List Posting Tips

The purpose of this note is to talk about the types of posts that are appropriate for Ad-Marketing. List guidelines can also be found on the Ad-Marketing homepage under Review List Guidelines. Both the list guidelines and this 'types of posts' doc will be incorporated into a FAQ. Suggestions are welcome and encouraged! Please send suggestions for either of these docs to Mitch. 

As a quick reminder, the Ad-Marketing list is a place to discuss Internet advertising & marketing issues and opportunities. On the list are start-ups, established cos, service providers & consultants, experts, press, associations, organizations and students. 

Most of us on the list are interested in both helping others and growing our business. Ad-Marketing has been created to accomplish both of these objectives. The trick is to participate in a way that is consistent with both of these goals. 

The following should address the types of posts that are appropriate and give us all a better idea of how to participate. You will see that posting tips below are as inclusive as possible. This is by design to allow as many folks as possible to participate :)

What is appropriate to post to the list?

What is not appropriate to post to the list?

What is appropriate to post to the list?

1. answering a question- this is a great way to get involved. Offering qualified information, helping someone or saving someone time is what its all about. The way to promote your business is through an electronic signature or SIG, please remember to always include a SIG with your post. If you need help creating a SIG, please email Mitch and we'll help you get started.

2. asking a question- appropriate questions are those related to Internet advertising or marketing. We are a fairly lenient group, almost anything goes as long its Internet advertising or marketing related. Example topics include community, ad models, e-mail marketing, marketplaces. 

There will always be debate about entry level questions on the list. Ad- Marketing was created to help beginners as well as those more advanced in Internet marketing. It is our belief that these two groups learn from each other. It is acceptable to ask an entry level question. 

Having said that, it is imperative that you check list archives and summaries *before* posting. Both areas are found off the Ad-Marketing homepage. The Summaries area of the Web site was created to make archives and list discussions more manageable. If you don't see your question in either of these areas, feel free to post. If you do see your topic covered but still want to post, just drop Mitch a note and we'll figure it out. 

When asking a question, ask folks to either respond to you directly or to the list. When folks respond to you directly, it is customary to post a short summary of responses. More on summaries will be included in the upcoming FAQ.

3. sharing information (includes news, books, articles)- discussing an article or news and then asking questions to generate discussion is great. Please don't post articles in their entirety, this violates copyright laws and makes our lawyers nervous. It is appropriate to post a few lines or summary  about an article and offer a pointer.

4. asking for referrals- it has become commonplace for Ad-Marketers to ask for company referrals. Examples of referrals include advertising & branding agencies, recruiting firms, web development firms. List referrals can be found under List Recommendations off the Ad-Marketing homepage. When asking for a referral, ask folks to respond to you directly. A summary is then offered to the list and posted to the Web site. 

If you need a specific vendor or consultant (i.e.: 'I need some assistance for a client interested in content licensing and syndication deals.'), please use the list newsletter. The list Musings newsletter is published monthly and has a classified section. Classified ads should be sent to the classified address with CLASSIFIED in the subject line. Sending classified type requests to the Musings newsletter keeps the list open for discussion. If your need is related to Internet advertising & marketing and can't wait for the newsletter to come out, please send Mitch a note and we'll figure it out.  

What is not appropriate to post to the list?

1. jobs- there are many sites and services in the Washington, DC area that specialize in the job market. One of these services in ActionNet. ActionNet is for director and above positions.

If you have a relevant job and have already explored ActionNet, please send a short note including the opportunity and contact information to the list classified address with JOBS in the subject line. Your opportunity will then appear in the Musings newsletter.

2. events- there are many sites in the Washington, DC area that provide event calendars. One of the these calendars is the Netpreneur regional calendar.

If you have a marketing event and have entered it into the regional calendar, please send a short note including the opportunity and contact information to the list classified address with EVENTS in the subject line. Your marketing event will then appear in the list Musings newsletter. If you want to extend a special offer to Ad-Marketers, please drop me a note.

3. for sale, real estate opportunities

4. shameless promotions- when asking or answering a question, please do not post extensive details about your business. A two line blurb about your business is fine, a paragraph or two that includes price points, testimonials or brochure-ware is not. 

The best way to participate in an e-mail list or discussion group is to offer relevant information. It is OK to mention what you do but please don't over plug your product or service. Experienced participants of e-mail lists and discussion groups highlight what they do but not necessarily the company they work for. Again, your SIG does the job of promoting the company. More on this topic will be covered in an upcoming article: 'How To Participate.' 

An example of how to participate follows, this comes from a recent list post. In this exchange, David is answering a question about online community building tools. David's company; iKimbo produces community building software. You'll note that David's mention of the company is confined to his SIG:

Toby:

Are you looking for suggestion on how to keep a community going or a community solution? Are you looking for Chat, IM, Bulletin Boards, Mail Lists? There is a software that does all of the above... 

If you are looking for ways to create a community here are some notes. 

Have scheduled events often with a events calendar. Open chat room won't stay busy on there own. Moderated topic discussions and guest speaker events work the best. Daily Chat Sessions also keep people coming back. 

If you have a news letter put your event schedule in every issue. 

Bulletin Boards are a nice way for people to interact. The moderator can start it off with several topics and then your community can keep it going.

David Strigel
Director, Marketing and Sales: iKimbo!
703-904-4150 ext 239
Strigel@iKimbo.com

Creating and joining an iKimbo! community is fast, easy and free.
http://www.ikimbo.com/down.htm

5. posts more appropriate for an individual than the entire list- has someone requested that folks respond directly to them? If so, there is no need to reply to that individual and cc: the list. Is your comment directed more towards an individual and not the list? If so, please respond directly to the individual and not the list. Ad-Marketers are pretty good about not posting "me too" notes to the list.

___________________________________

Mitch Arnowitz - marnowitz@morino.org
Director, Business Development
Morino Institute Netpreneur.org
o) 703.648.3923 (f) 703.648.3939
"The .org community for .com startups."
http://netpreneur.org