Thread: Latest giveaway contest.

Permit me to express my EXTREME annoyance at not being able to enter a BHUZ contest because I need to go to a DIFFERENT *MEMBERS ONLY* site that I'm not a member of to enter.

Face***K is *NOT* the whole Internet!

This is like going to redeem a Safeway coupon at Taco Bell!

I also tried to sign-up for the give-away. Since I am not a member of FB I was also unable to complete the process. So it goes.

It's entirely open to you to join FB, even if it is purely for the purpose of taking part in the giveaway, and then subsequently to delete your account.

It is your choice not to join FB that prevents you from taking part. Just because you choose not to engage in other social networking sites doesn't mean that everybody else makes the same choice.

There are millions of bellydancers on FB, (I should know, I seem to get a million friend requests from them!) so why should Rosey not avail herself of the FB phenomenon to promote bhuz? The giveaway is an entirely valid means for Rosey to promote awareness of the Bhuz Facebook page, and cross-promote the main Bhuz site.

Presumably there will one day be a Twitter/Bhuz giveaway, too, to promote Bhuz within the twitterverse... And whatever other social networking sites rise up and gain prominence as promotional tools...

I consider myself pretty well-connected on the internet, so maybe this is my own bias, but it's just a contest. Not perfectly analagous, but I use sites like Ebates.com, which require a separate signup, to benefit for cash back incentives for major chains.

If you really have an issue with it, maybe if you calmly and directly wrote to Rosey about it (and call it Facebook, not Face****), she'll consider your case for the next time she has a contest. I assume (and this is only a guess, as I don't know Rosey IRL and never discussed this with her) that she would like to gain more of a Facebook presence for her Bhuz page, hence the contest.

With all due respect to both sides, it is a conflicting message--we'll reward you from this site for joining that site. If Bhuz wants to move their operations to Facebook, that's a strategy, but how does giving the prizes away there entice anyone to come here and participate? There's already plenty of dance discussion on Facebook, and some major players have decamped from here to there, so if anything, it would seem more sensible to advertise the contest there but hold it here to draw people back into Bhuz's orbit. What is the point in encouraging people to spend more time at a site that is essentially your competition? Isn't Bhuz's primary objective to keep this site thriving enough to sell the ad space to subsidize it?

I must admit that it annoys me a little but only because it's a competition with a prize I'd like! Although I do have a FB dance page in this name, I have made a point of trying to keep the streams relatively uncrossed on my RL page and with a very very few exceptions, I don't have anybody friended on FB who I haven't met IRL.

I can't even articulate why I don't want to friend and like a bunch of Bhuz stuff on FB but I just ... don't. So alas I miss out on a chance at the Rocky giveaway. I'll just have to buy it!

Them's the breaks.

Originally Posted by tourbeau

what is the point in encouraging people to spend more time at a site that is essentially your competition? Isn't bhuz's primary objective to keep this site thriving enough to sell the ad space to subsidize it?

thank you!!!

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

With all due respect to both sides, it is a conflicting message--we'll reward you from this site for joining that site. If Bhuz wants to move their operations to Facebook, that's a strategy, but how does giving the prizes away there entice anyone to come here and participate? There's already plenty of dance discussion on Facebook, and some major players have decamped from here to there, so if anything, it would seem more sensible to advertise the contest there but hold it here to draw people back into Bhuz's orbit. What is the point in encouraging people to spend more time at a site that is essentially your competition? Isn't Bhuz's primary objective to keep this site thriving enough to sell the ad space to subsidize it?

People probably spend more time on Facebook than Bhuz.The way some people use Facebook is to highlight hot topic threads on other sites. The discussion isn't necessarily moved from site x to Facebook, but it does cause people to be redirected back to site X. It's a fairly common practice from what I've seen.

I don't think at this point Facebook is that much of a competition for Bhuz in many respects. The interface for Facebook groups isn't as nice as Bhuz, and for quite a few, I've noticed you have to be invited. Not terribly difficult but an extra step.

Not knowing everyone who has migrated from Bhuz to Facebook and why, I don't know how common of a reaction this but some people perceive Bhuz as a less friendly environment. YMMV, of course.

I know Zorba hates it, but FB *is* a really good way of getting extra high-ranked web presence with very little effort. It's a two-way thing really - Zuckerman is all "muahahaha I shall make my site the entirety of the internet!!!" and everyone else is "muahahaa I shall exploit Zuckerman's ubiquity to capture more readers and direct them to my site muahahaha". Sort of hegemony theory stuff.

Any FB person with belly dance interests or belly dance friends who like Bhuz will soon find Bhuz-page suggestions etc turning up on their sidebar.

I respect everyone's opinion and I am not interested in taking sides, but I would like to explain the thought process behind this contest since some people are wondering.

The Bhuz Facebook page is a great (FREE) way to let new people to find out about all the stuff we have to offer here. When someone who likes our page comments on something on our page, some of their friends will see the story and then learn a bit about Bhuz and how much more we have to offer than Facebook. Hopefully, some of these new people will come here and start using Bhuz, thereby keeping our community strong and growing.

So....I needed to do something to get more people to like our Facebook page and the contest is what I chose. So far the response has been tremendous - a great source of free publicity for Bhuz.

I just wanted to let you guys know that I checked the websites analytics - and in the few days since I started the contest on Facebook, the number of daily visitors to Bhuz more than doubled! If you love Bhuz and want it to thrive, I think you will agree that the Facebook contest was a big success. I will be doing it again on Facebook and I encourage everyone who uses Facebook to like our page there BHUZ.com ~~ Belly Dance Central ~~ | Facebook and click like or comment on my posts there when you see them. Thanks for all of your support, it is much appreciated!

A way to work both viewpoint together is something that I've seen a lot of blog giveaways do: you enter on both the website and on facebook/twitter. Facebook and twitter give additional chances to win, but that way people who don't/won't/can't have them still get a chance to win.

I'm not sure how they select the winners though, but it is a thought for future giveaways.

If the point of the giveaway is to attract people to Bhuz's facebook page, then NOT going to that page would clearly make you NOT the target market for this promotion. Seems obvious to me.

I think we all get more than our money's worth here on this FREE site -- Rosey is NOT under any obligation to also offer us fabulous prizes!

If you want to participate in the Facebook-based promotion by visiting the Facebook page, you're free to do so. If not, you're free to make that choice as well.

I can't see any reason to complain.

Not sure I'm adding anything new to this thread, but I'm a little confused as to why Zorba is irritated. I don't see anything wrong at all with Rosey giving away free gifts that involve other internet sites/resources. She's providing an incentive for current bhuz users to help her promote her site and bring in new users/advertisers.

I don't twitter (and don't want to), but it would never occur to me to feel miffed or slighted in any way if I learned Rosey had a contest only available on Twitter.

I think it's lovely that Rosey has had a number of really fantastic giveaways, however I do understand Zorba's frustration. It was advertised as a "Bhuz Giveaway," the thread was forced when you signed on to Bhuz, and it was a prize many Bhuzzers would love to win. To be honest, the FB requirement rubbed me the wrong way even though I, 1) have a FB account (which I rarely log into), and 2) already own Morocco's book.

As site admin Rosey is free to do whatever she pleases, but I don't think it's wrong for site members to provide polite feedback. In fact, count me as one who does not like FB-centric anything.

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