posted on March 10th, 2009 in Commerce, Merchandise, Tools 

Rizzo Tees gives a coupon code to every new Twitter follower. Smart.

Rizzo Tees followed Undependent on Twitter.  I followed back. Check this promotional offer within the Bio:

Follow me and I’ll auto-DM you a 10% off coupon code to my funny t-shirt website.

Smart stuff.

I can confirm the DM arrives. If this code also escapes into the coupon aggregators, that’s even better since more new folks could then potentially discover Rizzo Tees.

All Undies should consider this approach. It evidences good design in that:

• The open enticement of a 10% discount might induce more people to click “Follow” and thus help grow the follower base. All followers receive an immediate reward.
• Folks also should not be surprised by an auto-DM because the Bio copy notifies them it’s coming. Stating this upfront at the Twitter profile serves as a kind of light opt-in for the DM.
• “Auto-DM” implies a programmatic solution that just runs. It thus hopefully doesn’t require too much ongoing time from Chris to maintain. This facet is important, especially for Undies that handle many of their own operational tasks and therefore remain quite busy if not overloaded much of the time.
• It connects new Twitter followers to the online store and rewards participation, aka orders. More visitors might thus become buyers. Transacting directly with fans represents the best monetization going for Undies, and leveraging Twitter to grow direct sales is brilliant.
• In general, it’s always a good idea to imagine what next audience action should follow the current action. For instance, Twitter followers can become buyers. A shipped order could encourage folks to join an email list. An email sent to this list could reward fans for meeting up at an event (like, say, SXSW, here in Austin this week). Fans at events could be led to Twitter. And on and on it goes in a virtuous cycle that ideally benefits fans and creators alike. The fan experience comprises a simple, consistent, point-to-point set of steps across all these mediums: site, store, Twitter, Facebook, events, email, products, etc. Rizzo Tees has established one important link by connecting Twitter to store. How can you make it easier and more enjoyable for your fans to take that next step?

Give it some thought. How can you best employ similar ideas to treat your fans and feed your passion?

Btw, for more sources on this and other topics, dive into our Delicious page. I’ve grabbed a lot on Twitter lately because Undies are using it in all kinds of cool ways. In addition, as Twitter continues its rapid growth, more applications and uses arrive almost daily. Have fun with it, and let us know how you’re using it.