Discussion: Introducing Tweet Code Thursdays!

Why not post codes that have unlimited usage for a given period of time?

Post a code, expire it in 5 or 10 minutes. That way those following the tweets are guaranteed a code. This will create alot less disappointment amongst your subscribers and still reach out to the extended community as desired.

Reaching out to the extended community at the cost of upsetting your VIP customers is not good business mmkay. Come on Paragon, it's not rocket science.

So, I see a few issues with the whole Twitter thing.

1.) You have to sell out and (edit --) use twitter. For some, that is a big deal. (I had originally wrote 'join', but was incorrect in typing that -- oops!)
----1a - Edit#3 since now that you must re-tweet to get a code, you indeed do have to join twitter.

2.) If you're in-game, you're likely not going to be getting twitter updates (unless you're running windowed mode or have a smartphone).
----2a. If you're piping giveaways into the game directly, using the announcements popup or just a broadcast channel, then you incentivize people to be *in game*.
----2b. Raise the bar further for Premiums and VIPs with giveaways that can target them (but not by forcing people to hang out on Exalted)

3.) If you happen to be working in a place that maintains a firewall that blocks either/or twitter, city of heroes/ncsoft, you aren't going to be able to participate at least some of the time....unless you have a smartphone with a data plan.

4.) I personally don't understand the purpose of the twitter giveaway (and how it fits into a greater marketing plan).
----4a. Twitter is primarily for an audience you have already captured (....Follow us on twitter!). If you're looking to throw stuff at the existing community, it really should be more convenient.
----4b. If there's one thing I dislike more than twitter, it's facebook, but at least facebook's implementation potentially exposes you to new eyeballs, if the aim is to capture new consumers.

I'm not trying to be an armchair new-media marketing guru here, but I'm just saying....I don't necessarily see a connection between action and objective, assuming I even understand what the objective is ( ' ;

Otherwise, I like free stuff as much as anyone else, so keep it coming ( ' :

***edit: I'd just like to add, I don't mean to seem so bold as to expect objectives and plans to be shared with the community -- I'm just sharing a perspective as one member of your built-in audience.

Costume pieces limited to community team giveaways only?

Where's the "dislike" button?

You shouldn't have to join twitter. Just click the link on the front page and hit F5 every 5 minutes. Also check NCSOFT accounts to see if the mainteance is over, if so then log in. They won't release the codes until you can since that's were you redeem the codes at.

This is how these contests work every where. The 1st 10 callers win...

You know what would be a great VIP perk? Getting these codes automatically. Does it really matter to you if I subscribe to your twitter feed? I don't understand how that benefits you. As a VIP, I'm already giving you money. You're not selling things through Twitter. You're not being paid per follower, are you? I understand that you'll advertise there, and you want people to see the ads, but the main thing you're selling is subscriptions, and I already have one! And as a subscriber, you have no trouble getting word of new store items to me by other means.

What are you trying to achieve with this ? Get more people on your Twitter feed ?

Some of your players already follow you on Twitter - and you're pissing off a good portion of those

Some of your players may start to follow you on Twitter - they'll try for the codes, and then will probably join the group above.

Some of your players do not want to use Twitter - and this promotion is hardly any reason for them to change their minds.

This whole scheme is a bad idea.

There are a few ways to encourage the ripple effect from publicly visible giveaways (which is always their purpose). One is two make it extremely exclusive, and only available during promotional events, thereby encouraging the "Wow, where'd you get that?!" factor. Another, though, is giving away something with an actual cash value, which encourages word of mouth via "I got this 400PP* aura for free by following @CityOfHeroes on Twitter!"

But as has been previously mentioned, giving away costume items in this fashion becomes just another entry in the litany of unattainable CoH items, steadily eliminating any collector mentality the game once engendered. So it goes.

*Not at all intended as an MSRP, for criminey's sake.

Not to be a "cheerleader' or anything but you do know that you don't have to sell your soul to join twitter right? Granted I still am not sure what I am doing but you only have to give your name ( it doesn't have to be real come on people!)a email addy ( i have more than a few that i use for just such occasions) a password and a user name, that's it!

So saying all that I dislike all this fancy social media stuff as well. I'm an old lady that has no intention of tooting about what i am doing every five minutes.

Toot: going 2 the store
Return Toot: ur g8t!!1
Toot: i jst got apples nd a box of tampax
Toot: I jst got in my car
Return Toot: u suk!!1

BUT I'll play along because for now, it's fun and maybe I might get a code or maybe I will get bored and just go play the game instead :P

Everything Hyper just said. Seriously.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

i thought the codes were going to be like facebook log on get code update account..yay
instead and i did try yesterday log into twitter add city of heroes see codes pop
they went fast...

give up...unfollow

will not touch with a 50 foot pole
what i dont have....i wont miss

add my vote to bleh
(not that it matters)

Promo Codes or don't bother; Paragon Studios is professional enough to try to drive their social media, but then fumble the ball on the 3 yard line. This does nothing but upset the very people you're marketing to!

How's this sound? I created a Twitter account just for this fiasco. If I get a code, I'll stick around and follow you guys on Twitter. If not, I'll just un-follow you. No big deal.

...And you'll have created just another tiny little bit of ill will among the players. I'm not going to quit or boycott anything, and this'll be the last bellyaching I do over it. Just... every little screw-up like this causes your "stock to go down", as they say, in peoples' eyes. It adds up.

And by the way, I'm one of those who would've been glad to pay good money for this in the Market (Kirby fan since his mid-70s return to Marvel).

Zwill, I don't object AT ALL to you using and promoting Twitter - I use Twitter to promote my own business. By all means, use and promote Twitter.

My objection is to the code grab.

All it does is frustrate me. Especially when you then tell me I won't be able to get that item any other way.

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