With that as a backdrop, consider this case study that we’ve put together of a client of ours, Dr. Carlo Honrado – a double board certified facial plastic surgeon serving Beverly Hills and the surrounding communities.

Recently Dr. Carlo Honrado was interviewed on KABC (ABC Los Angeles). The news station found him as a result of seeing a video we had done which we posted on YouTube.

That’s right – a YouTube video promoting one aspect of his practice was the thread that led Dr. Honrado to being interviewed about his expertise on a major network in one of the biggest markets in America. Without YouTube this was an opportunity that would not have existed.

Dr. Honrado was kind enough to allow me to share some of the details here on my site and I hope you’ll enjoy this case study, and perhaps even consider utilizing some of the same concepts in your own business, or possibly even bringing Gadarian Digital on to help.

In order to provide the full context we should start from the beginning. When Dr. Honrado initially engaged Gadarian Digital our goal was to revise not only his website, but his entire approach to how he presents online.

Our first order of business was to survey both is existing efforts and also what his space was doing. From there we put together a strategy (a Digital Roadmap) which allowed us to move into the build phase with a very specific purpose.

With Dr. Honrado we recognized early on a few key areas of differentiation that we wanted to make sure were being adequately represented including the following:

• Dr. Honrado is unique. He really is an expert in his field. He is a double board certified facial plastic surgeon.
• Dr. Honrado is a specialist. Unlike other plastic surgeons, Dr. Honrado’s practice is solely devoted to the face and neck. No body work.
• The marketplace where he operates is competitive and we needed to highlight areas where we could provide separation between his practice and others. Los Angeles is one of the most competitive markets in the world in terms of plastic surgery.
• The LA marketplace is also very unique in that there are a number of very competent specialized medical providers. We wanted to make sure this was properly conveyed in his efforts and it was clear that his practice operates on this elevated level.
• Dr. Honrado is very approachable, and very grounded. He really does value client’s physical and emotional well being.

In evaluating the above, as well as a number of other criteria that were specific to Dr. Honrado one of the area that we determined would add value would be by creating a series of videos. And again, much like with our initial research efforts, we conducted a fairly robust evaluation with regard to what videos in his space looked like. We made a number of determinations and we isolated a number of areas that we thought were perhaps under-represented within his space.

We also spent time evaluating camera angles, pacing, length, the number of cuts within each video and the overall tone. All of this was done in advance of any shooting. When it came time to shoot we got a little lucky in that I was able to do some arm twisting and call in a favor so we managed to get a fantastic director to shoot Dr. Honrado. And yes, even for web videos direction is incredibly important.

The result were that we created a number of videos focused on Dr. Honrado’s specific services that were also featured his approach to patient care while displaying his very calm and caring demeanor.

With his videos we also went a little deeper and this really is where the story gets interesting. By viewing all his videos as a collection it is undeniable that Dr. Honrado is an expert, but also by viewing each of his videos on an individual basis he was able to target each video to a very specific client need. In all these videos, again, we were also very keen to make sure we adhered to all of Dr. Honrado’s core beliefs in terms of patient care and patient needs and also to make sure that as a viewer you were getting a good piece of Dr. Honrado’s personality.

These videos are featured through Dr. Honrado’s website and we also created a dedicated area in YouTube which we customized to match his practice and his website.

Here is the video we shot for “Chins Surgery” (Mentoplasty) which we posted on YouTube:

If you click through to Dr. Honrado’s website you can also see that we tightly integrated this particular video with a corresponding page on his website. This was the same approach we used on all the other videos as well.

Chin Surgery / Mentoplasty by Dr. Carlo Honrado

Dr. Honrado's Chin Surgery Page

The copy on this page is very focused on not only Dr. Honrado’s expertise, but also on his general approach to client care. The copy is then reinforced by the video, or perhaps vice versa depending on how you enter this page. If you click on the video (top right) you’ll notice that we placed it inside a light box and increased the play size. We wanted to make sure that if a visitor were coming this deep into Dr. Honrado’s site, they would clearly recognize that in Dr. Honrado they’d be interacting with a very competent and caring physician.

And much like our process for engaging in video, with our site design and copy we engaged in a similar process where we planned way in advance of any words being written, or for that matter any site development, we were moving forward with a concrete plan (the Digital Roadmap) that was going to ensure that all the various elements (web design, copy, video, social media and newsletters) were all tightly aligned rather than being created with a “silo” mentality.  That said, just like with our video, it was critical that we engaged with top shelf talents that were able to deliver inside their own specialties while also recognizing the bigger picture goals that our firm had determined.  For web design we utilized the service of David Cosgrove and for our SEO copy writing we engaged Breakthrough Content. The results speak for themselves.

And fast forward a bit to a moment in time where we again see how powerful digital publishing can be. As a result of new tools and platforms, in this case YouTube, a producer at KABC was looking for an interview for an upcoming segment on chin surgery and they were able to find Dr. Honrado. After looking at his video, and likely visiting his website, that producer made a determination similar to the one we are always hoping website visitors make – they took the next step and in this case they contacted Dr. Honrado to learn a bit more.

The end result was Dr. Honrado was interviewed by KABC.

So I’ll close where I began. Digital media has this amazing capacity to travel. Sometimes that journey is self propelled (perhaps the owner of the media is the instigator) and other times the journey is enabled as a result of new tools (in this case YouTube’s search). The larger point is, if you elect not to put forth the effort with regard to your digital efforts then you already know the outcome will not change. Of course if you do put the time and effort in then there always is the possibility that some of your own digital media will find wings of its own.

I often look at other businesses, both large and small, and I wonder “how do they do it?” How do they get up in the morning? What processes do they use to run their business? How do they determine pricing? And yes how do they view themselves? I know I’m not alone here. We all do it.

The goal is of course to learn and the stakes are high. No sense beating around the bush on this – we all have mouths to feed even if they are only our own. And the truth is for better or worse we all tend to be hyper focused on the successes rather than the failures. When a business is super successful that business automatically has our attention. Suddenly those same questions take on an added sense of urgency.

Here I was reading this interview (the entire article is indeed very interesting) given by the CEO of a company that I use on a regular basis, so this is a product that I can say I’m familiar with. This is also a super successful company – one of those companies that so many people think they could in fact run – it’s just a bunch of coffee shops after all. The truth is most people could not run Starbucks. Perhaps there is only one person in the entire universe who could run and that person happens to actually be the person running it.

And here he is, throwing out this very bland statement that to a large extent defines the amazing success of this multi-billion dollar company.

We understand how to elevate and romanticize an experience built around a beverage.

Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks in an interview in Fast Company

Wow. That statement alone says so much. First, I’m guessing that it took the internal team at Starbucks years before they even recognized this statement and it’s power. Being able to articulate how and why your business is a success in so few words is a real talent. Some of us might be born with such talents, but for most of us, just like our businesses themselves, this type of talent evolves over time. It takes time to define a business. It takes time to polish your operation. And it takes time to be able to speak effectively about your business. Lesson 1.

This statement also really motivated me because here is their CEO talking about an ordinary product – a beverage, blah, how boring – he doesn’t even say coffee, instead preferring to fall back on the most generic description he can,  and yet he also in the course of a single sentence goes on to explain in very simple terms exactly what it is that has allowed Starbucks to flourish. This company was able to deliver emotion to something that so many of us took for granted. And by doing so Starbucks is a huge winner.  Human experiences will always win. Lesson 2.

There is also a supreme amount of confidence in this statement. I mean after all, who does this guy think he is? Are we stupid? Does he think we can simply be conned in to paying $2.10 for a medium black coffee just because this coffee shop has clean windows? Of course not. And no, I do not think Howard Schultz thinks he customers are stupid. But I also think that as CEO Howard Schultz possesses an immense amount of confidence in his ability to deliver. After all the sheer absurdity of the statement is brilliant. It’s brilliant in a way that most Starbucks patrons can attest too. Follow through on your convictions.  It’s was will separate you from the rest. Lesson 3.

Actually to build on the point above, not only do I believe Howard Schultz does not believe his customers are stupid. Actually I think he loves them. Why else would he deliver such passion and introduce such rich emotion when talking about one of the keys to the massive success of Starbucks. Love your customers. It really does show and they really do reward you. Lesson 4.

So the big question for you is have you brought enough romance into your own business? When customers interact with you, can they feel your passion? When you and your team are making sales calls is the romance there? When people are taking a passive look at you, have you really thought through the details and made sure they are all adding value?

Romance is not a one way street. You can’t simply walk in a say “I love you.” You have to prove it. You have to show it. You have to live it. And yes, you have to work for it.

We understand how to elevate and romanticize an experience built around a (Your Business Premise Here).

Before we dive in a quick definition of disparity might be in order:

Disparity: The difference between having and not having.

Disparity is one of the big themes that I suspect we are all going to be increasingly aware of over the next decade.  It appears that global geo-politics seem to be directing everyone towards a reality in which there is a finite amount of “things”.  Due to everyone recognizing limits to abundance we are also as a consequence placing a greater emphasis on tracking these limited goods which in turn means we are also going to be paying much closer attention to who actually possesses these goods.

Said in plain English, I believe over the next decade we are all going to be keeping score at a much greater pace than we have ever done so.

On a global scale we have been for some time witnesses the hold of disparity that can play such a big role in so many peoples lives – and this is not always for “the good.”

• We are see disparity inside nations (the 99% right here in the US).
• We see disparity between nations (despite the 99%, the standard of living in the US versus most other nations is quite advanced.)
• We see disparity in governance (look at Syria right now where the disparity in military technology is leading to a one sided massacre.)
• We see disparity of resources between nation states.  Some do okay with is (Japan for example), while other nations seem to have a very hard time overcoming a lack of resources.
• We see disparity in basic things like education and healthcare. These disparities in particular have tremendous long term impact as they tend to have a larger impact on a variety of other issues.

And don’t think for a second that disparity is a concept that applies only on a global level. As a business owner or business stakeholder disparity can be a huge factor in how well your business is performing relative to other businesses. The tricky thing about disparity is being able to recognize the presence of it before it is too late. If disparities between you and your competitors get too far out of whack (the differential between what they have and what you do not) than you are going to be in big trouble. On the other hand if you can recognize a favorable disparity perhaps now is the time to go full court press with your advantage.

So, before we address a very specific way to defend your business let’s look at a few areas where having a disparity between you and the competition can be a big driver in bottom line performance.

• Staff: Their staff is better than yours. Or maybe they have one and you don’t.
• Attitude: They have a good one and you don’t. It makes a difference.
• Tea Leaf Reading: Often times business verticals face both disruptive and transformative times. Being able to see these events in your windshield rather than your rear view mirror can be a huge advantage giving you years, months or even days of lead time. A disparity of time.
• Cash: Money matters. It can buy things like media. It can also allow you to purchase differently. If your competitors have a major disparity over you, that is a problem. We’ve all been there.
• Technology: The pace of change in the technology sector is blazing fast – “real time” has never been more relevant. The challenge with technology is that it has the capacity to deliver some semblance of scale very quickly – if you are facing a disparity in terms of technology your competitors could be dominating entire markets that you are not even aware of. By the time you figure it out it could be too late.

There might come a point where disparity will be overwhelming and the disadvantage your business is operating under will be so vast that you will not be able to recover. You either have or you do not have.  And if too many of the above factors are playing against you, you are more and more likely to have not.  That is not to say you can’t claw your way up, or for that matter quickly tumble down, but if left unchecked, disparity can cripple your business.

So how do you recognize disparity. How do you prevent disparity? How to do you achieve disparity relative to your competitors?

Most importantly, and likely the reason you are here to begin with, what does any this have to do with digital marketing?

And this is where it gets interesting. Over the past decade what we’ve seen is that many of the fundamental concepts that have been developed over the industrial revolution have now been applied to a technology revolution. Whereas before the means to produce where very limited to those who had enough working capital to some way be able to participate in assembly line economics (money to produce, cash to advertise or capital to purchase) today that paradigm has broadened out considerably.

And that in turn means that every business now has a very good opportunity to reverse some components of disparity which in turn can begin to impact the bottom line and travel into other avenues or your overall business.   Perhaps you as a business owner are facing disparity relative to your competition and by looking to reverse just one element of disparity, you can than leverage that changing tide to operate as a beachhead from which to continue to change the pace, attitude, direction and trajectory of your company.

And what would that one factor be? That disruptive force that even 10 years ago was barely a blip and today is nothing short of a sustained roar?

I am talking about the Internet.

The internet of today offers a very rich and dynamic way for every business owner, no matter how big or small to participate.  I often look at myself as an example of this an marvel at how amazing this series of pipes and tubes, of 1′s and 0′s has somehow managed to play such a large role in not only my life but the the lives of some many. Even this very post is able to be distributed only because of the internet.

Maybe your store is not located in the best spot. Maybe the depth of your product line is not where you’d like it to be. Or perhaps you don’t have the benefit of a sustained muli-year television campaign to help support your operation. No matter what, by utilizing the technology of today, you as a business owner or an operational stakeholder have suddenly been given access to the most modern and connected tools the world has ever seen.  Are you taking advantage of this opportunity?

There are basic fundamental ideas that you can build on such as creating a website which means that your business can suddenly use disparity to your advantage (if your site is better than theirs, eventually you will see real results relative to theirs). Social media is another great opportunity. CRM (customer relationship management) has never been more affordable.

And the truth is that the pipelines and obstacles that were in place with the “old” paradigm are no longer there. If you want a website you can go and get one – nothing is stopping you. If you want to participate in social media you can. Newsletters via email marketing are ridiculously affordable (even basic things like postage and print costs have been removed).

Did I just hear you ask about video? I’m not going to lie to you – I personally believe the TV spots are still very effective but in the world of today you are not limited to just television for your video – in fact if you have your own website there is a great place for you to place videos. Even if you don’t have a website YouTube allows you to post videos for free and that includes hosting! And the tools that you need in order to shoot and edit a video have never been more affordable nor have they been more user friendly. And while TV spots are very effective on a general level, video on your site has the capacity to have a direct and measurable impact on your bottom line.

And we have not even begun to delve into the many advantages that you can achieve through cloud computing.

Suddenly working capital has been dramatically enhanced by both time and know how!

Avoid A Digital Disparity Deficit

It has been a long time since you as a business owner have had such an active opportunity to narrow the gap and to do so in such a dramatic, quick and effective manner – and while the web is likely only one part of your operation, you’d be wise to heavily measure the opportunity here and to try to take full advantage of this the internet and to do everything you can to make “disparity” work in your favor including utilizing the internet to help further your business goals.

So far in this post we’ve covered a ton of ground but I’m getting ready to bring it full circle. And I’m going to do so with a word of caution. As you might recall in the beginning of this post I referenced a number of “big” sweeping instances of disparity where big entities like governments, nations and institutions are doing everything they can to stack the deck in their favor. Well guess what, just because technology allows you to achieve a bit of a claw back by utilizing technology to the favor of your business does not mean that this window will be open forever.

As your competitors get more and more smart about how they utilize technology, and as technology assumes and ever greater role in our lives (both personal and business) those who manage to master technology, at least to the extent that it is possible, will realize a huge advantage over those who do not. Once that gap is too large, too disparate, then the ability to come back and remain competitive will no longer be real.

Want To Talk About It?

And maybe you are thinking to yourself that all sounds great but I really am not entirely sure how to proceed?  Well, if that is the case and you are a small business owner or operational stakeholder (under 100 employees) than consider booking some Coffee Consultation time with me and we can talk about digital disparity and we can also talk about ideas that you are considering for your own operation, or perhaps we can discuss ideas that maybe you should be considering.

So hopefully if anything this post has really put a scare in you and has in part motivated you to take that next step – whatever that may be.  And by the way, even if you don’t want to set up a consultation, feel free to comment below.  I’d love to get your thoughts on this post.

The stats are very impressive. But I have to say from my own perspective what has been even more impressive is how WordPress has grown as a platform. My clients consistently rely on my to make good decisions and electing to devote much of my energy towards utilizing WordPress has been among my best decisions.

If you have ever worked with me, or heard me speak than you know very well that I always am leaning towards WordPress as the content management system that I recommend and yes, much of this has to do with the simple but truthful fact that WordPress happens to be the one platform that I know pretty well.

But beyond my own knowledge of WordPress there are a number of other really compelling reasons that I steer my clients in this direction and I’ll be blunt in saying that one of the biggest reasons is due to an amazing community that surrounds this particular software. That is not to in any way say that the communities around other software is in any way lacking, but I can say for sure the WordPress community in particular is amazing. And as a person running a business focused on Digital Planning and Digital Identity Management, that community is a major value add.

Beyond the community, and in truth largely as a result of this community, there is also a very healthy ecosystem of products, programs and vendors that has really evolved – and again this is a real value add for my own business.

Of course we all like to dream… and maybe one day our site will grown and we’ll need to get an upgraded hosting plan and we’ll have 10′s of thousands of fans on Facebook and 100′s of comments for every post and massive amounts of page views – well guess what! WordPress can now make a legitimate claim to be able to grow with your own dreams and growth – if you look through the Pingdom list of site you can see that clearly some of these site are seeing some massive traffic.

The WordPress core team has consistently evolved and moved this platform forward – I have been a personal user for I think 4 years now, and it has been really great to see how they continue to evolve this product. And moving forward, it does seem that the WordPress team is very focused on the future as well and they will continue to roll out innovations that will allow WordPress to continue it’s amazing growth rate. Again, from my perspective this is very encouraging as I can say with confidence to my clients that not only is this a great addition to your business today – but it will actually be an even better investment in the future.

So, while I know not everything is about numbers, none-the-less, this would seem to be a very nice endorsement for WordPress, particularly if you examine this the comparisons of the 2009 study versus the results just released.

Do not walk around with marketing blinders on.

Just because you know something and you think it is great, does not necessarily mean that everyone will agree. And while I work and promote digital efforts I always counsel my clients that their digital efforts do not operate in a vacuum and they should never be siloed from all other activities. So here goes.

In addition to my role here as the owner of Gadarian Digital where I help business owners and stakeholders with their Digital Identity Management, I also a a board member on my local Chamber of Commerce. Participating at this local level is a great opportunity for me to get hands-on & mind-on perspective.

So long story short… our Chamber features a few big annual events, one of which we are currently mid-stream on in terms of promotion. With that in mind all the Board Members agreed that we would divide the town’s business parks up and each canvas a park. Nothing special here. Just an ordinary story so far.

As the Board Members (myself included) where talking about how best to achieve on our upcoming campaign at one point I asked the other members if we should prepare a script or any other materials. I was told it was not going to be necessary as the “ask” was pretty straight forward.

Mind you, our Chamber of Commerce is a not for profit, and our biggest event is that we have for the past 20+ years assumed the financial burden for our town’s Fourth of July Parade, so it would seem that from the perspective of the town’s business owners there would be a heavy appetite to support. I mention this only because of what comes next.

So, off I went to my predetermined business park to make “something” happen. As I entered a few different business I was met with an incredulous look not because of what I was saying, and I don’t think because of how I present in person (I’m a decent looking guy and I am pretty confident that “intimidating” is not among the early words that a stranger would use to describe me).

The big hang up was that I did not have any paper in my hand.

It was a great moment for me as a digital marketer because it once again provided me with real life proof that while in my “world” sending someone to my site is expected, in other “worlds” paper is still very much king. As I talked to a few business owners and shopkeepers it became quickly apparent that despite my having no intention of trying to directly collect money of any kind (we have a website that handles that), when I said to people that they could get complete details for our upcoming event and the opportunities that they might participate in by visiting the chamber’s website what I was in effect doing was speaking in a language that they were uncomfortable with and not trusting of.

Don’t get me wrong. This has nothing to do with the business owners. The error was completely mine and mine alone. I was asking people to make a leap that in this particular area they were not yet ready to make. The result was after a few shops I decided to pack it in and I’ll head back in a few days with “paper” in hand.

Not only will I have paper in hand, but I will also distribute my “paper” to my other board members as they too will be able to benefit as I suspect the business park I visited was not unique. The net result I can only hope is that we meet our goals and are once again able to deliver a really fun parade.

And again, it was a great lesson.

In terms of the bigger picture, there is also another huge lesson to share with you – that of course being, just because a way to market makes sense to you, don’t assume that it will make sense to everyone else. So just like the title says, if you are going to engage in marketing it is probably a great idea to utilize a number of strategies and methods rather than simply relying on one particular concept to carry you all the way through.

Even in my own business, while I am heavily invested in digital marketing I still market in other “non-digital” ways as well. For those “non-digital” avenues my site then serves as a great validator for both my business and my process.

Hope that helps. If you have a similar story you’d like to share below, I’ll look forward to hearing all about it.

Image Credit: Project Glasses by Google

A quick video on how to do this. I also included a few other items on Facebook Timeline like how to pin a post, how to highlight a post and how to create a Facebook Timeline milestone.

David Gadarian, Owner of Gadarian Digital

Gadarian’s talk “10 Digital Takeaways to Enhance Your Online Efforts” is geared to local business owners and is focused on both high level ideas and directly actionable elements. This talk and subsequent Q & A is intended to provide all attendees with at least one directly actionable item that they can take with them and implement in their business immediately. The past response by attendees to this particular presentation has been extremely positive.

“David’s talks are engaging, informative and motivating. He is extremely knowledgeable about his space. Bringing him in to talk with some of our banking clients has been very beneficial.”

Maud Dentico – Middlesex Saving Bank Business Development Officer

For those in the Wayland area, feel free to reach out directly to Middlesex Savings Bank to inquire about space for this upcoming digital marketing for business presentation.

About Middlesex Savings Bank:

Middlesex Savings Bank has been building mutually beneficial relationships with businesses in Eastern and Central Massachusetts since 1835. With assets of $4 billion, 30 branches and four commercial banking centers, the bank provides a full array of business and consumer products and services.

David Gadarian Public Speaking:

In addition to actively working with clients, David Gadarian also speaks regularly about a variety of ongoing digital marketing concerns, all tightly related to the specific areas of expertise that his firm provides. Rather than solely addressing specific “how to” elements, David frequently interjects broader insights in his talks that allow the audience to much more effectively appreciate an issue and also be able to visualize solutions of their own.
Please contact Gadarian Digital to inquire about David Gadarian’s availability to speak before your group or organization. Should you have a specific need or require a digital marketing talk to cater to a specific industry, tailored speeches can be created as well. Gadarian delivers well crafted, highly engaging talks focused on a tightly woven narrative along with professional level slides to help support. Customized leave behinds are also available by request.

About Gadarian Digital:

Gadarian Digital is a digital marketing company that helps businesses formulate, implement and manage comprehensive online strategies that are tightly focused on the things that matter most – business results and growth opportunities. Gadarian Digital’s core expertise revolves around helping businesses and business owners find clarity in a very crowded, competitive and highly dynamic digital space. Gadarian Digital specializes in delivering customized strategic services for clients with “numerous moving parts” while devising online strategies that are positioned for growth and separation from competitors. Gadarian Digital also has expertise in project management including overseeing customized web builds and services many clients on an ongoing basis.

Read Complete Release Here

Download PDF of Release Here

But the fact is there is a real deadline coming up (end of day tomorrow, March 30, 2012) at which point Facebook will automatically convert every business Page over to their new Timeline format. To many changes I think causes some change fatigue (in part, the subject of my next newsletter by the way) but here we are. Or more to the point, what do you need to do?

In situations I turn to people much more social smart than me in looking for answers. Here are a few great links to get you over the hump and walk you through exactly what you need to do to get your Facebook Business Page in shape for Timeline.

Facebook Timeline for Business Pages – 21 Key Points To Know by Mari Smith. Mari usually has great information and she is also usually one of the first to break “how to’s” like this.

Facebook Timeline for Pages – Frequently Asked Questions by HyperArts. This is my pretty standard go-to resource whenever Facebook comes out with something new for Business Page management. They have yet to disappoint.

15 Must Know Tips to Rock Your New Facebook Timeline Business Page by Pam Moore. I can’t say I’ve read Pam before but I’ve seen her name pop up. She just made my RSS list. Good info here.

Timeline for Facebook Pages: THE COMPLETE GUIDE by Smart Passive Income. Pat Flynn always delivers great content. He also has an audience of raving fans that really add a ton to his content in the comments section. Speaking of one of Pat’s Raving fans…

Timeline Slicer – Rather than simply providing the image specs for your new Facebook Timeline Cover Photo, one of Pat’s fans put this link together which allows you to upload and image and see what it will look like. Very helpful stuff (free to use.)

So there you have it. You’ve waiting this long. Rather than having to wade through the internet, I’d suggest you take a look at the above links and get moving. You can thank me later.

Oh yeah… feel free to take a look at the Gadarian Digital Facebook Page and let me know what you think. With everyone going crazy with so such a big “canvas” I went minimal instead.

As it just so happens, Caitlin is also running a promotion for her new book Lightning In My Wires – I believe the book will be avaiable for free all weekend through Amazon’s Kindle store so starting tomorrow (3/16/12) I don’t think you are going to have a better opportunity than this one to be exposed to this amazing new writer.

One service that is really trying to make a business out of infographics is a company called Visual.ly. They currently offer up a pretty massive library of inforgraphics that you can both view and also embed on to your own site – if you are still not aware of what an infographic is I strongly suggest you spend a few minutes on their site. In addition Visual.ly is rolling out a do it yourself feature allowing users to create infographics of their own. For now though they are offering up a few already “Pre-Baked” inforgraphic templates that you can have some real fun with (including this @Techcruch vs @Mashable Twitter Showdown inforgraphic that I created using their service and embedded below).

That said maybe you don’t want to wait until Visual.ly unveils their fully rendered offering, do not fret as there are plenty of very talented graphic artists currently in this space offering services. If you are one of them feel free to add a comment below introducing yourself. Also go ahead and Google infographics and you’ll see some really impressive designers.

infographic created with visual.ly