Ok here’s a new promotion thing to try. Referrals… you (BM members) refer a friend, your friend signs up, you get a period of free upgrades (or 10 lolly-pops haha) What do you think?  Would it encourage more people to bring their friends to BM?  Maybe when you’re at bike rallies you could hand out BM cards and put your username on the back (I could even have them printed with your name on the front). Not sure how easy it would be to work though, but I’m sure we could figure out a way. Winter has been really quiet again for us, but now summer is coming and things are picking up a bit – biking season is starting and so is our opportunity to bring more people to the site.  Biking season doesn’t last long in the UK either, so we need to prepare and advertise well. I’ll be investing a lot in extra magazine coverage etc also, like in Bike mag and MCN.  Bike rallies I might skip this year, after a poor return on the 4 grand spent on last years Rock & Blues!   Let me know, also if you have any other ideas post them here.                                                                                                                                                                             

Upgrades???   Good idea though mate, I'd be up for handing cards out.                                                                                                                                                                             

  I've already handed out hundreds of cards do I get owt?  I can't upgrade as I'm already a FULL member.    Biking 'season' is all-year-round to some, there are rallies as late as December                                                                                                                                                                             

but i dont mean 'some' i mean 'majority' of bikers - the normal biking season if u like. One of the problems with what im proposing here is... 1) What do those who are already subscribed get? 2) What do you get if you refer 2 people?                                                                                                                                                                             

Majority of people don't go out all year round tho' Kwak, Matt's right, as the weather (debatable) gets better and more people get back onto their bikes we get an upsurge in new members looking to meet up.                                                                                                                                                                              

Would that Meet Up be at Matlock Baths                                                                                                                                                                              

Seems like it Herne!                                                                                                                                                                              

  Herne how about you post a gathering for Squires some time, or *Rivi or any place you fancy that you think the others would like to gather at? (*Rivington Hall Barn, Lancs for those who don't know)     I'd post for Squires but not having my own transport YET it seems daft to ask if anyone wants to meet me lol                                                                                                                                                                               

The only bit of that which my brain took in was... "it seems daft to ask if anyone wants to meet me lol "hahaha  sorry                                                                                                                                                                             

  Don't apologise Matt, it's probably the mild climate that has shrunk your brain, a bit of rain and I'm sure you'll be your usual dim self   Well...you started it                                                                                                                                                                                

 at Kwak. You walked straight into that one Matt!                                                                                                                                                                             

nah its chuckin it down here today, i think my brain has swelled to the point that it's too cramped up in my head to work                                                                                                                                                                             

Was thinking more of Big Ds Kwak as it's had a total makeover and they do sleepovers...all info on their site....But lets face it who would come ..it's Todmorden not Matlock......but I take your info on board ta.                                                                                                                                                                              

Matt, get some banners or flags done. Places like the vic in coalville would be happy to fly them all year never mind just at bm meets....just an idea or some vinyls for our bikes with "Find me on WWW.BikerMatch.co.uk" and our user name?                                                                                                                                                                             

  Herne, when we (B M)  have gatherings there's usually over 30 people turn up, no disrespect but Big D's car park doesn't look big enough to hold it's regular visitors AND us; and the road looks too narrow to risk parking bikes on it. Altho the sleep over is free, if I remember rightly, you have to sleep on the function room floor AFTER everyone has finished with it. Altho I've been inside the pub I don't recall seeing anywhere that would hold as many as 30 people, it all looked pokey to me so obviously there must be a room I didn't see.   Matt, as for promoting the site, my idea about having t shirts/hoodies etc embroidered with Bike Chat site name doesn't seem so bad after all, does it? especially if your advertising campaign flopped at the rally.   Would many folk want to have a DATING site and/or their name splashed across anything let alone their bike? I certainly wouldn't.                                                                                                                                                                                   

That sounds like a good idea about the T-Shirts or Hoodies, Kwak. Matt, could we have a small merchandise shop on site to buy them at a reasonable price, I wouldn't mind buying one, I've met great folks on here, male and female, could have both Bike Chat and Biker Match printed on together, as they're sister sites?? Or... If we did have em printed, for regular meet goers, we could take a few bits, even if it was less pricy things like pens or keyrings... or am I barking mad, or barking up the wrong tree...?   Think Ghosty's idea is good too, banners in pubs, my local would advertise for you no problem, its a bike friendly pub, has live rock bands every Saturday night, unfortunately no camping facilities though.                                                                                                                                                                             

we've talked about this so much.  Theres  a vacancy for "merchandise manager".  It was taken for about 2 days but then they guy realised he wont have time. All these ideas are great, but cost a lot to do.  Individual usernames is expensive as a new press would need to be made for the t-shirt.  And im sure nobody will wear one anyhow, maybe 5 people would buy one at the most.   Vynils are another thing, but i couldnt find a good producers.  They all warned me of the risk to paintwork too (Different colourign because of the sun etc) and the glues taking paint off.  I aint risking the law suits lol.   Its also hard for me as im in Holland now.   I've always said, that if anyone wants to arrange TShirts etc to be sold... they can make any profit from them for themselves.  Ill create the shop, u sort out the merchandise etc, and u make the money.  See how many people put their hands up now :-)                                                                                                                                                                             

  I already told ya I could set up tees and hoodies including the embroidery. Good quality 'Fruit of the Loom' material, good quality embroidery all at reasonable *prices   *I will have to double check those before we order cos  it's been a good while since I dealt with Kim re: clothing orders but I'm sure I could get it sorted quite quickly, the only problem...when I mentioned it on Bike Chat, was members had their own ideas as to WHO should supply the clobber. There was also differing opinions on WHAT to have on the clothes, logo/text etc.   The way the ordering goes means members would pay Kim direct for their items therefore no need for a middle person (me) so no profit to be made.     The only way that members are going to get any site-related clobber is by agreeing on a logo/text and supplier. Bear in mind it was about 18 mths ago that I first made my suggestion about B M clobber.   So...until folk sort out the details we are always going to be at a stand still.                                                                                                                                                                                   

im fully behind the idea, and will foot any initial setup costs etc (For both sites).   I just need help from you guys to manage it from the UK.  Its hard to coordinate things from over here.   Speak to Kim for me Kwak.  We had a good logo designed, by bullet i think, ill dig it out.                                                                                                                                                                             

I think that 'Biker match' puts people off having a t-shirt. It screams of desperation. If it was a BM logo and then username underneath, people might be more amenable. Just my opinion