Will This "Star Wars: The Last Of The Jedi" Video Have The Force?
May 19, 2008 by Sherman Hu
Filed under Blogging, Social Media
Cynthia Kasper is a Facebook friend. Here she is with her son and you can tell they have a great relationhip, and that he’s a joker 
She shared with me that he is participating in a contest organized by StoryTubes for their 2008 National Contest which rewards winning contestants with $500 prize money for books, and their sponsoring organization (school, library or designated organization for home-schooled youth) will also receive $1,000 in books. I like this contest already 
In addition, she enquired if I would share methods to get this message to the masses to vote for her 12 year old son’s video – and fast.
As a homeschooled student, he created his own book report video and entered it in the "Heroes/Heroines Category" with a video titled: Star Wars: The Last Of The Jedi: Death On Naboo (his video is located in the 2nd last row of videos).
The good news is he was chosen as a finalist and the voting begins tomorrow, May 19th.
Cynthia shared her discovery that previous winners have mobilized large social networks to get in excess of 15,000 votes. WOW!
Feeling especially generous and wanting to encourage her son’s efforts, I detailed my "off the top of my head" game plan for her to deploy right away. After you read my game plan below, I would appreciate your feedback, and especially a strategy or two to help Cynthia and her son get quick exposure and votes. And I’m confident Cynthia would be very grateful for your vote also
So here’s the game plan I shared with Cynthia:
Her Son’s Video:
Cynthia, good on your son for creating the video. This is what I would do, off the top of my head…
Facts:
- He created a video in the "heroes/heroines" topic/category
- He created a video about "Death On Naboo" (Star Wars The Last Of The Jedi)
- The winner wins $ in books and also for institution of choice
- Voting commences May 19 (12 noon EDT) – May 25, 2008
- Past winners have leveraged social networks for votes
Here are my ideas:
1. Video Broadcast:
- I would setup an account at TubeMogul.com, which will broadcast your video to 14 video sharing sites (eg. youtube, google video, blip, etc).
- You would have to register for free accounts at those 14 sites.
- Upload the video to TubeMogul and it’ll broadcast to all of them. This will give more exposure to the video.
- Title the video like how you’ve done it at YouTube. eg. "For StoryTubes Vote: Heroes & Heroines: Star Wars – Death On Naboo"
- Describe the video well. If you can, hyperlink to the category and describe how folks can locate your son’s video to view it. Then link to the voting page and provide details to make it easy for folks to use the data to vote.
*** It wouldn’t hurt to have a page setup on Squidoo.com or HubPages.com that embeds your son’s video, explaining the cause, the prize, what institution your son’s hoping to win books for, plus links to the necessary page for voting – this way you direct everybody there, they get the info they need, get motivated, then click the links to vote.
2. Press Release:
- Write a release sharing the purpose of the event, the cause, the prizes. Then write your point of view, and your son’s point of view (like you’re being interviewed) in it. Then include a link in the release to your Squidoo.com or HubPages.com page. Send your release to PR.com (free) or PRWeb.com (paid).
3. Use Social Media Groups:
- Go to MySpace. Search for "Star Wars" in MySpace Groups. Join them. Then share the details of the program, the cause, the prize, who your son’s trying to win for, and link to the Squidoo/HubPages page for more details and votes.
- Repeat the above process for Facebook Groups.
4. Google "Star Wars fan sites", "Star Wars forums" or related phrases
- Hunt down fan sites or forums, join them, add value and comments, and share what your son is doing with the Star Wars video. If you can email/call the webmaster or admin to feature his cause, with relevance to Star Wars, then that’ll provide a large fan base that will vote for your son just because you’re all Star Wars fans.
5. Homeschool Groups/Organizations
- Email your admins of your homeschool group/org and also other homeschool groups/orgs, detailing the same proposal. Send them to your Squidoo/HubPages page and get them voting for your son.
6. Leverage Sponsor Blogs
- Visit StoryTubes.info, visit all the associated sponsoring organizations and libraries, and hunt down their blogs. Since they are sponsoring the event, they would probably have some type of mention of it on their blogs (hopefully).
- Add comments on their blogs, sharing your excitement and your son’s commitment to winning the prize for his chosen institution. Share a link to your Squidoo/HubPages page, requesting folks to view his video and vote.
7. Other Social Media & Social Bookmarking Sites
- There are a host of Web 2.0 sites you can feature content about your son’s contest journey/experience. Here are some of them: Hubpages, Squidoo, Wetpaint, Faves, Bumpzee, Wordpress.com, ClearBlogs, Quizilla, Propeller, Wists, Kaboodle, Digg and many more…
8. Ping
- Use your Squidoo.com/HubPages.com RSS feed URL and get it pinged at Pingoat.com and OnlyWire.com
9. Twitter - Hopefully you already have a good following of friends on Twitter. Broadcast to your friends to vote too!
What do you think? Can you get some momentum from these strategies?
Cheers, Sherman H.
There you have it – my quick-off-the-top-of-head game plan. I’m confident there are a ton of strategies that are free / inexpensive, deliver quick exposure and in turn, leading to votes for her son.
What are your thoughts on what I shared with her? Do you agree? Differ? What would you suggest? Cynthia & I are all ears…
Related posts:
Sherman
This is a really concise, practical, helpful ‘to do’ list and obviously there’s lots of stuff there that I had never heard of before, so I am very pleased to find this.
Thank you!
Good luck to your friend’s son with his video.
I have stumbled this post.
Hi Sherman,
I wouldn’t overlook that one of his biggest fan bases is in his own school, and their parents.
Some business (project) cards or A5 flyers by hand.
Especially if he could become viewed as the entire schools best chance of winning for his school.
There are other social sites, aimed more at younger people (bebo, disneys frog thing – used by up to 15yo apparently), and he should know where his age group hangs out.
(He could offer 1 direct prize in the pool to everyone who votes if he wins?)
As you know, parent power and school motivation is a very powerful VIRAL WOM campaign in its own right.
He has 500~3000 votes right on his door step! He just needs to motivate the crowd. (i.e. a 2 minute spot on the morning assembly, also asking for the parents help, if the headmaster is up for it)
JMTCW.
Peter
@Cheryl – thanks for the Stumble, Cheryl!
@Peter Buick – great suggestion on the “home front cheering squad” and the “voting prize motivation” – super! Thx Peter!
Sherman,
WOW!!! I am humbled by your generosity. I was thinking that if I could get a quick message out to my Facebook friends that we would be good. I would be on top of the world. And now all of this? These ideas are fantastic. We are getting on the first ones right away. Since we homeschool and my son has a burning desire to learn the workings of social media, especially video, I will use these ideas as a learning tool for him as well. I will keep everyone posted on our progress.
I am still continually amazed by the grace of the Universe. Thank you, Sherman.
Cynthia
PS. I will also forward a direct link to the voting page when it becomes available later this morning.
Sherm covered the bases online now offline
1. approach local chamber of commerce, many do & support ed and community activity, they have large lists which they could broadcast the vote link to.
2. local library – many have big lists of supporters which help w fundraising & programs approach them too with a request to mai to their list
3.send a blast to or even better approach wit call to childrens reading charities – explain his schools need for the funding and why they should be involve in helping.
Tell them of the big push, and that as a side benni they will also get attention back via
a one page blog with title video – link underneath to the vote site
then below that
Thanks For the help and support in my cause…..
List helpers cuses with a link back
starting list
roomtoread.org
firstbook.org
literacydirectory.org
literacyconnections,com
ok weird one but free
blast for votes off of craigslist (events)
in closing
Way To Go Kiddo
Good Luck!
@Cynthia – You Are Welcome! Thanks in advance for the link to the voting page.
@June – U ROCK! Superb ideas here. Yes, Cynthia could even setup a Wordpress.com blog real quick and easy, then pubish all the details, including link love to supporting individuals and organizations, like the ones you’ve listed. Excellent!
Hi Sherman,
Here’s the direct url for voting: http://storytubes.info/vote/vote_ohah.php
Thanks again,
Cynthia
This was a great outline, Sherman. Thanks for helping Cynthia and her son. I’m proud of that boy for what he’s done – which is a lot more than many people here on Facebook!
I voted multiple days for the video, but didn’t have a chance to jump over to this post until today – somewhat out of the loop due to Mama’s death. I love your heart and how you help people, though.
And this helps all of us, too. Great tips for internet marketers! It’s always advisable to make checklists and to ask friends, because there’s always something we might overlook. I was about to overlook the obvious – forums and posts and fan clubs focused on “Star Wars!”
I stumbled the post and put it in multiple bookmarks, because it does have more widespread applicability. The particular video is simply a “case study.”
And I agree with Cynthia: YOU ROCK!
Margaret
Hi Sherman,
I saw Margaret’s name in the comments on your blog. I’m glad I took a look, this is a terrific post!
Great seeing you in Atlanta.
Blessings,
Jean