Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
As a former Advertising Man and human hype machine, I would
like to throw some suggestions out and get some feedback
from my more experienced FReepers. 1. Guerrilla Marketing-Have we ever done/is it ok with JimRob to print
up FreeRepublic.com stickers, billposts, and the like to
post in public? I believe stickers on tollbooths might
be ilegal but in most public places like where people post
for their lost dog, etc., it should be of no harm. Feedback
please. 2. Outdoor/Cable Advertising-Not nearly as expensive as you may think. 3. Print Advertising-good to
reach certain target markets. 4. Merchandise Division-
profit from FreeRepublic.com hats, jackets, watches, coffee
mugs, (the list is endless) can go to building the site
and buying advertising. I see the Sore Loserman Shirts
online but that concept won't last forever but FreeRepublic.com will and we have a lot of willing customers for our own merchandise which in turn advertises
our site and funds the advertising which bring us more doners, etc. I saw how much the recent Freepathons brought in but the potential is there for SOOOO much more money, I
am willing to do all I can, let me know.
What about a Newsletter too like Dr. Laura?? Hers is a bit expensive. OR a FREE REPUBLIC Newspaper OR what about setting up on the first page of Free Republic for paid political opinions for FReepers. Say,you had a gripe and wanted EVERYONE who visited FR to take note in addition to posting a thread. People might pay $50 for a week of having their opinion posted on the front page.
Just some ideas...
Let me add this url to your thread. (it's my idea for more types of FreeRepublic.com business cards)
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a18c9b242cb.htm
Love the business card idea too, I read one of your posts earlier, guerrilla marketing at its finest, you can leave a business card anywhere. Can someone make ChaseR's URL linkable please.
Because I just recently discovered this wonderful organization I flinched when I read your post.I'm 53 yrs. old and yesterday attended my first political rally because of this site. Talk about frustration relief! You have to know if this becomes " household word ", suddenly our access will not be so easy and Jim Robertson could even lose control. His hard work and imput is what really makes it "for the people of like minded thinking". Once out of the grass roots stage it may become corrupted. Once advertizing becomes involved purity is gone forever. I can see this movement actually having candidates running for office. How to keep it from becoming a whore? Fazlain
Nearly two years ago I gave myself a birthday present....$50 spent on a license plate that says FREEPER. While only one such plate can be issued per state, it would be nice to be able to buy a license plate holder that says freeper. Many organizations, busineses, colleges do this.
Great suggestions, Bob! Some of us have done things like this in the past, but not in a sustained and highly organized way. We've taken up donations for full- and half-page ads in print editions of mass circulation dailies. They promoted our message more than the website itself. Other things some of us have done include sky-writing (to Bill Clinton in DC: "This is God. Resign Now."); staked signs by major roadways; large banners draped across freeway overpasses; and the like.
None of it has been anything like a sustained, professionally organized ad campaign. Some have printed up Free Republic business cards and flyers. Others have set up online places to buy t-shirts, caps, jackets and novelty items imprinted with the Free Republic URL and logo. It sounds like you have some ideas worth considering and the background to implement them successfully. You might want to flag BadJoe. He's been involved with similar efforts for Free Republic.
And, BTW, welcome to the forum, Bob!
My sentments exactly. And a hearty welcome Bob.
If we don't have more like minded people faz we may wind up with President Hillary Rodham Clintion in 2004.
The purity of the Constitution will not be corrupted by introducing it to more people, we can't be worried about getting too big. We need to be terrified about being too small. Look what is happening as we speak, are you telling me we should keep this a private little club and talk to ourselves while Bill Clinton cranks out executive orders like they're going out of style?
Per suggestion I am (hopefully) flagging BadJoe.
Is this how you do it? Sending him a reply so he sees it on his self search and comes to this forum?
I created some FR business cards using the FR seal, and the sore-loserman logo. Then ran them off on plain paper, cut them out and have been handing them out at the rallies here in Memphis to folks I thought might be interested. It is cheap that way and gets the message out. I've a link on my web page to FR as well.
I like the idea of a laser light on clouds or buildings which blaze "www.freerepublic.com".
Sort of like the Bat symbol of gothim city in Batman. It is large, portable, and really catches your attention...
For my birthday recenlty a friend of mine gave me a license plate holder with my FR screen name at the top and "www.FreeRepublic.com" across the bottom. You can get them on the net.
In addition to the "BatMan" sky lasers, how about a line of "FreeRepublic" home appliances? Toasters, blenders, vacuum cleaners (for chad control, maybe even washers and dryers?
Sounds good to me, I need a new canopener. :)
Seems to me all we need do is raise a little money and put ads on Rush Limbaugh program. Let's see, 20 million Freepers...sounds good to me!
bttt
Even if FR DID achieve financial success and Jim Rob DID succumb to the siren call of a big payday from some would-be buyer (and God knows, he will have earned it!), the matter of the site becoming a whore (a real possibility) will be -- as it has been -- a self-correcting problem.
Those who come here to vent, rant, share concerns and information will simply STOP COMING HERE.
With hardware costs coming down all the time, OTHER sites would soon come up and, while it would be sad, we'd abandon "the whore" and go elsewhere.
And, thanks to the speed of the net, it would take about 1 day for the switch to take place, leaving the whoremasters to wonder "WE SPENT $XX MILLION FOR THIS?"
Some of us FReepers have run for public office! See http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a38189e981e7e.htm for info about those who ran in 1999. I ran for NJ State Assembly in 1999. Most of us seem to run against very tough incumbents, but we do what we can to advance the FReeper agenda.
Sharon Hes (www.sharonhes.com)
Here is another point-of-view: (1.) If the primary value of FreeRepublic is providing a central platform for communication and information to advance the agenda for honest and fair government, I submit that any marketing efforts be focused first on raising financial resources to improve FreeRepublic's technical and operational infrastructure. (2.) The desire for FreeRepublic's service is obvious and plentiful amongst the citizenry and does not need further stimulation at this point. (Albeit, this may not always be the case.) Word-of-mouth and free publicity seem to be very effective currently and our big challenge is to meet the growing demand for the service and to deliver it in a most satisfactory manner. (3.) However, I believe the true potential of FreeRepublic lies in our ability to transform the power of information into action and results. This may best achieved in decentralized units focusing on special issues or geographic areas, but all linked by the information network of FreeRepublic. Financial resources would again be integral to the success of such efforts, and this could be the second focal point of any marketing campaign.
You have to know if this becomes " household word ", suddenly our access will not be so easy and Jim Robertson could even lose control.
I think you've hit upon an interesting problem that will require some creativity to solve going forward. I know I've been a less frequent contributor to the forum as of late just because of the sheer deluge of postings since the election crisis began. Some days it feels like the floor of the NY Stock Exchange.
FR ought to be nurtured and grown into a household brand, but it will definitely require some rethinking of its implementation to tame the chaos a bit if it gets appreciably larger. Otherwise, no one will be heard above the shouting. One direction we DON'T want to go is toward the police state mentality of Lucianne.com where no one is even allowed to talk to anyone else on a thread.
I see the Sore Loserman Shirts online but that concept won't last forever but FreeRepublic.com will...
That's very true, and well said. Besides the word-of-mouth approach, which has brought many to this site, I like the witty slogan/quote approach. People like to laugh but also like to be (or think they're) informed.
How about a card of Hillary's quote about impeachment regarding the "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" and below that have, "Are you a member of the VRWC? - FreeRepublic.com". Or Al Gore's statement on the White House lawn about Bill's being a great president, then below that "Did you vote for Al Gore? We didn't think so - FreeRepublic.com". Put ChaseR's links on the front side of the card, and these quotes on the back.
It's early in the morning so this is all I've got, but you get the idea. Business card sized and everywhere.
Funny you should mention quotes
Anyone in NYC remember FAT BIRDS DON'T FLY?
It was my ad agencies corporate tag line and rallying cry. As a promotion we had thousands of T-shirts made, opened a 1-800-FAT-BIRD telephone line covered a Rolls Royce (knock off variety) with FBDF decals which gave the car a psychedelic look and put it on a flatbed. I was on the flatbed with a bullhorn and we stopped at major center giving out shirts, decals, buttons, etc. We got phone calls from 50 states and countries all around the world.
This was 10 years ago before the internet.
Don't remember that, it was a little before my time :~)
Remember to bump this thread once John Rob installs the new software for FR in January. This new software will allow people to upload pics to FR directly from your computer. You won't have to upload to a pic friendly site then link it here. I'll submit a few ideas then, and you'll get a more 'visual' feedback from other freepers. Take care and welcome to FR (from a relative newbie)!
Here's JohnRob's thread: Free Republic Status Report: December 6th, 2000
A heartfelt " Y E S " to all of the above!
In addition, more great ideas would be birthed if local chapters got together supper club style using the model of Citizens for Better Government
. . .who for over a decade now have held weekly meetings at a well known area watering hole to keep a well spread out & diverse group of caring people informed & stimulated.
Not everyone comes every week, but like a church with good food it creates an extended atmosphere of togetherness, strength & fellowship!
I was searching for a NJ chapter, but we don't have one, fellow Jerseyans please respond here or on FReepmail.
Linked your thread here: Calling all College Freepers, Lurkers, and Newcomers....
It could use a few bumps. Thanks!!
Wow, You're one step ahead of me. I was going to ask you to do that. College FReepers can print up decals/stickers cheaply and remain clandestine from the PC thought police, also of interest should be surviving the PC University by David Horowitz.
Guerrilla Marketing involves questions of property rights and the law. No one should ask JR's permission to use the Free Republic name or funds for an illegal purpose. (Of course, if FR stickers start popping up everywhere due to, say, spontaneous acts of illegal vandalism, that's not JR's fault, is it? 8-))
I am all for promoting the FR name through conventional channels. I found FR through a link at Drudge (I believe the internet's supposed to work that way, no?). As a credible force in American conservatism, we're now entitled to a seat at the table. We link to a lot of friendly sites. We should make it clear that we expect them to link to us.
We need a press kit. It needn't be printed, but we should at the very least have a link to a "Press Kit" page at freerepublic.com.
We need to invite in the media for a look at who we are. There have been a few short articles in the mainstream media, but no lengthy features. I realise everyone wants eyeballs for his own website, but we can help the conventional media (especially those sympathetic to us) by providing them what they most need -- a story. It's time we were mentioned on the front page of Human Events, National Review, or The American Spectator.
I don't know much about paid advertising, but I do believe we could mount a credible e-mail campaign at virtually zero cost. Every one of us has a dozen or so conservative e-mail buddies -- friends and family who'd like to know about what we're up to here. We're already sending them jokes, recipes, articles, and snapshots from the last vacation. Why not have someone prepare a standardized e-mail that tells the FR story? This message could be made available to all Freepers, who could spam their friends and family (in the nicest possible way), inviting them over for a look.
Imprinted merchandise has already been tried. I believe the "Eagles Up" logo designed by the late FReeper bcjohnson was available on clothing (jackets and t-shirts?) a couple of years ago. It's a great logo, but at this point I'd rather promote the URL. Clothing, umbrellas, coffee mugs, even bumper stickers -- anything that'll be seen by a lot of eyeballs, together with a FReeper eager to tell the story.
|
We need a press kit.
Anyone who comes up with a good idea around here is presumed to have volunteered to do it. Otherwise, they are just making noise. Jim has no paid staff, and he's too far from the North Pole to have elves. So if you think it up, you have to do it. That's the rule :) |
Chances are someone has done it. As Fred Sanford used to say, "We need a coordinator".
"Press Kit"
To put together a press kit, we'd need articles mentioning Free Republic. I used to keep them bookmarked but lost a "personality" on my Netscape and lost all of my bookmarks. I needed therapy after... hehe
It would be time consuming to put one together, but with recruits we could do it!
Dang. I was just about to page you, too. It's been a long time since I've even laid eyes on a press kit, so I'm kind of hazy about what it should contain. Let me give some thought to this.
Are we still constrained by the Washington Post/LA Times lawsuit to not promote FReep Stuff or do any other kinds of commercial activities to generate funds for Free Republic?
I think the idea of an internet newsletter is a great idea!I`m not trying for a free plug but,one of my favorites is at www.federalist.com,news,great insights and opinions,as well as regular quotes of the Founding Fathers ,kind of like words of wisdom as they relate to our present situation.I highly recomend this idea,I`d pay a subscription fee for it.
I have FREE Republic site address on business cards and the symbol for FREE Republic plus the American Flag, and every time I eat out, pay at a movie, buy something in a store anywhere........ I include a business card with my payment.
When I do my Christmas cards this year as I am a NEW member of FREE Republic, I am including this same FREE Republic card in each of my Christmas cards I send out.
I work out at Gold's Gym here and I made up a flyer of FREE Republic and put it on the bulletin board at the gym where other people stick their cards for trainers and other things.
These are just some of the things I bet others could do to if they wish.
"Elves"?. .oh, how could you, don't you know we prefer "Artic Americans"?
Hi all! I just want to let you know that I am a newbie. I've hardly been able to eat or sleep since election night. I'm from NY and now Hillary is my Senator -barf! In fact, I live in Al D'Amato country. It is bad enough we got Hillary, the thought of Gore as Pres. has almost made me physically ill. Anyway, I only starting lurking here about a week ago because I couldn't stand watching slanted TV news anymore. This forum has saved my sanity. I finally found people who think like me. Since then, however,I haven't been able to sign off. Been reading posts all day today. I love you guys, keep up the good work.
Hi,
Just read on this thread about us having a free e-mailer, how about using a thread of the week for it?
Shagmail may be receptive as they offer conservative columnists as free emailers and have a large user base.
Bob
LOL! You better watch out. This site is highly addictive!
Welcome aboard!
That's a really good idea. You've got mail!
well, when you put it that way, Bob. Faz
Bumper stickers!
Bumper stickers!
Bumper stickers! (Are they available? How much?]
They could also be stuck just about anywhere---
telephone poles, including on larger format corrugated
signboard sheets outside your own property,etc., which
is legal in my town to advertise a yard sale type event,
the possibilities are endless.....Seems like FR has gained lots of momentum in the last year or so with no real
concerted effort---now we should work on ways to MAKE A
CONCERTED EFFORT at PUBLICITY!!!!
Bumper stickers!
Bumper stickers!
Bumper stickers! (Are they available? How much?]
They could also be stuck just about anywhere---
telephone poles, including on larger format corrugated
signboard sheets outside your own property,etc., which
is legal in my town to advertise a yard sale type event,
the possibilities are endless.....Seems like FR has gained lots of momentum in the last year or so with no real
concerted effort---now we should work on ways to MAKE A
CONCERTED EFFORT at PUBLICITY!!!!
With hardware costs coming down all the time, OTHER sites would soon come up and, while it would be sad, we'd abandon "the whore" and go elsewhere.
And, thanks to the speed of the net, it would take about 1 day for the switch to take place, leaving the whoremasters to wonder "WE SPENT $XX MILLION FOR THIS?"
WHen you talk about it like that it sounds like an idea I could warm towards. :)
I personally believe FR must not publically advertise on TV or mass circulation magazines. Only the most selective criteria for outlets to publicize must be used. This isn't "elitist", it is based on the lessons learned in past experiences, specifically Usenet and TheWell communities.
People who wander aimlessly before finding FR.com are doing their 40 years in the Sinia. They must find the path, they must take the initiative. How do you think so many Libertarian leaning Conservatives agreed upon the consensus of ideas that marks FR?
What good is another 50000 posters if they have nothing to contribute but one line retorts. The sophistication of community standards will fall, ala The Well in San Fran.
We can see what will happen to a commercialized FR.com by following the timeline of The Well. It bodes ill for the FR.com community and our effectiveness as an voluntary organization as we know it today.
You are right Dick.This movement is more than just a web site. Now that I am actively involved finally I'm not going to stop for any reason. Clinton's outrageous behavior was really what we needed to get off our whining buts and do something. China scared me enough and Al Gore was the topper.I belong to The Eagles Forum, but it didn't give me the simple methods to get started as you all. I am so grateful. Faz.
good for you, sharon. I'm feeling better every day about being a conservative. I've been getting fed up with old party reps. faz
4. Merchandise Division- profit from FreeRepublic.com hats, jackets, watches, coffee mugs, (the list is endless) can go to building the site and buying advertising.
I was thinking of this a couple of weeks ago as well. I like the idea of having FreeRepublic.com berets!
FReepers are soldiers of truth and justice, we might as well look the part!! Where do I send my check?!!!!
Bumper Stickers here
If you got questions talk to BADJOE
I don't think I was really looking at the big picture. more like narrow minded and selfish. but hey it was middle of the night. i know it's not just about me and my venting. I forgot to ask Sharon if she ran on Free Republic platform. faz
Though the blue beret will be an inside joke to us, FR must make extra efforts to not associate paramilitary accoutrements to our association. It's a bad PR move.
Although the blue berets may be a bad PR move, they may prove to be highly effective coveriing the Tin Foil Hats.
Been here less then a week and you've got the lingo down pat.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see FR grow, its just that I've seen 2 periods of extreme growth, the period when I joined and Drudge and Goldberg(trixie) left, and this last month. Both times as it progressed it got uglier, and the discourse on the site got, how to put this, closer to street trashtalking. FR recovered from the first mass exodus to trixie.com, and will this time soon after Jan. 20th.
The forum will organically adjust to the new numbers, and JohnRob is doing an excellent job in expanding the features so different subgroups of Freepers don't get lost in the fray. It needs some time to do this, and until the new posters know the ropes, the site looks somewhat chaotic. When it looks chaotic, new lurkers will see the random racist or "gun nut" post and it will be the only thing that sticks with them. Again not a good PR campaign, and leads to the paradox of advertising.
The paradox of FR's expansion is that when we expand we become easier to dismiss. During the expansion as new lurkers examine the site it will be filled with trolls and disruptors who will work their hardest to discredit the site when they know we are advertising. It happens all the time here, the number of trolls and disruptors are proportional to the amount of media coverage we receive OR pay for.
If you can figure out a way to work around that one, then you've got the support of everyone here.
Them's is fight'n words!
Thanks for the input.
I can't believe how long it took me find this site myself!
I think if we can first market our initial outreach to like minded individuals who will then gently herd the sheeple to our cause we can limit the damage you have described.
I am going through the proper channels to make it happen and firmly believe the strength of FR will keep renewing itself stronger with each wave of new recruits. It may take a little patience and guidance on both sides, but these growing pains can be overcome by the bedrock of this great gathering place of intellect, information, and camraderie.
A few growing pains will be worth it if we can expose more sheeple to the truth and bring them to our side. It should now be painfully obvious how close we are to what we dread. W has not been sworn in yet and I expect the chicanery and deception to continue right up to the electors casting their votes. We have State Supreme Courts who brazenly trample the Constitution and more than a couple on the US Supreme Court who will follow suit.
Let's win one for the sheeple!
Bob
Hey, I'm a payin' customer barkeep, it's that other scallywag down the far side the bar thats causin' the ruckus.
After your fightin' words comment I was expecting to see one of your links!
After your fightin' words comment I was expecting to see one of your links! Hope you're creating a new one.
It may be that growth will necessitate a bit of a fracturing of Free Republic. This may be achieved with the new resources that will be coming online soon, that will enhance and compliment Free republic Forum. Free Republic Network, is a site for activists broken up by states, and Free Republic Institute, a conservative think tank. Also, as the software is improved, it may be that state forums could pop up through the homepage feature. We will see.
great idea.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
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No, you need to write a press kit.