The Folbot Facebook community continues to grow and thrive.
It’s become a wonderful way to quickly spread news about Folbot, learn what Folbot paddlers are up and just have some fun.
We hope you “like” the page and join in.
David A.
Posts Tagged ‘facebook’
More Facebooking
May 17, 2011I recently wrote about the growing Folbot community on Facebook (please “like” us there!).
One of the daily features has become the posting of a “Folbot Mystery Photo” where people try to identify what’s in the photo — which all have something to do with Folbot or the kayaks. The answers range from serious to funny — we’ve even had one of the posters insisting that the picture was of an alien worm from outer space (I don’t think she was serious).
Today’s photo is a favorite of mine — it captures the joy of a successful first assembly of a Folbot kayak.
The challenge on Facebook was, “What is the actual purpose of the ‘Robin Hood hats’ that these gentlemen are wearing? Do you know?”
Do you?
David A.
Facebooking
May 11, 2011A fast growing part of the Folbot community can now be found on Facebook.
The Folbot Facebook page has become a great source of Folbot news and a place for paddlers to share their own experiences.
One of the things we try to regularly do is post photos that we think everyone will enjoy (and please check the page every day to see if you can identify the Folbot Mystery Photo of the day).
Today we posted this photo — which is one of our favorites.
Folbot has been making people happy since 1933!
We hope you and your friends will join us there… so please click on over and “like” us!
David A.
Inside Edition
March 19, 2010Tuesday was a pretty exciting day at Folbot. We were featured in an article in the Wall Street Journal regarding the effectiveness of social media (Twitter, Facebook and such) in a business context.
Click the photo to see the text of the article
It was great to be identified as a successful user of this form of communication and we were thrilled with the half a page of exposure in a major “old media” outlet. We were also really delighted with the photo of Jackie Siddall, a Cooper owner in Toronto, and her getting such star exposure (you may remember Jackie from her now famous blog posting, “How Twitter Made Me Buy A Boat“).
So how does a manufacturer of folding kayaks in Charleston, SC get such treatment? Well, it takes a lot of effort to get the attention of a reporter.
We work with a wonderful public relations firm in Charleston — Touchpoint Communications.
They in turn work with a great organization called the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, which is tasked to attract business to the Charleston area.
Part of the CRDA’s strategy of showing what a great place Charleston is to live and work in is to is help shine the spotlight on companies already doing business here.
They in turn work with Development Counsellors International, whose specialty is marketing places — they work with states, regions, and cities to attract visitors and investment.
So all those groups working together managed to get the attention of Sarah Needleman, the writer for the Wall Street Journal. Simple, huh? You’d think just making really cool folding kayaks would be enough.
The WSJ article also shows the power of the traditional media. Once the article was published (both in the paper and on their website) Folbot’s website activity significantly jumped, I received tons of emails and tweets about the article (you can follow me at @DAvRutick, and Folbot at @Folbot), people joined the Folbot Facebook page and others got in touch with Jackie via Twitter (@JackieSiddall) about her Cooper, and a number of other blogs discussed the article. It’s pretty cool that an article in a newspaper about using social media can drive such activity in the “new world.”
And around it goes.
Stay tuned… our next big media hit is coming soon. It’s a good one.
David A.
Read All About It
August 17, 2009The day a Folbot email newsletter launches is a fun one. Not only do we get to communicate directly with thousands of people, they come and visit us. The number of people who read The Front and come to the website spikes up, the phones ring a bit more and the reaction on Twitter and Facebook is quick and lively.
The newsletter is a great way to learn about sales and other neat Folbot stuff. If you are not on our newletter distribution list, you can sign up on the website. We promise not to fill your inbox and we never share our list of names.
If you have any ideas of what you would like to see in the newsletter, please let me know. We love to share.
David A.
Brave New World
June 12, 2009The Internet and social media have really changed the face of business – or at least for Folbot they have. Traditional ads and direct mailings have been dramatically reduced or completely eliminated. Now with tools ranging from email blasts to Google, from Twitter to Facebook and MySpace, from YouTube to StumbleUpon, there are faster and more effective ways of reaching Folboters and potential Folboters. And the Folbot website and the Folbot Forum have never been more important.
Check out some of what is going on…
The Citibot assembly video has now been viewed over 10,000 times! (I know it says less than that, but we had another version up first which had about 1000 views.)
In just 3 months I have over 1000 “followers” on this social microblogging site. People can tune in and hear my thoughts on everything from Folbot to Tabasco sauce by following me (@davrutick). Will the Intern is now running the Folbot page (@Folbot) and is sharing useful bits of information.
Twitter has generated a lot of activity and some sales, and even the slogan on the back of the new t-shirt came from a Tweeter who won a contest for a Folbot hat!
Thanks to the efforts of Will the Intern, Folbot is one of the most popular members of this social networking site for paddlers. PaddleFriend is a cool site to interact with all sorts of paddlers.
The Folbot Facebook group now has well over 200 members and grows on a daily basis. This is a great place to exchange information and make friends with other Folboters.
Will the Intern also created a growing Folbot presence on this social networking site. In just a few days of being on MySpace, Folbot’s friends are rapidly increasing.
StumbleUpon is an interesting site which randomly presents websites to visitors based on their interests. We get hundreds of hits on our website from there. It is a great way for people who don’t even know they are interested in Folbot to find us.
And these are just a handful of the websites and social media where people meet Folbot. (You should also check out Foldingkayaks.org and Paddling.net — really useful and excellent sites.)
To paraphrase Thomas Friedman, the world may now be flat, but it is sure is exciting.
David A.
Tweet Tweet
February 16, 2009Folbot may be 76 years old, but we try not to act our age.
We are now micro-blogging on Twitter. Be a Folbot follower!
And, of course, this is in addition to our group on Facebook, where our fan base is now up to 126 members. Please join and tell your friends!
Who knew there were so many ways to help make your adventures unfold?
David A.
Facebook… The Century Mark
January 2, 2009A nice way to start the new year is to have our new Folbot group on Facebook hit 100 members… it is now at 99. Who will be number 100? Or 200? or 300?
Please click to join. It’s easy!
Will You Be Our Friend?
November 11, 2008As part of staying hip, cool, trendy and socially relevant, Folbot now has an official group page on
Please join us as a member of the group! It is easy to do…
David A.
