Seven lessons on Twitter crowdsourcing

I created my first twitter contest three weeks ago. As a novice twitterer, I learned a hell of a lot along the way.

Here’s the contest: we need a tagline to describe Roadbud in just a few words. In return: one top-of-the-line iPhone.

The game is simple to describe, but difficult to win. I understand every facet of Roadbud and couldn’t possibly succeed. This challenge includes two thorny tasks: remove the fluff surrounding the Roadbud “core” and describe that core with a catchy phrase.

Our goals were clear: figure out the right tagline and interest strangers in Roadbud.

The third objective should have been “learn to twitter crowdsource”. Here’s what I discovered:

1. There’s no point in dragging out the competition. 90% of the entries (including the winner) came in the last few days. Run contests for two weeks max.
2. Even a good contest needs a network to go viral. Don’t run pricey contests without a good number of twitter followers.
3. Friends can help. I received many entries because popular twitterers like @32northSTABIL and @BobWalsh were kind enough to tell their friends. Rely on friends.
4. Good ideas come from anywhere. Some people started with bad taglines and sharpened them over time. Some foreigners (like @vikasguptajnu) worked hard and generated good ideas. Stay open-minded.
5. Describe exactly what you want. I goofed in deriding one of my taglines (“Run happy”). This misled contestants to spend time on long descriptions. Be specific.
6. Bone up on Twitter – there’s much subtlety crushed into 140 characters. I asked people to include the hashtag “#roadbud” because I expected attention for the company. Wrong. “#RBContest” would have explained better to bystanders. Immerse yourself in Twitter.
7. Preparation is everything. I badly wanted to deliver our new app along with the iPhone, but was wrong-footed by a delayed release. Plan for problems.

Some more data points:

• Some souls are gracious even when they’re competing hard. @thefitlounge took time to highlight good competitive entries – even after she created one of the best taglines. Looking for a motivational aerobic instructor in Maryland? Track her down.
• Professionals start with a leg up on everyone else. @joezuc is an amazing B2B internet marketer who generated 10 of the best 20 ideas. Fascinating to watch method in action. Joe twittered any idea that popped into his head and didn’t worry about duds. As time went by, his taglines homed in on the target tighter and tighter.
• Runners naturally grasp the benefits in running products. @Caratunkgirl, a triathlete,  forged three taglines only. When I checked my favorites with friends, they uncannily gravitated toward Mandy’s entries. She also has a funny, well-written running blog.

There were hundreds of terrific entries and I had a tough time narrowing down the field. In the end, there can be only one.

The winning tagline is “Fire up your run”. Congratulations, @Caratunkgirl. You are the proud new owner of one iPhone 3GS (and in a few weeks, Roadbud Pro).

Related posts:

1. Crowdsourcing our tagline
2. Roadbud arrives!

Tagged as: contest, crowdsourcing, tagline, twitter