SmartCollegeVist's Social Media Rocket Launch
The synergy fueling the powerful trajectory of SmartCollegeVisit's beginning last week is a fascinating case study of a business launch through social media.
SmartCollegeVisit was founded by Z. Kelly Queijo. Through her business savvy and fine writing, she has been instrumental to the success of Handshake 2.0, the social media channel of Handshake Media, Incorporated. I am honored that she chose Handshake Media to assist with the launch and initial flight of her own enterprise.
Just prior to launch, I exuberantly announced on my corporate blog our pre-launch plan and strategy, modestly entitled Watch This! Then, Watch Out!
In a solo, reflective moment, I realized I needed to be clear on my vision of SmartCollegeVisit's value proposition, how I valued it, and how I wanted my company to be of service to SmartCollegeVisit. Also pre-launch, for Handshake 2.0 I wrote So the Child Can Fly.
On launch day, Z. Kelly Queijo - ZKQ - and I were up before dawn, emailing and using Twitter to finalize our plans.
I posted this tweet: "Ten minutes before launch of new #blacksburg enterprise, Twitter followers 8, Facebook fans 2, Site traffic 0 :)"
In our flurry of communication I remember sending her countdown emails: "7 minutes," then "2 minutes..."
On November 9, 2009, 7:00 AM EST, on Handshake 2.0 appeared Birth of an Entrepreneur, a statement of origin, purpose and vision by SmartCollegeVisit's founder Z. Kelly Queijo.
On Twitter, the tweeting and retweeting from Handshake 2.0's account, SmartCollegeVisit's account, and ZKQ's account began. Here's a screenshot of my November 9 Twitter stream.
On her own corporate blog, ZKQ posted On Launching a Business.
An hour and a half later, First College Visit, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit, debuted with Age Regression Via the College Tour by Bob Geller - the "discoverer" of Handshake 2.0 for providing its first ever link in.
Updates on all of these events were posted on Handshake 2.0's Facebook page and SmartCollegeVisit's Facebook page.
The social media launch of SmartCollegeVisit involved 4 blogs, 3 Twitter accounts, and 2 business Facebook pages.
Extending that number virally and exponentially, wonderful well-wishers tweeted, retweeted, and updated.
And in the flight log of SmartCollegeVisit's launch, that was only Day One.
Illustration by Daniel Yowell
SmartCollegeVisit is a client of Handshake Media, Incorporated, parent company of Handshake 2.0.
Anne:
You might remember that I actually tweeted the launch before the launch, causing you a quick sinking feeling, no doubt.
Dan Smith
Posted by: Dan Smith | November 17, 2009 at 11:02 AM
You were so great to post a link to the mock-up of your story on a development blog on Valley Business FRONT's blog, http://www.morefront.blogspot.com/ .
Except it was a secret!
You were also very kind to remove the link when I sent an email to you, subject line: "AGHHH!"
Great excitement and fun all the way around and thank you again so much for your generous - and early! - support of the launch of SmartCollegeVisit!
Posted by: Anne Giles Clelland | November 17, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Then, I must owe a big thanks to both of you!
-Kelly
Posted by: Z. Kelly Queijo | November 17, 2009 at 01:32 PM