0 is “not at all likely”: “How likely is it that you would recommend our company to a friend or colleague?” Based on their responses, customers are categorized into one of three groups: Promoters (9–10 rating), Passives (7–8 rating), and Detractors (0–6 rating) (Source: Wikipedia)

Beth goes home after a long day of work. She gets on Facebook for a few minutes before dinner. Seeing my headline about our new mobile-friendly website for xyz.com, Beth SHARES the thumbnail and headline with her hundreds of friends.

In this scenario, I’ve reaffirmed and promoted my relationship with Beth, and she gets “credit” for sending out something cool to her friends. And because she is a promoter of USDP, she is HAPPY to do it.

Example 3: Jim
After a long day of work, Jim hops on Facebook for a few minutes before starting dinner. He sees that his friend Beth shared a website she likes. He just attended a great dinner party at Beth’s house last weekend, so he’s inspired to click on the link and read the article. Jim has been considering designing a new website for his business, so he checks out our website.

In the consumer world, we see Promoters who are passionate about savings opportunities, recipes, sports, restaurants, etc. A simple dollar-off coupon will propagate the social networks like wildfire. In the business world, you’re not likely to rise to that level of engagement, but you might get close.

So, what’s the lesson? Don’t target the casual prospect you just met and are hoping to “capture” into the pipeline. Instead, target the Promoters and give them compelling, relevant content that they’ll be happy to pass onto their network. Foster the relationships with your Promoters so they’ll be more likely to spread the word through their endorsements. Make them feel special by giving them special offers or early previews of
a product or service. Send them surveys to get their opinion and make them feel valued and engaged.

Writer’s Note: I have recently attended several presentations, including one from Facebook’s Dave Biddle. Ideas from those presentations may be included in this blog post.

I recently attended a couple of workshops related to marketing efforts. In each session,  I had the pleasure of speaking with a variety of professionals. It struck me right away that they all had one thing in common: Each was tasked with marketing their organizations to consumers.

In both sessions, there was an evident problem of reaching out to consumers. As quickly as the problem was presented, solutions appeared. Some were centered around social media, others focused on Search Engine Optimization, and some involved mobile and mobile apps. Each solution was presented to the attendant as a “silver bullet” for their problems. A be-all, end-all for reaching more consumers. There are two major problems with all this.

First, there is not — and never will be — a “silver bullet” solution for reaching more people. It is a crying shame that so-called experts are still claiming as much. Organizations need to focus on offering a service or product that people actually want and can use. Next, companies need to establish a long-term relationship with people. Channels of communication can then be established based on how those people prefer to interact…which brings me to the second problem.

Just because you have a solution for targeting your customers, doesn’t mean you will succeed.

People are people. They are not data, numbers, analytics, benchmarks, or measurements. They are simple, yet complex. They communicate in a variety of ways using a variety of tools. They cannot be forced to view or listen to content. If a person feels pressured into listening to some organization’s marketing mumbo-jumbo, they’ll most likely run for the hills…or complain about that company on Facebook and Twitter.

If you are charged with helping to market your organization, here are my quick tips:

• Treat people like people.
• Offer something someone wants.
• Make your offering grossly unique.
• Go to your consumers – don’t make them come to you.
• Be genuine in your offerings.
• Establish a long-term relationship with your consumers.
• Listen. Feedback is important.
• Smile!

As you follow these tips, you’ll start to see how all of those techniques you learned from your  latest webinar/workshop/article come into play. But first and foremost, you must make a genuine connection with people, and keep it going for the long haul.

When it comes to interactive marketing, ingredients matter.

If you love apple pie, chances are you know the difference between a frozen, store-bought version and a fantastic, fresh homemade one. But what does apple pie have to do with websites? In broad terms, there are two kinds of website designers—one is like a frozen pie, and the other is like a savory homemade pastry.

Cookie-cutter websites at rock-bottom prices: The frozen pies of the industry

Frozen apple pies are mass-produced so that each one is virtually the same as the next. They use the cheapest ingredients, rather than the best or the freshest, and include additives like sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (whatever those are).

These pies do serve a certain purpose. They’re fast and cheap, and they do the job—you can look at one, and know that it’s apple pie. However, while eating this pie may provide temporary satisfaction, it’s probably not going to leave a lasting impression. Ultimately, it’s forgettable and, as nutritionist know, it’s simply not worth the calories (a.k.a. cost).

When you hire a cheap website company that cranks out websites with templates and other shortcuts, you’re getting a frozen pie. Your website will be functional. Everyone can look at it and say, “Hey, that’s a website.” But it’s not likely to be memorable or effective.

Why quality interactive design and development are like homemade pie

The best apple pies come from the finest ingredients: the perfect fresh apples, quality sugar and spices, real butter and special flour for the crust. While it costs a little more and takes a little more time, the end result is worth the expense—and the wait.

In addition to ingredients, there is method and experience to consider. Some apple pie recipes are better than others. And the quality of the finished product depends on the experience of the baker—little Susie’s first attempt isn’t likely to be as amazing as Aunt Ruth’s award-winning showpiece.

When you combine the best quality ingredients with the finest methods and experience, you come out with an unforgettable apple pie—one that people will talk about, and forever hold as the gold standard against other pies.

So, when you work with a quality interactive marketing company who considers their design work to be a craft, uses the best available technology, and proven methodology backed by years of experience, you’ll end up with a brand or website or app or social media campaign that people will enjoy and remember.

USDP: Creating memorable desserts—er, delicious web treats

We combine our design skills, processes, code quality, and marketing experience to craft interactive projects that stand out from the crowd, creating inviting and attractive online homes for our clients. The ingredients that we put into each project ensure that you receive an original, unforgettable finished product. Just like Aunt Ruth’s apple pie.

Stock imagery. From billboards and print campaigns to the web, it’s everywhere. This can be good or bad, depending on why and how it’s used. Let me explain.

Businesses and organizations communicate with whom? People, of course. This communication is attempted through written words and visuals. Typically, imagery is used more than words, since imagery helps to generate an emotional connection with an audience. This connection is vital when it comes to the relationship between businesses/organizations and their consumers.

Enter stock imagery. Many companies like iStock Photo, Corbis, and Veer offer a very affordable alternative to a traditional photo shoot. As these companies and others have grown over the years, there has been a kind of over-saturation of stock imagery in society. The one negative impact to this over-saturation is the lack of originality and the overuse of the same images. But there are other pros and cons we should consider. Let’s take a look at some.

Now before you make a decision to go with stock imagery, first consider hiring a good photographer. An experienced photographer can help you get the real images you want and help you to stay within your budget. The big to having your own photography is that they are more true to your business. They are unique to your people, customers, products, and projects. Customers know the difference between stock photography and the real deal, so what is that worth to your business?

Shown above are two examples of images. The one of Lincoln was shot by a Cincinnati photographer (Rack Photo) for one of our clients, BHMKlaw.com. The one on the right is a stock image that could be used for a law firm. As you can see, the left image has a more genuine, personable, and Cincinnati feel because it’s right down the street from the firms office. The one on the right has a stereotypical law firm feel that is cold and may not connect with the website viewer.

When is it appropriate to use stock imagery? You may want to ask yourself the following questions before choosing an image (stock or custom):

• What am I trying to communicate to my audience?
• Would that audience value investing in authentic photos?
• Can my budget allow for a photographer to shoot some images?
• What types of images will help get my message across?
• Are the decision makers for my project capable of choosing the right imagery? If not, then who should do it?
• Once I have a rough concept, where does imagery come into play?
• If stock imagery is chosen, are my images communicating the right message(s)?
• Are my images original enough?

Remember, your choices in imagery affect your communication efforts. Whether you choose a stock image for $5 or hire a photographer and it costs you $1,500 may not matter. What does matter is if the imagery helps you make that connection with your audience.

How to tell if your business really needs an app

With the explosion of smartphones like the iPhone and Android, and the meteoric rise in the popularity of apps (which, contrary to popular belief, isn’t entirely fueled by Angry Birds), more and more businesses are convinced that in order to compete, they need an app developed.

But that isn’t necessarily true. In many cases, a mobile responsive website is a more practical and effective investment than a dedicated app.

While it’s certainly cool to have a fun, flashy app that you can call your own—and in some cases a native app can be a smart business investment—it’s important to understand when you have a case for a standalone application and when you should stick to a mobile-friendly website. The first step is pinpointing the differences between the two.

Why apps and mobile websites aren’t synonymous

At first glance, there are plenty of similarities between mobile websites and native apps. Both are accessed on handheld devices, like smartphones and tablets. Both often include interactive features that are compatible with touch screens.

The main difference is that apps are downloaded onto a device, while mobile sites are accessed through an Internet connection, typically a Wi-Fi, 3G, or 4G network. Apps are software obtained through device-specific markets like Google Play for Android users, and installed on the device’s memory. Mobile websites are viewed in browsers, just like regular Internet sites, and don’t require downloading or installing software.

How mobile websites differ from typical web pages

Some companies mistakenly believe that mobile websites are the same as regular websites, only smaller. Unfortunately, many typical sites don’t render well on a mobile device, and some are completely inaccessible.

Mobile websites are designed specifically for smaller handheld displays, and include features that make use of touch-screen interfaces. In addition to the usual content elements—text, images, links, video—a website optimized for devices can make use of mobile-specific features like location-based mapping and click-to-call.

To get a bigger slice of the huge mobile market, businesses can either have their existing website optimized for mobile viewing, or get a separate site that’s designed specifically for smartphones and tablets.

Apps, on the other hand, are limited in that they can only be accessed via handheld device. In addition, developing software to run on iOS is different from developing software to run on Android, Windows Mobile, or Blackberry.

So, which one do you need?

To decide whether your business needs an app or a mobile website, you need to take a number of factors into account:

• Required features
• Target audiences
• Intended purpose
• Available budget

Ultimately, the choice hinges on your end goals. If you’re looking to engage the widest possible audience with content that’s optimized for mobile viewing, you’ll probably get a better ROI from a mobile website.

There are a number of advantages in opting for a mobile website:

• Instant availability. Users don’t have to wait for a download—mobile websites are right at their fingertips.
• Easy upgrading. Mobile websites are updated just like regular websites: when you make changes, they’re instantly viewable by everyone once they’re published to the site. To upgrade an app, you’ll have to invest in a software again and then get users to download the new version.
• Compatibility. With apps, you’ll need to develop a separate version for every type of device. Mobile websites are compatible with all different devices, because they’re accessed through browsers.
• Lower costs. On the whole, mobile websites are far less expensive to design and develop than apps. They also take less time, so you can launch your mobile-friendly content sooner.
• Longevity. Mobile users often delete apps from their phones to make room for new ones. Websites can’t be deleted—they’re always accessible, and can be easily found whenever a potential customer needs your products or services.

When an app makes sense

We’re not app-bashers—we love designing and building them and there are some cases where an app may be beneficial to your business. They’re a good idea for interactive games, complex banking or investment functions, and personalized or user-specific applications in the vein of Evernote. If it’s within your budget, you may even benefit from investing in both a mobile website and an app.

One more thing to keep in mind is that mobile websites can be developed with many of the same features as native apps, only without the download, installation, and cross-platform problems. If you’re looking to market your business to the vast audience of mobile device users, a mobile website is an excellent choice.

US Digital Partners is a Cincinnati-based interactive marketing agency. We do website design and development, iPhone and Android app design and development, social media marketing, email marketing, urban iditarod racing , and much more for Cincinnati clients and beyond.

Andy Orahoske is one of our developers here at USDP. He has been with USDP for 1.5 years. Here is a little more about Andy. Enjoy!

So who is the real Andy Orahoske? Tell us in so many words about you and your background.

I am originally from Cambridge, OH.  I grew up there my whole life.  After graduating high school, I went to Ohio State in Columbus.  I spent 5 years there and earned my degree in Computer and Information Sciences with a minor in Film.  Originally, going into college, I wanted to make movies for a living.  Eventually I lost some of my ambition for that and decided to stick with Computer Science and took some Film classes on the side as more of a hobby.

I had never been to Cincinnati before I moved here and now I have been here for almost 3 years.  My wife, Amber, had never been here before either, so it was very cool to start somewhere new.  We have met a bunch of great people in Cincinnati that have made it easy for us to get used to being here.  Even though Cincinnati has grown on us, we are still avid Cleveland, Kent State, and Ohio State fans.  We are fond of the Cincinnati Roller Girls though.

Were you around a lot of technology growing up?

My family had a computer growing up.  Everything was new to all of us, so it was fun to learn new things about computers together as a family.  My mom and I definitely took to it the most.  My mom still rocks most of the old software she used back when I lived at home.  I don’t know if she does it because she likes it or to make me feel more at home.  I like her keeping it old school.  Outside of the home, I took to programming pretty quickly at school.  I love the problem-solving aspect of it.

Why did you decide to major in technology in college?

I really like to program and it seemed like something stable vs. my other option: to become a screenwriter.

How have your past career experiences influenced you?

My past experiences have definitely influenced me for the better.  I have a much better idea of what I am looking for in an employer.  I have also learned that making a bit more money may not be enough for me to really enjoy going into work every day..

What is your primary role at USDP?

My primary role is interactive developer.  I try to fit into as many spots as I can, but sometimes I kind of stay in a spot for awhile because of the experiences I have gained from working on similar projects.  Mainly, I work on WordPress and Facebook apps right now.

What other duties do you perform?

I am the resident t-shirt idea guy, as well as any other strange idea needed at any time.  These ideas can be project-based or simply for my own personal enjoyment.

What are some of the challenges you face working here?

There are a lot of times where I have to jump into something that I have never done before, which is challenging, but at the same time I know my team trusts my skills and supports me enough to know that I can get it done without completely stressing out.  I also have some good resources to go to if I have any questions.

How have you worked to overcome those challenges?

I just throw myself into it and start learning as much as I can.  If I make a mistake, I learn from it and continue to try to improve.  Before I started at USDP, I didn’t know anything about Facebook apps.  Now, I have become a bit of a resource on the subject.

Do you have a favorite programming language? If so, what is it?

This is a tough one.  After starting at USDP, I have really switched gears to more PHP, javascript, and css.  I think I would have to say javascript, because it is cross platform (PHP, .net, etc).  Therefore, I use it on every project.  The new plugins and libraries that are starting to be developed are really fun to work with.

What other interesting facts about yourself can you share?

My wife and I have two pugs, Heff and Lacey.  They are a main source of my time when I get home.  Even though I do play the occasional video game, I am not as big a gamer as most of my fellow programmers.  I would consider myself more of a film geek and a huge sports fan.  I also really like outdoor sports (mountain biking, rock climbing, etc.).

What advice can you offer to others looking to become a good developer?

First of all–yes, I am going to name drop–talk to Kerri Rainbolt kerri@creativesoncall.com.  She is a great resource to have as far as finding a job as either a developer or a designer.  Also, don’t be scared to try new things and learn new things.  Take some time at home to try out a couple things that you typically wouldn’t do at your job.  You might find something useful that you can apply to either your work or something you want to try on your own.  Finally, you need to open up your lines of communication.  There are different personalities that aren’t necessarily going to feel the need to talk all the time and that is fine.  However, there are a lot of jobs out there that require some interaction that you might be missing out on because you don’t feel like talking to people.

We love to share our work and the stories of our clients. Here’s the latest news about the interactive marketing efforts at Prus Construction, a special Catholic schools promotion on Facebook, how to avoid getting locked in to a web design firm, and the great people who work at US Digital Partners.

There are a few different reasons a web designer might use proprietary software they’ve built in their projects. Some believe that closing off the source code will ramp up the security, making it harder for hackers to infiltrate websites.

Maybe.  But designers would need to be real software security experts to defend their product. Unfortunately, most web design companies have less noble intentions.

Money makes the web go ’round.

Every business wants to make a profit. This is the motive behind most proprietary software:  since you can’t manipulate the software yourself, you’re forced to engage the designer’s services whenever you want to make changes to your site. You also can’t hire another developer to work on the site, unless you want to start from scratch.

Web designers who use proprietary software often charge monthly licensing or maintenance fees. At the same time, they never improve the product, so you end up paying over and over for a static website. In effect, you’re handcuffed to the software.

A few highly unscrupulous designers will not only overcharge you for software that you’re locked out of but will either passively or actively sabotage your efforts if you decide to part ways with the company. With proprietary software, a developer can hold your site hostage by denying access to the system for migration purposes.

Take off the handcuffs.

Here are a few things you can do to make sure you’re not chained to your web designer, and also to prevent possible disaster for your online business:

• Retain control of your domain. You, rather than the developer, should be listed as the registrant of the domain, so you’ll have no trouble taking your website address with you if things don’t work out.
• Go over the work contract with a fine-toothed comb. Make sure you have access to the back end code once the design process is complete. If the contract is not clear, have the contract reworded to spell it out.
• Avoid web designers who work with software developed by their firm. Developers who use third-party open source or popular content management or e-commerce software aren’t motivated to insist on using a single, proprietary platform. Instead, they can suggest the software that offers the best solution for the needs of your business.

How are we different?

At US Digital Partners, we don’t believe in handcuffing clients with proprietary software or ongoing software fees. We find the best available third-party tools and build websites using systems that adapt easily to new innovations. If you need something custom-built, then you own the code so your business can be free to soar to new heights.

With content management and e-commerce technology changing every day, a static website is an ineffective website. Any business needs to be able to update its website seamlessly, taking advantage of the latest improvements in technology and interactive marketing. Proprietary software just isn’t conducive to a growing business.

How to overcome the impersonal nature of the Internet

Back in the days before the Internet (remember those?), most business was conducted face to face. Companies developed personal relationships with their customers, because they actually saw and interacted with them. While simple merchandise transactions could be done over the phone or through the mail, any service that required heavy customer input had to be conducted in person, usually locally.

Now that email is commonplace and everything can be handled online, you can work with any company, anywhere in the world, on complex projects—without so much as speaking to the people you’re working with on the phone, much less meeting them.

At US Digital Partners, we work with people all over the country, and sometimes internationally, but we never get to meet them. Of course, we’re always more than happy to email, chat, video conference, or talk with clients over the phone—but getting to know someone digitally can be a challenge.

Meet the team

We’d like our customers to be able to put faces with names. So we’ve just launched a team page to display our smiling mugs, and help you get to know us better.

And yes, we know that we look a bit like The Brady Bunch. We’re okay with that. In fact, we like to think of ourselves as one big, happy family…and we’re always open to new members.

In an age of digital efficiency, where you can go through an entire, complicated business transaction by communicating with autoresponders instead of people, we believe there’s no substitute for the personal touch. We enjoy getting to know our clients as much as we enjoy creating amazing websites for them.

How are you bridging the digital divide?

The dog days of summer in Cincinnati = the Western & Southern Open in Mason.

For 10 days in August, Cincinnati plays host to the stars of professional tennis… Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Venus Williams, to name a few. The tennis elite descend upon Mason to compete in world-class competition in one of five non grand slam events in the world to feature top-ranked women and men play at the same venue in the same week. The culmination of the year is the U.S. Open, so, yes, the Western and Southern Open is a big deal!

Tennis tournaments have a rich history in Cincinnati. The ATP, as it is affectionately known in the area, is actually the oldest tournament in the nation still played in its original city. Western and Southern, founded in Cincinnati in 1888, is a mere 11 years older than the tournament that bears its name. Talk about a match made in heaven!

Over the past five years, US Digital Partners has worked with the tournament to create and maintain the online ticketing system. Will Sikes, the tournament Marketing Director, knows just how important this system is to the tournaments success. “Our primary goal is to sell tickets, and we process a large majority of our total tickets sales directly through the tournament — so, the proprietary online system built by USDP is one of our most coveted digital assets.”

What we are most energized about is the 2012 season which will see the launch of ticket sales on Facebook. Aside from giving us a new project in which to collaborate with the tournament, this initiative fires us up in that almost no professional sports teams and events are doing anything like this. It may appear that tickets for other sporting events are sold via Facebook, but in reality, the purchaser is directed to an outside website. Therein lies the kicker of this project:  the e-commerce application is embedded in Facebook so visitors will not actually be re-routed to the W&S Open website. The look and feel of the ticket application on Facebook will mirror that of the tournament’s ticket page. When asked about this cutting edge opportunity on Facebook, Sikes commented “The team at USDP never says ‘it can’t be done.’ When we throw them a wild idea, their answer is always, ‘let’s see if we can find a way to do this.’ With that mentality and USDP’s expertise, we’ve been able to be innovative and stay ahead of of the curve.”

How has social media marketing benefited the tournament and more than 15,500 fans on Facebook? Sikes has a great perspective on this, too. “Social media marketing is our main differentiator in terms of delivering exclusive content quickly to our fans. With ESPN.com and other sports outlets so active, we’re never going to break a tennis story or beat them on delivering scores. But through our social media outlets, we can deliver fans exclusive content from our event that they can’t get anywhere else. It’s also a very important channel for us to ask for feedback from our fans. We make many business decisions based on questions we post to our Facebook fans.”

On February 29^th, when tickets go on sale, you can follow these easy steps while logged in to your Facebook account:

1. Visit the W&S Open page.  If you don’t already “like” the page, you should!
2. Access the ticket sales app on the left-hand navigation pane.
3. Submit your request and information in a few easy clicks.
4. Share your ticket purchasing success with your friends on your wall.
5. Get ready for world-class tennis in August!

It’s as simple and convenient as that. Of course, the tournament will continue to offer the tried and true ways of securing seats on the W&S website, by phone, and Ticketmaster.  Along with our friends at the tennis tournament, we anxiously await the results of this new ticket sales vehicle.  With over 15,500 (and growing!) fans on Facebook, the tournament should see increased revenue. However, our other hope is that ticket sales will increase buzz and impressions on Facebook. This is a good thing, both for tennis and for Cincinnati.

Here’s another great story published in the Cincinnati Enquirer.