Nerd Out App
Nerd Out was an iOS and Android event calendar application and later a web-based calendar. It promoted pop-culture-based events, ranging from local game nights, trivia, and cosplay meetups to massive multi-day events like San Diego Comic-Con.
As the founder of Nerd Out, I took this idea from concept to execution, growing a user base of 65,000+ web-based consumers, 15,000+ app downloads, and 9,000+ social followers across the globe while promoting tens of thousands of events for three years.
To promote such a massive calendar, I utilized social media, creative copywriting, newsletters, events, in-person meetups, press, and collaborations to drive app downloads and newsletter subscriptions.
Social Media Outreach
For Nerd Out, I use social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter / X, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr. I used written and visual content tailored to Nerd Out’s pop-culture audience to publicize events, such as cosplay photography, graphics, and GIFs.
Facebook, in particular, became essential, as targeting specific Facebook Groups and creating our own group (the Nerd Out Squad) built a community around the app and helped drive traffic to it. No paid media was used to create this audience; it was all organic growth.
Accounts Managed:
Bi-Weekly Newsletter
I curated, edited, and sent a bi-weekly newsletter to over 3,500 subscribers, publicizing the Top 5 events for ten cities across the United States. This newsletter had an average open rate of 21.52%, with an average click rate of 3.4%, above average for this demographic.
The newsletter was sponsored by several pop-culture-based companies to promote their products, upcoming events, and more. This added value for both parties and was an avenue for monetization.
Hosting Community Building Events
Several local events were created for Nerd Out users specifically to build community and provide in-person time with fellow users. These events were well attended and provided a way for us to gain positive brand sentiment.
Wizarding World Meetup: A cosplay group outing to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood was one of many events held for Nerd Out followers at this theme park.
Dapper Day: A lunchtime meetup at the viral Dapper Day event at Disneyland was held as a way for users to take the time to meet and greet one another during this expansive event at the Anaheim-based theme park.
Trivia Nights: On several occasions, trivia games were coordinated at locations around Los Angeles, for app users to attend and win sponsored prizes.
Exhibiting at Comic Conventions
I exhibited at several comic book conventions to promote Nerd Out. This included audiences at large conventions like San Diego Comic-Con and smaller, more locally-based ones at comic book stores. Having a booth at these events enabled me to meet with many of Nerd Out’s users in person and bring new users to the platform. I gained thousands of downloads and newsletter signups by offering giveaway prizes to those who participated.
Panels: I was asked to be a guest on several panels, providing an additional outlet to promote Nerd Out.
Cosplay Meetups: At several of these comic conventions, I attended cosplay meetups to integrate Nerd Out with that niche community. It also provided a wonderful opportunity to create and curate content.
“After Hours” Meetups: During the evenings of several comic conventions we exhibited at, we held meetups at nearby establishments for convention-goers to mix and mingle with other Nerd Out users.
Brand Collaborations
Because of the strong community and pop-culture user base of Nerd Out, I secured several collaborations with notable brands and companies.
Disney Home Video: The publicity team at The Walt Disney Studios reached out to promote their home video releases. I collaborated with them by hosting giveaways on Nerd Out’s social channels and bringing materials provided by Disney to conventions as giveaways. We partnered on several titles, including Thor Ragnarok, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Rogue One, Doctor Strange, Beauty and the Beast, and more.
Her Universe: I initiated a collaboration with Her Universe to create a mutually beneficial campaign to promote their new Star Wars line. It increased social interactions for both parties around the new film’s release.
Allied Marketing: As part of the promotion of Ready Player One and Tomb Raider, the team at Allied Marketing reached out to partner on offers for Nerd Out’s followers, providing exclusives like movie premiere tickets and pre-release film viewings, helping to boost the awareness for the feature releases.