By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO

Bon Visto Media is a small business that manages social media for other small businesses. As a result, we understand the needs and concerns of our clients, because we’ve been there—we’ve lived it. That’s why we want to share the tools that we’ve used to succeed…not just in social media, but in business management in general. (If you have a favorite tool that we didn’t list, and you think it’s a total sin that we didn’t mention it, leave a comment!) 

Have you ever posted a link to your company Facebook page and expected an image to automatically attach to the post…only to have nothing but white space and text? This is because Facebook doesn’t understand the content on your link. Using the Debugger helps Facebook scrape information from your link and recognize that there are images on the page you’re attempting to share. Simply copy and paste the link into the box on the Facebook Debugger page and click “Fetch new scrape information”. You may need to click this button a few times to get all the information scraped.

Businesses always have a wealth of checklists…not just for individual employees, but for projects as well. Asana is a project management tool that seamlessly combines the two. Everyone involved in the business signs up on Asana, and they can be assigned to different projects. If Betty, Sue, and Bob join Asan, Betty and Sue can be assigned Project A, Sue and Bob can be assigned Project B, and so on. You can then view individual checklists as well as project checklists. Asana is an elegant, user-friendly tool that can help you breathe easy as you collaborate.

I’m lucky to be a graphic designer by education and intuition, but not everyone has that skill. That’s why Canva is such a valuable design tool. It offers many drag-and-drop templates for multiple design needs—Facebook ad images, invitations, flyers, and so on. Canva also offers an online design school to learn tips and tricks to make your images stand out. Plus, you can purchase stock photos directly from Canva to insert into your designs for a little extra sparkle.

What tools does your business use? Have you used the ones we listed above? Leave a comment and let us know!

By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO

When employees speak well of their workplace, it is an indicator to others that their company is good. After all, don't we all want to work at an awesome company? (I mean, I already work at an awesome company, but that's beside the point.) A business that uses employee advocacy on social media can promote a company culture of open communication, cohesiveness between employees and management, and satisfaction in the workplace. Here's how you can develop employee advocacy in your own agency.

To develop an employee advocacy campaign, a company should first approach their employees and address the importance of sharing via social media. Express that social media is an easy and fun way to connect with potential customers, and how employees can change how the company is viewed. You can also include case studies of successful employee advocacy in other organizations--for example, this case study about Microsoft--to show how your employees' efforts can make a difference. Consider developing incentives as well, such as promising that any employee who brings in a new client via social media receives some sort of finder's fee. 

Once your employees understand why you want them to advocate for the company on social media, it is important to give them the "how" behind the "why". Communicate with your employees what outcomes you expect from employee advocacy. The best way to do this is by developing a written policy on employee use of social media. Answer question your employees might have: How often should they post? What is acceptable content to post? How should they respond to any replies?

Launching an employee advocacy strategy on all your employees at once can be overwhelming on both sides--you have too many posts to monitor, and your employees have no examples to base their work on. Before thrusting your strategy on your organization as a whole, identify employees who are active on social media and have a pattern of being early adopters. Run a soft launch with these "rock stars" and allow some trial and error as you perfect your plan. Then, you can safely present it to the rest of your employees.


Has your company tried employee advocacy? What advice do you have? Leave a comment and let us know!

By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO 

On April 4, 2014, Bon Visto Media gained our first client. I was, admittedly, pretty terrified. As the founder of the company, I had no idea of what success (if any) I would have with a social media management company. But with each new client who hired us, our footing became surer, and our expertise grew deeper. So, where are we one year later? Join us in your preferred method of time travel--TARDIS, Delorean, hot tub--as we look back on the past year.

When I initially set out to start this business, I contacted my longtime friend Jenn Halbhuber to work with me on development and operations. Although she was unable to stay on board due to an intense personal and professional schedule, she was a key figure in the creation of Bon Visto Media, and I am grateful for that. I am also grateful for our current team. Jeff has brough creativity and insight (and sarcasm) to the process of content creation. Hilary’s boots-on-the-ground attitude assures me that she can always handle whatever research task is thrown at her. Don, who originally joined us as an intern, has juggled the hectic task of managing money with effortless grace. And of course, I’ve loved working with and educating our interns: Amanda, Taylor, David, and the aforementioned Don.

You may be wondering, what’s next for Bon Visto Media? (You also might not be wondering that, but I’m going to tell you anyway.) Our goals for our second year, while modest, will form the foundation we need to stay in business for years to come. Along with maintaining the high-quality services we give our current clients, we intend to develop new contracts (either long- or short-term) with businesses that value progress, innovation, and bettering the world. Additionally, we look forward to bringing on a new member to our creative team this year. 

We are excited to see what happens during year two. To keep up to date with our goals and progress, please continue to follow this blog. And, of course, follow us on your favorite social media platform!

By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO

Have you ever visited the website ClientsFromHell.net? This site accepted submitted stories about freelancers and specialists who work with companies who make work miserable. Here’s an example of one of the posts from Clients From Hell:

Friend: "You’re seriously going to charge me for your art? But we’re friends!"
Me: "The only art I don’t charge for is when it’s a gift, so…"
Friend: "Eh, fine then. I’ll just wait until Christmas."

Pretty terrible, right? Well, you might be surprised how easy it could be to accidentally become a terrible jerk when you outsource work. Here is our advice for the best way to work with outside sources.

Have a strong idea of what you want your outsourced professional to do before you contact them. Make a list of what your company does, your mission with the outsourced material, your ideal client persona, and so on. This will save time and help your outsourced workers get their boots on the ground right away. Also, make sure you are clear on instructions—for example, how many prints you need, or what the copy of advertisements should be. Clarity will prevent having to send work back for fixes.

Would you want to work with a company that says it can deliver what you need, when in reality it can’t? That’s why you should match your clarity with a healthy heaping of honesty. Be up front about your expectations, your budget, and your deadlines. Plus, be honest about the things you don’t know—whether it’s missing details on your end or jargon that the specialist uses.

One of the biggest reasons companies outsource work is because they need a specialist who can do what the company cannot. For example, companies who don’t have the time, manpower, or expertise to manage their social media would come to Bon Visto Media. This is part of the reason why it’s important to respect outsourced workers—they tend to know what they are doing. Be open to whatever suggestions they might bring to the table, since it’s usually based off of years of experience.

Along with the need for a specialist, another big reasons that companies outsource work is that it saves them time so they can focus on the operations of their business. If you expect your outsourced work to arrive on time, it only makes sense that you should be on time as well. Help freelancers and outside businesses meet their deadlines by getting all information to them early and often.

It sounds obvious, but to some terrible clients, it’s not: Pay for what you receive! You would want to be paid for your work for your company, and so would freelancers and outside companies you work with. When you outsource work, you are paying for more than just the final product—you’re also paying for the labor, the personalization, and the expert touch that only a specialist can provide. 

Have you had a client from hell? Do you have advice that we missed? Leave a comment and let us know!