Getting The Word Out (ie: death of CPA rumors)

[Ms. Ferret]

I know I haven't been around as long as most of you, and my own Ferret, but he's been telling me about how people bitch occasionally about the impending "death" of this forum. I'm sure this suggestion has been made before but I'm going to go ahead and put my two coppers in.

With as many players as we have here that surely either have their own websites or go to other message boards, wouldn't it be a good idea to design some banners, load them up with the appropriate tags for people to insert, and have people choose what they wish to spread the word with? I know I would post a banner on my message boards and website to help out. I'm sure a few others would to.

Just something to take into consideration.

 

[Spiderman]

I think it's a good idea. Are you volunteering to design the banners? Killer Jow seemed to think you were but after reading your post., I'm not so sure...

 

[Mikeymike]

I can help with banners. I'm not the best designer in the world, but I have the technical knowledge to supply the graphics.

Also, are there other Magic sites we could 'trade' space with? Possibly some sister sites that we can put their banner up, and they can put ours?

EDIT - This of course would require space on the site's GUI to actually implement banner ads, so that means Mike/Ed would have to agree to this idea.

 

[Ms. Ferret]

Well, I would hate to think that the CPA would have to beg and borrow space on another site for banner space. My idea was like the ideal of the site: Keep it small and between friends. Kind of like Amway except without the soap and the pressure LOL I would be more than happy to help design some banners, but I'm sure there are those here who have more experience but we could pull together to put together something great. I'm glad you guys like this idea. I can tell you that it increased traffic to my own website a great deal. Thanks for listening, guys.

 

[Killer Joe]

That's my new name

I didn't know WHAT banners were so that's why I asked in another post (to save face).

HEY! I LIKE Amway products, I just don't ever want to be a distributor of the stuff. I can't handle all that "Happy-Happy Joy-Joy stepford wives/WASP crap!"

 

[Spiderman]

Mrs. Ferret: I don't know if a lot of people here have their own websites. I still think it's a good idea though.

 

[Ms. Ferret]

This is true, but they may end up going to other message boards and such. Thanks for pointing out to me that not everyone has a site For those that do, it could be helpful. Here's a banner, a very simple one, that I just designed. They can be done with a little Flash and look nicer.

 

[Ferret]

Hey, that's pretty slick. Now that we have the code we should start distributing it...if anyone has a personal webpage it would be easy to implement (Mrs. F can assist if you need)...

-Ferret

"I wonder if Starcity would put it up?"

 

[Spiderman]

Mrs. Ferret: I was trying to be nice I am 99% certain that aside from you (and maybe SeFRo, if his site is still up) that no one else here has a web site, in which case though it's a great idea, it's more likely a wasted effort (not so much as your part as a designer, but on the goal of reaching more people).

Not sure what you mean by "going to other message boards and such". I guess they could include it in their sig, but a sig seems to be overkill for a banner. Just a link would do as mentioned before. But that's just my thoughts; maybe everyone else is dying for a banner

 

[Ms. Ferret]

Good point. I know that for the message board that I use daily, people put banners in the bulletin space every day to get people to go to other sites and to recommend this and that. Well, it may be a wasted effort, but there could be a few people out there who want to have the banner for whatever reason. Perhaps if someone sees it from one of the people here, and they join, they might want to use the banner as well. Who knows? Like I said, it was just an idea For all I know, no one would ever use it but the option is still there.

 

[Spiderman]

Agreed. Having the option is better than nothing at all. And since I don't go to other Magic websites, who knows, maybe banners in sigs are more than norm there.

Anyway, thanks.

 

[Ms. Ferret]

It's my pleasure I try to do what I can to help.

 

[Reverend Love]

Has anyone asked Alongi to pimp the CPA?

 

[Notepad]

Originally posted by Spiderman
Mrs. Ferret: I was trying to be nice I am 99% certain that aside from you (and maybe SeFRo, if his site is still up) that no one else here has a web site, in which case though it's a great idea, it's more likely a wasted effort (not so much as your part as a designer, but on the goal of reaching more people).

Not sure what you mean by "going to other message boards and such". I guess they could include it in their sig, but a sig seems to be overkill for a banner. Just a link would do as mentioned before. But that's just my thoughts; maybe everyone else is dying for a banner

I have a website, but it has been non-operational for many, many months now. The url still works and everything. Even if it was in working order, the traffic was very very low. In fact, most of the people who popped by were doing so from here. There wouldn't be many visitors clicking through from a banner on my site over to here.

The idea is very nice, though. The problem is clickthrough rates on banners are very low as it is. You need to have a banner on a site with a high traffic rate to have even remotely worthwhile results. With normal forum and personal site links, we'll maybe pick up two or three clickthroughs per month. Better than nothing, sure, but not anything along the lines of a huge ad campaign, either.

Also, advertising other places' forums is usually against the rules (though not enforced). Most places are real nice about the links and stuff you put in your signature line, but some places might just ban users for posting a link to the CPA. Just a cautionary note.

Personally, I think we'd get a lot more attention by doing an in-house Magic expansion and letting the project's credibility and fame do the talking for us.

 

[orgg]

Alright. Ya'll might not know it, but Ed designed a 'banner' at one point for posting into websites.

You can see it at http://www.geocities.com/theorgg right now.

I also know he made two banners with the same black-and-orange styling, and one with the light blue/white configuration in a similar style. Ms. Ferret designed something similar, though the font should sync up... Someone needs to ask Ed what font he used for the current banner. The text should also probably be white, not black.

Personally, anytime a CPA member use to write an article and leave off the 'Proud CPA Member' tagline that only Rakso seems to use anymore, I'd e-mail them.

At one point, we had seven CPA-ers infiltrating SCG with our name in their signature. Mabe Norrytt would be willing to do this?

(Also, on the content issue-- I'm working on getting another interview. It's compiled, edited, and sent... I'm now waiting on it.)

 

[Notepad]

Hope to see your interview soon, Orgg!

Thanks about the link to CPA sig line reminder. If I start writing stuff for PoD again, I'll make sure I submit such a Rasko-ish sig line.

Everyone else should do the same with their off-site articles. The readership of other sites is large enough that the minor low % clickthrough rate might mean a good handful of their readers pop over to see what's up.

 

[Ferret]

Okay, so hardly any of us actually have our own websites at this time, but I think that we should leave the option open. Perhaps run something on the front page that says "Get the word out: Link to the CPA. Free Banners!" or something. I've actually been to a few forums where people include massive banners in thier sigs - these are also the ones that include avatars and all kinds of bells and whistles. By some strange irony, most of the posts I see on these kinds of sites are usually "Yeah. You're right."

Meanwhile, seeing another of The Orgg's great interviews will be nice!

It would be nice to get Alongi to mention us, but I really don't think that we should have to beg a WotC author for publicity - on second thought, there's no such thing as bad publicity

I'm glad to see all these great ideas to help increase activity on the site. None of them are that radical and we can still hold on to our integrity of being a "nice little site"

-Ferret

"baby steps"

 

[Spiderman]

Looking forward to your interview, orgg!

Originally posted by Ferret
Perhaps run something on the front page that says "Get the word out: Link to the CPA. Free Banners!" or something.

I personally feel unconfortable about doing such blatant advertising on our front page, but I can try to put in the news if the majority feels it would be a good idea. I don't think I can actually change the "border" stuff around the news. It just feels too needy and desperate I'm more for the subtle banner or text link in a sig-type idea

 

[train]

I've got an idea, and will see if my Associates was even worth the government money put into it...

hah!...

 

[Nightstalkers]

Isn't the CPA dead yet? I could have sworn I buried it a long time ago...


Darn zombies, I guess I'll have to find a way to chop it into little itty bitty pieces and spread it across the land.







Why do you guys worry about the CPA dying? It'll die off like most forums.... We don't have an inflow of newer members who stay like most of us do. I just stick around out of loyalty.