The Client:myBurbank.com is a locally produced website that works to capture both the Burbank community and the outside events that affect Burbank and its citizens. The site was originally launched on April 1, 2010 as BurbankNBeyond and has been updated with community news daily ever since.

The Task: Relaunch the site as myBurbank.com and institute a redesign and functionality improvements.

Our Work: Working from myBurbank’s new name and logo, Counterintuity brought a fresh look to the site, and also restructured the way content is organized throughout the site. We also. performed Search Engine Optimization and incorporated a Burbank Master Calendar that places local events in one convenient location—something no other website in Burbank has.

Results Achieved:

The post CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: MYBURBANK appeared first on Counterintuity.

Edgerank is the algorithm Facebook uses to determine the importance or popularity of your Page’s posts in the newsfeed. Facebook is an ever-changing landscape of social innovation and features and yet, some things never change. Here are some tips sourced from our own experience, recent findings and even Facebook itself on how to improve the popularity of your posts.

1. Use visuals
Found an article perfect for your Facebook Page? Rather than sharing it as a link, try posting a photo with a brief description and including the URL in the caption.

2. Keep it quick 
Posts between 100 and 250 characters get 60% more likes, comments and shares than posts with over 250 characters.

3. Keep it simple
Asking simple opinion-driven questions or “fill in the blanks” brings in 90% more engagement than the average post.

Stay tuned for next month’s follow up in this two-part series. Want to learn more about Social Media? Email us!

The post How to get seen better on Facebook (Part one) appeared first on Counterintuity.

The Client: Dance Camera West is the only organization of its kind on the West Coast that promotes and presents dance media, bringing hundreds of provocative and exciting dance films to Los Angeles from around the globe as part of its annual dance film festival. The non-profit partners with some of the most prominent venues and organizations throughout greater Los Angeles, including the Getty Center, REDCAT at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Directors Guild of America, the Hammer Museum, and many others.

The Task: DCW needed a fresh brochure that would showcase the extensive and unique work that they do, while also serving as a marketing tool for their fundraising efforts.

Our Work: Counterintuity performed copywriting, concept development and print design.

Results Achieved:

“For 9 years Counterintuity has created incredible designs for Dance Camera West’s website, donor pieces, fundraising materials and promotions for our annual dance media film festival. Counterintuity’s strong visual sense has been instrumental in developing our branding and creating images that keep our audiences wanting more.”

- Tonia Barber
Executive Director, Dance Camera West

The post Client Spotlight: Dance Camera West appeared first on Counterintuity.

Is your website hard to update, clunky, and static? It’s time to make the switch to a Content Management System and reap all the associated benefits. Here’s why we recommend WordPress to most of our clients:

1. SEO Friendliness
Search engines favor WordPress sites. This means that with WordPress, your site is inherently Search Engine Optimization-friendly — making it easier for prospective customers to find you.

2. Control
Update your website yourself, or give permission to multiple users in real time with full control. Make the changes you want, when you want, with no coding knowledge necessary!

3. Scalability
With all of the plugins, themes and features that WordPress offers, it’s simple to update the look, functionality and size of your website according to your needs.

4. Access Anywhere
Since WordPress is web-based, you can update from anywhere! Edit your website from any computer, smartphone or tablet.

5. Blog inclusion
Forget having to install a blog manually or manage one externally from your website—with WordPress, you already have a blog built-in. Simplify your life and blog in the same place you update the rest of your site.

Want to learn more about switching to WordPress? Email us!

The post 5 instant benefits of switching to WordPress appeared first on Counterintuity.

What’s Vine? Vine is the latest social video mobile app, developed by Twitter and launched in January, that enables its users to create and post very short video clips. There are tons of social video apps, so why does Vine stand out? Much like Twitter, Vine struck gold because of its uber simple concept.

You shoot six-second videos that loop directly from your smartphone, post them with a caption (hashtags included, of course!) and share from mobile—done. Now some tips on how to use this shiny new app for your business.

1. Create an ad
Take advantage of Vine’s low-cost functionality and produce a couple mini-advertisements. Showcase a product, share your URL, go nuts. Check out a sample Vine here.

2. Give a tour
Offer up a behind-the-scenes look of your office space. Check out a sample Vine here.

3. Introduce your staff
Put a face to the name behind all those emails. Silly music optional.

4. Include a call to action
WWhether you’re promoting an online-only offer or asking a question—don’t forget the CTA.

5. Host a contest
Why not host a contest via Vine? Use a Vine to announce the contest, ask for Vine entries and track participation by using a custom hashtag, i.e. #CiChallenge

6. Get creative
Last but not least, have some fun with it. Browse Vine and get a feel for how other users are making the most of those six seconds. The more creative, the better! Check out
a sample Vine here.

Need help with social media? Email us so we can help.

The post 6 Ways you can use Vine to market your business appeared first on Counterintuity.

The Client: USC’s Master of Liberal Studies program is designed for people who wish to explore a wide range of interdisciplinary studies and pursue their intellectual passion for lifelong learning while earning a graduate degree. The program also helps lifelong learners sharpen their ability to think, research, and express themselves critically.

The Task: The client wanted to build awareness about the program while encouraging enrollment through focused and local search engine optimization and pay-per-click campaigns.

Our Work: Counterintuity designed and developed new pay-per-click campaigns and corresponding landing pages, and performed search engine optimization including copywriting.

Results Achieved: Our results-oriented PPC campaign management and the search engine optimization strategy we put in place have already begun to bear fruit. Here’s what our client had to say:

“Counterintuity recently established an SEO/PPC campaign for our Master of Liberal Studies Program within our budget, and already we are starting to see results. I’ve worked with Counterintuity on a number of projects, and each time, the team delivers beyond expectations.”

- Susan H. Kamei
Associate Dean, Advanced and Professional Programs
USC Master of Liberal Studies

The post Client Spotlight: USC Master of Liberal Studies appeared first on Counterintuity.

Are you ready to close out the month with our latest contest? Lucky You!

How to Enter:

• Search for our logo in the picture >> HERE
• Take a screenshot of the logo & email it to us at contest@counterintuity.com
• Like us on Facebook

That’s it. You’re in!

>>ENTER HERE<<

Entries close 3/1 5:59 PM PST. Winner announced 3/1. Click for contest rules.

The post February Counterintuity Challenge! appeared first on Counterintuity.

The Client: Ideal Pet Products has been the leader of high-quality, innovative pet door design and manufacturing since 1979. The company is dedicated to producing energy-saving products that fit any family’s needs and budget, while giving furry loved ones the freedom they deserve.

The Task: The client wanted to upgrade their online presence with a fresh-looking website, as well as take advantage of new social media platforms to reach out to new and existing customers.

Our Work: Counterintuity designed and developed a new website with mobile optimization and search engine optimization, and performed copywriting and social media customization.
Results Achieved: The client was delighted to share their new website and revamped social media platforms with their customers and the general public. See what they had to say:

“Our existing website was getting pretty tired and tough to navigate so we turned to the team at Counterintuity for a fresh, new approach…and did they deliver! Our demo and installation videos are easy to find with one click and our product line is organized to browse with the ‘greatest of ease.’

“They’re also in the process of creating a new product search app for us that will make choosing the right pet door even easier for our customers. Great job from a very talented group.”

- Rene Gonzalez, Vice President of Operations
Ideal Pet Products

Visit their website: www.idealpetproducts.com and swing by their Facebook: www.facebook.com/idealpetdoors

The post CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: IDEAL PET PRODUCTS appeared first on Counterintuity.

Trends change with the times, and web design is no exception. Here’s what we think will be important in 2013 to keep your website (and business) up to date.

1. RESPONSIVE DESIGN
The majority of Internet traffic is already from mobile devices. In 2013, responsive design—enabling interaction from tablets and smartphones as well as desktop computers—will be crucial.

2. SOCIAL MEDIA BADGES
In 2013, it’ll be more important than ever to add social media badges to your website. Why? To build brand loyalty between your customers and you. And be sure to update to the current badge or logo, so no one thinks you’re behind the times. (Ahem, Twitter.)

3. LARGE TYPE
Why? Because it’s easier to read and more visually appealing. Not to mention that larger type lends itself to keeping your messaging concise and action oriented.

4. FIXED NAVIGATION
What’s fixed navigation? It’s a design feature that keeps your navigation bar—links to the other pages and areas of the site—in a fixed position as you scroll around the site. This is a must for sites with heavy scrolling content because it helps people find their way around. In the age of the iPad, this will be more important than ever.

5. BIG PHOTOS
Humans are visual creatures—our brains are wired to respond to images. Expect more of that in 2013: quick visual takeaways that carry an emotional wallop.

6. MORE VIDEO
Now that everybody knows online video keeps people on a website 50% longer, expect to see even more of it. Given how easy it is to produce high-quality, low-cost video, we anticipate that companies of all size will be putting a lot more on their sites.

Ready to get with the times? Email us so we can help.

The post 6 Ways to make your website work in 2013 appeared first on Counterintuity.

In case you missed this Hot Tip in our newsletter last week….Google is kicking off a “spread the love” AdWords promotion and we’ve got a limited number of promo codes available for our clients! Any new AdWords client who spends $25 will get an additional $100 worth of advertising. Interested in learning more? Send us an email and hurry—time is limited!

Offer only available until February 28.

The post HOT TIP: $100 IN FREE ADVERTISING appeared first on Counterintuity.