ADVERTISING ON CH? TACKY? NOT TACKY? HELPFUL AT ALL?

Ghostly Decibels · Thu May 10, 2012 12:36 am

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I see it as troublesome for you and Ash, since anytime something goes wrong with sellers in the community, consumers and sellers email you two and you two get dragged into drama that isn't of your own doing. So, unless you were super selective about the sellers/businesses you let advertise on the main CH site, you would be opening yourself up to more of the drama if anyone could just advertise by expressing interest.

Noctua · Thu May 10, 2012 1:01 am

I don't personally think it would lead to problems.
There is a possibility, absolutely - the metaphysical community can be more sensitive in this manner (and considering the very nature of the metaphysical) so it's good to be wise about sellers in relation to other sellers.

However, the fact is that a whole bunch of sites do this; considering CH as a business like any other business, people have to use common sense as they would with any site and consider that business is business.. that people do pay for their ads to be displayed, and beyond relevance the businesses advertised do not reflect CH's views/etc.

The main issue is therefore how others are typically prone to view this practice within the metaphysical community.

With that said, I agree that the outlets already existent (primarily the Marketplace and Seller Announcements) should be enough. And -

creepyhollows wrote:We do have banners at the bottom of the Marketplace, but no one has ever taken us up on the offer to advertise their MP shops there. We could advertise that more.

if there are sellers wanting ad placements, the MP banner space should definitely be pitched.. because seems like wasted space when there are people who want to use it, and that would fit without any major changes. So yeah, offering that to those who are making these requests would be a good idea.

Overall, as stated... I don't think it would be such a problem on the main site - but there is an alternative in providing that on the Marketplace, and otherwise there is plenty enough opportunity to advertise already without banner placement.
I don't find it to be a terrible move but I also do not think it a necessary move, and if the consensus is that it is more an annoyance - along with the mere potential for problems - then don't bother.

sadlotus79 · Thu May 10, 2012 3:06 am

personally i against the idea of ads.
thats what the seller section is for imho

Ruby · Thu May 10, 2012 5:00 am

I think I like the set up you guys have in place. There's a section on the forum dedicated to seller anouncements, reviews, and even listings. Then there's a separate thing for the marketplace and I feel like it's a beautiful way to be exposed to different areas of the paranormal community without feeling like the ads are "in your face" and that you're constantly hit with the "Buy me! Buy me!"

That's my two cents on it anyways.

I love that CH is a community as it is, that most of the things I see on the "View Unread Posts" page are of people asking for help and discussing different topics instead of one or a couple of sellers spamming their new products. It's nice to advertise but after seeing it too much, it has an unpleasant after effect.

Magnolia · Thu May 10, 2012 10:57 am

I really appreciate everyone's input! There's several reasons we've never offered ads, and you guys echoed back most of them, so I know we made the right decision initially. When we started to receive the requests I thought maybe we had dropped the ball somewhere and the usual channels weren't working anymore. Rather than try to figure it out myself I thought asking you guys (the ones who use those channels) would be the most efficient route.

blueeyes · Thu May 10, 2012 1:52 pm

I also agree with what everyone else is saying. I like things they way they are. The sellers have a place on this forum and that's enough. I don't know but to me it would lose some of it's close knit family appeal that we all have with each other. Creepy Hollows is like a warm, cozy place you can come to and talk with each other....just like coming home at the end of a busy day.

WILDNFREE · Fri May 11, 2012 10:08 am

Personally I think that it would only really be beneficial if it were sellers we hadn't heard of related to our interests in meta. We all know most of the sellers in the seller announcement section, marketplace, etc so there doesn't seem much point in having more ads from them. We already know who they are and where they are. They all get reviews on here too. (I for one check them out regularly if i'm looking for something in particular or even just browsing).
If it were other sellers that we are unaware of wanting some advertising I wouldn't mind that so much. In fact I think it would be quite interesting and refreshing.

starfire · Fri May 11, 2012 10:19 am

blueeyes wrote:I also agree with what everyone else is saying. I like things they way they are. The sellers have a place on this forum and that's enough. I don't know but to me it would lose some of it's close knit family appeal that we all have with each other. Creepy Hollows is like a warm, cozy place you can come to and talk with each other....just like coming home at the end of a busy day.

I also agree with this!!!! Like Dark has said we see adds everywhere else, and when we come to this forum, it is like coming to a nice safe family site, where we don't have to worry about adds popping up everywhere, and it has a safe home like feel to it!!!! You can let down your hair in here!!!! :lol:

The reason being is because you are among friends here, and when new ones come in here, they are a little more relaxed, as this is a place where everyone treats each other like family!!!! You don't feel like you are a stranger in a big glitzy place, where your posts may not even be looked at!!!!

starfire

:dragons:: :kistune:

johngremlin · Fri May 11, 2012 4:06 pm

I'm in the tacky category as well. I hate pop up ads and I'm not overly fond of banners. I'm also familiar with forums where ads are placed after someone's original post and before the next person's reply. So before you can read the reply on a given topic, you have to view an ad which may be for a product you have no interest in. Personally, I pay more attention to the Sellers Reviews and Sellers You Love posted by CH members than I would to ads.

Huffdamagicdragon · Sat May 12, 2012 6:37 pm

I would say IF you do it , put the ads on the login pages only

ADVERTISING ON CH? TACKY? NOT TACKY? HELPFUL AT ALL?

Seller Advertising Banners on CH? Tacky, Not Tacky?

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