Traveling the country with the Steem logo in my head – Why I decided to become a walking billboard

in steemit •  8 years ago 


Earlier this week I packed my bags to head east on a week long vacation through 4 states and multiple airports.  On my first flight I was deep in thought about something that’s been on my mind a lot since joining here a month ago.  It’s a question I think about often, and yet it’s something that up until now I had virtually no answer for... and basically it boils down to this: 

How can the average person make a profound contribution to promote awareness and drive the adoption of Steem?   

I’ve already told everyone that I work with, and a few of my closer friends and family members, yet without a million facebook followers, or the ability to code and help with development, I felt I needed to do more. 

That’s when a spark of genius hit me. What if I shave the Steem logo into my head and leave it there for a week, or three?  How many people would ask about it?  How many conversations could I start with friends and strangers along the way that would lead to an increase in awareness and adoption?    

So that’s exactly what I did.  I pulled up the logo and gave complete trust to my girlfriend, who’s artistic skills and steady hands did the rest.  A few minutes later I was a walking billboard, ready for action.

To say it was an interesting week is an understatement.  

Lets be honest, it's not very often you see a 31 year old with something shaved into the side of their head, which led to a lot of questions, reactions, and strange looks.  But the great news is... it worked!  It sparked countless conversations that started off as a curious question and ended in an education on Steem.  

Not every conversation was smooth however.  There were a few blank stares and comedic reactions as I tried to explain "where the money comes from" to people who were unfamiliar with Bitcoin or blockchain technology.  One such reaction can be seen below, where I was met with confusion and skepticism on the streets of Maine.

Despite my early struggles I became much more proficient at explaining the ins and outs and getting some people to sign up on the spot (and hopefully many more later on).  Not only was it great (hopefully) for promoting Steem, it also helped me as well.  I've never been someone who would approach random people and strike up a conversation, but that's exactly what I did on a number of occasions, and I think it'll be easier for me to do so in the future, with or without the Steem logo in my head.

After talking to people in 4 different states, and multiple airports I arrived back in Indianapolis on Saturday. Although I'm back at work today, the logo remains in the sides of my head, and luckily I haven't been fired yet. This is only the beginning of my plan to increase awareness and engagement, and I have a few more great ideas to put into action soon.  

Thank you to everyone for reading, I plan to post again next week with more updates along my journey.  

Also, if anyone would like to comment on the easiest/best way to explain "where the money comes from", that was the question I struggled with the most.
 

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I like the style bud

Thanks, had to get creative! #payitforward

U know this post need more votes bc this is creative

Thanks I thought so too, but I'm a little biased haha.

Great read, cant wait to see more from you john.

Thanks buddy.

looks like you had a great week. I still haent found a quick and easy way to explain where the money comes from though so i explain that steem is a digital commodity that people want to buy and sell it saves a few headaches

I like that explanation. I think I was overcomplicating it at first and getting some blank stares lol. I started explaining that you essentially get half the payment as shares of stock (SP) and the other half in the form of a currency/commodity pegged to the USD. Hopefully that made sense to most.

Hey great stuff, well there have been several posts about it where the money comes from, the best way to explain is investors who invest into steem because they see the growth, and the more people join the more investors will be putting money into Steemit!

Great explanation, I'll add that to my repertoire ;)

I love the haircut!

Thanks :) We tried having the logo on one side and "Steem" on the other side but it was difficult shaving it into my head and making it look good so we stuck with logos for now.

Now that is devotion! And a great conversation starter. :)

Thanks! I'm already thinking of more creative ideas for future marketing campaigns :)

Support from one face-to-face marketer to another

Thanks for the support, I really liked your recent idea and post as well. These are the types of things that will help drive mass adoption.

Yes but I only made 30 dollar or so, this makes it impossible to do more than I already do.

I understand what you mean, I wish my votes were worth more. Then again, maybe someone with more SP will see your post soon and it will gain momentum.

'The last thing that dies is hope'

I needs a bit of color ;-)

Great idea, I'll add some blue to it next time :)

No offense. On first look I saw just SS. Be careful not to be mistaken for a Nazi.

A couple of my friends said the same thing actually. I might just wear a Steem t-shirt in the future to prevent anything crazy from happening...

lol great stuff!

Thanks Tom, it was one hell of a week.

  ·  8 years ago (edited)

Nicely done sir! Lol

Next big question is what does that store have against Icecream?!? The smokeing thing.. Totally understandable.. But ICECREAM is harmless lol.. I blame the diabetics.. Or a renagade clan of liberated dairy cows..

Thank you!

Haha I was wondering if anyone would notice that sign in the window. We thought it was hilarious, and I totally should have asked what the deal is.

Wow, that is really cool man, I just joined Steemit a few days ago after seeing people I've been following for a while like Roger Ver, Trace Mayer & Jeff Berwick join the community. They might be the best people to help answer the question of "Where the money comes from". They seem to understand the world of fiat vs gold vs crypto better than most hence their consistent success. Good luck on your quest, we need more people on Steemit to make it better for everyone!!! - The Network Effect

Thanks for reading and welcome, I hope you like it here. I will definitely reach out to some of the more knowledgeable members for help with that one. It was a challenge explaining it to people unfamiliar with bitcoin but this project has definitely helped me refine my explanations already!

This is both funny but very inventive.

Amazing stunt, celebrate the absurd!