Fri, Apr 22 2011
A dispatch from the Twitter machine…
You heard the man. Go!
Social media marketing initiatives take many forms. Perhaps the best is ice cream, which is how the gracious folks at Ben and Jerry’s reached out to us today. Thanks to the wonders of Twitter and Nikki’s always tactful stalking of the fine folks that run @benjerrystruck, we finally were paid a visit and it didn’t even involve a restraining order. Look at how happy they made us.
Also, happy Canada Day.
We’re super thankful to have such a supportive group of community members, but we have to be honest: we still want more. And not just on our website. When you get the chance, please be sure to follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
Wait a second, you say. Isn’t being a real life supporter more meaningful than being a Facebook fan and/or Twitter follower? Of course it is, but don’t underestimate the power of social media engagement. Sites like Facebook and Twitter are tools, and they can help you just as much as they can help us. Here are five reasons why:
1. Authentic Interaction. Each time a new blog post goes live, Facebook knows about it. Our blog is a resource. With each post you’ll get an inside look at the people that make Quirky tick while also learning a bit about your own potential with tips on how to avoid productivity blockers, escape topic fixation, and become a good luck charm, among other quirky essentials.
2. Fun Promotions. Don’t tell me you don’t like to win! Follow us on Twitter and join in on the weekly trivia contests, free idea deals, and product giveaways. We can’t promise that you’ll always walk away with, say, a super cool Beamer iPhone case, but there’s no doubt that it’ll be an entertaining momentary work day escape.
3. Quirky Exclusives. Only Facebook fans get true access to the inner-quirkiness of the office including silly wall photos, occasional offbeat status updates, helpful links from the interwebs, and the chance to publicly display your verbal affection on our wall. Remember the popular kids in high school? Well, we’re not quite them, but you still join our really cool crew and invite your friends.
4. Daily Inspiration. Just because we’re not the self-help section at the bookstore doesn’t mean our (re-tweeted) words of (someone else’s) wisdom won’t motivate the fulfillment of your dreams. Historical inspiration gurus like John Cage and Elizabeth Gilbert have quite a few worthwhile quotes under their belt, and we’d like to share the wealth.
5. (Even More) Creative Empowerment. A social product development company on multiple platforms. ‘Nuff said.
So come on in! The water’s fine…
Our friends at The Faster Times just posted an informative partnered article just for Quirks on the best ways to promote (ahem, Quirky) products using social media.
Some highlights:
First question you should ask yourself: can anybody hear me? If you have under 100 Twitter followers, or have a static website, sorry, you’re out there all alone. Don’t forget what we’re dealing with here; the Internet is a web (a world wide web, if you will) — don’t be that guy who sits in the corner talking to himself. You have to be a part of this network by pushing your way into the group and making yourself heard.
On Twitter, your mission is simple: get people to click the link. In 140 characters or less, you have to say something that will stick, because within just a moment, it’s going to be lost in the stream of news blips, celebrity gossip, and reports on what friends ate for lunch. Remember “the hook?” On Twitter, all you get is the hook. Make your tweet memorable, sexy, but understandable.
Beyond this, remember that Twitter is a conversation platform. Search out users who may be interested in what you’re promoting, and tweet at them to let them know. Also, always answer any questions or comments users direct at you. Being a receptive and friendly Internet persona will only make your product look more attractive, and create a story around it.
On Facebook, post your link and a short blurb, and include a photo (because you can). Your information will have a bit of a longer shelf-life than on Twitter, so take your time — perhaps even copy/paste a segment from your link.
Read more here… and while you’re at it, check out the other articles on this game-changing site!
This Friday, we’re showing some love to our active community members in the Twittersphere. #FF ‘em up!
Products
Community
Please note: By no means is this a comprehensive list! If we missed you, add your handle in the comments.
The results have been tallied and the winners are in!
El ganador: Austin, with 124 referrals.
Wow! Austin will receive a Quirky gift pack filled with TONS of free loot, along with one free product idea submission.
The best of the rest:
2nd: Amanda Darus, with 23 referrals.
3rd: Micah Goodman, with 20 referrals.
4th: Heather Bryant, with 15 referrals.
These folks will win a free idea submission and Quirky surprise gift. And get this — everyone else who submitted names will receive a free idea submission too!
The Great Facebook/Twitter Fan/Follower Drive may be done, but the fun is far from over. We’ll continue holding exclusive Facebook and Twitter-only contests, giveaways, and discounts. If you haven’t fanned or followed us yet, what are you waiting for?
NOTE: Micah Goodman actually won the secondhand spot. Sorry for the oversight!
If you’re at all plugged in on Facebook and Twitter, you’ve noticed the increased back-and-forth flow of info on the Quirky pages. The Great Facebook/Twitter Fan/Follower Drive is in full swing! Here’s an update on the action thus far:
Our members are killing it on Facebook… we went from 399 to 640 fans in just three days. That’s a 60% increase — amazing! Don’t forget: we’re offering free idea submissions and Quirky gift packs to the community members who suggest the page to the most eventual fans. Check out all the details here. We’ve also posted an exclusive 24-hour Facebook-only discount coupon code for idea submissions, which is only accessible to fans.
The results of our Twitter drive have been a little less impressive. In three days, we went from 1,421 Twitter followers to 1,480. That’s an increase of only 4.15% — not too impressive. Any community advice on how to boost those numbers? We need your help to make this drive a success!
As of 10:35 a.m., Quirky had 1,421 Twitter followers and 399 Facebook fans — not too shabby for a 9-month company like ours, but we know we can do better.
And so, this week, we’ve decided to launch The Great Facebook/Twitter Fan/Follower Drive! It’s a mouthful, we know, but it best describes what we want to accomplish over the next week: engage our existing community to boost our number of fans and followers exponentially. Our goal is to break 3,000 Twitter followers and 800 Facebook fans by the end of the week. Ambitious? We know. But do we think we can do it? Say it with me… YES. WE. CAN!
All week, we’ll be holding exclusive contests and giveaways on Facebook and Twitter. Keep your eyes on these sites for timed discount coupons and the chance to win free products and idea submissions.
If you’re not yet a fan or a follower, don’t delay! You don’t want to miss this.
Become a fan of Quirky on Facebook.
Please note: Facebook and Twitter are not sponsors or administrators of this promotion.
We love our fans and followers… we just want more of them!
Next week, we’ll be kicking off a new initiative to boost our number of Facebook fans and Twitter followers. That’s right… it’s The Great Facebook/Twitter Fan/Follower Drive!
We’ve been doing lots of research on the best ways to attract new fans and followers, but we want to get the community’s input too. Know of any killer strategies? Helpful articles? Examples of companies and organizations that are doing this whole social media thing RIGHT? Post ‘em here!
The Apple iPad starts pre-selling on Friday, March 12, and hits stores on April 3.
What does that mean for us?
1. We have the incredible opportunity to cash in on iPad hype with the release of the Quirky Cloak, our sleek, functional iPad case, now available for pre-sale in Quirky’s online store.
2. We need to hustle to push Cloak out of pre-sales and into manufacturing so that we can get the product into consumers’ hands quickly.
3. We need YOUR help to push those social sales!
I’ve created a bit of a toolkit for promoting the Quirky Cloak on social media sites. Use your social sales link, pictured below on the bottom right of the product page, to refer potential Cloak buyers to Quirky, and you’ll cash in too!
ON FACEBOOK…
- Post your social sales link to your Facebook status, with an update like:
Jessica can’t wait to buy the iPad, but she’s even more excited to buy the Quirky Cloak iPad case.
ON TWITTER…
- Use a link shortener like Bit.ly to shorten your social sales link and post it with a provocative/cheeky/intriguing teaser. For example:
I’m going undercover with Cloak. [link]
ON BLOGS…
- Hit up tech blogs (Google “top tech blogs” for good lists) and leave comments on articles/posts pertaining to the iPad. Feel free to cut and paste the following text:
The Quirky Cloak is BY FAR the sleekest, sexiest iPad case on the market… plus, it’s mad functional! Check it out on Quirky.com — [YOUR SOCIAL SALES LINK]
You can also embed the following graphic banners in comments, on your personal blog… wherever your heart desires! Don’t forget to change the “YOUR SOCIAL SALES LINK” text to your own social sales link.
<a href=”YOUR SOCIAL SALES LINK” target=”_blank”> <img src=”Http://aquirkyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/cloak-banner.jpg” border=”0″> </a>
<a href=”YOUR SOCIAL SALES LINK” target=”_blank”> <img src=”Http://aquirkyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/cloak-banner-2.jpg” border=”0″> </a>
Now that you have everything you need, let’s go out and push those social sales!!!
Can I get a HELL YES?
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