Aside from the value of the effort itself, being the first to do something carries an extra boost of PR value that normal innovation doesn’t. This week I’m hoping to get the “what can we be first at?” juices flowing with three, simple ideas.

Though I’ve been watching the Bitcoin phenomenon for a while, I still haven’t used it.

Perhaps that’s my justification for not taking it more seriously. Meanwhile, three million bitcoin transactions are taking place each month by people who do.

Digging Deeper
I once sat next to a hedge-funk manager on a plane who was aggressively researching BTC as an investment option.

While this currency as a reliable, long-term investment option hasn’t panned out quite yet, there has developed a tight-knit, loyal community of people who are fans and believers in it’s future.

And this is the important part, because when business’s become one of the first to cater to this community, even mainstream media takes notice:

• Time Inc. Begins Accepting Bitcoin Payments
• Microsoft begins accepting Bitcoin
• Dell Begins Accepting Bitcoin in the UK and Canada

In case you don’t click, those links include sources like The NY Times and CNN Money.

Small too?
But those are big names, right? What about smaller brands? Same story:

• Now accepting bitcoin: Seattle-based mobile grilled cheese truck
• Food ordering service begins accepting Bitcoin payments
• San Jose Earthquakes to begin accepting bitcoin as payment at stadium

While mainstream covers the big stuff, it’s almost always that BTC-focused community that covers the smaller brands.

Show this group some love and they seem to show it right back. They may not have a voice like CNN, but they do have strong influence with BTC users.

How hard? Not too.
I don’t think it would even take a major push, just something – season passes, hotel rooms, the on-mountain waffle shack – where you can accept BTC and be the first resort to cater to this group.

Companies like Coinbase have made getting started as simple as creating a classic PayPal “Buy Now” button.

And that’s it. A small, loyal group just waiting to tell their world how great you are…if you’re first.

About Gregg & SlopeFillers
I've had more first-time visitors lately, so adding a quick "about" section. I started SlopeFillers in 2010 with the simple goal of sharing great resort marketing strategies. Today I run marketing for resort ecommerce and CRM provider Inntopia, my home mountain is the lovely Nordic Valley, and my favorite marketing campaign remains the Ski Utah TV show that sold me on skiing as a kid in the 90s.