[PC-BSD Pbi-dev] PC-BSD promo

[Andrei Kolu]

http://forums.pcbsd.org/viewtopic.php?p=51173#51173

DarkStarAeon
Member
Joined: 20 Jan 2007
Posts: 231
Location: Bellingham, WA


New postPosted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 6:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote   

How does Distrowatch do their rankings? I've always wondered that. 
 I found PC-BSD through them. 
 
 About Ubuntu, I've seen them in Popular Mechanics very recently, so I'm sure 
that helped them gain users in droves. Also, they were mentioned on tv shows 
twice in just the past two months. (Once on CTV once on CNN). I will say 
though, the "community" on the Ubuntu forums are usually slow to respond and 
often not friendly. 
 Judging people who use Ubuntu as a whole though is messed up. Popular isn't 
always bad, and fact is that Ubuntu is pretty easy to use compard to other 
Linux distros. Generalizing what it would be like if a bunch of "Ubuntus" 
came here isn't cool. No one should discriminate against who uses a product, 
those people, or type of people as you are suggesting, might gain knowledge 
and become wiser users if they used PC-BSD. 
 If PC-BSD is the superior OS, then it's going to get popular. 
 
 Back to PC-BSD popularity and promotion..... 
 
 PR/Promotions are very important to the survival of any product, free or not. 
 
 I'd suggest assembling a press pack (with PC-BSD on a pretty looking disc 
Wink ) and a PC-BSD T-shirt, detailed press release and any other goodies you 
can find and sending those press packs out to every major and medium sized 
tech/computer magazine, webzine, and tech tv show you can find. 
 
 Also, if you can get any businesses, schools, or govt. institutions to start 
using PC-BSD exclusively then you've got media paydirt and it should be easy 
to get a write up in a newspaper. 
 
 I'd also contact major news outlets that have a tech segment, send them the 
press pack mentioned earlier, and sell them on the fact that security wise 
PC-BSD can't be beat, it has an easy installer for programs, and that it's 
interface is user friendly. Make a strong point that PC-BSD is easier to get 
running than just about any Linux distro. (Which I believe is true). 
 
 Also, to any tech media outlet you contact to let them know that BSD and 
specifically PC-BSD will install over the stupid pre-loaded OS's that come 
with most computers when other OS's won't. Basically making it a computer 
saver. 
 
 I would send a press pack tailored to any legit non-profit organization you 
can find, if you can get them using it then you can also get more press. 
Plus, people who work with PC-BSD might be likely to adopt PC-BSD at home if 
they find they like it. 
 
 It may cost a little to make up professional looking press packs (appearance 
and content both matter, keep in mind though, if it doesn't look like wow 
factor 10 then people aren't likely to read about it or try it, you have to 
lure people, and our eyes are easily tempted by pretty packaging) but it will 
be worth it if you can get people on board. 
 
 College campuses are also great places to find people fed up with Windows, 
Linux and Macs. Western Washington University's tech dept./computer lab staff 
are huge fans of BSD I just found out from my wife, but they don't even know 
about PC-BSD. (I will try to remedy that). 
 
 Another thing I would suggest is finding computer refurbishing sites online 
that sell used laptops and desktops and see if you can get them to offer 
PC-BSD pre-loaded on those machines as cheaper alternatives. 
 
 If there are local privately owned computer stores near you, try to get them 
to do the same thing. The owners might like to advertise that they have low 
cost alternatives for people with less money. Many people don't buy computers 
because they of the price, but they don't realize that pre-loaded Windows OS 
is a huge part of the cost. 
 
 Start a myspace site, I know, it sounds lame, but that's how you'll reach the 
youth market. Unfortunately, much of MySpace uses Flash 9, so you may have to 
wait on that because those users will need it. 
 
 Get other sites to link to PC-BSD, the more ways to this site the better. 
 
 If any of you have a blog that gets indexed by search engines regularly, 
write about PC-BSD on your site. Spread the word. 
 
 Post on message boards and leave links to PC-BSD and tell people about it. 
 
 Use a poster service like http://www.postergiant.net they will make sure 
posters for PC-BSD are literally everywhere. You can have them do campaigns 
where they put the posters all over the place in multiple cities, or, you can 
have them put posters around specific events, like CES in Vegas. 
 
 Go to tech conventions and pass out discs and promo materials. 
 
 Buy a PC-BSD t-shirt and wear it, a lot. Wink People ask me about mine all 
the time. 
 
 Go to retirement homes, many of which have computer rooms for the residents, 
and many of which are still running Windows 2000. Convince them to install 
PC-BSD on their machines (make sure hardware is compatible though) and 
convince them that the residents don't want to be worrying about security, 
they just want to surf and check email etc. 
 You may have to take some personal time to set everything up for them of 
course, but many of them will pay for such services. 
 
 Make fliers, nice ones, like dual sided color vinyl fliers that will catch 
peoples attention, and leave them in coffee shops, waiting rooms, libraries, 
etc. or even go door to door and hand them to people, or make fliers that 
hang on doors and leave them on peoples doors in your neighborhood. 
 
 Make PC-BSD business cards, you can get free ones from VistaPrint that only 
cost the price of shipping. Make sure they have the PC-BSD logo and website 
address. Hand them out, leave them places, be creative. 
 I once put a promotional business card in every computer related book in a 
book store. I got permission from the owner of course, I just traded him for 
something. (pizza, he was hungry). 
 
 If their is a county fair, sports arena, or some other large venue near you 
then pass out fliers to the people coming and going, or, place the fliers on 
their cars. 
 
 Ask small business owners if they would be willing to let you leave promo 
materials on their counters by the cash registers. If they express interest 
then try to get them to try PC-BSD. If they like it, then they will probably 
tell their customers, friends, and family about it too. 
 
 Find websites or blogs where people are ranting about hating Windows, then 
either leave replies and tell them about PC-BSD or contact the site owner 
directly and tell them. 
 
 You'd be surprised what people will let you do if you aren't afraid to ask. I 
got extremely far in many projects just because I was willing to ask people 
for something. If they say no don't act upset or weird, just say thanks but 
give them a look like they don't know what they are missing, often they'll 
hesitate a second then change their minds. 
 
 When it comes to promo, you have to use Guerrilla Marketing to get noticed. 
This combination of free, grassroots, and $ versions of marketing are very 
effective in combination. 
 
 Basically, it takes effort, time and sometimes moola to get noticed.