You see this:
It’s something Twitter users call a Retweet (RT). In other words, it’s a straight lift and rebroadcast of another user’s update.
Retweets have the potential to go viral. Say, someone’s child goes missing…one might be inclined to Retweet such a notice in hope of casting a wider safety net for the worried family. This same principal is at work even when the cause isn’t as pressing. If one can enter a contest to win $500 simply by using Twitter in this fashion, it’s a no brainer. People are going to do it. Frankly I’m impressed that Kmart figured this out. Granted, they had the help of social media marketing firm, Izea, but still.
Here’s how it all works…Izea lined up six prominent bloggers and gave them all $500 gift certificates to Kmart–one for them to use (and write about) and one for them to give to a reader. Which is where the innovative entry mechanism comes into play. Blogger, Julia Roy explains that one can enter to win her $500 gift certificate to Kmart simply by Retweeting the above, or by commenting on her blog and specifying which items at Kmart one would purchase with the free cash.
According to Media Post, the six bloggers who were given Kmart shopping certificates were under no obligation to express positive impressions.
The six pay per post bloggers that took part in this campain are: Roy, Chris Brogan, Loren Feldman, Wendy Piersall (who runs a site dedicated to such deals), Jeremy Schoemaker and Michelle Madhok.
This social media initiative is estimated to reach 500,000 people via blogs and Twitter.
