Re: dropping like stones...

["David VillaSunscape" <davidlass@villasunscape.com>]

Both good points.
I was just floating the "we should raise membership fees" to get folks used
to it, since I think we are going to want to do it sometime in the
not-too-distant future.
When it comes to PAM you are absolutely right -- I got my "it's time to
renew" and couldn't quite figure out how to do it for just one year. That's
all I do any subscriptions for -- same reason I don't buy green bananas.
David

----- Original Message -----
From: "Erik Olson" <erik@thekrib.com>
To: <aga-sc@thekrib.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 11:26 AM
Subject: dropping like stones...


> On Thu, 13 Dec 2001, David VillaSunscape wrote:
>
> > Gomberg's experience with PAM should be instructive for us. i'm not
exactly
> > sure what it says, other than the fact that he didn't have any kind of
> > backing to be able to withstand the startup phase of an endeavor. Also,
the
> > fact that his number of subscribers dropped like a stone from the
initial
> > ones was because the articles were too technical.
>
> I offer an alternate (or perhaps a companion) suggestion on why the
> membership dropped. During the first year, membership slowly increased.
> After this point, it started to decline, and in the last six months, it
> plummetted.  But what Dave did during this time was to first increase
> dues, and then eventually only offer 3-year subscriptions (err, sorry, "12
> issue" subscriptions) or other "sample trial issues" options.  If you
> checked the website during this time, you wouldn't even be able to figure
> out what the subscription rates were.  This is firsthand experience.
> Rather than make things easier and more inviting, he made them difficult
> and more prohibitive.
>
> > My basic dollar thoughts are that if we can offset any increase in costs
for
> > color pages, paying a little for articles and photos, and the like by
> > selling advertising, we should be just fine. I also think that when we
come
> > out with the first issue of the "new TAG" (assuming that the next one is
> > going to be the one Erik described) we should also raise our dues to
$20. By
> > then we will be offering the membership some extras for their membership
> > fee -- a bigger better more colorful TAG, back issues of PAM, a regular
> > annual convention, who knows what else.
>
> I'm leery of raising the dues so soon after the dryest year we've had for
> TAG yet (1999 included).  I would suggest we either try to do this with
> advertising, or wait at least a year to "prove" ourselves.  Thanks for
> considering this.
>
>   - Erik
>
> --
> Erik Olson
> erik at thekrib dot com
>
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