We've recently announced the 2010 High Rock Marketing Summit. This year's event will be bigger and better than ever. High Rock representatives and guest speakers will offer insights into such topics as...
Integrated Marketing
Social Networking
Website Basics
... and more.
For more information and to register, visit the official website at www.highrockmarketingsummit.com.
Our Blog.
FREE High Rock T-Shirts: Round 2
Back in the summer, we gave away 200 T-Shirts in less than 48 hours. So we're out to top ourselves and see how fast we can give away another 200 T-Shirts.
Limit 1 per person. While supplies last. Email freetshirt@highrockstudios.com with your name, address and size (L or XL). Rock on!
Limit 1 per person. While supplies last. Email freetshirt@highrockstudios.com with your name, address and size (L or XL). Rock on!
What does "Rock On!" mean?
We've been asked lately what does "Rock On!" really mean. We've used it recently in High Rock magazine ads, our e-newsletter, etc.
Well, after weeks of contemplation, it finally hit us. "Rock On!" is a throw back to the 80s and 90s and makes a statement of moving forward, advancing the interests of our clients and having some fun along the way. Speaking of the 80s and 90s...
A friend sent me the following "mullet-enhanced" image of our team!?!? All business in the front, party in the back!
(I have to say, Dave's mullet looks a lot better than mine.)
Look for more mullet enhancements to our team in the near future!
Well, after weeks of contemplation, it finally hit us. "Rock On!" is a throw back to the 80s and 90s and makes a statement of moving forward, advancing the interests of our clients and having some fun along the way. Speaking of the 80s and 90s...
A friend sent me the following "mullet-enhanced" image of our team!?!? All business in the front, party in the back!
(I have to say, Dave's mullet looks a lot better than mine.)
Look for more mullet enhancements to our team in the near future!
High Rock Launches Social Media Toolkit
Now, more than ever, organizations are required to seek modern avenues of marketing to generate traffic to their website and top of mind awareness of their brand. With that goal in mind, we sought out to help explain some the latest tools such as Facebook and Twitter and what they mean for your organization.
“In the last six months, our clients have heard that social media was important, but they didn’t understand its value,” said Dave Schleigh, founder and creative director of High Rock Studios.
-----------------------
What Is Social Media Marketing?
Social media marketing is a form of Internet marketing used to generate publicity or exposure via an online community.
Social media sites allow users to become part of an online network, in which they can blog, share photos and ideas, and chat with friends or colleagues. Many marketers recognize the advantage of these online communities, and now use them to target potential (and existing) customers.
Facebook
Businesses can create a fan page, which features a "Wall" for the page administrator and "fans" to post comments, photos, events and videos; an "Info" tab, which includes fields for business location and general information; a "Discussions" tab which allows the page administrator and fans to hold discussions on specific topics; and a "Reviews" tab, which allows fans to post reviews.
Twitter
Twitter is similar to a blog, with shorter posts. Businesses can create a page and invite other Twitter users to "follow" them. Twitter pages are less complex than Facebook fan pages, only allowing the page administrator and followers to post short updates and comments.
Source: StartLogic Tech Talk – July 2009
-----------------------
Can social media really benefit a small business? Here at High Rock Studios, we decided to do some testing of our own to find out first hand. We launched a Twitter page (http://twitter.com/highrockstudios) and a Facebook page (http://highrockstudios.com/facebook), and began posting announcements. In May, we announced on our website, blog, Facebook and Twitter pages that we would send a free t-shirt to anyone who e-mailed us back. Within 48 hours of the posting, we distributed 200 shirts to people throughout the United States and abroad, including Indonesia, Denmark and New Zealand. Now do we expect to build a book of business in Indonesia because one person is wearing a High Rock t-shirt on the streets of Jakarta? No, but it’s a cool little fact that fits into the “buzz” category.
So can social media really benefit a small business? The answer is an astounding “YES”. In fact, we launched the Social Media Toolkit to help our clients lay a foundation of modern marketing tools and experience the same results we experienced. The Social Media Toolkit offers the basics of getting started, including setup, training and most importantly, how the tools can be used to promote your organization.
“High Rock had done a great job with the Website for Cleaner Greener Baltimore and we asked them to set up a Twitter page,” said Helen Szablya, a consultant for Cleaner Greener Baltimore, noting that the page http://twitter.com/cleangreenbalt will be used to discuss the City’s new 1 + 1 recycling program.
Taking it one step further, it’s our goal at High Rock to also give clients insight into how to maximize the social media tools for their specific markets to effectively target current audiences and reach new ones.
The Toolkit is an easy-to-understand and practical approach to what can be a confusing marketing technique. It was our goal to distill the core benefits of social media, customize a plan for each client and quickly implement on the client’s Website.
A key element of our toolkit is the customization aspect. Understanding how social media tools are used, specific to their organization is critical. We provide guidance on such items as what types of information should they tweet about and how to use the Facebook page. We even help with uploading company videos to YouTube to gain more exposure.
For organizations utilizing our custom-built CMC solutions, the Social Media Toolkit can also allow for automatic publishing of news and information to the Twitter and Facebook pages through an RSS feed.
“The Social Media Toolkit allows clients to easily update their social media outlets while updating their Website news. We are streamlining the process so the client only has to post the information to one source,” said Schleigh. “It saves time, lets the client provide up-to-date communications, and expands their access to a greater audience base.”
After creating a Website with an RSS feed for the University of Maryland BioPark, we
implemented the Social Media Toolkit to create a Twitter page (www.twitter.com/umbiopark) , a
Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/pages/Baltimore-MD/UMBIOPark/99590088541) and a
LinkedIn group (www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2110846). High Rock also provided the UM BioPark access to other sites through ShareThis, and created an e-mail marketing tool.
“We were looking for other ways to get the word out,” said Julie G. Evans, MA, marketing manager for the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Office of Research & Development. “High Rock created a great graphic banner and gave us the forum to find more avenues for people to find us.”
If you are interested in hearing more about High Rock’s Social Media Toolkit, call us at 301.791.1221 or contact your Account Rep. Pricing will vary based on client needs.
“In the last six months, our clients have heard that social media was important, but they didn’t understand its value,” said Dave Schleigh, founder and creative director of High Rock Studios.
-----------------------
What Is Social Media Marketing?
Social media marketing is a form of Internet marketing used to generate publicity or exposure via an online community.
Social media sites allow users to become part of an online network, in which they can blog, share photos and ideas, and chat with friends or colleagues. Many marketers recognize the advantage of these online communities, and now use them to target potential (and existing) customers.
Businesses can create a fan page, which features a "Wall" for the page administrator and "fans" to post comments, photos, events and videos; an "Info" tab, which includes fields for business location and general information; a "Discussions" tab which allows the page administrator and fans to hold discussions on specific topics; and a "Reviews" tab, which allows fans to post reviews.
Twitter is similar to a blog, with shorter posts. Businesses can create a page and invite other Twitter users to "follow" them. Twitter pages are less complex than Facebook fan pages, only allowing the page administrator and followers to post short updates and comments.
Source: StartLogic Tech Talk – July 2009
-----------------------
Can social media really benefit a small business? Here at High Rock Studios, we decided to do some testing of our own to find out first hand. We launched a Twitter page (http://twitter.com/highrockstudios) and a Facebook page (http://highrockstudios.com/facebook), and began posting announcements. In May, we announced on our website, blog, Facebook and Twitter pages that we would send a free t-shirt to anyone who e-mailed us back. Within 48 hours of the posting, we distributed 200 shirts to people throughout the United States and abroad, including Indonesia, Denmark and New Zealand. Now do we expect to build a book of business in Indonesia because one person is wearing a High Rock t-shirt on the streets of Jakarta? No, but it’s a cool little fact that fits into the “buzz” category.
So can social media really benefit a small business? The answer is an astounding “YES”. In fact, we launched the Social Media Toolkit to help our clients lay a foundation of modern marketing tools and experience the same results we experienced. The Social Media Toolkit offers the basics of getting started, including setup, training and most importantly, how the tools can be used to promote your organization.
“High Rock had done a great job with the Website for Cleaner Greener Baltimore and we asked them to set up a Twitter page,” said Helen Szablya, a consultant for Cleaner Greener Baltimore, noting that the page http://twitter.com/cleangreenbalt will be used to discuss the City’s new 1 + 1 recycling program.
Taking it one step further, it’s our goal at High Rock to also give clients insight into how to maximize the social media tools for their specific markets to effectively target current audiences and reach new ones.
The Toolkit is an easy-to-understand and practical approach to what can be a confusing marketing technique. It was our goal to distill the core benefits of social media, customize a plan for each client and quickly implement on the client’s Website.
A key element of our toolkit is the customization aspect. Understanding how social media tools are used, specific to their organization is critical. We provide guidance on such items as what types of information should they tweet about and how to use the Facebook page. We even help with uploading company videos to YouTube to gain more exposure.
For organizations utilizing our custom-built CMC solutions, the Social Media Toolkit can also allow for automatic publishing of news and information to the Twitter and Facebook pages through an RSS feed.
“The Social Media Toolkit allows clients to easily update their social media outlets while updating their Website news. We are streamlining the process so the client only has to post the information to one source,” said Schleigh. “It saves time, lets the client provide up-to-date communications, and expands their access to a greater audience base.”
After creating a Website with an RSS feed for the University of Maryland BioPark, we
implemented the Social Media Toolkit to create a Twitter page (www.twitter.com/umbiopark) , a
Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/pages/Baltimore-MD/UMBIOPark/99590088541) and a
LinkedIn group (www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2110846). High Rock also provided the UM BioPark access to other sites through ShareThis, and created an e-mail marketing tool.
“We were looking for other ways to get the word out,” said Julie G. Evans, MA, marketing manager for the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Office of Research & Development. “High Rock created a great graphic banner and gave us the forum to find more avenues for people to find us.”
If you are interested in hearing more about High Rock’s Social Media Toolkit, call us at 301.791.1221 or contact your Account Rep. Pricing will vary based on client needs.
Hey Dave!... Saturday, Sept. 19th is Official Talk Like a Pirate Day
It’s true, there really are other people that aspire to be a pirate like High Rock’s own, Dave Schleigh - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Talk_Like_a_Pirate_Day. ARRRRRR. This Saturday is a big day for wanna be pirates.Keagan (my youngest son) was even inspired by Dave this summer.
The High Rock Story
We've recently been working on an updated press kit and portfolio for some big announcements we'll be making soon. As we were interviewed by our PR firm on how High Rock came to be, it was interesting to look back... We've bootstrapped this thing called "High Rock", took crazy risks, waited to hire only the best we could find and in the end, dare we say it, "advanced" our business. It's our mission to stay grounded in our efforts and continue to help our clients "advance" as well.
THE HIGH ROCK STORY
High Rock Studios has garnered a diverse list of local, regional and national clients in less than five full years in business. Headquartered in Hagerstown, Maryland with a Greater Baltimore office in Ellicott City, High Rock provides a powerful synthesis of graphic design, web development, video production and strategic marketing services to transform client goals into effective, market-sensible solutions for success.
The firm began in 2005 when Rich Daughtridge joined forces with fellow designer, entrepreneur and Hagerstown native, Dave Schleigh to launch High Rock Interactive. For the office that Rich would run, they bought The Clock Tower Building in the heart of downtown Hagerstown and began operating from two of the building’s four floors. For the office that Dave would run, they rented space in The Can Company along Baltimore’s waterfront.
Within two years, High Rock was winning ADDY awards – (including a District Award), serving clients in a variety of industries, and developing a particular niche among real estate and economic development organizations.
Following the decision to add video production to its scope of services, the company opened an office in Frederick, expanded to eight employees, and began operating as a full-service firm with a new name: High Rock Studios.
To accommodate growth, High Rock bought a 2,200-square-foot historic Ellicott City farmhouse – one of Maryland’s oldest structures dating back to 1730 – and refurbished it into the firm’s present- day Greater Baltimore location.
High Rock expanded to 15 people in 2008 with the acquisition of web development and graphic design firm, Ranablue, LLC. With continued growth came continued success. High Rock racked up more industry acclaim, including Best of Show honors at the Greater Frederick Advertising Federation's ADDY awards.
To ensure quality control, the High Rock team set out to find an effective time tracking and project management system. After scouring the market they realized the ideal system didn’t exist, so they decided to create one. The result was called LeftBrain and worked so well that High Rock began the process of marketing it for use by small businesses worldwide.
Since its founding, High Rock has given back to the community by providing pro bono work for several non-profit organizations. Taking it one step further, the firm established the LeftBrain Foundation to support worthy causes. In its debut, the Foundation donated an iMac computer and Adobe Creative Suite software to the Boys and Girls Club of Washington County. High Rock also taught youths in the Boys & Girls Club how to build a website (using the donated iMac) for Children in Need, another local non-profit organization.
2009 is shaping up to be the firm’s biggest and best year ever. Already, The Baltimore Business Journal has ranked High Rock Studios among the Top 25 Web Development Firms in Baltimore and the Surrounding Area.
As technology and communications strategies evolved to include e-mail marketing, search engine optimization, RSS feeds, blogs, Web 2.0 strategies and social media, so did High Rock’s service offerings.
High Rock recently developed the Social Media Toolkit: an easy-to-understand and practical approach to using social media applications. In addition to creating a client’s Twitter account and Facebook fan page – and building templates for additional applications, High Rock advises on how to use the tools effectively for industry-specific marketing needs.
By summer 2009, High Rock had grown to a staff of 20 talented, experienced and innovative professionals. To thank the employees for their hard work and dedication, High Rock’s principals announced they would take the entire staff – and their families – to Walt Disney World in January.
No doubt, 2010 will start off with a bang for High Rock Studios.
THE HIGH ROCK STORY
High Rock Studios has garnered a diverse list of local, regional and national clients in less than five full years in business. Headquartered in Hagerstown, Maryland with a Greater Baltimore office in Ellicott City, High Rock provides a powerful synthesis of graphic design, web development, video production and strategic marketing services to transform client goals into effective, market-sensible solutions for success.
The firm began in 2005 when Rich Daughtridge joined forces with fellow designer, entrepreneur and Hagerstown native, Dave Schleigh to launch High Rock Interactive. For the office that Rich would run, they bought The Clock Tower Building in the heart of downtown Hagerstown and began operating from two of the building’s four floors. For the office that Dave would run, they rented space in The Can Company along Baltimore’s waterfront.
Within two years, High Rock was winning ADDY awards – (including a District Award), serving clients in a variety of industries, and developing a particular niche among real estate and economic development organizations.
Following the decision to add video production to its scope of services, the company opened an office in Frederick, expanded to eight employees, and began operating as a full-service firm with a new name: High Rock Studios.
To accommodate growth, High Rock bought a 2,200-square-foot historic Ellicott City farmhouse – one of Maryland’s oldest structures dating back to 1730 – and refurbished it into the firm’s present- day Greater Baltimore location.
High Rock expanded to 15 people in 2008 with the acquisition of web development and graphic design firm, Ranablue, LLC. With continued growth came continued success. High Rock racked up more industry acclaim, including Best of Show honors at the Greater Frederick Advertising Federation's ADDY awards.
To ensure quality control, the High Rock team set out to find an effective time tracking and project management system. After scouring the market they realized the ideal system didn’t exist, so they decided to create one. The result was called LeftBrain and worked so well that High Rock began the process of marketing it for use by small businesses worldwide.
Since its founding, High Rock has given back to the community by providing pro bono work for several non-profit organizations. Taking it one step further, the firm established the LeftBrain Foundation to support worthy causes. In its debut, the Foundation donated an iMac computer and Adobe Creative Suite software to the Boys and Girls Club of Washington County. High Rock also taught youths in the Boys & Girls Club how to build a website (using the donated iMac) for Children in Need, another local non-profit organization.
2009 is shaping up to be the firm’s biggest and best year ever. Already, The Baltimore Business Journal has ranked High Rock Studios among the Top 25 Web Development Firms in Baltimore and the Surrounding Area.
As technology and communications strategies evolved to include e-mail marketing, search engine optimization, RSS feeds, blogs, Web 2.0 strategies and social media, so did High Rock’s service offerings.
High Rock recently developed the Social Media Toolkit: an easy-to-understand and practical approach to using social media applications. In addition to creating a client’s Twitter account and Facebook fan page – and building templates for additional applications, High Rock advises on how to use the tools effectively for industry-specific marketing needs.
By summer 2009, High Rock had grown to a staff of 20 talented, experienced and innovative professionals. To thank the employees for their hard work and dedication, High Rock’s principals announced they would take the entire staff – and their families – to Walt Disney World in January.
No doubt, 2010 will start off with a bang for High Rock Studios.
Crazy Few Weeks at High Rock
Things have been crazy lately at High Rock with all the projects currently in-progress, but it's fun stuff. We will be launching a number of international, national and local websites, as well as other video and print projects.
For a preview of new portfolio posts, we launched www.immersionactive.com yesterday and www.welocalize.com today. Both very cool websites. Make sure and check out the video on Immersion Active's home page.
Behind the scenes, our programmers are also creating some amazing web applications and we have two iPhone applications in the works.
There is probably more to say, but exhaustion has arrived, and I'm ready to crash.
For a preview of new portfolio posts, we launched www.immersionactive.com yesterday and www.welocalize.com today. Both very cool websites. Make sure and check out the video on Immersion Active's home page.
Behind the scenes, our programmers are also creating some amazing web applications and we have two iPhone applications in the works.
There is probably more to say, but exhaustion has arrived, and I'm ready to crash.
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