Ask HN: How can I promote my start-up quickly?

[MichaelEHowe]

I've just "launched" my start-up - http://RocketLi.st A fully brandable RSVP platform targeted at free events / parties (Think SXSW)! But unlike other sites out there, RocketLi.st is different in two main ways;

1) It incentivises attendees to complete small tasks in return for event perks and status increases. (eg. Attendees start on the "Z list" but simply by verifying their email and signing-up to the organisers mailing list they will get on to the "B List" and gain priority entry)

2) It gives event organisers insights into their attendees (music, film & business) taste profiles as well as analytics's on attendee engagement levels and audience demographics.

But on top of these two core benefits, RocketLi.st also helps SXSW organisers to combat the increase of spam RSVP's. This is because all spam bots will just submit email addresses leaving those attendees on the events "Z List"

Right, well that is the basic overview of my app. I hope you like it?

But the problem I'm left with is how do I get this in-front of event organisers... especially ones who are putting on SXSW events this year before they use another platform?!

I have tried emailing all of the organisers from last year, following them all on twitter and engaging with them directly. But I'm not getting anywhere quickly and I'm running out of time before this years event.

So back to my main question... How can I promote my start-up quickly and what would you do differently?

Thanks in advance for your feedback, ideas and time.

[netcan]

There probably is no "easily" or "quickly." Here are some ideas though:

FIRST: You need to put a little time into your elevator pitch. Try to compress 50-60% of what the app does into an easily digestable 1-2 sentences. EG Makes event RSVP a game for attendees and tells organizers interesting things about them. Then try to make your landing page/home page add another 20-30% in an easily scannable form. EG (1)a screenshot of an attendee getting points for an action and (2) a screenshot the analytics dashboard.

Try showing it to people for 5,10,20 seconds and then quiz them on what it is, how it's for, what you do with it. etc..

It sounds like you're asking more about how to get it in front of potential users. This is inevitably hard and/or expensive because its competitive, not a hurdle. You'll need to beat all the other people trying to get their attention.

Adwords-ish campaigns. Does the product solve a problem that people could be looking for a solution to on Google? If someone is Googling "free online rsvp", is your app a solution to this. Are you an alternative to "Joomla event registration"? Start here: https://adwords.google.com/o/KeywordToolEnter You'll need to figure out how much a new user is worth to you and be willing to pay it..

Pick up the phone - Are you targeting conference-like event organizers? They are in high demand. Your best chance is probably old fashioned sales.

Build marketing into the product somehow. EG Can attendees (or maybe speakers or exhibitors if it's for conferences) use it without the event itself signing up?

[MichaelEHowe]

Thanks for your feedback... Its a shame there is no such thing as "easy" when it comes to getting a product out there.

I definitely agree with you my pitch definitely needs some work, especially when its written down and I'm not verbally delivering it! I love your summery... that's a perfect description of what we're doing.

Thanks again for those ideas, definitely helpful.

[candicorr]

It sounds really complicated. My mind fogged over on point 1. Can you work out a way to make it simpler to understand? You talk about the increase of spam RSVPs. I've never seen that problem - can you make me understand it? Is your first language not English? You're making lots of grammar mistakes that could make your writing look unprofessional.

To understand my confusion, this is how I read your pitch. I want to run some kind of professional event. I want people to come to that, but I can't just invite them, I must make them perform some kind of tasks first. Why would anyone do that? I want them at my event, so why am I make them work? And what tasks are these? Solving captchas?!

[MichaelEHowe]

Thanks for your points... Worryingly English is my first language, I'm just dyslexic. So apologies there!

Firstly let me tackle the spam RSVP point... Over the last couple of years at SXSW there has been an increase in the number of "bots" that you can sign-up to and RSVP to all events! This allows the attendee to turn up anywhere and be "on the list", which is great for them but not so great for the organiser! The organiser hasn't just put this event on as a public service, they usually want to promote their brand and product. But with the current system they have no idea how popular their event is, who is actually going to turn up and how many of these attendees are worth the marketing budget! (They may as well not had an RSVP... Which is fine, some events are for the masses!)

RocketLi.st aims to solve this by allowing everyone to RSVP with their email address (even the bots), but then incentivises those attendees who actually want to be there to carry out small tasks in return for "at event" perks (such as priority entry, cool swag, etc.)!

With regard to the tasks... We are talking about simple things such as signing up to the mailing list, following the organisers on twiter, etc. (Definitely no captchas)!

You can actually see this in action on our "test event" - http://2012closingparty.rocketli.st

I hope this has made it slightly clearer? But I definitely need to work on my pitch.

[candicorr]

That's infinitely better than what you wrote before.

I think if you take a step back from your screen and look at the visual shape of what you just wrote, and the visual shape of the original story text, you can see how confusing the original looked just from that.

Did you write the first text in a hurry? With big things like announcing to HN, I would write one day, get friends to give brutal criticism, then submit the next day.

[salahxanadu]

Go to your local newspaper and try to get them to write a story for you. Show up with a written press release that they can use as a guide. Perhaps you might get a little press there. You'll have an even better chance if you offer to buy an ad or two also.

[orangethirty]

You need to do something over the top. Something so crazy that people will have no other choice but to pay attention. That is the quickest way to hack growth. Now, its hard a as fuck and could get you into trouble. Question is, are you feeling lucky?

[MichaelEHowe]

I do love a good PR stunt... Any (legal) ideas? :)

[zeynalov]

I collect best of resources about startups. Here in Marketing & Advertising --> In General - you can find best of answers about promoting your startup. http://vusal.me/handbook/

[MichaelEHowe]

Thanks... I'll check that out!