new karate forum

[koji112091]

Hi check out this new forum.




http://budoforums.com/index.php

[smoothsake]

I like the one that you are in right now better. No disrespect. Perhaps the two can join forces.

[blackdog]

Cross promotion rocks!

There are many ways to leverage off similar forums / websites.

With co-operation, we have found the following programs work really well -

Press Releases
Post exchanges
Banner Ads
Cross promotions / competitions
Affiliate programs

Generally though, it's a smaller part of the population who really understand and embrace strategic alliances, most would rather go it alone.

We are curently working with a site in Australia to put together a Press release campaign, affiliate programmes, post exchange, and banner ads.

It's very exciting and no doubt will get some good results.

I think K4L is the current benchmark for this type of forum, but there is tons of room for more and constantly improving facilities for Karate-ka.

Put it this way, there are supposed to be 2 milion Kyokushin karate-ka worldwide wide (lets be conservative and say that is not accurate and there is only 1 million) There is only 1000 of them here, and i would guess that of the 200 or so active members here, most of them belong to other forums as well as here, right?

So, it's a huge demographic, and plenty of room for good quality facilities for karate-ka.

For the Aussies here, and probably every where else too, have you ever noticed that when a McDonalds pops up on a highway corner, that at the same time usually a KFC, a Subway, A Burger King, a Red Rooster etc etc will often pop up at the same time?

Do you know who (usually) owns the land that all those other fast places build on (right next to the Maccas)? Usually McDonalds buys the whole massive block of land and leases it (or sells it) to the other fast food places, ie they allow (encourage) their competition to set up shop right next door!

Why?

1 They are the fast food kings, and they know it. They have the systems etc going on, and they ae the top of the heap. A little competition does not scare them, they know they have a good thing going on, and a little competition is not going to change that.

2 It's a strategic alliance. They create a "precinct". Say you and four freinds want take out on a Friday night, You want Pizza Hut, Freind 1 wants Mickey d's, Freind 2 Wants KFC, and Freind 3 will just go with 'whatever'.

If McDonalds was standing all alone, then they have a chance that Freind 1 will be out voted by everyone else and they get NO work.

If however all three places are together, they stand a good chance of not only getting Freind 1's order, but swinging Freind 'whatever' 3 over to eating Maccas -everyone is happy

How could this work with forums / websites?

Site 1 has a list of 100 fans who dont know about Site 2

Site 2 has a list of 100 fans who dont know about Site 1

Site 1 & 2 Cross promote

Out of each sites fans 25% join both activley, 25% stay exactly where they are (they dont like change), 40% float in spurts, sometimes both, but mostly their original site, the last 10 % decide they like the new one better and swap.

End result -

Site 1 & Site 2 increase regular member ship by 25% to 125 active members

Site 1 & Site 2 Have 25% absolutley loyal members (these become the moderators)

Site 1 & Site 2 lose 10% to each other (but as they both win some lose some, it works out in the wash)

Site 1 & Site 2 both have 40% who move between both in fits and spurts (again, this goes both ways so it works out in the wash)

End result, both sites get new more members, and both site are better for the members because the standard of service and facilities is kept high by each trying to offer the best possible service.

Who loses out of a scenario like that? No - one...

Now, based on my past experience, i know FOR SURE there wil be nay-sayers who will have plenty of reasons why this would be a bad idea (the 25% loyalists :) ), but strategic alliances have been a solid foundation of some pretty good businesses over the years, fact is, they work.

Strategic alliances rock!

Bren

[Fire!]

I have been to several karate forums in the past.. since I do a knockdown style K4L forum is the best.. It just needs more posters, I have noticed a lot of people have joined but most of them don't post. osu

[Spirit]

blackdog,
I got to say that was a great analogy I'lll give you points for that one...

[Azimuth]

Blackdog -san,
Just name it, it is your forum . To say it in your own words
don't be a Wendy-burger trying to sell to Burger King ; P
And what cross promotion concerns i didn't found any links to K4L.
in return.
Just wanted to point that out
Osu

[smoothsake]

Blackdog-san,

That was a long (but interesting) post. It may have been easier just to say, "This is my forum, and I would welcome all K4L members to visit."

But strategic alliances aside (of which I am a proponent for) I think it more important to introduce another key MBA term: differentiation. At quick glance I can't see any differentiation between your forum and K4L. So until there is something different, I personally wouldn't find the need to log into both, or swap, etc.

Osu!

[orisha66]

We may all have different opinions, but that is why this is my forum too.

[blackdog]

That was a long (but interesting) post. It may have been easier just to say, "This is my forum, and I would welcome all K4L members to visit."

I'm not allowed :)

differentiation.

Amen, I beleive we do have some unique qualities. My post was mainly in response to Smoothsakes ' Perhaps the two can join forces.' suggestion.

Just name it, it is your forum

I try not to mention my forum here, there were some concerns when i first joined (i had all my website links in my signature, i have 6 sites) K4L asked me to limit it to one, so i did :)

i didn't found any links to K4L. in return.

As yet, we don't have any reciprocal arangements in place. The site i mentioned in my post about cross promotions was another Australian martial arts forum. That site owner and i have had some great discussions about how to help our forum communities grow together, with some exciting ideas.

I am always open to new ideas!

We may all have different opinions, but that is why this is my forum too.

Well said!

Bren