Gray Digital Blog

SXSW Interactive: The Future of Foursquare

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:50:36 Z

SXSW Interactive included five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in the digital industry. As Dennis Crowley, CEO & Co-founder of Foursquare stated, “SXSW is where you go to experience the future for a couple days and then go home to live in the present.”

McNair's on Top!

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:10:15 Z

McNair is a leading developer of custom homes in San Antonio. Their homes offer exceptional standard features and extraordinary aesthetics. Unfortunately, their old website did not give them due credit, and it was a challenge for visitors to find home information quickly.

McDonald's: Rise of the QR Code

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:33:54 Z

McDonald’s just might supply you with the best reason yet to pull out your phone and scan that barcode. The largest fast food chain in the world recently launched new packaging that will allow diners to only be a scan away from the latest nutritional information.

Vote For Us!

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:22:50 Z

The San Antonio Orthopeadic Group entrusted our team to produce their latest website refresh. We're proud to say that very site is a contender in Healthcare category of the Sitefinity 2012 Website of the Year Contest. We would appreciate your vote!

3 Practices That Will Shut Down Your Facebook Fan Page

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:05:19 Z

Now that you’ve built the fan page and the fans have delivered on signing up for what you have to say, why risk is all? Here are a three practices that just might shut down your social media ivory castle.

5 Things Your Competitor is Doing on Instagram

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:30:48 Z

1. Creating a space for their brand. While you might not be ready to commit resources specifically to maintaing an Instagram account, simply reserving a brand handle and filling out the basic “About me” section will carve out a little piece of this evergrowing platform. If you’re lucky, the same handle you use for Twitter might even still be available since the two platforms work pretty well together. You do have Twitter, don’t you? Don’t forget to check out your web-based profile too.

Beware of The Facebook "Database"

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:54:28 Z

Meet Tom. Tom is your fan. He has 467 friends and really love watching movies - you can tell from his cover photo, but the rest of his profile is blocked. Dang. You're not sure how he found you but boy-oh-boy are you glad that he did. He took you from the big 4-9-9 to 5-0-0.

Twitter on the Rise

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 15:36:48 Z

The digital world it always moving forward. Always adapting and powering through the expectations of yesterday. Last week, we touched on the growth of Facebook - a social networking website that has continuously reinvented itself. Not that you needed a definition for Facebook. Today, the spotlight is on Twitter.

Samsung Scoring Interactions, But Are They The Right Kind?

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:45:04 Z

Social media is a game all about interactions: What you’re saying - When you’re saying it - Who’s hearing it - and finally, who’s responding? Any brand manager will stress the importance of taking the first steps to interact with your audience simply by asking a question. Now, it’s how this question is approached that’s tricky.

The Future of Facebook

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:44:28 Z

Before we dive into the future of Facebook, a look back into the history of the eight year old company might provide some perspective.

Facebook Rules, Rafflecopter Updates

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 15:03:37 Z

Like getting your fan count up through Facebook giveaways? Familiar with Rafflecopter?

Primary Email: #######@Facebook.com

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 21:41:50 Z

Shhhh. You hear that? It’s the sound of Facebook changing your email.

Register NOW! 2012 Health Care Social Media Summit

Mon, 21 May 2012 18:05:15 Z

The Texas Hospital Association’s 2012 Health Care Social Media Summit is bringing an impressive line-up of national experts( including our colleague Reed Smith) to Austin for a high-level strategic look at health care social media.

Why Cater to Tablets?

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:00:27 Z

You have an amazing website, but need something more. Another avenue to reach consumers, clients or patients. This infographic shows the growing popularity and power of the Tablet. Take a look, this could help plan your next step:

Guy Kawasaki Enchants the Digital World

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:42:11 Z

Mashable recently featured an interview with Guy Kawasaki, a leader in the digital world, and it is just too good not to watch. It's a bit long, so grab your favorite cup of coffee, open up evernote, and prep yourself for enchantment.

An Average Day on Facebook

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:48:36 Z

Sometimes we get caught up in the posts, likes and monitoring. The Timeline deadline is drawing near, and as we stated in the previous post, now is the time to take a deeper look at your Facebook social strategy. Here is an infographic to help: An Average Day on Facebook

Hello, Facebook Timeline

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:21:40 Z

We are back from SXSW and have lots of new things to share, but first we need to address one very important change coming to the digital world. All Facebook pages, personal & business, will switch to the new Timeline format by March 30th. Take a deep breath, all will be ok, Gray is here to help.

App Spotlight: Evernote

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:26:00 Z

Evernote, the little green elephant that is transforming the digital world. I love an old fashioned pen and pencil, but it only takes one time of being unprepared for a meeting because your notes are in that other moleskin or forgetting where you saw the awesome video tutorial, to make you fall in love with cloud friendly apps. Evernote remedies these situations and more, allowing you to access information from your computer, tablet, smartphone and the web.

The New LinkedIn Follow Button

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:46:06 Z

There is a new neighbor in town, coming to a page near you. LinkedIn officially announced their follow button, which you will quickly begin to notice next to our old friends Facebook and Twitter.

Behind the Code: jQuery, Killing Flash Slowly

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:06:46 Z

A good reason to decrease the use of Flash as it is used for everyday Slideshows: Flash is not widely accepted among mobile devices (especially with Adobe abandoning development for mobile Flash) it requires a lot of processing power, it’s slow and cludgy and a pain in the butt when you want to modify the swf.

The Pinterest Buzz

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:14:41 Z

The new buzz around town revolves around what people are pinning. No, not in their offices or on their clothes, but on the new "it" site, Pinterest.

Welcome Vale & Warren

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:49:13 Z

Both Jim and Brad have welcomed new bundles of joy to their families! Introducing...

How Does SOPA Effect You?

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:08:32 Z

Chances are that you have heard about two big bills going before Congress on January 24th. Most major search engines and social sites have made their positions clear. While Congress is attempting to do the right thing in ending online piracy, at what cost? Here is a video explaining what the SOPA & PIPA bills are all about:

Seven Core Principles for Facebook

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:00:53 Z

Sometimes, when you spend 80% of your time researching social networks, it's nice to be reminded of the core principles. Take a deep breath and remember the 7 core principles of Facebook.

Gray Digital Group New Home

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:03:28 Z

Here are a few images of our new downtown space. We can't wait to get settled into our bright offices with rooftop terrace.

Behind the Code: 2012 Web Design/Development Predictions

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:49:53 Z

Our prediction for web development in 2012: Hierarchy of information through proper usage of typography skills and layout will see a greater push in 2012.

Dr. Seuss' Social Media Guide

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:25:18 Z

There are many rules and guides that have surfaced for the industry of Social Media, but did you know that Dr. Seuss wrote one?

Behind the Code

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:00:12 Z

A new year at Gray Digital Group, brings a new series to our blog: Behind the Code.

Happy Holidays

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:45:59 Z

12 Days of Christmas - Gray Digital Group Version

10 Second Visitors

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:48:16 Z

Three key ideas to keeping visitors on your website for more than 10 seconds.

Happy Holidays

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:01:03 Z

Looking for a way to celebrate the holiday spirit with the entire family this weekend? How about stopping by the San Antonio Children's Museum this weekend to decorate gingerbread houses and cookies!

There's An App for That

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:36:18 Z

Cooking turkeys, entertaining kiddos, shopping for deals & cheering on your team are just a few of our normal Thanksgiving activities. Luckily, thanks to modern day technology, there's an app for all of that.

Mashable compiled a list of the Top 9 Thanksgiving Apps and we wanted to share a few of our favorites.

Chow Thanksgiving Dinner Coach

Thanksgiving Dinner Maker

Oh, one more thing, Gray Digital Group would like to say a special Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

The Muppets Go Social

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:27:32 Z

Over the past 2 years, The Muppets have taken the digital world by storm and reinvigorated their brand. A featured film is just around the corner, and Muppets have been seen promoting the new show on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google +, smartphones & through classic media.

How Social Are You?

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:08:54 Z

You've created a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Klout, MySpace, Reddit, Flickr, YouTube, Tumblr and Google+, but how social are you really?

We Heart Haters

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:29:58 Z

Well, to a certain degree. What's the first question most clients ask when discussion any open forum, "Can people post something negative?". Our response, "Negative isn't necessarily bad". In order to erase the look of confusion on our client's face after this response, we quickly explain how disgruntled customers can be used to your advantage. Ragan.com put together a list of the top 5 reasons to love haters, and we couldn't have said it better ourselves:

Welcome, Google+ Brand Pages

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:13:44 Z

The long awaited Google+ brand pages arrived Monday morning and have been flooded with businesses ever since. You might be asking yourself, "How are these pages different from Facebook?"

Content and SEO

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:37:17 Z

Content is to SEO as peanut butter is to jelly. Pretty much sums it up. ReadWriteWeb featured a great infographic created by Brafton to display how content is the key to good SEO. Here are 5 key tips to consider when reading the data ::

What the Tech?

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:49:46 Z

Over the past few months, lots of changes and advancements have been occurring in the tech world. Thankfully, Lab42 conducted an online study amongst social media users to help gauge public reaction and sentiments towards new tech toys & gadgets.

Facebook Timeline Creativity

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:27:46 Z

With the launch of Facebook's new Timeline feature just around the corner, a few developers have already been testing their creativity.

Linkedin: From Static to Dynamic

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:38:18 Z

If your company has a LinkedIn profile, you will be glad to hear that now you can post status updates to all of your connections. We have been waiting on baited breath for this feature, for the simple fact that it creates a moving conversation...

Life in the Cloud

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 22:17:18 Z

Ever find yourself speaking about The Cloud to an unsuspecting individual who does not work in the digital world?

100 Best Companies + Social Media

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:26:36 Z

One of our favorites, Ragan.com, interviewed Erin Lieberman Moran of the Great Place To Work Institute about what role social media plays in their 100 Best Companies list. She notes that the top companies have driven by employees under the least amount of regulations. Looking for a bit more insight as to how large companies are managing their online strategy?

The Smartphone Interactive Map

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:00:59 Z

It's Friday, and there is nothing we love more than a good infographic to give us an insight into the mind of consumers. Well, there might be one thing we love more...an interactive infographic!

Gray Digital Group + The Atkins Group

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:20:58 Z

Today we officially become Gray Digital Group. Our new name speaks to the depth of services we offer. More than just a “web shop” we’ve evolved into a true digital agency that provides strategy development and implementation.

The American {Social} Identity

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:35:34 Z

Who are your social networks truly speaking to?

Living Social Taxi

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:11:00 Z

The award for most creative outreach of the week goes to, Living Social. Have you heard about their new Living Social Taxi in London? Well, it's genius. Just watch the video below to see it in action.

Sitefinity + Facebook

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:00:38 Z

We are big fans of Sitefinity, our content management system of choice. They make everything very clean, simple & easy for our clients to use. Yet again, they have created a tool that will make connecting your website & social media tools convenient...

Google+ vs. Facebook

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:44:28 Z

I'm sure by now you have all heard about the new social network mogul, Goggle+. How does it compare to Facebook? Do you really need another social network page? Technobombs.com analyzed the two websites and created an old fashioned compare/contrast infographic.

Happy Anniversary iPhone

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:55:58 Z

The iconic iPhone not only revolutionized cellphone technology, but transformed the way we communicate with friends, co-workers and consumers...

Why Do I Need Social Media?

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:47:06 Z

Social media lives around every corner nowadays. While not meant for every business, this video describes the heartbeat of social media and why society has latched on to a new form of communication...

60 Second Breakdown

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:46:50 Z

Ever stare at your computer and wonder where the minutes flew off too? Go Gulf answers your question by breaking down what happens every 60 seconds on the internet...

How Small Businesses Rely on Mobile Devices

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:38:09 Z

Debating whether or not to jump into the Mobile pool? These days, mobile devices are everywhere you turn they can help liberate employees and connect with consumers on the go. Check out this infographic created by intuit, a small business blog.

3 Keys Ways to Use Linkedin

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:30:51 Z

Ragan.com recently posted 3 ways to increase your business to business interaction on Linkedin. These simple steps provide an extra push to any companies online marketing strategy...

5 Important Web Design Tips

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:27:43 Z

We speak about social media often on this blog, but our roots remain in web design. Providing clients with a webality, where the web meets your brand's reality, and then helping you share your online face with the world. There are 5 fundamental elements that should go into any good website...

Blog Post Blueprint

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:23:00 Z

Business 2 Community has created the perfect infographic for a question we receive weekly, "How do I blog?". The graphic includes vital features that every blog should have, including...

GWT launches LouiseBatz.org

Thu, 19 May 2011 19:20:56 Z

When GWT took on the Louise Batz Patient Safety Foundation as a client, we knew there would be many challenges due to the strong emotional attachment of the client. Louise Batz passed away from complications caused by medical errors, and her family started a foundation to raise patient safety awareness for both the general public and within the medical community...

Pepsi Pushes Social Media Border

Wed, 04 May 2011 16:16:21 Z

Gray Web Tech firmly believes that the sky is the limit with social media and any strategy needs to be based upon one word, creativity...

The Benefits of QR Codes

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:13:51 Z

QR codes are everywhere we turn now, in shopping malls, on real estate signs & even posted on street corners. These digital black squares lead consumers to videos, pictures and more information with the click of a smartphone...

What is a "Comment" Really?

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:41:32 Z

Every once in a while we get consumed with the big picture and forget to step back at examine the details. Today, we want to focus on the Facebook comments system. It can be difficult to stay current with all the features offered by the ever-changed Facebook...

Spotlight: Quora

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:34:49 Z

Quora, a Q&A website, lights up the social media world daily. Intrigue continues to grow as people, brands and companies analyze how they can use Quora in their favor. Just how large is the site? How active are the users? KISSmetrics developed an infographic to answer those very questions...

Blog Battles

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:25:53 Z

In the world of blogging it's easy to run into the "I Don't Have Time" combat. Well, Ragan.com suggests five solutions that will help you win not only the no time battle, but the entire war.

Social Network Spotlight: Facebook

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:10:52 Z

You started your social media campaign and built a Facebook page...now what? Recently, Mashable focused on how to implement a social good campaign and we believe they mentioned three steps that all brands should follow...

How to Make a Splash in Social Media

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 21:43:05 Z

Alex Ohanian of Reddit combines real life results with a little bit of humor to provide an example of how your company can make a splash in social media.

Social Media Leverage for Small Businesses

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:30:39 Z

Small business owners know that it takes community interaction to create growth. As the social media community continues to increase in size, small businesses are becoming interested in an online community strategy.

Own Your Earned Media on the Web

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:26:19 Z

In a recent report by Forrester Research called “No Media Stands Alone” media is broken up into three areas...