Can we promote FC?

[Sheff]

I mentioned this subject some months back but didn't get any response!

FC seems to be doing great but it still seems to be a bit of a "poor relation" in terms of the number of people using it. Obviously, it makes FC better the more people who join, so have we got any ideas of how we might get other people to come take a look?

I said before that one of the key things we can do is mention FC when posting/messaging on other forums. Most people tend to use more than one site so if you tell everybody you know, then they'll probably come and take a look. Guess the easiest way is to add FC's URL to the bottom of messages in the "signature" section? Likewise, if you're looking at someone's photos somewhere and you like 'em, how about messaging them and asking them to post them on FC too?

Anyway, any other thoughts?

[RichC]

Hi Tim,

Some members did try mentioning FC in their messages on a particular forum but were asked not to in future as it was advertising etc i believe... i know members of the team were asked not to post the FC URL or mention it in their posts in anyway as i remember reading it and the PM's sent.

I think the best way is to add it to signatures...
We have tried advertising before (before the current problems arose) and also having our logo and website in popular magazines and airshow programmes and it did work but it costs money.

[Dunk]

Word of mouth is always the best way to promote anything IMHO, but adverts etc do help.

What we dont want is for lots of people to post all over other forums with our name, and for them to get the hump with us.

By all means mention FC in other sites self promotion areas, or as Rich says in your signiture.

We happily accept other forums/websites promoting themselves in our self promotion area, it really doesnt affect the price of fish!

Appreciate your thoughts Tim, cheers.

Dunk

[Sheff]

Well I kinda suspect that there might be complaints from other sites if any overt "advertising" takes place but ultimately it's a silly response if they do, as it's not as if any site has to compete with any other! People use any and every site they like so it's simply a case of adding another to look at rather than abandoning any others. It's not an "either or" situation. But I guess a "signature" mentioning FC would be entirely reasonable. Word of mouth is obviously a good way to help and I guess there might be other ways too. Can't someone produce a poster or some stickers/flyers for places like WAVE or the grub van at Coningsby and so on? I suppose the most useful thing would be if we could do some sort of money-raising project and buy some pocket-sized promo cards which members could obtain. They'd be ideal for passing-on to people when you speak to folks outside airfields and so on?

[garyscott]

I can do repaints of various aircraft for FS9, i already upload to a few sites. If i can gain source bitmaps for all FC logos i can produce many types of colour scheme, a bit of shameless advertising!! i have already advertised for the 303RD BG/ THUNDERBIRD website by reproducing the paint scheme on an old B-17G and using an adaptation on an Alphasim B-1B as a commemorative paint. It was quite well recieved.
Click on my friends.............
http://s895.photobucket.com/albums/ac15 ... cott_2009/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
These are my work to date that has been released, many more bubbling away on the stove though!!

[viper3111]

I have been swapping links with various model stockists/clubs (whith permission from our admin of course). Ive got a few more in the pipeline, ive also been spreading the word to people I work with. Every bit helps, says the man peeing into the sea

[pikey01]

Its an interesting point this though. I was speaking to a chap the other day who said he didnt think as much info was posted on FC anymore. While I dont dispute that, I asked him did he post any information or get involved. His response? "No I dont post I just keep an eye on whats posted" To which I pointed out if people like him got more involved, better infomation would be posted!

Theres not much point having 3500 members if only the same 50 - 60 post. Since the relaunch the Headsup/OTT, modelling, and photo sections have got busier which is great to see, but its always worth remembering a forum is only as good as its members

[Sheff]

It's the nature of the beast I'm afraid. People join and then they don't post because they don't see anything which encourages them to add their own comments. Unless the site is used by a lot of people, then users just don't add anything - they get bored. It's a "chicken and egg" situation. The only way to get the site expanding is to attract more and more people to it, and add a new post whenever you think of anything worth mentioning/adding. As Shaun said, it is a bit like p*ing into the sea but you kinda have to do that and just keep going, until the users base builds up.

It's back to what I said before - the only way to go forward is to keep on attracting more people and I've mentioned the ways in which I think we can do that - there must be other ways too. Most importantly, I would urge anyone who sees good comments or good photos on any other site/forum, to ask the person responsible to post them here too. Like I said before, it's not "poaching" - it's simply expansion.

Ultimately, I would think the best thing FC could do is to tie-in with a commercial magazine - perhaps in a similar way to UKAR, although from what I've seen and heard, theirs is not much of a relationship (I don't see much evidence of Aircraft Illustrated falling over themselves to promote UKAR!). To be honest, I think FC is a fair way from doing that though, as there have been too many ups-and-down. But I think it ought to be an aspiration for the future, when things have settled-down and the site is operating on a more secure and long-term basis?

[Sheff]

Wow, the ideas are flooding in!

Here's a thought - we have a fair few ATC members on FC. Couldn't the folks in the FC Command Bunker produce some promo cards for the ATC guys to give to their fellow cadets? That ought to generate a lot of new users?