Post
Topic
Board Bitcoin Discussion
Topic OP
[Campaign] Bitcoin Trumpet - Give Bitcoin to your friends in your social network
by
o
on 10/12/2011, 00:56:07 UTC
Bitcoin started with cryptographers, and then penetrated to libertarian and techies. Now, it is the time to move on to the next level and penetrate to more general users. Comparing with the geek people in this level, the next level of users should have no knowledge of Bitcoin when using it. It is very important to get their feet wet BEFORE forming any opinion of Bitcoin. A good target is your non-technical friends, and friends of friends.

Objective:
Increase number of Bitcoin acceptors by providing an opportunity for your friends to try Bitcoin. Focus are the easy to use as micropayment system

Action:
Ask who want Bitcoin in your facebook and Google+. Send Bitcoin to them and remind them to spend all Bitcoin

Date:
To be determined. A particular date, or a short period few months later

Details:
During the given time period, all participants create a post asking who want to try Bitcoin in their own social networking website such as facebook and Google+. Then you send 0.01 Bitcoin to each of your friends who post a Bitcoin address. The amount can be adjusted but it should be small to demonstrate the micropayment ability of Bitcoin.

The second part, and the most important one, is to make sure they spend Bitcoin. You may recommend them to donate those Bitcoin, say, to occupy wall street. Or you may recommend them to send to other friends. Some friends may want to collect Bitcoin you given away, so, as a motivation, the total Bitcoin you sent out should be large enough to buy some stuff, such as snack. With such condition, you will be able to create a discussion afterward.

To increase the willingness of your friends to accept Bitcoin in the future, it is best that their friends are also Bitcoin acceptors. So if your friends are happily spending their first Bitcoin, try seeking their help to spread more Bitcoin to their friends

The whole trials for your friends must be quick, easy and foolproof. No Bitcoin client. An online wallet is strongly recommended, such as instawallet. No discussion of Bitcoin. Most people won't waste time for any geek stuff, you will just scare them away. All they have to know is how to use Bitcoin and how easy it is for cross website.

Benefit for participants:
* Identify your friends in your social network that can accept Bitcoin
* Create usage within your social network such as an easy online debt system with your friend
* Bitcoin on your hand will worth more than the other owners because you have more place to spend
* Bitcoin given away in this campaign may be covered "exchange fee" in the future because there are no need to exchange it to dollar

Expected results:
* Your friends know how to accept and spend Bitcoin
* Your friends get the idea that Bitcoin is a very easy to use cross-website credit system
* Create local network effect and increase the number of acceptors, but NOT general users, miners, buyers or owners
* Create a usage bubble without price bubble

Notes:
* Avoid details explanation of Bitcoin: Similar to money, there is no need to understand it before using it. Remember that the targets are those people who are not going to spend time to learn Bitcoin, and we should show that Bitcoin is easy to use. If they are fascinated by the cryptography, decentralization, global currency, avoiding tax, chances are that they already know Bitcoin. Repeating it is useless and you just scare others away.
* Avoid discussing price of Bitcoin: It is much easier to ask them to spend if they think it is a virtual credit system at the beginning. Also, the large price fluctuation is also a negative signal for some people. Hence, exchange should not be used as online wallets in this campaign.
* Avoid trolling environment: The only purpose is to give Bitcoin to those non-technical people who haven't tried Bitcoin yet.
* DON'T ask them to buy Bitcoin: Otherwise, you will create another price bubble. More importantly, your friend will think you are scammer because of dropping price.

Maximizing impact:
* To increase the curiosity of other friends, it is best that some of your friends know Bitcoin before and post a Bitcoin address in a short time
* If you have spare Bitcoin, you may try to raise it in twitter and forum
* Spreading the word about this campaign to maximize the effect
* Introduce website that accept those tiny amount of Bitcoin for extra services
* Introduce a way to earn Bitcoin afterward, such as feedzebirds