Self pomotion and the forum
Submitted: Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 18:45
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Member - David 0
I was interested to read the info in the latest newsletter regarding self promotion via the
forum.
I understand fully the need to police this kind of thing. The guys who run this site deserve to be able to earn a living just like the rest of us.
The interesting thing for me is that I believe there needs to be a bit of give and take. I hope sincerlely that David and Michelle have that worked out because, there are many of us who have actively promted Explore Oz and even encouraged advertisers. Many of us have Explore OZ stickers and tyre covers, and some of us have even given away stickers etc in efforst to promote this site.
So my point. If it is fair for sublimation (the use of branding supplied to members) via stickers etc then perhaps it is fair for a limited amount of self-promotion via the
forum. Perhaps a dedicated thread. EO benefits from plenty of promotion via its members, shouldn;t its members also benefit?What think ye???
Reply By: Willem - Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:00
Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:00
Hmmmm......Self promotion as in what? Selling your product by getting a free ad?
I promote my website same as you do but I am not selling anything. So I do not gain anything except maybe a bit of notoriety...hahahaha
There is no such thing as a free lunch(now who coined that phrase again? lol)
But maybe some advertising at a reduced rate for members vua a separate page could be the answer. Maybe have a small icon next to your URL or rig pic denoting that you have something to sell? and by clicking that icon the viewer will be taken to that page.
Dunno. I suppose David and Michelle could consider this but creating a new page also costs money.
Alternatively those with commercial webpages could have them in html next to their rig pic for a small fee added to their annual
membership.
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Follow Up By: Member - David 0- Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:08
Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:08
All good ideas.
Not trying to stir up a storm here just interested in this kind of thing
I have always been one to remove stickers local tyre dealers put on my car when they fit tyres. I ask them "Did you ask me if I wanted to promote your business?"
On the otherhand I have willingly gone out of my way to promote this site becasue I beleive it is a a great site and David and Michelle do good work.
Just interested in what others think
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Follow Up By: Member - David 0- Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:09
Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:09
Damn I wish I could type :-)
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Follow Up By: Willem - Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:26
Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:26
Yes I know what you mean by stickers. I always remove the car dealers sticker when I get home.
Some manufacturers have become clever, like ARB, who have their logo cast in to the bull bar and virtually impossible to remove.
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Follow Up By: Patrick - Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 02:20
Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 02:20
Willem,
I have just spent the best part of an hour reading many of the stories found on your web site. May I say that I really enjoyed the way you write in a very down to earth and informative way. It gave me a lot of pleasure to see the many areas that you have travelled to through the eyes of a passionate 4 whhel driver. Congratulations.
Up until this thread I had not really taken that much notice of the member's web sites but after having a look at yours and a few other this morning, I will keep my eye out in future to share other people's passions for travel.
Thanks again for offering your experieces.
Cheers,
Patrick
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Follow Up By: Willem - Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 11:04
Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 11:04
Thanks for the feedback Patrick . Glad you enjoyed the stories.
I have just completed an update to the 4x4 and family sections and this should be uploaded to the site within the next two to three weeks. I have it done professionally as I am not that competent with website corrections and do not have the proper software. I am happy with the site although the person who built the site for me originally did not include some basic features which is a bit annoying(in hindsight). However it is the content which is important and especially getting the information down and recorded for posterity.
Cheers
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Follow Up By: Big Kidz (Andrew & Jen) - Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 18:22
Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 18:22
Hey Willem
Could I have another $50 of prickly pear sauce and $100 of almonds..... good onya mate..... hope your business keeps ticking over.
Andrew
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Follow Up By: Glowplugs - Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 21:08
Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 21:08
Geez Andrew ....this is a surprise. When were you released from the asylum. I was under the impression that you still had a year or two to go...hahahahahahaha
How about I swap my goodies for some Top Deck. eh?
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Reply By: Footloose - Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:03
Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:03
I promote anyone who is nice to me on my webpage. But I'm not trying to make a living out of what I do. Don't think I've ever really mentioned what it is so maybe I'm not guilty :))
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Follow Up By: Member - David 0- Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:05
Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:05
LOL Footloose. I don't think you ever have. But I know who you are :-)
Cheers
Dave O
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Follow Up By: Footloose - Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:09
Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 19:09
Dave, I'm glad you do. Sometimes I wish I didn't :))
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Reply By: GaryInOz (Vic) - Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 20:31
Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 20:31
My 2 cents worth.
If you wish to advertise your product , then David and Michelle will happily sell you advertising space (Member or not).
If you have a personal, non-commercial website then you should be able to post it in the
forum (as a part of your signature or otherwise).
If you are trying to promote your product or website (commercial) then it should not be done in the
forum. Effectively this is stealing what should be advertising revenue from David an Michelle.
If you are answering a SPECIFIC query about your product, suggest that the discussion be taken off line, with only the outcome and relevent details made public after the event, posted by the original enquirer.
This should keep everyone happy.
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Follow Up By: Member - David 0- Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 22:17
Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 22:17
I have to agree about the specific query. It should definitely be dealt wth offline.
Promoting your website on a
forum may not be appropriate whereas promoting your business via stickers and tyre covers is a valid way to do it, but shouldn't there be some "give" for that "take?"
I think that if members are going to carry stickers and tyre covers promoting a website, that it should be reasonable that members have similar opportunity.
David and Michelle do sell advetising space, and I would encourage people to use it, but do the rest of us charge when the local tyre dealer wants to put his sticker on our car??
Am I being unreasonable? What do others think?
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Follow Up By: Mainey (WA) - Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 13:09
Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 13:09
I believe GaryIn0z has a very valid point, and tells it maybe as the owners would rightly desire!!
David 0, you have posted: " I have always been one to remove stickers local tyre dealers put on my car when they fit tyres. I ask them "DID YOU ASK ME if I wanted to promote YOUR business? "
As a reader of the EO
forum I would prefere the same concept as you have posted, that being the
forum to be kept in a pure
forum concept within the actual post area, making it easier to read and not get confusing private advertorials being 'implanted' amongst the posts, and having people with their own 'barrow to push' ie their own business or the "I have just bought 60 of these 'thingies' and will sell them dirt cheap to EO members" removed, as it takes business away from genuine retailers who actually pay to have their business sites listed on the EO
forum.
..just my own thoughts :-)
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Follow Up By: Member - David 0- Sunday, Sep 18, 2005 at 07:51
Sunday, Sep 18, 2005 at 07:51
Mainey
I have to agree on that poit about people posting in the general
forum discussions promoting products etc. I wonder though if there are other ways to do it. On the 4wd monthly
forum they have a seperate thread just for such topics?
Thanks for your thoughts,
David O
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Reply By: Andrew (Whyalla SA) - Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 22:46
Friday, Sep 16, 2005 at 22:46
Thanks for the reminder.
I didnt have my website in my signature.
Personal non commercial site that is. 8-))
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Follow Up By: Patrick - Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 01:15
Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 01:15
Really enjoyed looking through the many stories and photos on your site, it really personalises the meaning of off-road travel.
I could not help but notice the large 'aftermarket supplier' logo on the side of the Patrol considering the nature of this thread. You must of been a happy customer to give them so much prominance on your pride and joy.
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Follow Up By: Andrew (Whyalla SA) - Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 10:14
Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 10:14
The ARB one? That was from a Club Display we did and I left it on there for about a month. Too lazy to take it off.
The only stickers on my car now are my Club ones.
www.whyalla4wd.org.au
Thanks for the comments about my site. Its actually badly dated now and needs a lot of updating.
cheers
Andrew
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Reply By: geocacher (djcache) - Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 10:08
Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 at 10:08
I would have thought that the bit in the newsletter was more targeted at some of the non members who's posts have been blatant advertising in the past.
I would be disappointed if members who value the site abuse it in the fashion that David & Michelle are pointing out.
I see a fairly big difference between a sticker promoting a website (even if that is a business) and someone promoting their business for free in the forums.
If you don't want to put the sticker on your car you have a choice. (Mine is on mine because I think this site is worthy of that promotion and that it is the least I can do given the value I get from it.)
David & Michelle have the ability to cul posts that are blatant advertising but not before the poster gets quite a bit of value out of their post before it is culled - given that these things can be there for quite a while and read by many before they get culled.
Dave
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Follow Up By: Member - David 0- Sunday, Sep 18, 2005 at 07:56
Sunday, Sep 18, 2005 at 07:56
Dave.
You are probably right about who the thing was targetted at, but maybe I am just being a big picture thinker.
I do want "the" EO sticker and display "it" proudly actualy I display several. Don't get me wrong I am not saying we shouldn't advertise such a great site. Merely asking the question, if we advertise the site as members, can't we get a chance to advertise too?
Maybe the answer is, we already do. As someone pointed out, we have our website adddresses in our signatures.
Cheers
David O
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Reply By: Tony Shaw - Sunday, Sep 18, 2005 at 09:48
Sunday, Sep 18, 2005 at 09:48
Hi there guys,
Just wondering how people feel about business’s putting a post on about when a new product is released?
Cheers, ToNy!
18/9/05 9:50:35
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