​It is no secret that we are avid #ShopLocal supporters.

So we thought, what better way to showcase our love for our fellow entrepreneurs than to share our absolute favorite hometown spots to shop steps away from our location #OnTheSquare and beyond!

Find unique holiday gifts or add some local flavor to your gift certificate game this Christmas season.

Here is our EXCLUSIVE "Ryan & Chris Approved" family favorites:

Last August, a local businessman came to Berry Digital Solutions looking for....well, a digital solution. He had recently acquired a popular national product, The Insider Bat™. The Insider Bat™ was well-liked and highly reviewed by thousands of happy customers, but it was mostly just known on the baseball and softball trade show circuit and through some word-of-mouth between some highly respected coaches and instructors.

So our task was to help spread the word about this wonderful training tool and create a website to make The Insider Bat™ available for purchase online. Within a matter of a couple of weeks, we had created a Facebook page, Google business listing, and built The Insider Bat a beautiful new online home to the exact specifications of the client. Almost immediately, the site began paying for itself with online sales...with almost no promotion of any kind! The Insider Bat™ was such a solid design and well-respected training tool amongst baseball and softball experts, that it pretty much sold itself.

Sometimes, that's all it takes! Create a product that people love, and the happy customers will act as your sales team!

That business model frees up our client to expand his offerings to more great products, rather than hiring more support staff and adding to the overhead costs of The Insider Bat™. Now he's using his Insider Bat platform to sell some of these great new products, including the Hands Inside Trainer, Soft Hit Balls & Lizard Skins Bat Grips.  And we're excited to partner with this client on a couple of new products and websites in the very near future!

Just a couple of Champaign County businesses growing together by offering quality products and services in a new digital world!

Have you rented a booth for the Champaign County Fair but don't now what to do when you get there? Or are you looking for a way to be represented without attending? The fair can be an awesome place to reach a large audience but when you're competing with other businesses it's important to standout! If you aren't sure where to start, we'd love to help you! Can't attend? No problem, we've got you covered! Let us advertise for you using one of our We Spend Local screens at the fair! Make sure your marketing strategy includes the fair! If the words "marketing strategy" has you stressed, let us handle the guess work & get you to where you want to be!

Does the idea of social media have you frazzled? Feeling like you're unsure of what to post, when to post or why? Quality content that engages your audience and promotes your business can seem like a long shot but don't worry, we are here to help! And if these tips aren't enough, let us buy you a coffee and learn more about what you do and how we can help!
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1. Get creative!    
Think outside the box with what you post and how you utilize all the tools (such as check ins, networking with other businesses, enticing engagement.)

2. Post Consistently     
Not only consistently but with intent, daily is best (using a variety of types of post, aka if all you are doing is selling, you are doing it wrong!)

3. Images & Videos Matter     
Increases visibility & quality is important. (Every post should have an image or video with it.)

4. Analyze Data     
Know where to find & how to use.

5. Interact     
Followers want to know you are just as invested in them as they are in you. (Respond to them, thank them, show them love!)

6. Why     
Give your audience a reason to follow you.

7. Hashtags Matter 
Use wisely.

8. Promote 
How & when to promote.

9. Recycle & Reuse
 It's okay to recycle posts & break them up in to multiple posts when implemented correctly.

Do you feel like your marketing dollars are being wasted year after year and find it difficult to know if your marketing strategies are effective? Business owners are often overwhelmed by the ever expanding world of digital marketing and it can be frustrating to wonder whether or not your hard earned dollars are making an impact. Your website should be the most powerful marketing tool you possess, with the potential to take your business to the next level. Using localized SEO services, constant site reviews and campaigns designed to drive traffic to your website, you can be confident that your small business will be ready to compete with big business. Not all websites are created equal and we want to help yours succeed! If your website isn't working for you or the world of digital marketing drives you crazy, let us at Berry Digital Solutions manage your digital world while you focus on your business. We'd love to buy you a coffee and learn more about your business and how we can support you.

Mama always said, “Life is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re gonna get.”
 
Actually, that’s a pretty terrible life lesson from ol’ Forrest, Forrest Gump because a lot of boxes of chocolates have a key included, usually somewhere in the box, that guides you to exactly what you’re gonna get. (And if you can’t find the key, we live in a digital world now. Google it and you should have an answer in less than a second.)
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So instead here are some words of wisdom from a woman that raised the man behind
Berry Digital Solutions, Ryan's mom, Becky:

“You can do anything in this world that you want to.”

“Do it while you are young, you have the rest of your life to be bored.”

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

“Always reward yourself for accomplishing your goals.”
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Happy Mother's Day from Berry Digital Solutions!

Ryan and Erika welcomed a new baby boy in March of 2018, making their hearts and home beautifully full.  Chris and Jessica, along with their two boys, purchased a home in West Liberty.  Chris ended 2018 with an emergency back surgery.  He is such a valuable partner who has continued to provide superior service to our clients, even with his limited mobility.  We are hoping Chris rests his body and heals quickly in the new year.

In 2019, Berry Digital Solutions will continue to find new, creative ways for clients to connect with their target audience.  We are planning to implement new marketing technologies, such as: video, social media, Google AdWords, and YouTube advertising.  Our biggest assets are our local small business partners.  We are proud to partner with individuals who are experts in their field, and are excited to pass their expertise along to our clients.

As you reflect and plan, think about how you want to grow your business this new year. In addition to website services, we provide:  social media advertising, Google AdWords advertising, 3-D virtual tours, photography, videography, graphic design, local screen advertising, computer repair and more!  

Ryan ended 2018 with #CoffeeWithRyan and has begun 2019 with #WaterWithRyan.  We're only kidding, but you don't have to love coffee to meet with Ryan to put together a plan for your small business this year!
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We love our hometown and are so thankful for our community. myWestliberty.com has put together this promo video and we can't thank them enough for it. Never underestimate the power of a small community and what it can do to enhance our lives. Keep shopping local and watch your community grow.

Are you taking advantage of Facebook marketing for your small business? Whether you're a new small business owner or an established business in the community, you should have a well-defined presence on the world's largest social media home (over 1 billion users and counting!).

In our conversations with local business owners, we hear two excuses more than any other when it comes to their lack of social media presence.  

1) "I don't have the time to mess with that." 
2) "I don't know how to create a page because I'm not a big social media person."

Those are the perfect reasons to utilize Berry Digital Solutions to help establish and/or manage your social media presence. 

Through Champaign County Chamber of Commerce events, we met Laura and learned of her husband Humberto's dream to start a food truck. As big fans of local entrepreneurs (and food delivered in truck-form), we loved receiving our regular updates from Laura about how Humberto's new business venture was coming along.  

At a summer Chamber event, Laura finally broke the great news! Humberto's food truck was finally finished! He was ready to hit the road to provide Champaign and Logan Countians with the best Mexican food they've ever tasted.  

That's when it dawned on Laura and Humberto. Old-fashioned word-of-mouth wasn't enough to help inform the masses about this wonderful new food opportunity in our community.  They needed word-of-mouth on steroids, which is how we often affectionately refer to Facebook.

About a month ago, Laura and Humberto welcomed us into their West Liberty home. They shared Humberto's story, his dream and eventually, we got around to talking Facebook. Laura and Humberto had personal pages, but as new entrepreneurs, they had no experience establishing a business' presence on Facebook.

Chris took lots and lots of notes during that meeting, and he left with all the information he needed to establish a new Facebook home for Humberto and Laura to communicate with fans, customers and other local businesses.  The next day, the page was created, but our job was far from finished.  

Next, we needed to grow the pages' following.  Invitations were sent. Other well-established Facebook pages (managed by Berry Digital Solutions) shared the great news and introduced The Flying Pepper Food Truck to the community.

Meanwhile, Laura and Humberto were armed with helpful tips and tricks so that they could continue growing and managing their Facebook following. Berry Digital Solutions even boosted a post that reached several thousand local Facebook users in a couple of days, gaining another 150 likes, 60 shares and countless positive vibes for the start of business. Within a couple of weeks of contacting Berry Digital Solutions, The Flying Pepper Food Truck had over 300 loyal Facebook followers and over 10,000 local impressions...all for less than $200.

So if you're unsure how to get your local business started on Facebook, give us a call. And if you're a small business owner who's ever thought or said, "I don't have time for social media," give us a call and talk to us about our monthly social media marketing plans. 

We love promoting local entrepreneurs and small businesses! Speaking of which...if you haven't already, LIKE The Flying Pepper Food Truck on Facebook and follow Humberto's dream of bringing his amazing authentic Mexican food to our community! Burritos, tacos, queso, tamales and more!  He also caters!