FARGO -- Businesses are used to the time and money it takes to get effective testimonials for products or services.
But a new Fargo startup hopes to offer photos, reviews and unprompted feedback in a new way--all by tapping into the power of social media content.
Posterboard, a new product created by Fargo Web consulting firm Onsharp, officially launched out of testing last week and has two subscription levels at $15 or $30 a month.
The service relies on hashtags, keywords and usernames or mentions on Twitter to find relevant content. From there, the service can automatically or manually push the latest tweets to a user's Posterboard, which can be shown on a computer screen or TV and updated regularly.
The service is fairly limited now, but Onsharp President Joe Sandin has high hopes for its future, as well as for the possibilities it will give to organizations by enabling them to tap into reviews and candid moments shared online.
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"If you're a good business and people are saying good stuff about you, you get that out there because that's what's going to influence people," he said.
While pitching Posterboard recently during 1 Million Cups, a networking event for entrepreneurs, Sandin offered examples of how Posterboard might be used.
A hotel could dedicate a lobby TV to show tweets by locals about restaurants and give guests some user-generated recommendations about where to eat.
A university could encourage accepted students to post a selfie and display photos and posts in an admissions office, Sandin said, while a business could share updates from its employees to showcase community involvement.
Kristi Becker Ulrich, director of communications for Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota, was part of Posterboard's testing group and said she appreciated the service's ability to "tell stories" in a new way.
A board in the LSS lobby was used to display tweets, she said, and it will come in handy to encourage live tweeting during a conference in April. As Posterboard gains more features, Ulrich said it could help the organization with its goal of "starting positive conversations."
Sandin said more features are in the works, including a possible integration with Instagram and more customization of how content is displayed.
While other products focus on event-specific applications for Twitter filtering--often at a steep cost--he said he wants Posterboard to be an affordable tool for businesses of all sizes.
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"I believe there's a place for stuff like this to be out there on a daily basis for people seeing it every day, not just at events," Sandin said. "I think it should be ingrained into any and every business setting."
