Hello everyone,
I have written up a publicity and marketing guide for the average Start9 user. This guide is tailored so that anybody can read it and begin to help Start9 grow its recognition in the world, grow its user base, and grow its support. Lets use this channel as a sort of brainstorming ground and communication location to start putting this stuff into action.
Start9 Publicity and Marketing
Again and again it is seen in the Foss world. The revolutionary software runs out of money, people loos interest in it, and it slowly dies in its lownly corner of the internet, forgotten by all except the couple hundred devoted plans.
In the main proprietary, paid service world, we see again and again poor software excel and flourish.
Why does great foss software die, but proprietary software live? Because the latter recognizes that importance of marketing, publicity, and brand-recognition.
Our Solution
Here at Start9, we do not want to make the same mistake and be tossed into the see of ones and zeros, only to exist on archive.org. To avoid this, we want to promote Start9 like no foss software has been promoted before. By the time Start9 comes out of beta, we should be a household name like Signal, Ubuntu, and Bitwarden. When people think, “I should host my own blog.”, the first place they should turn to is Start9.
However, it will be up to the community to perform reach this. Start9 is built and loved by its users, for its users. Its growth to popularity should be done in the same way. For its users, by its users.
Below are many suggested approaches that can be taken by those wishing to contribute.
Social Media
Social Media is huge opportunity to spread awareness for Start9. The goal is not to sell it right then and there. Rather, it is to make people familiar with it and aware of it. Start9 should be popping up on every social media platform through posts and shares. That way, when people ask themesleves the question, “Should I look into this self-hosting thing”, Start9 is there to offer their services.
HASHTAGS
We have hashtags for a reason. Abuse the hashtag system. If the post is even remotely related to Start9, go ahead and add a hashtag.
#start9 @start9labs (Twitter)
FOLLOW
Follow Start9 on on every platform you can.
REPOST
Reposting is necessary to apease the algorithm gods. By reposting everything that Start9 posts, everyone can see the awsomeness of Start9!
FORUMS
When you search online to get an answer to a question, what are is the single most popular places to go?
Online forums.
Online forums are a way better way to get quick answers reading through a lengthy blog post. Because of that, they have become a go-to resource. The Start9 community needs to make sure their voice is heard.
- Join them if you can: The more people on these forums, the more activity that will take place.
- Answer questions: Nothing is more likely to boost a newbie’s loyalty to a project than getting a quick resposne to their question. Make sure you are present and ready to help on every platform that you can.
- Post Questions: Many times, instead of pooring through the project’s website, people just go to see if their question has already been answered. However, if they don’t have an account, they aren’t likely to create one just to get their question answered. BUT, if someone has already asked their question and gotten a response to it, they win and Start9 wins the interest of the viewer.
VIDEO PLATFORMS
You would be hard pressed to find someone in the modern world who has not heard of Youtube. Why not take this massive audience and ensnare them with the sweet tones of StartOS. “Come . . . . download me . . . . enjoy freedom and the bliss of sovereign computing.” Let’s use these platforms to promote Start9.
- Subscribe: Need I say more? Youtube
- Watch the Videos: Take a peek at our youtube channel. If you find a video that would help you or that might be interesting, watch it. The increased traffic will appease the algorithm gods!
- Comment: Give us some feedback! If you think our videos suck and are booring, please tell us. If you like the videos, let everyone else know. If you like Start9 but don’t care about the videos, still tell everyone that Start9 is awsome (caus’ it is)!
OFFER START9 AS AN ALTERNATIVE
There is literally an entire website devoted to finding alternatives to software (AlternativesTo) (Upvote Start9!). There is clearly a market for promoting Start9 as an alternative. On every social media platform that you can (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, Youtube, Mastadon, Lemmy, etc.) offer Start9 as an alternative. However, please do not troll, that’s just annoying. If we disrespect others, they will loose respect for us.
Examples:
- If you watch a video on self-hosting and it’s talking about using docker, SSH, and a bunch of other techie jargon, just tell everyone, “You could also just use Start9. They’re increadibly simple and secure.”
- What about in the case of the LastPass hack? When you see that post on Twitter say, “You know, I self-host my own password manager on #Start9. I know where my passwords are all the time.”
- Or what about when Nextcloud releases a new version? Just say, “Just upgraded to Nextcloud 3.0. #Start9 seems to be running it well.”
- Someone complaining about how Umbrel doesn’t have clearnet support? Let them know that StartOS will have it in version 4.0.
CONSISTENCY
Every project has its ups an downs in publicity. However, it would be better to have consistent marketing than inconsistent, even if the peaks are massive.
Here is a suggestion: Right now, get your phone out. RIGHT NOW! Ok, got it out? Good. What you should do is set an alarm for one day a week (Saturday at 7:00 PM maybe?). Every time this alarm goes off, do something for Start9. Repost, comment on a video, answer a question, contribute to docs. It doesn’t matter if you have been reposting all week, make sure you repost when the alarm goes off.
When setting this alarm, answer these questions: When will this go off? Where will I be when it goes off? What will I do when it goes off?
Ok, did you actually do it? Did you actually set the timer? Ohhh, you didn’t, did you? Are you going to banish Start9 to the ocean of lost ones and zeros? . . . . . How cruel.
- Yes, I set the timer
- Yes, but then I ignored it
- No, I didn’t set the timer
- No, I didn’t. I want Start9 be lost to the endless ocean of ones and zeros
MANNERS ! ! !
I’m sure you all have had it hammered into you by your lovely grandmothers (Yes Ma’am, No Ma’am, you know the whole deal.) When we interact with others online, those same manners still stand.
When you interact with people on online, remember this: they are people. They have their own personalities, quirks, biases, opinions, and entire lives that you don’t know about.
- Remember that you should treat them as you would treat your best friend. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. It is fine to disagree, just do so respectfully.
- Remember that others WILL misunderstand you.
- REMEMBER THAT TYPING IN ALL CAPS IS CONSIDERED AS YELLING AND RUDE BY MANY PEOPLE.
In summary: Next time you think you found a rude jerk online, assume that they misunderstood you, just lost their job, ran over their son’s dog, and broke their leg . . . . . all within a 2 hour span.
A good website with some tips: 7 Rules for Online Etiquette - Achieve Virtual Education Academy
TARGETED COMMUNITIES
If you are part of a subreddit on snowboarding, what do you think the community’s reaction would be if you made a post about Start9? They would probably just label you as an annoying troll who is trying to spread crypto scams. Now what would happen if you posted it on a Reddit forum about self-hosting? The reaction would be way more positive. It is, therefore, important that you target communities that would be interested.
- Target communities like tech, cyberpunk, self-hosting, privacy, crypto, decentralization, linux, fediverse, FOSS, open-source, Android, etc., etc., etc. In general, target communities that would actually be interested. If they don’t care about anything technology related, you are wasting energy and time.
- Target communities on different platforms. If there is a FOSS community on some random, unknown platform, they should know about Start9.
- Get together with other Start9 community members and create organized efforts to promote and support Start9.
- Examples
- Would you like Linus Tech Tips to do a review on StartOS? Create a discussion on https://community.start9.com/ and ask other members to see if they would like to join you. Get ten people together and commit to sending LTT an email by a set date. Then commit to posting a comment on YouTube making the request by a set date.
- Would you like EteSync to make a package for StartOS? Once again, create an organized effort. Start a discussion, recruite some people, and commit to an action. Maybe someone knows a developer of EteSync and could pull some strings?
- Examples
Further Suggestions?
If you, dear reader, have anything else to add, please feel free to contact Start9 and make a suggestion.
Long live Start9 and the open web!