Info Thinking of sending mass email to members

[daveb47]

I am thinking of sending out a sort of one off newsletter to all members,maybe get back some we have lost or have lost us over the years.

But also so i can maybe prune some of the many 0 posting members that we have accumulated.

Anyone fancy doing a message to send out?

Also suggestions on content of message.

 

[richardmorris]

Sounds like a good idea. At work we email all our customers once a year to weed out the dead addresses.

 

If they've registered then they won't object to being contacted.

[Jim Bell]

Maybe target all members with 100 posts and up, with short details of "trending" topics/threads.

 

Good idea though.

[spike60]

It seems odd to me that 95% or whatever members never have posted, why did they join?  Perhaps you could also put something in place so if they don't get out of the junior stage in a couple of months they get revoked? Mebby too much work, I know nothing of these things, though I'm grateful to those who do.

[Stixy]

sounds good but imagine the all the replys in your inbox

[Mr Lobster]

Worth doing I reckon. Can you sign up for something like Mailchimp to make it easier?

 

Probably just send details of some 'hot topics' and try and entice a few back.

 

As for the zero post people, I reckon if they haven't logged in or posted in the last three months then just delete them.

[Caffiend]

As someone who works with data protection, would recommend that you put an "opt out" in the first newsletter, together with something along the lines of "We will only use any personal information you give us for Autoshite communications and will not pass it on to third parties for marketing or research purposes or unless otherwise required by law." Restricting the circulation to e.g. people who have posted in the last year would hopefully make this vaguely manageable.

 

Always a tricky issue when it comes to internets forums as individuals are not subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act (1998) - DPA - and Dave is quite clearly running this out of the goodness of his heart as a private individual/volunteer*. Moderator support ditto. Unfortunately, if someone wanted to get arsey about it (e.g. because they stomped off in a huff and H8 US), then as members contribute to hosting costs of the forum it could be claimed that Autoshite is an "organisation" for purposes of DPA, especially given the size of the membership list: classic insurance companies would probably promote anyone who managed to get their hands on that.

 

*in the charity sector, we used to say "Volunteers aren't paid, not because they're worthless but because they're priceless." Quoted from that most famous of authors, Anon.

[Pillock]

Hmmm. Don't agree with sending it unless people specifically opted in, which I don't believe was part of the sign up.

[daveb47]

If you signed up you opted in unless you specified otherwise.

You can change your preference in your profile.

http://autoshite.com/index.php?app=core&module=usercp&tab=core&area=notifications

[purplebargeken]

Sign back in within 24 hours or fuck off. 

 

Short, subtle* and clear.

[Cavcraft]

'Do you want this fucking forum, or not?

 

Tayne.

 

That should do it.

[dollywobbler]

Can't see the point myself. Are things so bad at the moment that we feel the need for a recruitment drive? Seems fine to me. Thanks for the link though - I could confirm my opt-out!

[tooSavvy]

Sign back in within 24 hours or fuck off. 

 

Short, subtle* and clear.

 

I bet someone on here would chip in 2p for the bandwidth to send that one to ME.... 

 

TS

[skattrd]

Can tooSavvy please write the mass email for everyone 

[Cavcraft]

[tooSavvy]

Can tooSavvy please write the mass email for everyone 

 

"My fellow Amer....."

 

I would, of course, edit that down a bit... likely to the true thrust of what J.F.K. was meaning...

 

"Ask not what Auto$hite can do for YOU, but whether Auto$hite would be the better WITHOUT YOU?"

 

* I would deffo chip in for that.... 

 

 

TS

[ruffgeezer]

As long as it's not another photocopy of your arse Dave, I'm sure it'll be fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait, am I the only one who got sent that?

[Stanky]

+1 on using MailChimp or MailJet fo sending these things out. Both have a free tier and are pretty good in terms of tracking, open rates, maintaining a DB of user etc.

 

WOuld also be good for testing and the suchlike - things like which topics get opened, whether including swear words in lower case or caps is more effective, and automating the opt-out process for those who haven't done so in their profile settings. I assume there are several thousand 'members' in the DB, with most of these having sub-10 posts.

 

I'm not sure whether you can set up a job where if a link isn't followed within <insert time here> then the account gets suspended/deleted/weighed in for scrap value but I suspect if it can be done, something like MailChimp or MailJet can interract with the PHPBB API to make this happen.

 

Almost* sounds like I know what I'm talking about, doesn't it?

[martybabes]

Just posting this to increase my post count in case I miss the cut!

[320touring]

It'd be positive if you could include details of events that are happening etc-may catch folks eye.

 

Maybe also run a competiton each month-e.g. guess the car, win a sticker type thing

[daveb47]

I was thinking more of a one off email rather than a regular newsletter.

[320touring]

I was thinking more of a one off email rather than a regular newsletter.

Cool-competition may still work:)

[Lord Sterling]

I was thinking more of a one off email rather than a regular newsletter.

Sounds like a good idea if you want to slim down the members list of all the 0 posters.

[stephen01]

I'll chip in on this one, Think I've been a member for 4 years, yes really!  I've posted more in the last week than I have in 4 years, No great reason for this apart from I've had a little more time.

 

I 'lurk' in the background, reading the posts for a quick laugh then back to other things. sometimes I don't visit for months! 

 

I don't see a problem with sending out an email, just to 'check in' I get them from a few other forums I visit.  You could even have a line along the lines of 'if you wish to keep your account live please log in within 30 days' Blah blah blah

 

I love the fact that there are so many people that have the time, passion and money to chuck at the old cars that I grew up with. (get me I'm only 30 but my dad had some right shite in the past) which keeps me coming back.. 

 

Stephen 

[Forty-two]

I am also more of a lurker than a poster.  I like to read the various collection, repair, renovate threads.  I barely contribute to these as I have no practical experience or advice that I could give.  I suppose I live by the mantra, if you have nothing constructive to add...

[drum]

I think I've missed the purpose of the email. Do the non-posters cause a problem like taking up space on the floppy? If we get an email, will it contain an instruction which must be obeyed or we get sacked off the forum? The forum survived a long spell with no new members able to join so a few lurkers shouldn't be an issue.

[Waderider]

I lurk like a pro! I just enjoy reading. I refuse to countenance the madness of multiple cars, and one 2003 Volvo isn't very interesting.

[martybabes]

I was thinking more of a one off email rather than a regular newsletter.

 

 

A regular newsletter does exactly the same thing as a thread on the forum - indeed, one could have a (pinned) thread simply entitled "newsletter" if the purpose of it is simply to inform.

 

Mind you, if it is a problem having too many "members" then a quick cull would certainly achieve the aim of cutting numbers.  The problems may likely be inter alia:

what are the criteria in order to remain;

how do you communicate a preference to remain or resign;

how many members is enough members?

 

And then, to speak up for those like me, there is a lot of pleasure in belonging to such a forum simply for the craik in reading posts as opposed to contributing to them.  It is not very often that I feel compelled to add a few words (as is clear from my post count) but I would be very disappointed to be a victim of the cull if it is based on contributions to the board.  I would like to think my posts albeit few are considered to be of value.

[Jooks]

Another lurker here. I have owned shite for most of my thirty two years of motoring.

Promise to do a post about my shite ownership soon.

[daveb47]

Fuckit,sod the email.

Think i am just going to prune those 0 posters who havnt visited for over a year.

We have almost 18000 members,but only about 300 or so who contribute or visit.

Did seem fair to give other 17000 a chance to get reaquainted but obviously this is too intrusive.