In the last four or so weeks, I’ve designed, built and launched a niche social network called Entoure while working at WebSalad, I’ve invited guest bloggers to write for the Notebook and have been managing a bit of a social media campaign on the side. I’ve also been planning big things for the Theme Store. For now, let’s take a closer look at what’s been going on;

Entoure

I’ve been working day in and day out at WebSalad to design, build and optimise a new niche social network called Entoure.

Entoure is a new community-based website, built on the WordPress MU and BuddyPress platforms along with a multitude of hand-written plugins, custom scripts and WordPress hacks.

I played a solid role throughout the project; from concept through to design and even the majority of development. It’s fair to say that this project has been my baby for the last month and a half, and indeed—I have come quite attached to it.

The site went live on Monday the 22nd of February at about 10:00 AM, and within hours already had a few people signing up who had miraculously “found” the site before we’d started promoting it. This month we plan on releasing a promotional package including a digital mailout to over 3,000 connections and a social media campaign to help spread the word and encourage new members.

If you’re a cyclist, go ahead and join the site—even register for an event. If you feel like making a contribution to help save the live of critically injured kids, consider making a donation to one of the Entoure Heroes.

Guest authors

In order to keep to the goal I set at the beginning of the year to publish regular articles of good content on this blog I’ve asked a couple of friends and colleagues to help me push out articles on topics relevant to online business and web design.

At the end of January, Mark wrote a fantastic article on pleasing clients without going insane as a designer:
Giving Blackbeard the Design He Wants

Nick gave us a nice piece on social media as an online marketing tool and why businesses are still reluctant to use it:
Business & Social Media: Compatible or Conflicting?

This month we’ll be working closely with Ben from Online Business Adviser to bring new content above the fold.

Social media campaign

Throughout February I finally stepped into the SM arena myself, launching a Facebook Page and a Twitter Feed to build a bit of a community of followers and fans. The site has also been submitted to various design galleries and was accepted for a nice spot on the homepage of FolioFocus, a site I visit regularly—it was great to see Nuvo’s daily hit-rate triple on the day it was featured.

What’s next?

I have big plans for the store in the coming months, since it’s been lacking the attention it deserves lately while I’ve been working on other projects as above. Stay tuned for more very soon.