Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Hoopla?
The Hoopla is a global network of businesses, organizations, and professionals who share a common goal: cross-promotion. You can think of us as a social network, like Facebook, but where Facebook connects friends, Hoopla cross-promotes businesses. When you join The Hoopla, you not only get a website, but you also join a network that can actively help you build exposure for it. For more information, click here.
Do I need a website to join The Hoopla?
No. When you sign up, you receive a Hoopla profile page, which gives you a state-of-the-art web presence, chock full of more features than most custom-built websites. Choose a layout; add your logo; upload products; post blogs, photos, videos, calendars, and much more. The more information you post, the more you will be cross-promoted amongst other Hoopla businesses, and the more traffic you will draw to your Hoopla page.
What are my design options for my Hoopla profile site? How much control do I have over its appearance?
Your Hoopla profile site is easy to configure – it only takes about 2 minutes to setup initially, and you can tweak it as much as you want. Start by choosing one of dozens of layouts, then choose your colors and upload your logo. Advanced users can use the advanced controls to make detailed changes, down to the HTML level. And if you ever need help, The Hoopla has professional designers on hand to give your Hoopla site a professional touch, for a very reasonable fee.
I have my own website. Why do I need to join The Hoopla?
To build exposure for it. We are a global network of businesses, organizations, and professionals who share a common goal: cross-promotion. You can think of us as a social network, like Facebook, but where Facebook connects friends, Hoopla cross-promotes businesses. The power of The Hoopla’s network, with its traffic builders, cross-promotion and publicity can help create additional on-line presence and traffic your business needs. Within your Hoopla page, it’s easy to setup links to your existing website. Did you know that this will not only increase traffic to your website, but will also increase your chances of being ranked higher by search engines like Google and Yahoo? You can even link elements of your Hoopla page (i.e. blogs, store/shopping cart, photo and video galleries, etc) right into your website! For example, post your Hoopla blog or photo galleries on your existing site. Or make your whole Hoopla store visible from your website. Together, your website combined with The Hoopla network can generate a definite buzz for your business!
Do larger companies receive more cross-promotion on The Hoopla than smaller ones?
Cross-promotion between two entities on The Hoopla network is not determined by a company’s size. The amount and quality of the content you post is what determines your cross-promotional impact on The Hoopla. The more content you post, the more chances you have of being cross-promoted. But user-feedback, sales trends, relevance, and many other factors are also considered. If your content is not relevant, or rated poorly by your site visitors, you will not be cross-promoted well.
Can I optimize my Hoopla pages so that they are more heavily cross-promoted within The Hoopla?
You can follow our guidelines for posting content to your Hoopla site, but besides that, your site visitors will largely determine how much you are cross-promoted within The Hoopla network. If they rate your content highly, or deem it relevant, or visit it frequently, you have a much better shot of being cross-promoted more heavily. Please your customers, and you will generate a buzz!
Can I sell products through The Hoopla?
Yes! Your Hoopla page comes complete with an e-commerce interface. It’s never been easier to sell your stuff, accept donations, handle event ticket sales, and more. Plus, if you’re a retailer, you can choose to have your products included on the Hoopla Marketplace, an online shopping site that brings together products and services from Hoopla retailers around the world. The result? Customers find what they’re looking for quickly, and you gain even more exposure.
Do I need a merchant account to sell products through The Hoopla?
No, you do not need an existing merchant account to do business on The Hoopla. If you already have one, that’s fine, you can continue to use their services. If you do not already have a merchant account, we will work with you to set one up.
Are auctions possible on The Hoopla, or just traditional retail sales?
At this time, only traditional sales are possible on The Hoopla. Auctions are slated to be supported soon.
What are the chances of my press release being picked up by Google, and how widely distributed would it be?
Every time you issue a press release within The Hoopla, it is submitted for approval to The Hoopla Press Room. Once approved, it is published there, and submitted for distribution on all of our partner networks, including Google News, Yahoo News, and many more.
How does The Hoopla guard against scammers?
The Hoopla’s cross-promotional engine relies heavily on the voice of the public. Visitors to any Hoopla member’s site can report fraud, and the site will immediately be considered for suspension, and possible removal from the network.
Is there any control over who I am cross-promoted with? If I do not want to be affiliated with another company for any reason, would I have a say in that?
Yes! You have complete control over who you are cross-promoted with. Once you login to your Hoopla account, you can determine specific businesses with whom you would not like to be associated, or entire industries.
Does The Hoopla have a system in place for gathering e-mail addresses, building up a mailing list, contacting clients, and staying relevant to them?
Yes! Direct from your Hoopla account, you can send personalized email marketing campaigns to your audience. Or chat in real-time with a prospective customer. Or allow clients to post testimonials of your products and services. You can also issue press releases, yourself, directly from your Hoopla account, to be considered for inclusion on such news feeds as Google News and Yahoo News. In fact, the Hoopla homepage regularly highlights businesses and organizations with something excellent going on. It’s your chance to grab the headlines.
How much does The Hoopla cost?
You can either setup a FREE account, or a paid account. A free account gives you access to the many web tools The Hoopla has to offer, like blogs, photo galleries, calendars, and more. But paid subscribers can take advantage of the true power of The Hoopla: cross-promotion. One of the greatest benefits of becoming a Hoopla subscriber is the low cost. For about $10 a month, you get a state-of-the-art web presence, chock full of more features than most custom built websites that costs thousands of dollars, plus, you also get a service and network that actively promotes you and your business. No webhosting fees. No maintenance fees. No third-party webmasters. Just you, your customers, and the cross-promotional power of The Hoopla.
