• What is a case?
• What are some best practices for getting started with cases in your organization?
• When do you create a case and what are some best practices around case creation? And when is it an Activity?

Visit the ButtonClickAdmin.com and tune in: http://buttonclickadmin.com/chad-meyer-effective-case-management/

The post Effective Case Management: A ButtonClick Admin Podcast appeared first on Internet Creations Blog.

The first step is to create a controller which checks for an existing article that matches the number provided in a URL parameter. It contains a single method that performs a SOQL query to retrieve the article record and then builds the full URL using the information in the KnowledgeArticleVersion to return a page reference to the article.

public class ArticleRedirectController {

    public PageReference getPKBLink() {
        String currUrl = ApexPages.currentPage().getUrl();

        // Build a page reference to the standard PKB home page with all parameters intact
        String params = '';
        if (currUrl.indexOf('?') != -1)
            params = currUrl.substring(currUrl.indexOf('?'));
        PageReference home = new PageReference('/pkb_Home'+params);

        // Retrieve the article number parameter from the URL and return the standard home page if no article number is found
        String articleNum = ApexPages.currentPage().getParameters().get('kb');
        if (articleNum == null || !articleNum.isNumeric())
            return home;

        // Query for the article version with the matching article number
        String query = 'SELECT Id,UrlName,ArticleNumber FROM KnowledgeArticleVersion '+
                       'WHERE Language = \'en_US\' '+
                       'AND IsLatestVersion = true AND '+
                       'ArticleNumber LIKE \'%'+articleNum+'\' '+    // Include % so article will be found with leading zeros removed
                       'AND IsVisibleInPkb = true '+                 // Make sure the article is visible in the PKB
                       'AND PublishStatus = \'Online\' '+            // Make sure the article is published
                       'LIMIT 2';                                    // If more than one is matched we will return so limit to 2

        // If more or less than one article is found, return the standard PKB home page
        list<KnowledgeArticleVersion> articles = Database.query(query);
        if (articles.size() != 1)
            return home;

        String urlName = articles[0].UrlName;
        Id kavId = articles[0].Id;

        // Build the full article url
        String articleLink = '/articles/';

        // Find the article type by searching the global describe for the sobject with the matching prefix
        String prefix = ((String)kavId).substring(0,3);
        map<String,Schema.SObjectType> sObjectMap = Schema.getGlobalDescribe();

        for(String sObj : sObjectMap.keySet()){
            Schema.DescribeSObjectResult r = sObjectMap.get(sObj).getDescribe();
            if(r.getName().contains('__kav') && r.getKeyPrefix().equals(prefix)){
                articleLink += r.getName().replace('__kav','');
            }
        }

        // Complete the full article url and return a page reference to it
        articleLink += '/' + urlName + '/?l=en_US&fs=Search&pn=1';
        return new PageReference(articleLink);
    }
}

Next, I created a Visualforce page which invokes the method in the controller and redirects to the proper page, whether it be the page for the article or the PKB home page. It’s simply a blank page that executes an action on load to perform the redirect as described.

<apex:page action="{!getPKBLink}" controller="ArticleRedirectController">
</apex:page>

To complete the configuration, navigate to the Force.com Site detail page, replace the Active Site Home Page with the new Visualforce page, and enable page access in the Public Access Settings. Now you can link directly to your Knowledge Base with much tidier links that include just the article number: http://yourcompany.force.com/?kb=1000.

Finally, consider adding a formula field to your knowledge article type(s) that outputs a URL to make sharing easier.

The post Knowledge Article Number Redirect appeared first on Internet Creations Blog.

1. The survey is in…you’re a perfect 10 in my org! (Simple Survey)

2. Your case comments won my heart! (Email to Case Premium)

3. I knew you were the one…as soon as I saw the flag! (Case Flags)

4. I can’t handle all of these issues at once, so we will have to split! (Case Split)

5. I want each and every one of you, but I’m going to have to merge you and pick a master! (Case Merge Premium)

Happy Valentine’s Day from everyone at Internet Creations!

The post Will you be our Valentine? 5 AppExchange Pick-Up Lines appeared first on Internet Creations Blog.

The holiday season is upon us again and what better way to celebrate than with an excessive amount of blinking lights? Originally, I set out to build an 8 channel Christmas light controller, but it would need to go on the roof, and climbing on the roof to manage it would be both inconvenient and dangerous. Inspired by Acumen Solutions’ Bartendro, a Salesforce-powered drink machine I saw at Dreamforce ‘13, I thought to leverage the world’s most powerful platform, Salesforce, to create Connected Christmas Lights that can be easily managed from anywhere in the world.

The Internet of Things continues to grow!

Using an Arduino Yun, a SainSmart 8-Channel Relay Module, a number of outlets, and some 14 gauge wire, I managed to build a contraption worthy of the most festive occasions. I was able to create an Arduino Sketch for the Yun to control the relays as well as handle incoming REST web service requests (see the sample code).

First I configured my web service endpoint in Salesforce under Remote Site Settings. Then I created a custom object. Next I developed a basic Apex class to handle the outbound web service calls to the Arduino.

Now when I change the picklist value on my object, an Apex trigger (see below) is invoked which executes the callout method. I added timer functionality and a scheduled job to process light control actions at specified times so that my lights turn on and off on a schedule. I created an email service to allow me to turn the lights on, off, and to flash mode via email.

And the best part about this, when I’m away from my house, I can control my lights using Salesforce1 on my mobile device. To make this happen, I leveraged Chatter Publisher Actions.

Apex Trigger

trigger MerryChristmasTrigger on Christmas_Light__c (before insert, before update) {
//This is demo code.  It will not handle for than 10 records.
  // Always callout on new records
  if (trigger.isInsert){
    for (Christmas_Light__c c : trigger.new) {
      ChristmasLights.doCallout(c.Action__c);
    }
  }

  // Call out if the Action__c field has changed
  if (trigger.isUpdate) {
    for (Christmas_Light__c c : trigger.new) {
      if (c.Action__c != System.Trigger.oldMap.get(c.Id).Action__c) {
        ChristmasLights.doCallout(c.Action__c);
      }
    }
  }
}

public class MerryChristmasUtil {
      @Future(callout=true)
      public static void doCallout(string action){

          string URL = 'http://myIPAddress/arduino/' + action + '/go';
          Http h = new Http();

          HttpRequest req = new HttpRequest();
          req.setTimeout(30000);
          req.setEndpoint(url);
          req.setMethod('GET');

          h.send(req);
      }
    }

In the Age of information, we believe this is just a glimpse into the possibilities that the “Internet of things” can provide. More of our things are becoming connected, allowing us to control them from virtually anywhere, even Marc Benioff’s toothbrush. Christmas lights are just a fun example–the possibilities are limited only by your creativity.

At Internet Creations we’re thrilled to be able to help businesses leverage Salesforce1 to interconnect their products, services, and customers like they never thought possible.

The post Salesforce Powered Christmas Lights appeared first on Internet Creations Blog.

This October, Facebook rolled out a more generally available version of Custom Audiences targeting, which makes it easier for advertising accounts to reach their customers and prospects through the world’s most popular social network. Custom Audiences makes it easy for marketing professionals to import a list of contacts to Facebook (including email addresses, Facebook user IDs, or phone numbers) and reach them directly with targeted ads.

In this post, you’ll learn how to create goal-driven campaigns, import a list of email addresses, and directly target your customers and prospects within Facebook.

Getting Started
The first step to success is to run a campaign based on the goal you wish to accomplish. Below are a few sample objectives:

• Increase Page Likes

A simple way to increase Facebook page Likes is to request them from your current directory of customers and prospects. These individuals have opted in to receive emails and marketing collateral from your business, and chances are high that they will Like or subscribe to your company’s Facebook page.

To make sure you are targeting people who are not currently connected to your page, select “Only people not connected to (company name)” under the Connections section when you create your ad. If you’re new to Facebook Advertising, go here to learn how to create your first ad.

• Promote to Leads/Prospects

Another campaign option is to target only those prospects who have not yet purchased your products or services. Assemble a list of all prospects, or grab a list of leads from a giveaway, conference, or event your company has attended. Import this list to Facebook and create a Custom Audience who will receive ads that speak directly to them.

• Upsell / Cross-sell products

Here’s where you can get creative. For example, if you know that your customers tend to buy product B along with product A, upload a list of customers who’ve only purchased product A from you, and then serve this new Custom Audience the ads promoting product B. If you offer a product/service with various levels or tiers, serve ads to those customers promoting an upgrade. Offer a small discount, or bring them to a landing page with facts on why they will benefit from an upgrade.

• Extend the reach of your email campaigns

If you find that your email blasts containing company updates and promotions do not have the open rate expected, try targeting this same list of customers and prospects with a Facebook ad. Create a Custom Audience using a list of email addresses of individuals who were sent a particular email but did not open it. Serve this Custom Audience ads or promoted posts similar to the content you were pushing in your email blast.

Exporting & Importing your list
After you’ve determined what type of campaign you want to run, export your list from your database to a .csv file. If you use Mailchimp, you can directly connect to it to import your lists. If you use a CRM like Salesforce, or a marketing automation program such as Marketo, you can easily create reports and filter them based on the suggested criteria above.

Once your .csv file is generated, click on the “Audiences” tab located inside the ads manager within Facebook. Select “Create Audience” in the top right hand corner, then choose “data file” to upload your .csv or “MailChimp” to import your list from MailChimp.

Then, fill in a name and description for your audience, select the type (Emails), and select your file. Click “Create Audience”.

Once the upload is complete (this may take up to an hour), proceed to view your new Custom Audience. The number of users imported depends on the number of email addresses that were successfully matched with current Facebook users. To create an ad for your new Custom Audience, click “Create Ad” and proceed through the normal ad creation process.

Creating a similar audience
If your list seems a bit sparse, you can ask Facebook to analyze the data and find users with similar interests. Creating a similar audience will allow you to deliver targeted ads to individuals who may not be aware of your company or brand, but are likely to be interested in your products or services. To create a similar audience, utilize the Power Editor tool on the left hand side of the screen within the Ads Manager.

When the Power Editor is loaded, click “Audiences” on the left. A list of your Custom Audiences will appear. Select the one you want and click “Create Similar Audience“ at the bottom.

Next, select which countries you want to target and how you want Facebook to optimize your audience. You have two options: Similarity and Greater reach. When you select ‘Similarity,’ the match will be more precise, but the audience will be smaller. ‘Greater reach’ will provide a larger audience, yet the match will be less precise.

Conclusion
The possibilities with Custom Audiences are nearly endless. You can get creative and build a campaign tailored to any type of email list in your database. How are you using Custom Audiences? If you haven’t tried it yet, how do you plan to make it work for your business? I’d love to hear your ideas, so please share them in the comments below!

The post How to Target Your Email List on Facebook appeared first on Internet Creations Blog.

MEET UP WITH INTERNET CREATIONS

Salesforce Ambassadors Social
Wednesday, November 20, 2013 9:00pm – 12:00am PST | Thirsty Bear Brewery 661 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

We’re teaming up with our friends at Accounting Seed to host a special networking event on Wednesday night for Salesforce Ambassadors to talk about key takeaways from the sessions and presentations. Please join us for free drinks, food, and a night of knowledge sharing.

We will even be giving away a brand new iPad Mini with Retina Display (with 4G and 32GB)! Everyone is welcome to join, please RSVP below!

RSVP TODAY!

Breakout Session: 10 Little Apps That Make a Big Difference
Thursday, November 21st: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Hilton San Francisco Union Square

It’s the little things in life that count, and the AppExchange has dozens of lightweight apps that make a big difference for your business at a small price.  Join Chad Meyer as he presents the #1 rated app for agent productivity, Email to Case Premium, during this breakout session at Dreamforce.

ADD TO AGENDA

The post Meet Internet Creations at Dreamforce 2013! appeared first on Internet Creations Blog.

Monday, November 18th
Dreamforce Welcome Reception – 6pm – 8pm at Moscone North & West.
Social Impact Salon: Creating the Future – 6pm – 9pm at the Hub. 925 Mission Street.
Dreamforce 2013 Tweetup – 7pm – 10pm at TBD. Near Moscone Center.
Silver Lining Party – 8pm – 12am at The Mezzanine. 444 Jessie Street.
Grace Potter and The Nocturnal – 9pm – 12am at Ruby Skye. 420 Mason Street.

Tuesday, November 19th
Dreamforce Gala with Green Day – 7pm – 11pm at AT&T park. 24 Willie Mays Plaza.
VIP After Party – 5:30pm – 8:30pm at B Restaurant and Bar. 720 Howard st.

Wednesday, November 20th
Cirrus Insight Happy Hour – 4pm – 8pm at Thirsty Bear Brewery. 661 Howard Street.
NTT Group VIP Cocktail Party – 6:30pm – 9:30pm at Town Hall. 342 Howard Street.
NPO Engagement Party – 7pm – 1pm at John Colins. 138 Minna Street.
Bowling Party – 9pm – 11:45pm at Yerba Buena Bowling Center. 750 Folsom Street.
Revolution – 7:30pm – 1am at Row Nightclub. 651 Howard Street.
Block Party – 7pm – 12am at Mint Plaza. 444 Jessie Street.
Salesforce Ambassadors Social – 9pm – 12am at Thirsty Bear Brewery. 661 Howard Street.
Cloud Crawl – 7pm – 1am. TBA.

Thursday, November 21st
Rehab Lounge – 8:30am – 1pm at B Restaurant & Bar. 720 Howard Street.

Do you know of another Dreamforce party not listed here? Comment below and we’ll have it added to the list!

The post Dreamforce 2013 Parties appeared first on Internet Creations Blog.

According to Inc Magazine, we are one of the fastest growing companies in America. With our new and enhanced office space, we can accommodate our growing team and provide the resources needed to better serve our customers.

Our new address is:

2000 Waterview Drive
Suite 100
Hamilton, New Jersey 08691

Some features of our new space include 13 flat screen televisions, a conference room with dual 75″ projection screens, four huddle rooms equipped with Idea Paint, a kitchen with state-of-the-art fixtures, and a comfortable lounge area.

We’d like to thank all of our customers and partners, as this move would not be possible without your continued business. We invite you to stop by for a chat and to tour our new headquarters the next time you are in the Central Jersey area. We hope to see you soon!

The post Announcing our New Corporate Headquarters appeared first on Internet Creations Blog.

Last year, 77 percent of Fortune 500 companies were active on Twitter with a tweet in the past thirty days. While it is essential to have your company active on Twitter, it is also important to let your employees know that they can benefit from using the network. Whether you’re a marketer looking to engage your target audience, a sales rep seeking potential clients, or a recruiter searching for talent, utilizing the information provided in an individual’s Twitter bio is a great way identify and communicate with potential leads.

Below is a simple process I use to find, monitor, and engage on Twitter. And the best part is, you can do this for free:

1. Create a Twitter list
A Twitter list allows you to categorize Twitter users into specific groups and see tweets only from these individuals without having to follow them. Creating a Twitter list is an excellent way to organize your account and reduce the amount of time it takes to find the valuable information you are seeking.

Creating a list in Twitter is very simple. First you navigate to the “me” tab located on the top navigation and click on “lists”

Then click the “create a list” button:

Now, think about your target audience. For example, I am seeking graphic designers located in New Jersey.

After you click Create list, a box will pop up for you to fill in a list name, description, and if you want the list to be private or public. If you select public, anyone can view the list and subscribe. Choosing private allows only you to access and view the list.

2. Search Twitter bios for keywords
The next step is to use an outside tool to filter profiles based on certain keywords. There are plenty of free tools out there that will allow you to do this. My personal favorite is Followerwonk.

To get started, go to Followerwonk.com and click the “Search Twitter bios” tab. Then enter in your keyword or phrase and click “Do it”. Selecting “more options” will allow you to filter further based on location, name, URL, or number of followers.

See my example below:

Adding users to a Twitter List
After your search is complete, a list will populate below. If you want you can now filter the list  based on number of tweets, following, followers, account age, and social authority.

To add a user to your newly created Twitter list, click their name and you will be directed to their Twitter profile. Click on the icon next to the follow button and then click “add or remove from lists…”

Finally, check the box next to the list you want the person to be added to. Each Twitter list can contain up to 5,000 separate accounts.

3. Follow and engage using Hootsuite
After you’ve added the desired users to your list, you’ll want to be able to easily view and track their updates in a central location. This step is particularly important if you are going to create and monitor multiple lists. I prefer to use Hootsuite; they offer a free account that allows you to add up to 5 social profiles.

After you’ve signed up and are logged into Hootsuite, select the list(s) you’d like to follow. Click the “lists” icon and choose the list you want to add:

Now you will be able to easily monitor and engage your lists from one location. To respond to a tweet, hover over the right hand corner and you’ll be given the option to reply, retweet, or direct message that user.

Additional Tips
If you are monitoring a business account you might want to keep separate lists such as:

• Employees
• Customers
• Competitors
• Prospects
• Industry leaders

When engaging your lists, it is important to not only share useful content about your industry, but to also be human, talk off-topic and connect with others about their interests. This will give you a better understanding of the tone required to warm people up before you start your pitch.

How do you find, monitor, and engage your following on Twitter? Leave a comment below or send me a Tweet @benortiz21.

The post How to find, monitor and engage your audience on Twitter appeared first on Internet Creations Blog.

A big challenge for Professional Edition users is notifications.  Without workflows, users must build additional reports and be diligent about reviewing them to stay on top of their business.  But there are options to create “notifications” if you get creative.

Big Deal Alert
Big Deal Alerts are an automated notification sent to designated recipients when an opportunity hits a defined target, which is the trigger amount and probability. The purpose is to notify management when a large opportunity is in the pipeline. The opportunity object is limited to one Big Deal Alert and the email is not customizable, it is a snapshot of the Opportunity.

To use the Big Deal Alert for notifications on opportunities at a certain stage, set the trigger amount very low (i.e. $1) and set the probability trigger to the corresponding stage (i.e. 75% to notify on Proposal/Price Quote).

Big Deal Alerts can also be used to notify a team of upcoming work.  For example, you can include a manager in the distribution list to notify him of an upcoming project. He can review the opportunity for details so that he can begin to plan the project in advance and get his team ready.

Cloud Swarm
Cloud Swarm is a free Salesforce Labs app that is used to allow users to automatically follow leads, opportunities and cases based on criteria, such as to follow an opportunity when it hits “Proposal/Price Quote”.  When creating the rule, check the “Notify on Swarm?” box and the user will receive an email notification.

Professional Edition does not have Opportunity Teams or Case Teams, so Cloud Swarm is a great way to bring a team to a record when the criteria is met.

Say each project must be approved by an engineer.  With Cloud Swarm, when the Opportunity Owner updates the stage to “Engineering Review”, Cloud Swarm would add the Engineer as a follower of the record and send a notification.  This is his or her cue to review the project.

And remember, Salesforce limits the number of items a user can follow to 500.  Salesforce Labs has a free app “Chatter Unfollow Rules” to automate unfollowing records as well.

The post Salesforce Professional Edition Hacks Part 1 – Notifications appeared first on Internet Creations Blog.