 10 years ago Ryan started a business with one goal in mind, helping his community. Two years later, Chris joined Berry Digital Solutions as a co-owner and the rest, as they say, is history. After a decade in business we thought it was time to sit down and take a look at where we started, what we've learned and where we are headed!
What advice would you give yourself 10 years ago when you started? Ryan: My biggest advice would be to trust my decision making. I wish I was as confident then in running a business as I am now. I stressed too much over little decisions. Chris: Bobby McFerrin says it best, “Don’t worry. Be happy.” Share 3 pieces of business advice you plan continue using the next 10 years Ryan: Trust my team, stick to a budget, and surround myself with people that will help me grow . Chris: Partner with good people. always stay ready to adapt, and find the silver lining. What motivates you? Ryan: I think what motivates me is creating something that I know is better. Chris: Providing for my family and helping them reach their goals is my #1 motivator now. What is your definition of success? Ryan: Success is when you hit your pillow at night you know you've done everything in your power to have brought value to those you came into contact with that day. Chris: Ending everyday feeling like you made a positive difference in your little corner of the world. What does the next 10 years at BDS look like? Ryan: I have no idea, that's why it's so fun Chris: If I would’ve answered this question 10 years ago, it would’ve been laughable how far off I was. I don’t want to even attempt what changes are coming in technology and the digital world, but I do know that BDS will remain at the forefront of those changes. We will adapt, and we will continue to help our local small businesses navigate an increasingly complex digital world. How has digital marketing changed throughout the past decade and what do should people expect in the future? Ryan: Digital marketing has simplified in the sense of simpler websites and social media and other platforms giving you access to an audience. But that simplicity has made connecting with your audience much more complex, customers know when they are being sold to so a genuine connection requires more skill. The addition of new platforms and ways of communicating is already beginning to take shape. Chris: I can remember when we first started, the idea of a mobile-friendly website was brand new. Some of our new clients came to us in need of a mobile-friendly website, and some had still never even heard the term “mobile-friendly.” Now, locally, we see 90% or more of traffic to our websites coming from mobile devices. That number would’ve been unfathomable a decade ago. Everything is trending towards faster, sleeker, instantaneous information. Artificial intelligence is the next wave we’re starting to navigate. We’re figuring out now how can we best utilize the leaps forward in A.I. to help our clients in an ever-changing digital world. What's a new skill you've learned in the past year? Ryan: Basically instead of a to-do list I schedule time on my calendar for task. A time blocking scheduled approach. Chris: Making A.I. work for us and our clients in the graphic design world. What are you most proud of in your career so far? Ryan: Creating a work environment for not only myself but my team to have the flexibility to enjoy life. Chris: West Liberty. I think back to the way West Liberty communicated and promoted itself 10 years ago. It’s night and day compared to now. And you can really see it in the growth of the events, expansions of businesses and positive vibes, even in the face of terrible community tragedies. To be able to be a part of that positive change in your hometown is special. We may not be able to solve all of the world’s problems, but we’re going to do everything in our power to leave our little corner nicer than how we found it. What's one thing about our business that people would be surprised to find out? Ryan: I think people would be surprised to learn what kind of impact we have had on our local community. It would hard to imagine what Urbana, Ohio would look like, digitally, without Berry Digital. Chris: We love trading our services for your services. We have some local clients where money never exchanges hands. We want to help neighboring businesses as much as possible, so reach out today if you have an idea for swapping services! What do you think makes our team culture so unique? Ryan: We truly trust each other and hold each other accountable in the right ways. We genuinely position people to be allowed to do what they do best. Chris: This is a tough one, because every business thinks their team culture is unique or innovating or top-notch. That’s the great lie they all tell to convince people to come work for them. I guess what sets us apart is that every member of our team has worked for other organizations that claimed to have a “unique team culture” or a “business that’s like a family.” We all lived and learned hard lessons in those other organizations. We found each other, shared our stories and experiences, and formed our own team. Lines of communication are always open, and everyone speaks their mind, and we stay focused on finding solutions for our clients and happiness for our team. If it sounds too simple, that’s because it is. Can you tell us the Top 3 on your Business Bucket List? Ryan: Create businesses within my other passions: travel, entertainment & disrupting a stale industry . Chris: We want to help more small towns connect with its residents and experience the growth West Liberty has over the last decade. There are too many small town hidden destinations in this area that are going unheard and unseen in a growing digital world. We want to help many of our long-time customers take the next step in digital advertising. Maybe you weren’t ready 5 or 10 years ago or maybe you didn’t know we do more than just websites, but now is a great time to reach out and give it a shot. Divert some of that old newspaper, billboard or radio ad money to digital advertising and see the difference targeted audiences can make. And lastly, we just want to keep improving our communities. We want to attract outside dollars, raise the quality of life and put smiles on the faces of everyone we come in contact with because this is where we grew up. We’re invested in this little corner of the world, and even if we can’t make global impacts, we’ll do everything in our power to improve our little corner of the world every day. As you can see the past 10 years of business has brought us valuable lessons, continued growth, and a vision to continue making our communities thrive in a digital world. We are grateful for our clients, partners, and community for being a part of our journey! Cheers to the next 10 years!
Now, we look forward to inviting friends, community partners and current clients to our new space year-round for #CoffeeWithRyan. Let us help you solve your digital problems with our digital solutions...over a cup of coffee on Ryan!
Click below to schedule your #CoffeeWithRyan directly on his calendar. New Office #OnTheSquareDon't worry, we are still #OnTheSquare in Downtown Urbana! We're growing and needed more space, so we moved a few doors down from our old location. We have teamed up with The Spotted Owl Coffee Bar to create a great new space to get you going in the morning. (AND COMING SOON...a great space to wind down in the evenings. Stay tuned for more exciting news!) We worked hard over the past few months renovating this new space and making it our own! Our new location has a lot more room and favorite new features like whiteboard walls, a video center and podcast studio! We can't wait to create and execute exciting new ideas in the new space, and we're excited to share it with everyone! Schedule a time to stop in and check out our new space. Also, please update any addresses you have on file for us to: 113 N Main St Urbana OH, 43078 Come see us in person! Schedule a #CoffeeWithRyan by clicking the button below.
 If video marketing isn’t part of your overall marketing plan, it should be. Video is a great way to connect to your audience on a level that you can’t in any other way. It gives you a way to tell your story and show what you offer all while making your brand more relatable and recognizable. You can show your brand identity through video more quickly and efficiently than any other medium.
What is video marketing? Video marketing is using videos to promote your brand, product, services, and more. When used correctly, it can boost engagement on social media, connect you to other businesses, and educate consumers on who you are and what you do. Why is it important? Using video as a marketing strategy can help increase brand awareness, traffic to your website, and sales. With platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube - video is more powerful than ever! It has a way of reaching a much larger audience than more traditional marketing efforts. How do I get started? Once you know where you are posting your video, it is time to choose your content and create a goal to measure your success. Getting started with video marketing is as easy as owning a smartphone. While some platforms require higher quality videos to be effective, social media is a great place to post videos taken on your phone. Your website, commercials, special events/announcements, and video ads are places where you will want to invest in higher quality videography. What should I take videos of? There are so many different routes you can take when deciding what content to capture with video marketing. A few good ideas to start with are:
Hopefully this article has helped you realize how powerful video marketing can be! When you are ready to start your journey into video marketing, give us a call to see how we can help.  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  January is a time for reflection on the previous year and to think about the coming year. It’s a time to assess what went well for you and to address anything you want to work on changing. It is the fresh start of a new year, and we are so excited you are here with us on this journey! During 2021 we made some amazing moves within our business to support the growth we have seen throughout the pandemic. As we continued to push forward into the unknown, we brought on two new team members, Mckenzie and Danielle. Mckenzie joined our team as a Web Specialist and Danielle joined our team as our Project Manager.
With the growth of our team throughout the year, we were able to bring on 60 new clients. Each one has been essential to our growth, and we have had so much fun bringing all their ideas to life and getting to know their businesses. The experience of trying to expand our business, and help others do the same during a pandemic have helped us develop our skills and strengthen us as a team. We were so blessed to not only survive but thrive this year! Looking forward to 2022, we have no plans of slowing down. Our growth and development as a team is one of our top priorities. We want to push each other to the next level in everything we do. When we support each and our individual growth, the entire will benefit from it, and we can continue to grow together as a business. Another major goal for the year is to create new business and community partnerships. We focus on small, local businesses, and love being able to be part of their growth. We also want to help all our current clients meet any goals they have for the year. When we strengthen the businesses around us, we strengthen the community, making it a better place to live, work, and visit. By Chelsea Bray- Elle A. Design  “I encourage you to listen to your body. Don’t wait if you feel like something’s not right. Don’t explain away pain and discomfort that is persistent.
January 2019 Pain began - I assumed it was from beginning to wean my last baby from nursing. March 2019 Pain so excruciating I stopped driving. March 2019 Misdiagnosed at the ER as costochondritis (pain of the chest wall). No one bothered to even check my breasts. March 2019 Another trip to a different ER revealed several large masses in my left breast, as well as enlarged lymph nodes. Mammogram, ultrasound, biopsies, genetic testing, bloodwork, MRI’s and bone scans were all completed within 6 days of the last ER visit. Diagnosis given of Stage IIIb (later changed to IIIc) ER/PR+ HER2- breast cancer. I was 38 years old.” - Erika Berry via Facebook Hear the whole story about Erika’s diagnosis, treatment, and inspirational journey that came along with it all here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ektePahm2bhJ1hvVVfxO9 |
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