Adopt-A-Duck: a joyful WordPress UGC campaign that actually drives outcomes
Summary: fans “adopt” a duck, roll a curated name, pick fun traits, and write a one-line backstory. Entries become a shareable gallery and a weekly Featured Duck moment. Cute—but engineered for reach, email capture, and repeat visits.
1) Why this works (behavior & business)
- Tiny creative ask → high completion: name + one line + a few taps.
- Curated safety: SFW name list and backstory guardrails keep it brand-safe.
- Shareable proof: every adoption has a clean, OG-optimized certificate page.
- Weekly ritual: “Duck of the Week” gives you a dependable content beat.
- Optional reward loop: coupons/perks nudge store visits without overshadowing the fun.
2) What you get
CPT + Meta
Clean “Adoptions” post type with traits, backstory, email, tag UUID, and more.
Adopt UX helpers
🎲 Randomize Name, trait prefill, 140-char counter.
Filterable Gallery
Shortcode grid with trait filters and featured badge.
Certificate Template
Shareable single with OG tags and copy/tweet buttons.
Moderation Hooks
Length cap + banned term masking via filter.
Featured Logic
Manual “Feature Now” + weekly scheduler; optional rewards.
Need it re-skinned or folded into a larger activation? Hire Ameen Systems.
3) Live demo flow (screens)
- Land on /adopt → tap 🎲 Randomize Name → pick traits → write one line.
- Submit → Thank you → link to your certificate.
- Friends see the certificate → discover the /adoptions gallery → adopt theirs.
- Each week, one becomes Featured Duck → announcement + optional reward.
4) Implementation guide (10 steps)
- Activate the plugin in WordPress.
- Create
/adoptand add[td_adopt form_id="123"]. - Create
/adoptionsand add[td_adoption_gallery per_page="24" filters="true"]. - (Optional) Add
data/duck-names.phpreturning an array of curated names. - Wire Fluent Forms using the field map below.
- Submit a test adoption; confirm it appears under Adoptions.
- Approve the post (only approved entries show in the gallery).
- (Optional) Open Settings to schedule weekly Featured + edit email template.
- (Optional) If WooCommerce is active, enable coupon rewards.
- Launch with QR talkers/tags; announce on socials.
5) Fluent Forms field map
| Field label | Type | Name/Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duck Name | Text (read-only) | duck_name | Filled from curated list; Randomize button |
| Backstory (140) | Textarea | backstory | JS counter + server cap |
| Gender | Select | gender | boy, girl, neutral |
| Favorite Color | Select | color | Yellow, Blue, Teal, Pink, Purple, Orange, Red, Green, Black, White |
| Favorite Activity | Select | activity | Beachcombing, Hiking, etc. |
| Vibe | Select | vibe | Chill, Adventurous, Silly, … |
| Hometown (opt.) | Text | hometown | Optional |
email | Notification & rewards | ||
| Photo (opt.) | File | photo | Used as featured image |
| (Hidden) Tag UUID | Hidden | tag_uuid | Auto-filled from ?t= param |
| (Hidden) Campaign | Hidden | campaign_id | Value: adopt |
6) Moderation & safety
- Backstory length: hard-capped to 140 chars (client + server).
- Banned terms: mask via a filter hook (example below).
- Manual approval: approve/unapprove in the Adoptions list.
- Curated names: ensures SFW baseline—swap in your list anytime.
// functions.php — add banned words
add_filter('td_adopt_banned_words', function($words){
return array_merge($words, ['badword1','badword2','slur1']);
});7) Featured Duck & rewards
Featured selection
- Manual: “Feature Now” action (defaults to 7 days).
- Weekly: day & hour in your timezone; weights recent entries with photos.
Rewards (optional)
- Email: templated winner message with placeholders.
- Coupons: if WooCommerce is active, auto-create a one-time code; otherwise generate a friendly fallback.
8) Measurement: analytics checklist
adopt_randomize_clickadopt_submit_successadopt_gallery_filter_changeadoption_share_clickadoption_featured_view
We can wire GA4/Pixel + UTM share links for you. Hire Ameen Systems.
9) Growth playbook (30/60/90)
Days 0–30
- QRs on tags/tables/posters
- “Funniest Name Friday” mini-contest
- 2×/week Reels/carousels with new adoptions
- Email autoresponder: certificate link
Days 31–60
- Seasonal trait packs
- Local partner co-feature
- Press blurb outreach
- UGC theme weeks (“Cozy”, “Adventure”)
Days 61–90
- Quarterly “Best of the Flock”
- Weekly email digest
- Perks for repeat adopters
- School/nonprofit variant
10) Email templates
Submission confirmation
Subject: Your duck is almost live!
Thanks for adopting a duck! We’ll give it a quick once-over and then you can share the certificate page with friends.
Approval notification
Subject: Your duck is live: {duck_name}
Certificate: {permalink} — share your duck with the world 🐤
Featured Duck winner
Subject: Duck of the Week: {duck_name}
Spotlight: {permalink}
{maybe_coupon}
Coupon phrasing
Here’s your one-time code: {coupon_code} (valid for X days).
11) Accessibility & performance
- Visible labels and
maxlengthon the backstory field. - Meaningful alt text (duck name) on thumbnails.
- Keyboard-friendly buttons with focus styles.
- Only loads assets on adopt/adoptions pages or single adoption.
12) Troubleshooting
- Empty gallery: approve entries first.
- No randomize button: ensure
td-adopt.jsis enqueued (it is when the shortcode is present). - Weekly pick didn’t trigger: check day/hour/timezone; verify WP-Cron runs.
- Coupons not created: WooCommerce must be active; otherwise fallback code is emailed.
- Custom names not loading:
data/duck-names.phpmust return a plain PHP array.
13) FAQ
Do I need WooCommerce?
No. Coupons are optional; everything else works without Woo.
Is Fluent Forms required?
Recommended for a polished UX, but not required—the mapping works server-side.
Can I customize the certificate?
Yes. Copy the template to your theme and style freely.
Can I use my own name list?
Absolutely—add data/duck-names.php returning an array of curated names.
How do tag UUIDs/QRs work?
Append ?t=YOUR-TAG-ID to the adopt URL; the submission stores it for attribution.
Bring this to your brand
We’ll theme the UX, wire automations and analytics, and ship a crispy launch plan—so you can go from idea to adorable results fast.