I established a novelty event in 2010 and mobilized 250 to attend using Twitter, Facebook, and a modest but informational and funny website. It received press coverage in the Pioneer Press and Southwest Journal.
Building on this established success in 2011, I added a voting component using a Facebook page in addition to the event page, resulting in nearly 1,300 “likes” and the development of independent campaigns on behalf of many contestants. The second event sold out the Turf Club 90 minutes after doors opened with 350 attendees and many more turned away.
The Twitter component consisted of many funny, highly successful tweets (high retweet rate and indicative of my abilities), including:
All love is doubled with the addition of a beard.
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear / Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair / Fuzzy Wuzzy should grow a beard so he’s taken more seriously at work and at parties
It’s Monday of Beard-Off Week. This is similar to Shark Week, because beards are known as the Sharks of the Face.
Welcome to March. On the Chinese Zodiac calendar, this is known as the Month of the Minnesota Beard-Off (probably)
If you are unsure how to get your car unstuck, find someone with a beard. He will know.
The second Minnesota Beard-Off received media coverage in the Pioneer Press (page B1, above the fold, as well as “Top Story” positioning on twincities.com on the day of the event), WCCO-TV (40-second spot on the 10pm news on the evening of the event), City Pages (interview with contestant, A-List event, and blog entry), Metro Magazine, AOL City’s Best, and 365 Twin Cities. Was approached by Yelp.com for a sponsorship agreement which resulted in the Beard-Off being their featured event, which consisted of prominent placement in their weekly e-newsletter that reaches 30,000 Twin Citizens. Both events were really, really fun.