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* Create a Big Brother forum and get it high on Google.
* Create a temporary discussion forum about a popular news event in an attempt to grab the BBC HYS-style of poster.
* Do a deal with a decent search engine and put it on your lead page in an attempt to get users to make you their homepage.
* Bring back the news thing you used to do with amusing spins on various news.
* Chuck up some celebrity rubbish - that always brings in people to chat.
If you want the forums to bring people in and actually be a decent marketing addition to your site then this is the rather unfortunate turn you have to take.
However there are other good things to promote alongside this:
* Writing/poetry competitions
* Most hilarious news item of the day competition
* Best bargain of the day competiton
etc
The point is there are a 1000 ways to get in some more hits from those looking to chat about current topics and win amazon/argos vouchers but you're not attempting them and the forums are dying on their a**e.
Above all these ideas won't amount to anything without high search results and a little bit of sly marketing (email or otherwise) but using the obvious tricks (calling pictures 'Big Brother'/'other' over and over for instance) it shouldn't be a problem.
Worth a go I think.
> Hi Cong, I'm sorry you feel so lost and forgotten, why not chuck
> a cheeky avatar of your mush (Eastender term for face) onto the
> site, just to cheer us all up.
I don't think my mush would cheer many people up. It's good for keeping the kids away from the fireplace though.
> Evening Tony.
>
> Nice to see you. Are you well?
Hi Cong, I'm sorry you feel so lost and forgotten, why not chuck a cheeky avatar of your mush (Eastender term for face) onto the site, just to cheer us all up.
I'm fine thanks, except I prefer to be able to use my Mac/Safari.
Nice to see you. Are you well?
> Even insects and sheep have won GAD.
Until they were wiped out in the Console Wars.
> Well, thankyouverymuch. I've had a bonafide UK address all
> along, but giving to charity was always my first thought, since
> the prize is in Pounds anyways. Maybe others here, not just
> people overseas, could be so generous and Freeola could do a
> monthly donation? I'm sure there are organizations out there
> that would be very appreciative.
Freeola's nominated charity is Helen Rollason Heal Cancer Charity and you will see various donations to them in the winners list. I also once gave them a pair of Ferrari racing gloves signed by Rubens Barichello for their charity auction! Every little helps.
> Ladybird wrote:
> Tony took away from me any opportunity to win GAD...
>
> That's right - the rules forbid insects and sheep from winning
> the prizes.
Even insects and sheep have won GAD.
>
> You have two options I think:
> 1. If you win a prize it could be given to charity.
> 2. You'll need a pal in the UK so that you can enter a bona-fide
> UK address in your MyFreeola bits.
>
> Because Freeola services are aimed almost exclusively at the UK
> market it would not be in our interest in general if many of the
> prizes went outside the UK. There are also the practical
> considerations of course.
>
> I will have rule (k) changed to state that GAD's won by overseas
> visitors will be given to a charity nominated by Freeola.
Well, thankyouverymuch. I've had a bonafide UK address all along, but giving to charity was always my first thought, since the prize is in Pounds anyways. Maybe others here, not just people overseas, could be so generous and Freeola could do a monthly donation? I'm sure there are organizations out there that would be very appreciative.
> Tony took away from me any opportunity to win GAD...
That's right - the rules forbid insects and sheep from winning the prizes.
You have two options I think:
1. If you win a prize it could be given to charity.
2. You'll need a pal in the UK so that you can enter a bona-fide UK address in your MyFreeola bits.
Because Freeola services are aimed almost exclusively at the UK market it would not be in our interest in general if many of the prizes went outside the UK. There are also the practical considerations of course.
I will have rule (k) changed to state that GAD's won by overseas visitors will be given to a charity nominated by Freeola.
I think the point is that Freeola don't do broadband overseas and there's little point in offering hosting to overseas customers because the exchange rate generally prohibits that being worthwhile.
Perhaps they should let overseas customers be elligible to win GAD for their sites (if, indeed, there are any) but otherwise I can see why they're not giving away vouchers to people who are never likely to be actual customers.
Then you can just email them at your discretion to the people outside the UK.