Spread The Word 2013 Has Begun!

[kawolsky]

Spread The Word! 2013 Has Begun!

Last month we announced this year's Spread The Word! Campaign. Now it's time to make it happen!

Spread the Word! is all about us - the members - going out onto the internet and literally "spreading the word" about Shadow Fleet. This could be in the form of a link submission to a website, a status update on a social networking site, a banner exchange with a popular website, a post on another forum or blog, or even by posters up through your local area...the list is endless!

From now until April 14th, our aim is to increase the fleet's presence on the internet so we can ultimately increase our member numbers. And you know what more numbers means! That's right. More members equals more ships. And more ships equals more promotions all round!

No matter what you choose to do for Spread the Word! 2013, let us know by posting your contributions below. Remember, it can be anything at all. The smallest link on the most insignificant website can help us in ways you wouldn't think. And to top it all off, anyone who contributes to the Campaign in three ways will be awarded the Spread the Word! Ribbon to display in their forum profile.

So...have you spread the word yet?

Useful links & resources:

• Follow us on Twitter
• "Like" us on Facebook
• Send us a video response on YouTube
• Comment on our Blogger account
• Visit our StarTrek.com profile
• Shadow Fleet Promotional Flyer (.pdf)
• Shadow Fleet Promotional Leaflet (.pdf)
• Purchase promotional clothing at the Shadow Fleet Store

[Jon Tulley]

Here's what I've done so far.

I placed or updated my recruitment posts on several forums listed below, this can be quite difficult because the majority of forums don't allow external advertising.

SFF World
Trek United
The Trek BBS
Forum RPG.net
UK roleplayers
GAIA Online
Iwaku roleplay
Writers Beat
Authonomy
Game Trailers

Combined, these adverts have received over 1000 views so far.

I've sent a request to the top 60 Star Trek and Roleplay related Facebook groups to advertise our site, with a promise to reciprocate. You may have noticed the first of these on the SF facebook already. I'm also currently in talks with a LARP/Roleplay magazine about having an article in their magazine.

I'm waiting to hear back from my local newspaper the Á¢â,¬ËœMetro' about a classified advert.

I'm also looking at Googles advertising program called Á¢â,¬ËœAdwords'. You pay however much per day to have one of those sponsored search results. Not sure how much you need to pay for it to be always presented, still looking into it.

Anyone have more experience with Google ads? Also, what do people think about craigslist as method of advertising our forum?

I've also logged into my dusty old twitter account for the first time in months to follow @Shadow Fleet. I'm already following the SF facebook group and will share some posts.

Have also commented on the blogger account.

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

I've been tweeting up a storm! Also trying to forecefully coerce convince friends and family to join up.

[Gabe Crouch]

This I got put up in my local comic book store Sidekick Comics.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Kale Bridges]

Looks very nice John. Awesome work.

[Gabe Crouch]

Looks very nice John. Awesome work.

Thanks I put the name incase anyone joins from there.

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

Thanks I put the name incase anyone joins from there.

Can you email me that flyer? I'd love to put them up around town.

[Gabe Crouch]

Can you email me that flyer? I'd love to put them up around town.

Here it is and the Leaflet.

• Shadow Fleet Promotional Flyer (.pdf)
• Shadow Fleet Promotional Leaflet (.pdf)

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

Here it is and the Leaflet.

• Shadow Fleet Promotional Flyer (.pdf)
• Shadow Fleet Promotional Leaflet (.pdf)

Thanks. The mail room at my job will send anything out. Looks like every one of my friends who said, "This looks interesting" is going to be getting a surprise in the mail...

[Gabe Crouch]

Thanks. The mail room at my job will send anything out. Looks like every one of my friends who said, "This looks interesting" is going to be getting a surprise in the mail...

Nice!!

[Jon Tulley]

Some food for thought now we're close to the half way point of the campaign.

• Are you a member of any other internet forums, if so, do they have an advertisement section you could post in?
• What do we think of Craigslist as an advertising avenue? It's one of the most popular websites on the internet.
• What do we think of Google+? It's no where near as popular as FB or Twitter but, shall we set up an official account anyway?
• Are you following the official Shadow Fleet facebook and twitter, if so, have you shared any of our links/tweets to your own followers?
• If you're on facebook, are there any pages you've 'liked' that you think would possibly share our page to their followers?
• If you're a member of Star Trek.com. You could help our official recruitment thread out and post in there with a recommendation. It helps the thread out and makes it look even more popular.
• Do you play Star Trek: Online? If so, advertise our website in the chat.
• Are there any other means of advertising you think we are overlooking, anything at all.

The more recruits we get the better the website is for everyone.

Here's a printer toner economical flyer I created. Feel free to print out in batches of 1000.

[Kylik Roth]

• Are there any other means of advertising you think we are overlooking, anything at all.

These are the 4 big play by post forum advertising sites (I see you already have an add on Caution 2.0). I only know RPG-D personally, but I believe most of them will expect you to put a banner link to their website up if you want to advertise there. Not sure how up to that you guys are.
RPG-Directory
A thousand fireflies
Seiryuu
RPG Fix

I'm a little busy today, but I'll do a mass driveby on dead forum C-Boxes tomorrow.
Personally I don't put that much faith in passive advertising. Word of mouth is definitely more likely to bring measurable results. But the more links out there to SF, the more likely someone is to find it when googling Star Trek Forum RPG or something similar.
(Also, it may be a good idea to delete this post once you've scribbled those links down, since it'll be generating traffic away from the site)

[Jon Tulley]

(Also, it may be a good idea to delete this post once you've scribbled those links down, since it'll be generating traffic away from the site)

Got them, but I would just un-link those and keep your post. It will show you've contributed. 

[Tiberius Howard]

I hate to vote no on this. BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO POST ABOUT SHADOW FLEET.

*Panic over*

Also Its been busy with my PC going Bang etc. but i will attempt too!

[Jon Tulley]

I hate to vote no on this. BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO POST ABOUT SHADOW FLEET.

*Panic over*

Also Its been busy with my PC going Bang etc. but i will attempt too!

The first post has links to things you can do. You don't have to find new places to post, that's just a suggestion. Theres flyers for you to print off and put in coffee shops or whatever.