Web Design and Custom App Development Blog

Twitter Tips for Nonprofits and Small Businesses

While I won’t be writing this post in 140 characters or less, Twitter surprisingly allows quite a bit of information to be shared in those short and sweet bites. This is partly due to the fact that Twitter isn’t limited to letters - a Tweet can include video, photos, and links as well. Here are some examples of the many ways Twitter can be maximized, tips for engagement, and a chance to check out some Tweeters who have got it down to an artform:

Facebook Tips for Nonprofits and Small Businesses

Although there are 500 million daily users on Facebook, it definitely doesn’t mean they’re all using it with the best practices in mind. When it comes to your nonprofit or business, it isn’t enough to just have a Facebook page. Use it appropriately to get the greatest response from your target audience. Take a look below for some posting ideas, engagement tips, and even a few examples of the ones who do it best.

Finding the Right Social Media Platform for Your Nonprofit or Small Business

Finding the right social media platforms that fit your content can make you or break you in terms of your social media success.  In deciding which platform is appropriate for your organization or small business, start by thinking about how you’d like to tell your story. How can people best get to know you and what you’re about?

Are your products particularly photo friendly? Instagram and Pinterest might be for you. Does your organization constantly have some news to share? Twitter and Facebook are likely the best platforms to share current and relevant updates.

In the Palm of your Hand: Considering Social Media for your Nonprofit or Small Business

When I visited my family in Algeria last summer, my aunt Louisa showed me a box she dubbed “the archive.” Opening it, I was shocked to find photos upon photos, letters, and report cards. I followed the track of my parents’ lives in the United States in their wedding pictures and watched me and my brother grow up in the photographs. Typed letters in French from my dad to his family provided updates on his life stateside and wished them well.

Blogging: 5 Best Practices

Blogs, now one of the most popular ways to put out information online, are often free and ready to be taken up by even the most amatuer users.  Sites like Tumblr, Wordpress, and Blogspot offer templates with easy-to-use interfaces that make designing, inputting, and uploading content a breeze.  In a few clicks, a blog can be up and running.

The Colbert Bump vs Varnish Cache

On March 26th, our client at WaterDefense.org let us know that Mark Ruffalo (the Incredible Hulk in this summer's The Avengers) would be appearing on The Colbert Report to promote Water Defense. Being familiar with the show, we immediately considered the effects of The Colbert Bump, and whether our server could handle it. We'd heard of the Bump before, but had no idea what sort of numbers we'd be facing for traffic to the site. Ultimately, we put our faith in our existing caching system, Varnish.

Drupal, Wordpress and Content Management Technology at Kilpatrick Design

When working with clients before starting a new project, we often discuss a familiar short list of content management systems. We're big fans of Drupal here at Kilpatrick Design (for reasons I'll outline below), but considering how often we have this conversation I thought it'd be helpful to us, to potential clients, and to anyone else out there who has been evaluating content management options, to discuss some of the details that drive these technology decisions.

Eco Friendly Bean Bag Chairs

So it turns out the most eco friendly way to make a bean bag chair is to leave out the beans! Typically, high quality bean bag chairs are filled with virgin polystyrene beans — one more product that we need petrolium to make. Bada Bean Bags has a line of bean bag chairs called Bada Bags — and they're missing the beans! Instead, these bags are filled with reclaimed shredded foam.