Gollnick
Musical Director
- Joined
- Mar 22, 1999
- Messages
- 29,258
Advertising on forum sites is, in general, a very bad idea.
You have no way to control the discussion that might follow. Any of the over 15,000 bf.c members can critcize the knife or its price or can call attention to a competitive auction or seller.
When GM runs a TV Commercial, they don't then host an open-mic disussion allowing anyone who wants to to go on TV and comment on the car. No. They say nice, positive, promotional things about the car, and then the commercial ends and we return to the normally-scheduled dribble -- excuse me, program. GM knows better than to open the floor up for discussion. But that is exactly what you do when you advertize in a discussion forum. And you can't control the discussion that will follow.
Advertizing is, by its nature, usually a one-way communication. The seller wants to tell the would-be buyer about his product. The only thing the seller wants to hear back is, "I'll take it." But bf.c is a discussion forum. It is, by its nature, a multi-way communication.
Just as you shouldn't use a Philips head screw driver on a slotted screw, you shouldn't use a multi-way media to try and communicate a one-way message.
I've seen more sellers try it, get some negative response, and then they respond back and an argument develops and the seller ends up looking like a bitter, nasty, stupid fool in front of his whole market. His attempt at advertising ended up hurting him big-time.
You have no way to control the discussion that might follow. Any of the over 15,000 bf.c members can critcize the knife or its price or can call attention to a competitive auction or seller.
When GM runs a TV Commercial, they don't then host an open-mic disussion allowing anyone who wants to to go on TV and comment on the car. No. They say nice, positive, promotional things about the car, and then the commercial ends and we return to the normally-scheduled dribble -- excuse me, program. GM knows better than to open the floor up for discussion. But that is exactly what you do when you advertize in a discussion forum. And you can't control the discussion that will follow.
Advertizing is, by its nature, usually a one-way communication. The seller wants to tell the would-be buyer about his product. The only thing the seller wants to hear back is, "I'll take it." But bf.c is a discussion forum. It is, by its nature, a multi-way communication.
Just as you shouldn't use a Philips head screw driver on a slotted screw, you shouldn't use a multi-way media to try and communicate a one-way message.
I've seen more sellers try it, get some negative response, and then they respond back and an argument develops and the seller ends up looking like a bitter, nasty, stupid fool in front of his whole market. His attempt at advertising ended up hurting him big-time.
