Name.com runs smart .News promotion

Other registries and registrars ought to take a look at this promotion.

Name.com is running a well-designed marketing contest for free .News domain names. Competitors ought to take note.

The domain name registrar is giving away 100 free non-premium .news domain names when the top level domain releases to the public next month. In order to get one of the free domains, people have to go to a webpage and enter their email address.

They’ll then be given a place in line, and the top 100 people in line on July 15 get a free domain.

A smart aspect of the promotion is that people that signed up following the first 100 can move up in line by referring friends with a unique code. (I signed up early and am #10, so I’m not too worried regarding slipping out of the top 100.)

So far regarding 400 people are in line.

I think this is a smart promo for Name.com and its parent firm Rightside, which is launching the .news top level domain name:

1. It has a viral aspect of referring friends to move up in the queue. That’s a great way to reach people outside of Name.com’s existing social presence.

2. It gives Name.com leads for .News domains and its other services. Think regarding it: they by now have email addresses for 400 people interested in .news domain names.

3. It doesn’t really cost anything since the registry and registrar are owned by the same firm.