Grass Roots National Advertising Campaign

ZOMBIE USER 54 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 54** » Fri Aug 25, 2000 7:02 am

Hey all. These ideas are reposted in a more appropriate topic from one that I started regarding a trend I noticed in a possible readership decline. The ideas I expressed are as follows: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
I think if there was some way to organize the front page into something more akin to the Spot, and weed out all those accounts (seeparate threads discussing both) that aren't being used at all, then maybe we can get the "promotion" back into the KeenSpace credo. I figure if Gav, Nate and Chris are like the rest of us, the Spot and the Space can't be their full time gigs. They've got their comics to run not to mention their possible real time jobs as well. If there were some way (or if they'd be willing period) for them to accept volunteer applicants and decide based on ability to commit as well as skill set
perhaps they could give someone else front-page management duties to organize and implement all the things that us 'Spacers have been mentioning (like a 'Spot-like main page and inactive account management). I mean, if I'm not mistaken, it does say promotion is one
of the services offered by KeenSpace.Shannon (webmaster for JoBeth.net) also made mention of regional promotion via college/high school newspapers. IF we could find a reasonable graphic designer amongst the group to put together a standard sized KeenSpace ad (300 dpi, print quality, ready for import into most
major layout packages such as Quark, InDesign or the defunct PageMaker, either 1/4, 1/8 or 1/16 size) and have that person make it available to the rest of us 'Spacers once it's ready, we theoretically could get a national advertising campaign
together distributed at a grass roots level. That way, we advertise KeenSpace as a place to get some of the best independent web comics around so that everyone one of us 'Spacers hopefully feels the effect of such a campaign. Perhaps even the 'Spot would benefit from a similar campaign. I'd be more than willing to offer my time put together
something if the majority of KeenSpacers think it'd be a good idea and would actually spend some of their cash on placing the ad in their local high school/or college paper. I'm just pulling at straws... but I really think that we need to do something unified in order to make our presence known. But, the only way that's going to happen is if we can get together and collectively agree to do so and act on that commitment. Just an idea.. if anybody has a better one (including Chris, Gav or
Nate) thenb by all means express them.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Any thoughts?------------------
Rick Zawadzki
<A HREF="http://barclayusa.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>http://barclayusa.keenspace.com</A> "Egg!?!"

Jillian Poisson · Post by **Jillian Poisson** » Fri Aug 25, 2000 7:17 am

I say that

ZOMBIE USER 54 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 54** » Fri Aug 25, 2000 7:48 am

Thanks for your $0.02 Jillian. It's good to hear that there are people who are concerned. At least as far as a unified KeenSpace ad (with permission from the higher ups of course) I think it's time we actually acted on your collective concerns and agreed to take to action. What's everybody else think?------------------
Rick Zawadzki
<A HREF="http://barclayusa.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>http://barclayusa.keenspace.com</A> "Egg!?!"

Gecco · Post by **Gecco** » Sat Aug 26, 2000 4:17 am

i think it's a very good idea, and it would help a lot of the really good comics that aren't recognized because the list is too long, or the site isn't interesting looking enough. I would be happy to help with anything if there's something I can do------------------
Saving the World- an online comic strip
http://savingtheworld.keenspace.com

ZOMBIE USER 54 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 54** » Sat Aug 26, 2000 5:27 am

It's really good to see that there are people out there that would like to see KeenSpace promoted and organized. Howard is right about there being no substitute for advertising your own comic. That, as he said, is essential to drawing people straight to your work. At the same time, organizing and promoting KeenSpace as a whole would help as well. Sure, it's not as targeted as comic specific ads. But what benefits the Space benefits its members as well. Michael Martin on Howard's thread had some good suggestions as far as things he'd like to see on the KeenSpace main page. So far, it seems the consensus is that people would like the KeenSpace front page to be more like the KeenSpot front page. Understandable. It's clean, provides valuable information etc... Like I said before, I know that this can't be Gav's, Nate's and Chris's main and only priority... but if they need or would like some help why not begin some kind of appliacation / weeding out progress for people with the right kind of skill set to help out. Even if it's only done via remote uploads alot can be accomplished. Leaving the technical end up to Nate is fine. I still think that finding the right front-end designer is critical though to the health and credo of KeenSpace. They can work in conjunction with the power's that be to put in place a solid front-end framework to back-up the powerful features that the Space offers. Not only that, but find a volunteer who has legitimate print graphic design experience to put together a solid ad for local redistribution. It's the single most affordable way to get KeenSpace advertised on a semi-national if not wholly national level. Howard's aIso right on something else, it probably is high time these concerns showed up in the mailing lists where Chris and Co. might be more apt to see them. If nobody has a problem with them, I'll go ahead and compile these issues and try to get them on the email list in the next day or so if somebody hasn't beaten me to it.------------------
Rick Zawadzki
<A HREF="http://barclayusa.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>http://barclayusa.keenspace.com</A> "Egg!?!"

ZOMBIE USER 54 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 54** » Sat Aug 26, 2000 8:05 am

Woohoo, Saturday! This here is an official topic refresh. Let's here what my fellow 'Spacers and their readers have to say!------------------
Rick Zawadzki
<A HREF="http://barclayusa.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>http://barclayusa.keenspace.com</A> "Egg!?!"

Jillian Poisson · Post by **Jillian Poisson** » Sat Aug 26, 2000 8:16 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by rickZ:
I think it's time we actually acted on your collective concerns and agreed to take to action. What's everybody else think?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I agree. We should start a discussion at Keenspace@ egroups e-mail list, not everyone checks the boards so that way we'll get a lot of people with one message. Like I said I'm willing to help in any way I can.------------------
Jill Poisson<A HREF="http://wordsofwizdum.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Words of Wizdum~ The Steps Program For Morons.</A><A HREF="http://shallowend.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Shallow End~ Hey, you get outta the gene pool~Coming Soon</A><A HREF="http://bloodmoon.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Blood Moon~ There's a bad moon on the raise.~Coming Soon</A>

ZOMBIE USER 197 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 197** » Sat Aug 26, 2000 11:56 am

Kick! (bumps thread back up to the top).I started a thread on this a while back. It's here: <A HREF="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/Forum5/HTML/000071.html">(click me!)</A>.If anyone feels ambitious, the posts from rickZ's thread(s) and mine should be compiled, and bumped over to the mailing list. There are good ideas here, and we need to get the word out.Random Musings
Group efforts to promote the 'space are very cool, but the front page has to support the promotion (read that, it needs to spotlight ACTIVE strips, and maybe have a "build your own comics home page" feature). RickZ and others have already been vocal ("post"-al?) about this, and I concur wholeheadedly.With features like the KeenSpace dropdown, individual strip-promotion efforts will benefit everybody, but there's still no substitute for promoting your own strip if you want your own readers. Read this: "If you aren't plugging your strip somewhere, don't expect dramatic webalizer stats anytime soon."I'm personally doing a BYU-freshman Schlock-Fest sometime in the next month. I've found that rarest of gems, a rabidly loyal, yet oxymoronically intelligent fan: He's going to plug me throughout the dorms, and then I'm going to go do signings, doodles, and shop-talk with the impressionable young 18-year olds some evening when they should be doing homework. And now, I must go back upstairs and draw. Draw draw draw. It's a daily strip, folks, and contrary to popular opinion, this schlock don't draw itself...------------------
<A HREF="http://www.tayler.com/howard" TARGET=_blank>Howard Tayler </A>
<A HREF="mailto:htayler@myrealbox.com">htayler@myrealbox.com</A>
<A HREF="http://www.schlockmercenary.com" TARGET=_blank>Schlock Mercenary</A>
( <A HREF="http://www.schlockmercenary.com" TARGET=_blank>http://www.schlockmercenary.com</A> )