Beekeeping Forum Newsletter.

[BKF Admin]

Beekeeping Forum Newsletter
​

I have been thinking about the idea of sending out to our registered members a newsletter that contains latest news regards the forum.

The idea is that many members may of joined up at the beginning of the forum and either forgot to bookmark us or have not realised how fast we have grown so failed to visit over the last few weeks.


Another good reason for the newsletter is that if it is an online edition then members can send it on to people in there beekeepers lists from the association they belong to (If the list is for an association that’s not affiliated) often the email you receive will have a list of all recipients on that clubs list that you could use.

This could be of interest to beekeepers that do not realise we have an online presence.


Ideas for the first newsletter could contain items such as:

An introduction to who we are and our aims.
Latest forum news.
A topic (article) of beekeeping interest.
Latest media news and a reply from a forum member.
What beekeepers should be doing this month in the Apiary.
New products on the market.
Forum feedback.
Anything else I have forgotten to add/you would like added?

What do members think good/bad idea?

This should help the forum to gain members very fast over the slow winter months if we go ahead.

Admin.

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi Admin,

Great idea!

But....... there's always a but. Are you going to oversee the formation of a newsletter and all it entails for assessing the articles to go into the news letter? This would be a full time job.

It would reach a wider audience if it were constructed correctly. Would it bee monthly or bi-monthly or quarterly?
I would like to bee involved in some way.

Regards;

 

[Frisbee]

I think it's a goodish idea. . . . .

Goodish because:- it sounds like a great idea but forums always have loads of people who join but rarely if at all post, sometimes they will possibly regularly read whats going on but not contribute, mostly they join in a rush of what a good idea it is then forget all about it, so the ultimate question regarding this is will a newsletter encourage more members to take part in the forum? and that I doubt. Members come and go anyway, what is important now may not be so in a years time, so memeber "A" who posts regularly now and seems really keen may not do so in a years time, other things happen and people move on

It sounds like an awful lot more work for you. . . . .

So basically I think it's a good idea, but in my opinion it's a waste of effort and you are achieving most of your aims with this excellent forum anyway.



Frisbee

 

[BKF Admin]

I agree with most of what you say Frisbee.

My thinking was that as a forum depends on its members many will drift away and most beekeepers do not even know we exist,the newsletter would be a way of getting us out there to the masses.

As you say many members will forget all about us and the newsletter is a way of drawing them back,remember that a % of readers will at some point become posters.

The newsletter is a way of expanding the forum,not a way of expanding what we do.

Regards the time factor it looks like we already have a member who could oversee the project in the post above you.

 

[Widdershins]

I think its a fabulous idea!

What I would suggest though, so as not to make too much work for yourself, is make it Bi-monthly or quarterly. You need to ask yourself: Will you have time in the summer months to compile one? Also, contributers need to be co-ordinated etc.

I will help, if I can, probably in a behind the scenes sort of thing, (proof reading? ) not writing articles - dont have enough experience for that!

Ooo, and how about a recipe part - cooking with honey, and hive products too?

 

[BKF Admin]

That?s a great offer of help Widdershins, I will put you down for a recipe.

I was thinking bi-monthly or every quarter.

 

[Widdershins]

Yeah, I reckon quarterly, or it may become too much hassle.

I could tell everyone how to feed their Xmas cakes!

 

[BKF Admin]

Ah I forgot about that special cake you have.

 

[Widdershins]

...still feeding it too! Run out of whisky, now on brandy....he he he!

 

[BKF Admin]

If you have some for xmas day tea you should wake up some time around 7th January 2009.

 

[Widdershins]

Excellent, by which time it will all be over, and I wont have to wash the dishes!!! Now theres a cunning plan.....

 

[Polyanwood]

This new (fabulous) forum is surviving and indeed growing through the dark days of Winter. Spring and Summer are better times for interest in beekeeping.

I am not sure we/you Admin need to worry too much. Success breeds success.

I do like the idea of the newsletter... but I am busy and have no special talent.. so feel bad about the extra work.

If we think we need to do more marketing to keep up intereset, I would be tempted to think of reciprocal benefit. Say if we put a link on for biobees forum, would he put on one for ours and if we had a link to thornes or beevital on here would they put the website address on their carrier bags?

 

[BKF Admin]

I was thinking that I must contact the Biobee forum,I have never chatted with Phil before but have heard lots about him.

Regards the newsletter maybe just a single page every 2 months or on a 3 month bases.

Maybe this would be a good time for me to let members know what my ideas for the forum are (members may feel different and I am happy to go with whatever is wanted)but my thoughts are that I would like to admin a forum that is just a nice place to visit learn and chat.

I have 100% no interest in the politics of beekeeping,running breakaway associations or anything else connected with world dominance.

I do have a meeting in the new year with an insurance company that may be interested in offering bee insurance at a very cheap rate for members who may want to be insured without going through the BBKA.

For the forum I am building a database of courses being run for beekeepers in the uk during 2009,it has about 120 entries and I have managed to get upto around 30 entered so far.

I would also like to get a bit of video for the site as well because internet media is one of my interests.

Also a nice database of Queen sellers,nuc sellers etc and a few articles on new equipment that is on offer.

Enough from me my fingers ache.

 

[Roger]

I would be interested to learn about the outcome of your discussion with the insurance company.

Newsletter is a good idea, forum is a pleasant experience, keep up the good work.

 

[tony350i]

i think you should go for it Admin , i would like to see some home made clips off beekeepers bees and apiary's.
i will do some when the weather is warmer.

 

[Widdershins]

Admin, Phil is a lovely bloke! Im sure he will give reciprical support.

 

[Frisbee]

I do like the idea of the newsletter... but I am busy and have no special talent.. so feel bad about the extra work.

Also the reciprocal thingie. . . .

As you know I am also on the Poultry keepers forum, they have about 3,000 members, but looking at the members list a whooping 1,300 have never posted and another 2/300 posted once or twice only. Every new member on there gets a welcome greeting so there's a whole load of members who have possibly never read that welcome and definately not responded to it, I don't know why people join and then never contribute, most forums are readable without joining, I think on the PK you can read about 10 posts before you need to sign in. I'm just saying all this because other than being a welcoming forum (which this is) I don't think anything else you do will encourage those silent members to be anything else.

However Admin as I have said before I support what you are doing and will help if I can, I may be able to contribute something useful - although it won't be about bees as there are far more able peeps on here to do that.

Did I read somewhere about doing a "This month in the Apiary"? That would be useful as it would be more "real time". There's one in the "Country Smallholding" magazine but the mag that comes out in July is really for August and you've lost track of the magazine by the time August arrives

Frisbee

 

[Brian Bush]

I think it is a good idea. I could write an article on the first year of beekeeping. Everyone needs a laugh.
It is a wise man who learns from his own mistakes! It is a wiser man who learns from other peoples mistakes!!

 

[iombeeman]

i think a newsletter is a good idea!
can you get insurance WITHOUT going through the bbka?

 

[Frisbee]

NFU Mutual (they insure the members of the LRBKA)

Frisbee