The following are brainstorming ideas. They are not decisions, just ideas, suggestions, possibilities, things to consider for the Fundraising and Promotions group. Please add your brainstorming ideas below.
- WordPress Reviews
- Locate all blog/CMS Reviewer/Review Sites and get WordPress reviewed. Locate and contact all computer/blogging sites and request reviews of WordPress and start getting them on the Media List for WordPress PR.
- WordPress, blog, CMS
- Connect search terms for "blog" and "cms" to WordPress to tighten the connection and cross over. I "think" 1.6 will definitely be more of a cross over and we need to prepare to connect the dots now.
- WordPress MU
- WordPress MU will be coming on the block for public use this fall and we need to work on the plan for promoting it.
- Promote Matt's Events as an Expert
- Tie events attended and participated in by Matt, Ryan, and any other "visible" WordPress reps with publicity - promoting the involvement and WordPress visibility
- Plan Routine Press Releases
- Schedule routine press releases to announce things like 450,000 downloads, breaking the 200,000 posts on the forum, X number of volunteers, and all and any anticipated statistic events. This should also include routine press releases about the status of different versions.
- Promote Free AND Serious Blogging Software
- Expand WordPress visibility as more than just "free blogging software" to serious, no-mess-around-with "free blogging software"
- Three Fundraisers a Year
- Develop three fundraising campaigns a year, with one considered the PRIMARY annual event, giving people something to "count" on - "Okay, so our WordPress Dues are due" kinda thing. There aren't any, but create an annual expectation of contribution.
- Is WordPress Donations Tax Deductable?
- Expand public awareness of the WordPress Community Support PBC (WCS) and tax benefits of donating and help it become more "open" about where the money is coming from, where it is going, and who is in charge of the money. And it isn't just about the money, any donation of WordPress services like server space also needs to be accounted for. More more people are aware of the WCS and how it works, the more likely they are to give. And the more likely BIGGER donors and sponsors can be attracted. If Apple and CNET and MIT are using WordPress, they might love to have their little logos in the footer as a BIG Donor to WordPress on the Forum or Codex. Sometime like Donate $250,000 and get your own button on the WordPress site. Think big.
- Prepare for 1.6 release
- This is going to be tricky. We need to have a firm PR plan in place. Podz and others are nervous about the sudden attack of 1.6 troubles on the Forum and we need to pacify them, prepare volunteers, and prepare users for it's arrival.
- Promote volunteers
- We need to promote volunteers who give of their time but we also need to hit HEAVY on the fact that WordPress is run, developed, and created by volunteers. We also need to promote the need for more volunteers. Ideas? A volunteer recruitment?
- Promote those who promote WordPress
- Like mentioned above, we need to come up with ways to help promote not just "users" of WordPress but companies and people who go out of their way to promote WordPress. It's the thanks they deserve and it bumps WordPress fame by association. Ideas?
- In Case of an Emergency
- Develop publicity plans of action in case of emergency. This needs to happen and I want it on the list so we remember, but it doesn't have to happen immediately. It is part of the PR team to be ready in case of a "situation".
- Mass promotion of WordPress linked to News Events
- Okay, this isn't the nice thing people want to talk about, but we should come up with a plan to promote WordPress in a way that links with current news events. As of July 22, 2005, Technorati reports 31,293 posts on the London Bombings, and most of those are on blogs. Bloggers Blog reports Blogs Provide Extensive Coverage of London Terror Attacks, Blogging the London Bombings, Blogs Providing History's First Draft of London Bombings are examples of ways to hook into the process. The incident isn't pretty but the use of blogs is a good way to promote WordPress by finding a link to the event. Story of how WordPress helped share experiences, stories, bring people together? Number of bloggers using WordPress to talk about the issue? Or even more dramatic, during the Bosnia War, US women's groups made handmade bracelets and send them to the raped women during the war to show them their suffering is heard and they are not alone. Volunteers could save WordPress to floppy or CD and mail it to groups desperate to have a voice in their situation but with slow or limited bandwidths. Just thinking out loud.
- WordPress Blog Contest
- Reporters Without Borders honors Freedom Bloggers is a very neat idea on honoring those who risk their lives to blog. Might be something worth pursuing, either with such organizations or on a similar independent vein.