You can click the link for detailed info, but in a nutshell: say hello to the ugly Timeline and say goodbye to your tabs.  The tabs still technically exist, but no one will ever click on them.  Also, Facebook also now allows for users to “pin” a post to the top of the page (Pinterest should sue) and finally brought back page messaging.

The most noticeable change, however, is the “cover photo” on the tops of all pages.  This, along with the messaging options, actually make me really excited about this update.  I think it adds an opportunity for some character, which many Facebook brands could use.  In talking with a few people, however, I discovered that some less graphically inclined folks struggle with the layout.  In particular, people seem to be confused about the size of the image and where the profile photo falls.

To help them out (and to make my own Timeline designs go quicker), I designed a quick Timeline Cover Template.  It’s simply a properly sized image with an overlay of the profile pic, so you can quickly and accurately lay everything out.  Here’s what I designed for Click 101.5:

There are lots of great designs out there.  I chose to use album covers and photos from some of our events to make a little collage, but high resolution photos work great, as well.   Going a totally different direction, this is a cover I made for my personal Facebook page:

UPDATE: I switched Hot 102.9 & ESPN 1410 to the new view.  Check them out for more ideas!

Anyway, here’s a link to my Facebook Timeline Cover Template:

DOWNLOAD PHOTOSHOP PSD

Have fun and let me know if this helps anyone!

As for my part, there were some technical struggles.  Broadcasting from within a gigantic,  insulated, metal hanger proves challenging for most broadcast equipment and there were lots of signals bouncing around, causing a problem for our wireless mics.  The biggest challenge, however, was the format of the show, itself.  Our DJ was going to be hosting parts of it on stage, while doing a more traditional broadcast for the WING-AM listeners at other times.  This meant we had to be creative with our wiring and mixing.

It was all worth it in the end, though.  The event was a big success that went off without a hitch and we exposed thousands of potential new listeners to the station via a link on MLB.com.  I was very proud of everyone involved and I hope we get to do more of these in the future!  GO REDS!

This is probably a better representation.

Home - Fly 92.9

I’ve wanted to completely overhaul FLY929.com for a while now. I gave it a cosmetic tweak a while back, but the whole structure really needed to be rebuilt and I finally had the time to do it!

The new FLY929.com is an attempt on my part to get around some of the shortcomings of the Vortal content management system that we’re unfortunately tied to. Although I’d love to be on a more customizable and modern system (like WordPress), I was able to bring a few much needed upgrades to the site.

I have disregarded the Vortal comment system in lieu of the Disqus comment system, allowing listeners to leave comments by logging into their Facebook, Twitter, and Google profiles. This definitely creates a more positive atmosphere on the site and makes it much easier for listeners to quickly leave their thoughts. Nearly all profane and derogatory feedback is gone, leaving us great positive and constructive feedback.

In a similar social vein, the redesign really focuses on the station’s social networks and mobile apps. The navigation bar on the top of each page includes links, and all content can be Liked, Tweeted, or Google +1ed to make sure that any content the station produces has the most impact possible.

I’ve also introduced Google AdSense ads to the site. These run only when our in-house sales force has un-used banner inventory. It’s yet to be seen whether this will eventually be a substantial revenue stream for the company, but in this economy, a little extra cash can’t hurt.

Google

Search Engine Optimization was also a big part of the project. I spent a lot of time deleting years of dead pages, updating meta data for current pages, submitting the site to various databases, working out some strange DNS issues, and using Google & Bing Webmaster Tools to ensure we’re where we should be.

Beyond all of that, I tried to make everything look neat and clean. I was happy with how everything turned out. Feel free to browse! Play some Donkey Kong!

Image Gallery

Things to Do

click101.5: Designed within Vortal 3 framework in 3 days

Click 101.5 is Dayton’s newest radio station.  It was top secret for a while, so when I was brought into the loop, there was a lot to do to promotionally and digitally to get it ready for launch.  When all was said and done, I had 3 days to build a website, start Facebook & Twitter pages, set up a live stream, and write all sorts of press releases and internal documentation.

Once we launched, we built up a sizable social network following in a very short time and began running some fun promotions, including Up Close with Fitz & the Tantrums and many other listener-driven initiatives.  This, along with excellent programming, has led to Click being extremely well-received in only a few months.

UPDATE: Check out the NEW click1015.com!  Things look so much better when you have more than 3 days to work the bugs out!

Let’s just say I’m very familiar with Google Apps, Microsoft Office, and pens.  Lots of pens.

A few new to the business people  have asked me what tools I use, so I thought I’d give everyone a quick primer.  I’m a simple guy, so I try to make things as easy and streamlined as possible.  To track station events, sponsorships, staffing, giveaways, banner ads, and everything else my 5 stations have going on, I use a series of shared Google Calendars.  This allows me to easily share the pertinent info only with who it applies to.  The biggest mistake I see new Promotions Directors making is creating a calendar that everyone can change , add to, and accidentally delete.  The key is to create a calendar that gives everyone the access they need.  Some just need to see it, some will need to edit and add events, and some won’t even need to see certain parts of the calendar.  My interns do not need to know when the department head meeting is, and Google Calendar understands this.  It also allows me to access it everywhere, meaning any scheduling conflicts can easily be dealt with nights or weekends if need be.  If you haven’t used Google Calendar before, I can’t recommend it enough.  It has literally been a life changer for me.
I also use Google Documents conjunction with Calendar as it allows easy document sharing.  We can upload or scan any related paperwork to the calendar, so there’s very little chance of misunderstanding or lost files.  Google’s excellent search capacities also make it easy to quickly look up information.  Often, this quick reference is the difference between a happy and dissatisfied customer.

Like everyone on the planet, I use Excel for my spreadsheeting needs–budgets, proposals, and anything related to money.  Google Documents just can’t compete to Excel on that front.  One tool I created for the sales department is a Promo Value Calculator. It’s basically a simple Excel document that adds up the values for sponsorships, promos, live mentions, etc that we offer.  Nothing fancy, but it helps sales keep track of numbers that periodically change.

If you’re looking for some good tools in the world of online marketing and promotions, I’d highly recommend reading Mashable and Lifehacker on a regular basis.  If you want a plain-English guide to some complicated ideas, they’re great.  Another great site is MakeUseOf, though it can often get a bit “inside” if you’re not particularly technically inclined.  Lastly, if you’re looking to build some promotional tools, Instructables is a very fun site.  Sadly, my construction abilities limit my building, but if you’re a mechanical or crafty kind of person, it’s heaven.  I managed to build a green screen, so there are definitely projects for every skill level.

This is not a comprehensive list of my web design work, just the Crib Notes.