29 replies to this topic

[netsmithUK]

http://www.facebook....305312262826491

Drop by and give us a like if you are facebook user. If you're not then probably best avoid it.

Its early days, so I'm not quite sure where we are going with it yet or why even anyone would use it over the forum, but its there and it was a 2 min job to set up.

Interested in any ideas anyone has for it.

Cheers
Chris

[Thommo]

This grabbed my attention because I am not a facebook user.

I've considered starting a "facebook, love it or hate it" thread here but never did. Now I can just ride this one.

I don't use facebook or twitter. I am not even remotely interested in them.

TC is absolutely the only social media for me and I've wondered if this is another shared trait of TC members?

[netsmithUK]

My current day job is basically advising charities and not-for-profit organisations on how to exploit social media to their best advantage. That said I'm still not a huge user myself, but through my work its easy to see how its now just completely a way of life for many people (currently around 50% of the uk population)

I'm not here to really argue for or against it - just want to see if there is any use of it to our members.

Cheers
Chris.

[SteelRat]

I was on Facebook, but deactivated it (after deleting all my pics, info and removing all my tags). Whilst I like the idea behind it, it's just a place that seems to be everything that's bad about the internet; a hybrid of advertising and those awful, ill informed "Leave your comments" sections you see everywhere on the web these days.

It's not something I'd use for precisely the reasons you mention, but it might be good to have TC out there just to further increase our "exposure" as it were.

[sosidge]

Every organisation, commercial or voluntary, needs a Facebook page now. Facebook has become a mini-internet within the internet.

The best way of using it is less clear.

Some organisations do nothing with it, leave it as a static page. This won't attract much interest.

A lot of organisations use it rather like a newsfeed. This works, although you can have an issue with controlling any unconstructive comments that are posted.

Some use it as a parallel community discussion board. This also works but tends to distract from any discussion boards you might already have. I don't think Facebook is as good as a traditional forum for two reasons - firstly because it is a members-only site, and secondly because you can't structure important information in a searchable manner.

To cut a long story short - you've got a "like" from me, but i'll still be visiting the .com!

[netsmithUK]

Thanks for feedback.

I certainly never saw it as any sort of replacement for the forum or any part of the site really. I can't really think of anything I'd stick up on facebook and not duplicate on the main TC site or forum. I think its just another way of promoting the sites content and bringing new people in, if not to join then to at least look through the sales and trade items.

Guess we'll just see how it pans out.

Chris.

[matman]

I have facebook , But i was thinking of getting Google+ & see how this is & maybe get rid of FB .
But at the end of the day it's the matter of getting the TC name out there . Most of us would
have been using TC Years before we did find it . So the more it's out there the better .

[Olly_Lunchbox]

It might be useful for promoting meets and events and then sharing the photos afterwards.

I know there's the facility to do that on here but sometimes these things get lost down the order a bit.

[Grastens]

As a more regular user of Facebook, it seems to be a way of representing one's interest in Tamiya cars, as some pages do. However, I am not sure how it will work seeing as this forum exists. Maybe the fun will be in seeing how it goes...

[Singleseven]

Thanks for feedback.

I certainly never saw it as any sort of replacement for the forum or any part of the site really. I can't really think of anything I'd stick up on facebook and not duplicate on the main TC site or forum. I think its just another way of promoting the sites content and bringing new people in, if not to join then to at least look through the sales and trade items.

Guess we'll just see how it pans out.

Chris.

Well no harm in giving it a go, and as you say see how it pans out. Certainly it will be more interesting to see comments related to RC than 'watching TC' or 'doing the ironing'....zzzzzzzzz

[netsmithUK]

Nice to see the likes creeping up plus we've had the first item published to our wall. This could be a good way for some people driving up views for their models. (assuming you add a link to the item in your showroom of course)

Chris

[Thommo]

I've considered starting a "facebook, love it or hate it" thread here but never did.

(currently around 50% of the uk population)

I'm not here to really argue for or against it - just want to see if there is any use of it to our members.

Love it or hate it might of been a bit strong. I'm not for it or against it either.

I'm more interested in why people are polarised by facebook? 50% definately says polarised to me. It is a part of every day life for a lot of people but the other 50% will be difficult to convert.

[netsmithUK]

I don't think that stat is as black and white and 50% love it and 50% hate it. It just means so far in numbers 50% use it. A proportion of the remaining 50% will hate it, but there is a large chunk of that are people that don't really care either way and those that have not 'discovered' it yet.

Chris

[Thommo]

I don't think that stat is as black and white and 50% love it and 50% hate it. It just means so far in numbers 50% use it. A proportion of the remaining 50% will hate it, but there is a large chunk of that are people that don't really care either way and those that have not 'discovered' it yet.

Chris

I guess you never hear from the chunk that don't really care either way. I'm not sure who hasn't 'discovered it yet'

That thread would have gone nowhere anyway! It would have been all facebook followers talking it up because they love it and the rest are not fussed. Don't ever get me to start a poll here ok.

[netsmithUK]

I'm not sure who hasn't 'discovered it yet'

my mum

[bakaguyjean]

I dont understand why Facebook is needed at all for Tamiyaclub,it just takes time away from the mainsite. Its better to ignore the Facebook page and let people find Tamiyaclub through facebook but then put their information here. Or you will find you are competeing against yourself. In a way you have allready because now I have to go check facebook and leave the Tamiyaclub site to see what was posted.
Facebook will suck you in because it is so easy to do,but nothing worth doing is easy. And I worry if a question is asked on facebook and its great question,but it will not be seen here"because it is allready on Facebook"
My hope is the Tamiyaclub website gets improved first before Facebook,but its very hard to manage TWO websites and that is what Facebook becomes,It sucks people and companies in.
Even now I just checked the facebook page and there is a pole on there about how many times you do something RC related.simple question but where is the poll in this forums?

[shwng1973]

I've left my like.
Nice to see the club on a major social network.

Great idea

[SteelRat]

I dont understand why Facebook is needed at all for Tamiyaclub,it just takes time away from the mainsite. Its better to ignore the Facebook page and let people find Tamiyaclub through facebook but then put their information here. Or you will find you are competeing against yourself. In a way you have allready because now I have to go check facebook and leave the Tamiyaclub site to see what was posted.
Facebook will suck you in because it is so easy to do,but nothing worth doing is easy. And I worry if a question is asked on facebook and its great question,but it will not be seen here"because it is allready on Facebook"
My hope is the Tamiyaclub website gets improved first before Facebook,but its very hard to manage TWO websites and that is what Facebook becomes,It sucks people and companies in.
Even now I just checked the facebook page and there is a pole on there about how many times you do something RC related.simple question but where is the poll in this forums?

^ Utterly this.

[OCD]

I dont understand why Facebook is needed at all for Tamiyaclub,it just takes time away from the mainsite. Its better to ignore the Facebook page and let people find Tamiyaclub through facebook but then put their information here. Or you will find you are competeing against yourself. In a way you have allready because now I have to go check facebook and leave the Tamiyaclub site to see what was posted.
Facebook will suck you in because it is so easy to do,but nothing worth doing is easy. And I worry if a question is asked on facebook and its great question,but it will not be seen here"because it is allready on Facebook"
My hope is the Tamiyaclub website gets improved first before Facebook,but its very hard to manage TWO websites and that is what Facebook becomes,It sucks people and companies in.
Even now I just checked the facebook page and there is a pole on there about how many times you do something RC related.simple question but where is the poll in this forums?

[netsmithUK]

Thanks all for the feedback. Its all very helpful.

As long as its a used as a route through to Tamiyaclub, instead of any sort of alternative, then I don't really see a downside at the moment for letting it run on. If questions are asked there then I will direct people to the forums or other areas of the site. If its presence starts to adversely impact on the main site/forum then I'd certainly reconsider.,

I agree 100% about the poll, having set up the page I thought I'd better add some content and the poll was just an easy option - it was not intended to be a deep member wide survey. Unless I am specifically targeting facebook users, there will be no 'facebook only' content posted there from the club.I will ensure that if something is suitable for the main site, its in both places (and usually on the site/forum first)

For me this is all just about getting the right channels for people and we know on the club there are a lot of different types of people, with different opinions, ways of interacting with the club etc. We have members that virtually live in the forum, others that swing by from time to time and a whole bunch of subscribers, members and visitors that are quite heavy users of the main site but never use the forum at all for various users. Facebook might be a more natural way for these people to get involved.

For many, they will use it just as a feed (Like rss and twitter), so occasionally club news which i push out will pop-up in a service they are already using daily.

These guys seem to have made it work for themselves, so I think it worth a go

http://www.facebook.com/TamiyaUSA

http://www.facebook....osi/59689218858

http://www.facebook.com/traxxas

Cheers
Chris

[Will16]

ooooooooooooooooooohh!!! Grooooooovy!!! Just 'Liked'

[RichieRich]

I think the Facebook page is a good idea. It will never replace Tamiyaclub itself but it's a good window for people to peek through and decide if they want to check out the club here. Facebook doesn't even have the same features as Tamiyaclub so I don't see how there is really any overlap.

[Team Rawlings]

It will never replace Tamiyaclub itself but it's a good window for people to peek through and decide if they want to check out the club here. Facebook doesn't even have the same features as Tamiyaclub so I don't see how there is really any overlap.

Face book for me would have to be a thumbs down, tyred it didn't like it, moved on!
But having said that I think RichieRich summed it up well.

[bakaguyjean]

Thanks all for the feedback. Its all very helpful.

As long as its a used as a route through to Tamiyaclub, instead of any sort of alternative, then I don't really see a downside at the moment for letting it run on. If questions are asked there then I will direct people to the forums or other areas of the site. If its presence starts to adversely impact on the main site/forum then I'd certainly reconsider.,

I agree 100% about the poll, having set up the page I thought I'd better add some content and the poll was just an easy option - it was not intended to be a deep member wide survey. Unless I am specifically targeting facebook users, there will be no 'facebook only' content posted there from the club.I will ensure that if something is suitable for the main site, its in both places (and usually on the site/forum first)

For me this is all just about getting the right channels for people and we know on the club there are a lot of different types of people, with different opinions, ways of interacting with the club etc. We have members that virtually live in the forum, others that swing by from time to time and a whole bunch of subscribers, members and visitors that are quite heavy users of the main site but never use the forum at all for various users. Facebook might be a more natural way for these people to get involved.

For many, they will use it just as a feed (Like rss and twitter), so occasionally club news which i push out will pop-up in a service they are already using daily.

These guys seem to have made it work for themselves, so I think it worth a go

http://www.facebook.com/TamiyaUSA

http://www.facebook....osi/59689218858

http://www.facebook.com/traxxas

Cheers
Chris

I think a better way is to have the like buttons in the showrooms like the tweet buttons you have all ready,does this cost money? It would drive people to the Tamiyaclub site and that would give you more traffic than if you answear a single question on facebook. If you answear the question at facebook there inst any reason to come to the Tamiyaclub mainsite at all. With facebook if I like something all my friends see it and they get off of facebook and go to the Tamiyaclub website.

One thing that bothers me is Mardave,the Mardave site was getting re made,and now when you search Mardave the first thing that comes up is Mardave on faceboook. So now the first impression for Mardave is thier Facebook page. So if Tamiyaclub first page is now Facebook there isnt anything there other than a pole about how often you do something RC related. So you do have to worry about it a little because if it turns people off then they will not look in to the real Tamiyaclub page.

I think getting more people involved would be blogs? and events. A lot of people got turned off when the events in the UK stopped. They seamed to enjoy it a lot and then it disapearred. And we know none of the blogs have been updated in 4 years. 2 people are gone now but they still have blogs at the bottom of the page.

Im sure you could just do a news letter if you want to give people news, You dont want people to read about the new contest through facebook without going to the Tamiyaclub website,that just giving away traffic.
And traffic means bigger and better sponces for the club. Hopefully.

It doesn`t really matter what you do I`m just giving ideas,but I know it takes people to do things so if one person is off messing with facebook whatever was being done on the Main site isnt being done anymore.
If you need help with something let me know,I can write news letter,blogs and any other sort of thing if you get stuck doing facebook.

[netsmithUK]

Thanks for the offers of help.

The 'like' button is already there on each showroom item - at least I see it, let me know if you don't

The blogs never really took off - I like the others thought we'd have lots a write about but in the end something else always 'distracted' us. I'm going to remove the old blogs today. I'll look at bringing them back at some point when I've thought it through and seen who I can get to writing what.

Events. Just organising one a year was a tall order (and local to UK, which missed a large part of the membership) that said, the reason the 'official' TC event faded away, was pretty much down to me. There were a few issues to do with cost, insurance and the BRCA that complicated things but basically none of them couldn't have been got around given more time and effort. 2012 will see the return of the TC Event - but more on that later

Newsletter. I did a few back in the day but again ran out of content and time. We could bring them back but we've never really had any one in a position of industry news suppliers and there is only so much that you can say about the club itself. If we have shop owners, writers for magazines, or anyone with some source of current news then let me know. I don't want to just reproduce content that is already out there though - a lot of people already do a good job of that elsewhere.

I'll spin some of these points off into sperate threads at some point - its all good stuff for the club and I don't want to lose the ideas - I just want to keep this one focused on how we can best use facebook at the moment.

Cheers
Chris.