Special Edition SCR

[Guest]

On the subject of offering

On the subject of offering discount vouchers, how about vendors operating a discount to Sub Committee members.

That would act as an incentive to join and remain a member.

[kazzer]

On the subject of offering

On the subject of offering discount vouchers, how about vendors operating a discount to Sub Committee members.

That would act as an incentive to join and remain a member.

see Objectives
1. To increase membership and revenues for the SC.
2. To use existing tools and resources without incurring any additional costs.

So why would any vendor offer a discount to existing members? It doesn't do anything to encourage new members.

[kazzer]

We are able to sell

We are able to sell things to raise money, but there is a limit.

Once you start printing quantities to sell, you are basically building a spec house. You have to print a quantity over what is currently being paid for, hoping to sell them and recoup the costs or make a little. If you don't sell all of them, you eat the cost, something we have no funds to do.
e.

Are you telling me you don't have any back issues?

If you don't then produce just 100 more copies just once, and try to sell them as per my suggestion over a period of time. If 100 copies @ $3 will break the bank then you are in a bad way.

That will mean 100 new members hopefully. You need to step into this slowly, after all no one is even sure Kevin's marketing plan will work.

[kazzer]

"vendors pay $200 to participate"

[quote]"vendors pay $200 to participate" -with a coupon flyer.

My report back to the membership on the most recent attempt to solicit new advertising for the SCR is this.

In march I sent a new media kit along with a letter to 10 businesses that most of us buy modeling and hobby supplies from regularly.

Results of media kit mailing]


As Mr. Thomas Edison said frequently as yet another experiment failed, "Good! Now we know THAT doesn't work!"

Now, ask yourself why. No, don't! Here's the answer. No one in their right mind is going to advertise in a mag with a circulation of 500 for that sort of money, especially when they can download every email address of members from the site and place a free (subject to reciprocal arrangement) banner ad on the site. Any vendor in this game knows all the names on the board anyway.

Negative Karma, did I hear someone whine? No! Cold hard facts! Don't like it - can't help ya!

Kazzer, thank you for your offer to provide a coupon flyer for Kevin's project. That may help. Pete

Not so fast pal! Only if you adopt the scheme I proposed.

[raalst]

For example - Caswell Inc.

For example - Caswell Inc. will offer a $20 coupon on Sub-drivers, one for $25 on WFly radio systems, $5 on KMC ADF Pitch Controllers, etc.etc.

So why would any vendor offer a discount to existing new members? It doesn't do anything to encourage new members.

I guess current members should just remember the discounts mentioned in this discussion for future negotiations.

I fail to see how the cash strapped newbie would be motivated into membership, given the fact that he has his precious discount coupons already with the sample issue. Basically this scheme is cheap
advertisement for whoever adds the coupons, but of not much
value to the SC.

[kazzer]

For example - Caswell Inc.

For example - Caswell Inc. will offer a $20 coupon on Sub-drivers, one for $25 on WFly radio systems, $5 on KMC ADF Pitch Controllers, etc.etc.

So why would any vendor offer a discount to existing new members? It doesn't do anything to encourage new members.

I guess current members should just remember the discounts mentioned in this discussion for future negotiations.

Erg grappig! Iemand is op de Oude Jenever weer, Ron?

I fail to see how the cash strapped newbie would be motivated into membership, given the fact that he has his precious discount coupons already with the sample issue. Basically this scheme is cheap
advertisement for whoever adds the coupons, but of not much
value to the SC.

The point being Ron, that they can't cash the coupons in until they activate membership. Did you miss that? I said, "Once a member, the coupons are validated and kick in. '

[raalst]

With these discussions going on,

With these discussions going on, who needs other ways to cloud the mind

Say what, I'm off building a submarine for a change.

[ricknelson]

Is read access to our

Is read access to our forums denied to non-members? I don't remember. If it is not denied, it should be. Otherwise the only advantage of joining SC is the SCR which I bet a lot of people go without if they can access the forums. SubPirates deny access to non-members.

We should deny all access to the forums to non-members but make this abbreviated SCR that's being discussed available as a sample of what is available in the forums and the SCRs.

Also, can we get banners advertising SC running on other forums like Missing-Lynx, etc?

[kazzer]

Well, bearing in mind that

Well, bearing in mind that old saying about 'poo**** or get off the pot' I thought Id try to sell MY copy of the SCR on Ebay. I've made a bunch of coupons too.

Lets see what happens -

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290330626528

[lobo]

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:06 pm Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lobo wrote:
".....SC has a fantastic publication that would be a fantastic resource for attracting new members. All that is needed is a little thinking outside the box to make it happen. SCR is a product ready to sell & is very marketable as is....Now I am thinking....E-bay would be a quick & easy venue to get the word out...why not market SCR on E-Bay for a "Buy it Now Price" with a great description of how it will help those interested on how to break into the R/C submarine hobby!

That's right...as an added bonus your subscription to SCR will also include a one year membership to SC! (OK, we won't make it sound so cheezy...but you get the point)!

SCR is a great publication.....To use an old marketing cliche...let's sell the sizzle (SCR) & not the steak (SC)! They will come back for the steak a year later!

So...what do you guys think? Would E-Bay be a good first step in getting SCR out to the public?..."


Kazzer responded:
...."Our experience of Ebay was very negative...You are also reliant on someone typing in 'submarine' in the search, so something has to trigger the potential customer to want to look for that topic....I personally would not touch Ebay with a barge pole as a marketing tool for the magazine, but don't let that stop the ideas flowing here.
_________________
www.caswellplating.com/models
http://forum.sub-driver.com for Caswell products

Well, bearing in mind that old saying about 'poo**** or get off the pot' I thought Id try to sell MY copy of the SCR on Ebay. I've made a bunch of coupons too.

Lets see what happens -

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=290330626528

Wow Mike!
What a fantastic idea!

[kazzer]

Wow Mike!
What a fantastic idea!

Wow Mike!
What a fantastic idea!

There's always one Smarty Pants eh?

I'm not suggesting the SC does this on Ebay. The fees will eat up everything. The reason, (for those who can't see it) is to see if the coupon thing will work.

I'm USING Ebay, not condoning it. Does that make it clearer?

Here is an example of the Gift Certificate

[Rogue Sub]

Oh man Mike ebay...that is

Oh man Mike ebay...that is funny. I guess your putting your money where your mouth is and trying it out. I can respect that.

As for coupons in the special edition.
If we include the coupons in the issue I would not want to charge for it. Reason being, when the renewal comes up for the vendor and he decides not to pay again. I would have to hunt down every copy to change it. Almost impossible if this works right. Also, when money gets involved in a good will project things never turn out well. I think I will allow coupon but, on the basis that the manufacturer understand it is for free and will remain in the issue forever and ever and ever. In other words no backsies.

As a matter of fact I have been contacting other forums to trade or buy banner time on their sites. The results have been bad. The problem is no one wants to send people away from their forum unless they are getting paid and we cant afford to pay advertise with the current membership income.

[kazzer]

The problem is no

The problem is no one wants to send people away from their forum unless they are getting paid and we cant afford to pay advertise with the current membership income.

AHA! Capitalism has reared its ugly head eh? Welcome to the REAL world!

Life's a bitch when you are broke eh?

[Rogue Sub]

I prefer to say we

I prefer to say we are very cautious how we spend other peoples money. It is the members money we are spending after all.

[pirate]

Well, I tell you this,

Well, I tell you this, the SCR is a nice enough publication to sell now. After the next two issues, unless someone with good qualifications, and a desire to be a full-time magazine publisher, for free, there will be no SCR to sell.

If you sell subscriptions, and no one wants to be the editor, then you have nothing to deliver, have to return the subscription money, and might get sued in the process.

Good luck to the next Editor. I'm outta here in december, as was in my Editor's Letter in the June issue.

Pete