 The pandemic has truly brought out a lot of skills, talents, and needs across our country and specifically our community. It is in times such as these that we find a way to join together and make positive changes for our community. A fantastic example of this was started around 35 years ago at the Caring Kitchen. Founders, Carol and Nedra Norman, were able to utilize their skills to bring together an opportunity for those in need to get the vital necessities without bias. The Caring Kitchen not only operates as a soup kitchen where everyone is welcomed with open arms, they also have a food pantry and clothing available to meet those needs, too. For our community members with nowhere to stay, the Caring Kitchen operates as an emergency shelter in addition to that hot meal talked about earlier. In addition to these staples being provided for, other services available. Without a doubt, the Caring Kitchen is one way that our community has been able to show LOVE for more than three decades. The best part is that there are opportunities for you to be able to be a part of that story. By going to the Caring Kitchen's website, anyone can find ways to call ahead and learn how to help others in need. From the Thanksgiving Meal to the Backpack Program, there are many ways to get involved and be a part of serving our community! No matter your skill set, helping serve a hot meal is a great way to experience the love of the Caring Kitchen. Their dedication to the community gives us joy in being able to provide them a website to connect with others.  "Caring Kitchen is an outreach ministry of the Champaign County Community. Its ministry is based on the Bible and motivated by the Love of God. The primary purpose for which it is formed is to be an advocate for and to provide services without discrimination to people in need."
#LoveLocal #CaringKitchen #BerryDigitalSolutions How to support your local businesses  Local businesses need our LOVE. Why not drop your “2 cents” and let them hear from you?
Making an impact in our Champaign and Logan county communities doesn’t always mean swiping a card or sending a Venmo payment. These ways do make an impact, but sometimes your opinion (and love) can help boost local businesses! Write a Review Leaving a review for a local business is one of the best things you can do as a consumer. Anymore, online reviews are a “go to” when researching where to eat, who to do your taxes, etc. Whether it is positive or negative, your comment can help other customers/consumers make informed decisions about what to expect from the business you review. So, what is a review? When you write a review, you share with others your experience in words; which is why it is important for it to be honest and specific. Don’t underestimate the power of a written review. Yes, a five-star review is great, but your two-cents can be the game changer. For example, if you visited Cafe Paradiso and loved your meal, the atmosphere and the service, take the time to leave a review. However, don’t just say “It was fantastic.” Explain the reason why it was great. Here’s a sample response: “Being a pasta fan has led me to many different restaurants over the years. After visiting Cafe Paradiso, I have to say, it is one of the best. The manager came out and visited with each of the tables and spoke to each of us like family. If the service wasn’t enough, the food was delicious. Definitely a place I will go to again!” While we know not every experience will be great, it’s still essential to leave a review so the business owners know what they can improve on. Think about the things you would like feedback on about your own business. Here’s a sample response of an appropriate review to leave if you’ve had a negative experience: “My intent was to write a great review after all the hype about this restaurant. Unfortunately, my order was brought out incorrectly twice and I had to ask several times to receive my check. It has potential, but this was not the best experience.” Now, what if you are the one receiving the negative review? Even though it might feel like a punch in the gut, it is important not to leave it alone. Honesty and integrity go a long way with consumers. Reflect on what was reviewed, take time to thank the reviewer for their feedback, apologize if appropriate and respond. Mentioning how you will work to improve whatever the negative review was focused on is step one – the big step is taking action and doing it. When it comes time for you to leave a review, there are several platforms you can choose from! Facebook and Google are the most popular options, but you can also leave them on the BBB website or the business’s website (if applicable). Give it a shot and use Berry Digital as your first review here. Follow Their Social Media Channels and Engage With Them With social media taking over communication platforms, it makes sense that we support our local businesses on their social media pages. It is as simple as “liking: and “following” your favorite business pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Once you follow these pages, you’ll be able to see updates whenever the business creates posts. However, don’t just follow the pages! Be sure to engage with the content they’re creating. Whether it’s liking, commenting, sharing or tagging your best friend in the comments, this engagement truly does matter and helps business owners know what content to keep pushing out. Because social media is mostly used as an awareness tool, business owners don’t always see an ROI, so your support by engaging means more than you realize. Before we move on, one last thing you can do is use any relevant hashtags the business uses. Let’s take Champaign Works, for example. One of their main hashtags is #ChampaignWorks. In their posts, you’ll see this hashtag used frequently. If you were to visit Champaign County and post a picture on your social media, we encourage you to use the #ChampaignWorks hashtag in your post. Champaign Works likely follows this hashtag and by using it, they are able to easily find your post. Make sure to only use hashtags that are relevant to the business you’re highlighting! #BerryDigitalSolutions #ChampaignWorks #Facebook/BerryDigital #instagram/BerryDigital Subscribe to Content/Emails Want to stay up to date on everything a local business has to offer? Then you should subscribe to their email content! Most businesses utilize some sort of email strategy and are always looking to add more consumers to their email list. Email content can be valuable to you, as the business is able to reach you directly with important updates. Most times, emails will have a little more content compared to your stereotypically social media post. If you’re really dedicated to a business, subscribing to their emails is one of the best options for you! You also have the opportunity to forward relevant emails to coworkers, family and friends! No matter how you do it, supporting local business betters the community you live in. Take time to support a local business today! You can start by subscribing to our email content, located at the bottom of our home page.  If you are a business owner and you have been following our blog, this is your sign that it is time to start a blog of your own! Often, we hear people say that they don’t have time for a blog or think that their audience might not be interested in what they have to say. There are so many great reasons to start a blog and we are going to share them with you!
1. Website Traffic and SEO Blogs are an amazing way to boost your SEO ratings. Text plays a huge role in SEO and including relevant keywords to your business in your blogs will help increase traffic. Often a blog is shared on a variety of platforms because of the type of content it provides. This increases visits to your website and many times those visitors will explore other areas of your website before leaving, giving you more of a chance to catch their attention. 2. To Share Your Expertise Sharing your voice and your experience in the field will build your customers’ trust with your brand. People will start to look to you for upcoming events, news in the field, and even just as a place of entertainment. This will get your website a lot of return visitors which helps show that your blog is a relevant place for customers to find answers to their questions or learn more about your product. 3. Blog Content Can be Repurposed One of our favorite things about blog content is how it can be repurposed for a variety of different areas. Blogs can easily be turned into social media posts, newsletter and newspaper articles, email campaigns, and press releases. Even if the content needs to be shortened you can link to your blog for access to the full article to drive website traffic and provide the best information possible to your customers. 4. It is a Place for Important News to Live on your Website How many times do you have information that you want to share or needs a place to live on your website, but it doesn’t quite fit anywhere? Your blog can be a place to host all those things and gives you links to direct traffic to from other platforms like social media. Blogs are flexible and can provide you with a little more freedom to include information you want to on your website without having to add a new page. There you have it! This list is just a few of the ways that having a blog can benefit your business. Take that leap and start your blog today.  There is so much to celebrate in the month of February; Black History Month, Groundhog's Day, President's Day, and of course, Valentine's Day. Following our theme of LOVE this month, the BDS Team would like to honor one our very own with some celebratory news! Please join us in congratulating Danielle Norton, BDS's Project Manager, in her engagement with Kyle Johnson! Danielle shared with us that it was not expected, but a wonderful experience.
In preparation for his proposal, Kyle called Danielle's father (who lives out of state) the day before. Before Kyle could even ask permission, Danielle's father interjected, "Of course you can marry her." On New Year's Eve, Kyle got on one knee and proposed to Danielle in gentleman like fashion after dinner in Springfield, Ohio. After much excitement and chatter, the two continued their evening in New Carlisle to watch the "Ball Drop" celebration. At midnight Danielle was able to talk with her family and share the wonderful news. Nothing like a good "LOVE" story to warm our hearts in February! Thank you for being a part of our story at BDS! #LoveLocal #BerryDigitalSolutions  Here at Berry Digital Solutions (BDS) our goal is to provide our customers practical assistance, customized website, organic SEO, and professional monthly maintenance. The best part is that we are local. Just think, do you really love your website? Or, can BDS help you meet your potential?
Do you have a contract that is holding back your marketing potential? BDS has NO CONTRACTS Call us old school, but we don't believe in contracts. If we can't take care of your digital needs, we want to find someone that can. Your digital properties are still protected by our digital Terms & Conditions, just without the annual or monthly contracts. So, if you are currently struggling with a contract issue, reach out to BDS and we will help you when you are ready. How would you like to have a say in the design of your website? BDS Customizes Your Website If you are currently struggling with your website design, that's ok. We custom quote every website we build. From start to finish, we tailor the design and functionality to fit your wants and needs. We will build a beautiful, mobile-friendly and easy-to-use website that both you and your visitors will love. If you are ready to learn more, please reach out to us so we can help you get your website to where it needs to be! Is your current SEO plan getting you noticed? BDS uses Organic SEO The most important part of your website is what you can't see: how the Google-bots and algorithms view your website and displays it in search engine results. Search Engine Optimization is a vital piece of your website, and we include organic SEO services in every website we build. This can get complicated which is why we make sure we are available for our clients. If reaching a provider is an issue, we've got your covered. Are you having trouble keeping your website up to date? BDS Provides Monthly Maintenance Our monthly plans are structured with you in mind. We are your 1-stop shop for everything website-related. Hosting, domain, and regular updates are always included. There is no reason to pay anyone else fees related to your website. Honesty and integrity is something we pride ourselves with as a small business. We want you to be successful because it helps us be successful in the process. Launching a website that is original, reaches your clients, and isn't a hassle doesn't have to be a headache. Reach out today to Adam and BDS will get you shining in no time!  2012 - Ryan Berry founded Berry Digital Solutions with one goal in mind: helping his community.
Berry Digital Solutions began with a sign advertising local computer repair in Ryan's front yard. As he began helping his community with their technology needs, Ryan quickly realized that there was a growing demand for small business digital marketing. Ryan shifted his focus and began assembling a team of experts. 2015 - Chris Anders joined Berry Digital solutions as part owner. Chris was tired of working for other people. He wanted more control, flexibility, and to start a business that treated people with respect. He spends most of his time working behind the scenes managing and building websites. Chris is the problem solver of the team and loves coming up with the best solution when faced with a new challenge. 2016 – Erika Berry officially joined the team as a Project Manager/Billing. She was excited to help the business grow and needed something more flexible with young kids at home. This was a huge milestone for Berry Digital Solutions because it meant that both Ryan and Erika could support their family while also being able to spend more time together. 2018 – Staci Wisma joined the team initially as a “Dot Connector”. In that role she oversaw connections between businesses and organizations to local resources, creating partnerships that benefit the entire community. She then briefly attempted a role in sales but quickly realized it wasn’t for her. Today she focuses on Customer Relations and is often the main contact within Berry Digital Solutions for clients. 2018 - Kelli Ross joined Berry Digital Solutions as a website builder. She needed a place that could be flexible with her schedule because of the time she has to spend to care for her special needs son. She can work from home, and the business is so supportive of her life situation, while also allowing her to grow and thrive in her job. 2021 - Danielle Norton joined the team and quickly became a vital asset as our Project Manager. She came to us at a time of much growth and helped develop and implement many of the processes we use today! Today - Ryan Berry spends most of his time helping to connect his community with local experts while serving on local boards and helping fellow entrepreneurs with startups. His dream and passion for helping local businesses has brought all these amazing people together to form the Berry Digital Solutions team you and know and trust. We couldn’t be more thankful for Ryan and that sign he placed in his front yard ten years ago |
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