New Items Mailing List?

[mcdoug]

I guess this is one for Clayton and the Admins as it would be more work for them but is there a possibility of creating a specific mailing list where you could add your email and/or phone number so when a new item comes out you get a notification if you’re signed up?

Being completely honest, I’m pretty useless with getting on the forum as I work long hours and have a young family (only on now as I’m off this week).
Maybe it’s just me and this isn’t required, but conscious I mostly see the cool bits that you guys put a lot of effort into sorting for the club on Facebook as that’s my most used social media but even days when I don’t go on there.

Appreciate you do post a lot on there and this is more me just not seeing stuff because I’m not that active on the forum or Facebook.

I hate missing out on bits for the car and gutted when I come on here and see I missed something.

Having just seen the folder advertised on Facebook and come on here to ‘register interest and add a comment’ I wondered if there was any way of doing a mailing list, so when a new item is released a generic email/text is sent to those people on the list? People would have to opt to be on the list as well.

I know in our work, we have some WhatsApp groups where only the admins can post (I’m not sure how they set it up but sure it would be easy to find out with a quick google). That way it wouldn’t become a group chat with everyone commenting but the admins could just post important updates about events, shows, new items, bonus balls etc.

Like I say, conscious this would mean a bit more work for the admins. I’d volunteer some time if it helped in any way but I’m probably not the ideal person as I just admitted I’m pretty useless on social media and forums 😂

Is there anyone else like me who would find this useful?
Would it be something that people would be willing to support as I know there’s already a lot of hard work and free time put in? It may get more people like me buying items though as they wouldn’t be missed…

[mrsimmers]

Sorry to say I have to disagree with this.

A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to arrange all these benefits, so to be a club member and to support the club you need to come on the forum once a day just to check if anything new has come available.

Surley you can find a couple of minutes in a day just to have a quick look. Any of the sections you have not seen will have a blue flag to let you know there is something new.

We need to encourage members to get on the forum and not just rely on Facebook. This is achieved by offering great deals for members.

It also encourages new members to join.

No offence to you mcdoug, this is just my outlook on it.

[mcdoug]

Everyone entitled to their own opinion. It’s fine.

Personally I would have thought there’s probably a lot of members who rarely come on the forum and I just thought the option of a mailing list might actually increase group engagement and make the group buys and items more popular.

I don’t think by just saying people should come on the forum it will get people on here. In my opinion, I think although a forum is a good base it’s a bit old school. Just my opinion.
Most of the offers/group buys I see on FB and then visit the forum.

Although you could say everyone can find 5 minutes to visit a forum each day, I just don’t think it will happen.
I know for me, I leave at 6am to drive into my office in London, then with traffic, by the time I leave and get home it’s about 7pm. I just have some time to spend with my kids before I put them to bed and read them books. I then spend some time with my wife catching up whilst making dinner and we sit down and eat dinner. By the time we’ve finished and tidied up it’s about 9pm. With my job, I rarely go on my personal phone in the day and my job involves me being on a laptop and my work phone pretty much all day. So when I finally sit down at the end of the day and have some free time, I don’t want to be on my phone and if I do it’s normally just to check my mates WhatsApp groups. In addition I do call out so some evenings and weekends I’ll still be on my work phone etc. I know this is just my life and most people won’t be in the same situation but I bet there will be people who, for whatever reason, don’t use the forum.

Like I said, I appreciate it’s an extra job for someone but was just trying to think of an easy way to increase engagement and get more people buying stuff through the forum.
I guess this is the wrong place to post something like this because all the people like me won’t see it.

Was just an idea and interested what people thought whether it’s for or against it…

[DanT404]

Everyone entitled to their own opinion. It’s fine.

Personally I would have thought there’s probably a lot of members who rarely come on the forum and I just thought the option of a mailing list might actually increase group engagement and make the group buys and items more popular.

I don’t think by just saying people should come on the forum it will get people on here. In my opinion, I think although a forum is a good base it’s a bit old school. Just my opinion.
Most of the offers/group buys I see on FB and then visit the forum.

Although you could say everyone can find 5 minutes to visit a forum each day, I just don’t think it will happen.
I know for me, I leave at 6am to drive into my office in London, then with traffic, by the time I leave and get home it’s about 7pm. I just have some time to spend with my kids before I put them to bed and read them books. I then spend some time with my wife catching up whilst making dinner and we sit down and eat dinner. By the time we’ve finished and tidied up it’s about 9pm. With my job, I rarely go on my personal phone in the day and my job involves me being on a laptop and my work phone pretty much all day. So when I finally sit down at the end of the day and have some free time, I don’t want to be on my phone and if I do it’s normally just to check my mates WhatsApp groups. In addition I do call out so some evenings and weekends I’ll still be on my work phone etc. I know this is just my life and most people won’t be in the same situation but I bet there will be people who, for whatever reason, don’t use the forum.

Like I said, I appreciate it’s an extra job for someone but was just trying to think of an easy way to increase engagement and get more people buying stuff through the forum.
I guess this is the wrong place to post something like this because all the people like me won’t see it.

Was just an idea and interested what people thought whether it’s for or against it…

I can see where you're coming from with the idea, but i think its not really promoting the use of the forum for what its designed for. I still think a forum has its place and thats why i try to remain active on here.

I personally sign into the forum briefly at least once a day most days and it will quite literally take 2 seconds. You can have it set up with saved passwords etc on chrome and the likes (if thats your thing) to cut down on time.

You must have some kind of lunch or breakfast time you can spare a few seconds to click on 'new posts' etc surely if its important to you? Not having a dig by the way im just curious due to how little time it actually does take up using the above method.

Clayton and the team put a lot of effort into the group buys and indeed the forum for this club. The standard of things on offer is always top notch so i think its good that the regular forum users get first refusal on them.

Just my opinion...

[BartFRS]

For the love of our cars, we put a lot of our spare time into this forum.
It seems that lots of people have the time to check social media yet they don’t have time to visit a forum, something I personally don’t understand.

My best suggestion is simply to visit the forum more regular as we like to offer our members great deals and information

[mcdoug]

Like I said, posting on the forum about people who don’t spend much time on the forum was never going to get much support 😂 I think it may have got a difference response if you posted a similar question on the Facebook page etc.

Each to their own. My idea was to try and get more people involved and get more people taking up the group buys and offers which would inevitably lead to more people using the forum if that’s where you had to register interest etc.

I know people on here have said ‘just use the forum’ but for those that don’t, that’s not going to change things and those not using the forum won’t even see it.

I’ll leave it there as it’s clearly not going to happen 😂

[Clayton]

Great thread to be fair to see different views for forum users and social media Michael.

I agree that it would be nice to get more owners on the forum but Facebook is easy to use and understand that. Running the forum is a massive task Michael and has basically took over my life, so much so that with the demands it is hard to keep up with it all. Not only on the forum but trying to keep up with what's going on on social media.

I try to share stuff using Facebook as the platform to promote the club which is where you will have seen so many benefits posted on Facebook with links to said threads on the forum. To me that is being proactive to try and make it easy for members to know what's going on but it takes up more and more of my time, that said there is only so much time you can allow to spread the word. I dont have any time for Instagram as thats another task.

It did make me smile Michael when you said you have little time but offered to help when you don't have the time for forums being busy at work and home life.

Not everyone uses Facebook and I know many members that are anti Facebook and only come on the forum so that actually encourages them to use the forum as intended.

To do a mailshot is possible but is very complicated to do but I agree it would reach out to many members and non-members of what we are doing. The problem is will people then more rely on this and not bother taking a bit of time out to come on the forum? I don't think coming on is a lot to ask really. The club is the forum and where we like the benefits to be seen and hope owners just spare a little time?

I will look at a mail list so it is not dismissed Michael. We have actually tried this in the past and I do remember a complaint of a member who missed out on a Bonus Ball as all numbers were taken before he received his email. This was because it takes a while to send all emails out so it's not easy to please everyone.

[Garry T]

To be honest,in my opinion it aint broke so leave it alone.This is a great friendly club and run just the way it needs to be.I use Facebook a lot more than the internet forum,but i do look at it everyday.To be honest,its not difficult finding 2 minutes at some point in the day to have a look.

[S1 RST]

Forum is perfect, yes FB is more ambient and loads of people on there and maybe quicker response, and yes I use it too much myself, although I also hate it for some reasons. For instance, try and find a how-to on anything for our cars on FB? Whereas on the forum you got it in 2 secs if it's on. Therefore I regularly, mostly daily check the forum, also it has a button 'unread/new posts' check these and if anything is of interest I open it 😎

Just takes as much time as responding to this post.

[BartFRS]

Spot on Chris, try finding an old post on social media. Good luck.

In my opinion, a dedicated forum containing help, info and deals is far better than any group on social media.

[Rutts]

I might be slightly bias as I don't use Facebook. But I think this forum is great and Clayton and everyone behind the scenes obviously work very hard so I think like over people have said if you have 2mins to check Facebook I think you can find 2mins to check the forum.

I suggest setting a bookmark up on your phone web browser for the 'new topics' section when loaded that will show you everything you haven't seen. Simple.