W + K & Old Spice star in

“The Quest for the Man Child of George Takei and Dan Savage”

By Daniel Warren

Hello. Welcome to my brain.

This case study is curated by Daniel Warrenoccasional Internet winner

& seasoned IRL failure

310.699.4549WarrenDanielAustin@gmail.com@_DanielWarrenMeetDanielWarren.com

I write bad.

So does this guy.

Messy handwriting doesn’t make you Da Vinci.

SOCIAL MEDIA CASE STUDIES

• Challenge 7: Internet Schmoozing 101……..……..6• Challenge 9: #mypits and why they stink (on Instagram)………………….………..………17• Challenge 1: #Inline #Skating FTW…………………..27• Challenge 2: Seeing Reddit………………………..…….37• Challenge 10: Dream Catchers or how I learned to shut up and stop being an ultracrepidarian…………………………42

CHALLENGE 7: Internet Schmoozing 101

Daniel Warren on Linked In

GOAL

Get recommendations on LinkedIn from at least three other people trying to get this job.

STRATEGY• Do cool shit that merits endorsement• Add a skill that can be quickly verified– Dogwalking

• Facebook stalk the crap out of people who are more talented that you

#mypits write good.

Here #mypits discuss caverns.

And now atmospheric pressure.

RESULTS

Matt Rourke hearts me and he’s like the funniest CW of ever.

And a W+K writer follows me on Instragram.

LEARNINGSWhen man speaks of himself, he hidesWhen he speaks of others, he reveals

SUMMARY

Of course Linked In recos are meaningless, but not having any is far more incriminating.

CHALLENGE 9: #mypits and why they stink (on Instagram)

Follow me and #mypits on Instagram

GOAL

Upload the most pictures of your armpit(s) to Instagram during the course of this challenge. The pictures must have your face in them to verify your identity and include the hashtag #mypits.

INSIGHT: Don’t bleed the feed

Everyone posted pic after pic of their pits and I realized this was totally rude.

Michelle does not approve.

STRATEGY

• Take one pic of my armpits• Shrink it to 25x25 px• Mosaic ~1,000 of them to create a new pic• Re-upload as necessary to win

EXECUTIONS

EXECUTIONS

EXECUTIONS

EXECUTIONS

RESULTS

• ~ 5000+ pics of my armits can be found on Instagram if you squint.

• Only marginal feed bleed• Hearts from a W+K CW– This = 1 trillion mega facebook likes emotionally

• Concession from a fellow contestant– Ben says I deserve an interview

SUMMARY

W+K looks for people who think different.

I think I nailed it.

CHALLENGE 1: #Inline #Skating FTW

View #Inline #Skating FTW on Pinterest

GOAL

Create the best original Pinterest board dedicated to the sport of inline speed skating (NOT roller-hockey).

In the Age of Idiots, one man knew that mini trikes were soon to be cool for being uncool which made them even cooler.

STRATEGY

Tell a good inline skating story and do it for free.

$600 for this image is bad for ROI.

EXECUTION: PIN 3

EXECUTION: PIN 6

EXECUTION: PIN 7

REACTION: DISMAL

Twitter and Facebook gave two marginal shits, more like passed wind from a cheap aluminum chassis.

RESULTS: MISERABLE

• 3 new followers– @RTHerwig, @InlineGrind,

@MediaCoUK• 2 repins– InlineGrind

• 1 Like– Ozzy sits next to me at work so

that shouldn’t even count

FAILURES: INEVITABLE

• Lack of time• Poor art direction– Find creative partner and pass off talent as one’s

own• Shit writing• Lack of focus– Why do I care to share inline skating?

• Poor targeting– Ad moguls vs. inline diehards

SUMMARY:

Leave Pinterest to the pros, not prose. Narrative on Pinterest is like a stranger telling you their life story on an elevator.

Who knows, maybe Conan’ll dig this board up for an Internet Graveyard segment.

CHALLENGE 2: Seeing Reddit

View the Reddit Links in question

GOAL

Create and post an original piece of content to Reddit that then receives the most upvotes in a single week.

STRATEGY/EXECUTION

Post a Reddit link to the best (with no irony) inline skating Pinterest board and see what happens.

RESULTSStill waiting…

NEXT STEPS• Make Link Title Snappier

– Inline skating or rollerblading: What the crap’s the difference?– The best Inline skating pin board you’ve never seen– Girl bounces on trampoline wearing inline skates

• Needs a corresponding video

• Post it to the right board– WTF didn’t work too well– Could have tried humor but I didn’t want to risk making the board seem ironic

• Make better content– What the crap was I thinking here?– Stop falling in love with your first harebrained idea

• Eliminate gravity– Stoli mixologist = sexy– Red Bull Space Shuttle Thing = best marketing ROI of ever

SUMMARY

If it seems like something I’d post on Reddit, don’t.

CHALLENGE 10: Dream Catchers or how I learned to listen more and stop being an ultracrepidarian

Daniel Warren on Quora

GOAL

Using Quora, give thought-out, meaningful answers to as many dream catcher-related questions as possible in a single week.

INSIGHTS• Aphoristic thinking is dangerous thinking• Sometimes it’s better to listen than speak• Haruki Murakami is probably the greatest living writer and

he makes not knowing stuff and figuring it out intuitively seem really cool

• Einstein said the intuitive were a gift to mankind

STRATEGY

W+K epitomizes a wholesome goofball character who is probably smarter than you but also willing to act more foolish.

My goal is to embody the values of W+K in my work.

W+K VALUES

• Epic, but not gooberish• Moving, not melodramatic• Uncanny, never desperate• Hilarious, never crass• Memorable, not controversial• Beneficial, never a used car salesman• Smart, but not smarter than thou

Here’s a thoughtful answer.

Here’s an additional craigslist post I made to help a person who couldn’t pour cream in their coffee.

Murakami inspired my writing since I’ve read the canons of all of his influences i.e. a shitload of books

RESULTS

SUMMARY

I can’t even begin to comprehend the depth of my intellectual vacuity.

Although Nate Smith is pretty cool and now we’re internet buddies so that’s good.

And that was the martini.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks! Again my name is Daniel Warren.

If you like how I think and the fact that I am willing to embarrass myself then let’s be cosmic architects and make better stuff.

310.699.4549WarrenDanielAustin@gmail.com@_DanielWarrenMeetDanielWarren.com