The We Love Saipan Origin Story
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Here is the origin story and facts for media release. Writers, editors and publishers, please
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THE "WE LOVE SAIPAN" NETWORK RELEASE/FACT SHEET
ORIGIN STORY: The welovesaipan.com site is the brainchild of entrepreneur Walt Goodridge. A recently arrived resident, Walt was disappointed with the dearth of positive information on Saipan and was determined to do something about it. "Before coming to Saipan in Feb 2006, I did a little of my own research on the internet, and found that there was not much information in the glowingly positive tone and terms that a good friend of mine used when he first told me about Saipan," Walt explains. "And, as I met more people whose life paths carried them here, I discovered that their perceptions of life here on Saipan were being skewed by one site in particular which was excessively negative. So I decided to do something about it." Walt reserved the WeLoveSaipan.com domain name, and then recruited the assistance of Angelo Villagomez "TheSaipanBlogger", who runs Saipan's most popular blog to help him publicize it. They shared visions, ideas and talents, and launched the site on Dec 6, 2006, with the express purpose of countering the negative image that new people were getting of their little island paradise. Angelo mentioned it on his blog and came up with the idea of creating a button that other bloggers could easily put on their sites linking to welovesaipan.com. Walt mentioned it in his weekly Saipan Tribune article. The two listed it on various search engines and directories. They set up a link program which allowed others to find and link to them, thus increasing the site's ranking. In an amazingly short time, they began to see their efforts rewarded. If you did a search for "saipan" on the day they launched, you'd have had to scroll through 16 pages of listings to find welovesipan.com at position 155. Even though no strangers to web tricks and accomplishments, the two were in for a surpise. Within a few weeks they were at position 120, then 100, then 50! "Even we were amazed to see how quickly we were moving up the search results," Angelo concedes. "Our network grew, more bloggers added links to us, we got encouragement and support from senators, congresswomen, attorneys, even an assistant attorney general with a blog chimed in! Within 4 months the site hit top ten! At about the same time, Angelo and a few other members suggested they host a "meet up" to build a sense of community and give people an opportunity to get to know each other. The first blogger meetup for the WeLoveSaipan Network was held on January 30, 2006, and has been going and growing steadily ever since. It was a great collaboration: Walt's vision for a new brand image for Saipan, and Angelo's vision of increased internet presence for CNMI residents combined to fuel the amazing growth of the We Love Saipan Network! Forget what you've heard. Welcome to the new Saipan! ###
FACT SHEET
VISION: It was a great collaboration, Walt's vision for a new brand image for Saipan,
and Angelo's vision of increased internet presence for CNMI residents combined
to fuel the amazing growth of the We Love Saipan Network!
FOUNDER: Walt F.J. Goodridge
PARTNER: Angelo Villagomez and the BeautifyCNMI family
URL: www.WeLoveSaipan.com
DOMAIN RESERVED: Nov 3, 2006
LAUNCH DATE:December 6, 2006
DAILY VISITS: Currently 30-50 people per day
SIZE OF NETWORK: Approximately 100 bloggers that we know about
MILESTONES: SHORT TERM GOALS: To secure and maintain our top ten position To grow the online network to at least 200 members, increase the attendance at the weekly meetups PROUD ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Feedback like this: "hi Walt, I am very impressed. I never thought of early retiring there until seeing this website. I am interested in finding out more. Jim W (from the early-retirement.org forum) hi Angelo, I started following your blog over a year ago when I was applying for the JET program. I found your Saipan Blog on BigDaikon.com. Your home is beautiful! You look like you are having a kick ass time! Thanks for sharing Saipan with all your readers. I would have never known how breathtaking it is. Your adventures make me want to go home to my native Vietnam and help out. Maybe, after Japan. I admire your passion for life.--Mary in Japan
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Want to post your We Love Saipan testimonial?
This is just the beginning. If you're a proud CNMI resident, The "We Love Saipan" Network wants your story. Please email us your "Why I Love Saipan" testimonial!And if you have a blog or website, please help us rise in the search engine ranking AND LINK TO US. We'll include a link to your blog or site for the world to see. (You don't have to be a resident of Saipan or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands [CNMI] to link to us!)
The We Love Saipan Network is comprised of real people whose websites/blogs show life in the CNMI with an emphasis on what we love about being here.
Forget what you've heard! This is the NEW Saipan!
Advertise to a worldwide audience.
| How it all started
More members>> Launch Date: Dec 6, 2006 Dec 6, 2006: 155 Dec 13, 2006: 133 Dec 20, 2006: 122 Dec 21, 2006: 104 Dec 27, 2006: 65 Jan 2, 2006: 50 Jan 22, 2007: 70 Jan 28, 2007: 45 Feb 15, 2007: 60 Feb 18, 2007: 36 Feb 20, 2007: 35 Feb 22, 2007: 29 Feb 24, 2007: 25 Mar 6, 2007: 18 Mar 13, 2007: 14 Apr 4, 2007: 10 May 8, 2007: 10 June 11, 2007: 9 June 20, 2007: 8 Aug 28, 2007: 8 *As of January 27, we now also have a PR4 ranking! Woo hoo! *As of October 7, we now have a PR5 ranking! Woo, and double hoo! You can help by linking to us
Feedback
Hello, Walt!
I hope to get to Saipan at least to check out the sweet life, and hopefully to move there with my family!
All the best,
Marc Silverberg, M.D.
hi Angelo,
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