Forum sponsorship $$??

I read what I believe are the 5 most trafficked US forums pretty regularly. I have often wondered how three of them who require sponsorship for dealers/manufacturers do this. I wonder more now because of a discussion over on Findmall about how MInelab is currently no longer a forum sponsor. Whites went away over there a while back.

Does anybody know how much they charge manufacturers to have a dedicated sub-forum or dealers to offer units for sale? Just curious because with the whole landscape of metal detector marketing and sales is changing rapidly, it seems these “pay for play” forums might be sailing against the wind.

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

While I understand the concept of sponsorship, TNET has perverted and destroyed it. Instead of getting advertising space, it has become "nobody can say anything bad about XXXX because they are now a sponsor" That crap started with kellyco and their lapdog, TH.

If I were a vendor I dont think I would have been ponying up the cash to sponsor Find's website. As a sponsor I would expect my money to be used to run a site and keep it up to date. Finds was 25 year old tech that was abandoned by the developers over decade ago.

If someone wants to run a forum for the good of community and use freeware, great! Thats totally up to them. When you turn it into a commercial venture, you better be doing something with the $$$ besides stuffing 100% of it into your own pocket or your "sponsors" wont be around very long.

======================================================

You can see my videos here: [www.youtube.com]
My blog is here: [thesilverfiend.com]

======================================================

Sometime back it was announced that FTP was no longer a Findmall sponsor. Days later, that was reversed. My understanding was that FTP decided Findmall wasn't worth the price (I was told the price but don't remember it, and if I did, it may violate an agreement to make that public), bailed out, but then renegotiated a lower price. White's decided Findmall wasn't worth the price, period. Apparently so has Minelab.

My observation of Findmall is that traffic has been on a steady decline for several years. I don't know if that is because metal detecting is on a decline, or whether it is due to overly aggressive Findmall moderators. Traffic on TNet seems to be holding up despite a very similar operating model, but one major difference is that TNet is open to non-sponsor products and doesn't delete whole forums when a sponsor goes away, such as Tesoro. With the house on fire, Findmall pours gas on it by deleting all those Minelab forums, and White's before that. They don't seem to understand the very basics of the business.

silverfiend Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> While I understand the concept of sponsorship, TNE
> T has perverted and destroyed it. Instead of gett
> ing advertising space, it has become "nobody can s
> ay anything bad about XXXX because they are now a
> sponsor" That crap started with kellyco and their
> lapdog, TH.
>
> If I were a vendor I dont think I would have been
> ponying up the cash to sponsor Find's website. As
> a sponsor I would expect my money to be used to ru
> n a site and keep it up to date. Finds was 25 yea
> r old tech that was abandoned by the developers ov
> er decade ago.
>
> If someone wants to run a forum for the good of co
> mmunity and use freeware, great! Thats totally up
> to them. When you turn it into a commercial ventu
> re, you better be doing something with the $$$ bes
> ides stuffing 100% of it into your own pocket or y
> our "sponsors" wont be around very long.

Wow Minelab pulled out of Findmall, if they tear down those forums, their done.

Maybe 98% went into the Guvs pocket, still have to pay hosting fees, but their fairly cheap with the likes of bluehost and such.

Geotech Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sometime back it was announced that FTP was no lon
> ger a Findmall sponsor. Days later, that was rever
> sed. My understanding was that FTP decided Findmal
> l wasn't worth the price (I was told the price but
> don't remember it, and if I did, it may violate an
> agreement to make that public), bailed out, but th
> en renegotiated a lower price. White's decided Fin
> dmall wasn't worth the price, period. Apparently s
> o has Minelab.
>
> My observation of Findmall is that traffic has bee
> n on a steady decline for several years. I don't k
> now if that is because metal detecting is on a dec
> line, or whether it is due to overly aggressive Fi
> ndmall moderators. Traffic on TNet seems to be hol
> ding up despite a very similar operating model, bu
> t one major difference is that TNet is open to non
> -sponsor products and doesn't delete whole forums
> when a sponsor goes away, such as Tesoro. With the
> house on fire, Findmall pours gas on it by deletin
> g all those Minelab forums, and White's before tha
> t. They don't seem to understand the very basics o
> f the business.


Amen to that.

Darn,
Findmall updates/converts site to new software and lose sponsorship to one of the leading detector makers in the world.
Wonder who is next to go??



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2020 07:35PM by tnsharpshooter.

I have hundreds of bookmarked posts at Findmall and now they are all useless because their database contents seem to not be accessible in the new forum set-up. A great loss of our collective wit and wisdom.

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

Wow! If Minelab (a major World player) pulls out...…… the issuance of a death-certificate is imminent.

I was on Findmall a couple years and it is expensive compared to other forums. When I did not renew in a timely manner. I got booted off and deleted. I am find with not being on there and paying those prices.

Thas a biggy to lose. They Kicked Pete Anderson off because of not wanting to pay the price...... in fact you cant even use his name there now. Im afraid Findmal is a victim of their own created problems..... mostly the owner. BUT.... this whole advertising thing is changing...... they would prefer to sponsor INFLUENCERS i think. FB is a very good example and how people and detector pages can draw sponsors. U-tube..... one of he first places we go for info as well. I suspect .... dealer situations may change too..... i see Cabalas, Dicks and Amazon mentioned more and more. Companies may figure...... on line big box is the new way to go to distribute and provide some sponsorship to FB pages that have a lot of followers. I now think they create/generate more buzz and give more info than some of the forums.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2020 08:06PM by dewcon4414.

We are watching major changes take place in this new digital age in every venue. I like to come here when I need to un-focus for a few minutes and watch the controversies. Its like a detecting soap opera with commercial breaks and everything over here.

HH
Mike



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2020 08:15PM by Mike Hillis.

If I really want to find out about something I come to this site.

tabman

I'm surprised that a larger company like First Texas would sponsor Findmall with their Views forum always front and center in the recent posts list. Not implying that I disagree or agree with what is posted, but it definitely has subject material that no company I've ever worked for would touch with a 100 foot pole. Especially with the cancel culture of today.

Geotech Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sometime back it was announced that FTP was no lon
> ger a Findmall sponsor. Days later, that was rever
> sed. My understanding was that FTP decided Findmal
> l wasn't worth the price (I was told the price but
> don't remember it, and if I did, it may violate an
> agreement to make that public), bailed out, but th
> en renegotiated a lower price. White's decided Fin
> dmall wasn't worth the price, period. Apparently s
> o has Minelab.
>
> My observation of Findmall is that traffic has bee
> n on a steady decline for several years. I don't k
> now if that is because metal detecting is on a dec
> line, or whether it is due to overly aggressive Fi
> ndmall moderators. Traffic on TNet seems to be hol
> ding up despite a very similar operating model, bu
> t one major difference is that TNet is open to non
> -sponsor products and doesn't delete whole forums
> when a sponsor goes away, such as Tesoro. With the
> house on fire, Findmall pours gas on it by deletin
> g all those Minelab forums, and White's before tha
> t. They don't seem to understand the very basics o
> f the business.

I now see that all the Minelab forums have simply been moved to the bottom of the list. Seems that the Guv ain't about to flush away a huge percentage of his traffic, whether he's paid for it or not.

Chris, I had to go look at the Views forum, never been in there. Yikes! Yeah, I would not want folks to think I'm sponsoring that. My Geotech forum has an "Off Topic" section but I expressly forbid political or religious topics. That seems to bring out the worst in people.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2020 09:29PM by Geotech.

The tinfoil hat brigade over there, led by the “G” are busy fantasizing that the coronavirus is some Chinese biowar bug run wild. This has been thoroughly debunked already. And this kind of totally evidence less fear mongering doesn’t help anybody

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

wow - ya mean to say I could have been making money advertising manufacturers? - lol

[www.earthscan.co.nz]

tnsharpshooter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Darn, Findmall updates/converts site to new software and lose sponsorship to one of the leading detector makers in the world.
> Wonder who is next to go??


Maybe "G" decided to increase his rates now that he had to spend a couple dollars on new software.

======================================================

You can see my videos here: [www.youtube.com]
My blog is here: [thesilverfiend.com]

======================================================

silverfiend Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> While I understand the concept of sponsorship, TNE
> T has perverted and destroyed it. Instead of gett
> ing advertising space, it has become "nobody can s
> ay anything bad about XXXX because they are now a
> sponsor" That crap started with kellyco and their
> lapdog, TH.

^^^Absolute Truth there^^^

But don't forget Findmall when you talk about editing/censoring/banning anything that smacks of disagreeing with a dealer sponsor. Even when the dealer is obviously doing shady things to his customers.

I swear, I don't understand people who will sell their integrity (assuming they were born with any).


eta: Here, Herschbach's, and a couple of Brit forums are the only sites I visit anymore.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2020 11:57PM by Champ Ferguson.

I hadn't noticed the "Views" forum until I started using the "New Posts" link on the new site. That forum would certainly make me queasy if I were a sponsor. :-)

Findmall didn't really delete the Tesoro and White's forums... they're still there under different names.

It's a drag that old bookmarks won't work; I had quite a few topics bookmarked. The old site still seems to be available at [archive.findmall.com]. If you don't mind manually altering your bookmark URL to include "archive." in front of "findmall.com", I think it will still work, at least for now.

-Ken

Kitz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Findmall didn't really delete the Tesoro and White's forums... they're still there under different names.

Yes, the Tesoro and the main White's forum contents are still there but there is no longer a home for people who own those brands. And there were also a few specialty White's forums (MXT, XLT, DFX, & TDI), they all got vaporized. I think it's hilarious that Guv ain't gonna vaporize all those Minelab forums regardless of sponsorship, but will he extend the new policy and resurrect all those other forums? I'll wager 'no'.

I looked into sponsoring Findmall at one time but being such a small dealer I couldn't afford the amount that they wanted. Guv and Larry of the Depot have one thing in common, if they don't agree with something that you say or you ruffle their feathers in any way you will be history, no great loss though Tom D.'s forum is the best.

SkiWhiz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I looked into sponsoring Findmall at one time but
> being such a small dealer I couldn't afford the am
> ount that they wanted. Guv and Larry of the Depot
> have one thing in common, if they don't agree with
> something that you say or you ruffle their feather
> s in any way you will be history, no great loss th
> ough Tom D.'s forum is the best.

I remember years ago, someone posted a topic on the Depot that a certain dealer was a liar, dishonest and the scum of the earth. I dealt with this dealer because he was a sponsor of the Depot and he did really good by me and gave me great service. I replied to the topic by simply saying that I find it hard to believe because I've done business with that dealer and he was great. I got kicked off of the Depot for saying that. I finally found out what really happened. The dealer decided to stop sponsoring the Depot and Larry told him that he was going to ruin him. The poster who was bashing the hell out of the dealer was really Larry pretending to be someone else.

tabman

The possibilities of deception, abuse of position, and outright slander by a forum owner are very wide. They have near total control over what appears on their site, and as tabman has posted, they can mobilize via their “friends” or even create out of thin air, posts and posters to criticize their “enemies” and promise their friends.

This latitude for abuse is the flip side of the responsibility they have to not only avoid such things themselves but to detect and deal with them when the source is a forum contributor. Banning destructive users is a necessary power.

On the whole, I suspect that owning a forum is no longer the high road to riches (if it ever was) but likely a source of endless toil and much of that thankless.

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

tabman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If I really want to find out about something I come to this site.
>
> tabman


True +1

Minelab seems to have leverage at the moment. They are selling detectors. They can dictate a few things that a few years ago they could not do. Hail to the King.

very true +2.


Mikey Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> tabman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If I really want to find out about something I c
> ome to this site.
> >
> > tabman
>
>
> True +1

Facebook has made it really easy to make a dedicated group for specific machines. One admin and a few moderators. No need to update software. Easy to upload pics....etc.
this has caused a down tic in traditional forum traffic over the last few years. The old school people have been resisting going this route because they don’t like FB. The new people in the hobby are flocking there because it is the format they are used to.

I still frequent about a half dozen forums daily, but has added the other format into the mix for info/sharing/learning purposes.

I had a similar situation on the depot. The dealer treated me right and had never heard anything bad except he was underselling others.

dewcon4414 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I had a similar situation on the depot. The deal
> er treated me right and had never heard anything b
> ad except he was underselling others.

Dew,

Sounds like Chuck.

Joe

“Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction.”

No it was New England detectors. I do like Chuck thou