Can you spare a little time helping feed back on a new blog we’re launching?

Totality

If people don't have time to look at the Grabbit forum, will have they have time to read a blog entry though?

Better idea imo would be to introduce an 'alerts' system to the forum. People can choose to receive emails if an update for a particular keyword (Tesco, Asda, Argos etc) is posted.

autumngirl

MSE_Andrea wrote: »

...The blog is about flagging up and highlighting everything that's good about MSE, including your finds, and sharing them with a bigger audience of people who may not have time or want to read the Forum......

Is that not what the weekly 'roundup' email is for? Sorry - not trying to be pedantic, just trying to figure out where the blog fits in and if/how it'll differ from what MSE already offers.

If it is simply intended to be another way (medium, channel...call it what you like) of getting the same kind of deals/tips etc out there then perhaps it could help draw new people to the site but I'm not sure it would offer anything extra to regular forumites who already browse the site regularly.

I would be interested in reading the blog if it had a more creative and inspiring look/feel as well as content which was different to what I'd seen elsewhere on MSE (particularly Grabbits as I spend most of my time there).

I really like Malebolge's idea about drawing from other MSE forums, like the old-fashioned moneysaving stuff....but in order to have a different feel to the weekly email (which already includes tips from around the various forums) it needs to get much more creative with an identity of its own.

I'd like to see a lifestyle blog with a magazine feel. Instead of just telling us where we can buy cheap herbs & spices, go one step further and include a couple of recipes for cheap, quick, tasty meals in which to use those spices, maybe how to add spices to leftovers to create another dish etc. Instead of just telling us how to get free bottles of coke, why not give us a couple of old-style moneysaving tips on how to use cheap cola for household cleaning or a recipe for a sticky cola glaze for BBQ ribs etc etc.....and then even a gardening/allotment tip on what to do with the empty coke bottle when you're done!

The weekly email does have some great content but that format is limited in terms of how creatively it is presented whereas a blog gives the opportunity to be so much more creative and bring deals to life. At the moment the blog isn't really doing that but I do think it has potential with a bit more effort.

malebolge

It would be useful to know what the new blog is intended to do. MSE already has 2 blogs: it has Martin's own blog and a Team Blog. Both of these are very informative. I fail to see why the Deal Hunter's finds cannot be placed in the general team blog. MSE's Andrea stated 'The blog is about flagging up and highlighting everything that's good about MSE, including your finds, and sharing them with a bigger audience of people who may not have time or want to read the Forum.' But one find per week isn't going to flag up everything that's good about MSE, especially if it's something that's not available to many people. Another MSE blog needs to be something that's in addition to what's already there, not a repetition. I really like autumngirl's suggestion:

autumngirl wrote: »

I'd like to see a lifestyle blog with a magazine feel. Instead of just telling us where we can buy cheap herbs & spices, go one step further and include a couple of recipes for cheap, quick, tasty meals in which to use those spices, maybe how to add spices to leftovers to create another dish etc. Instead of just telling us how to get free bottles of coke, why not give us a couple of old-style moneysaving tips on how to use cheap cola for household cleaning or a recipe for a sticky cola glaze for BBQ ribs etc etc.....and then even a gardening/allotment tip on what to do with the empty coke bottle when you're done!

This would work very well. What I really like on the Deal Hunter (it's called this, rather than a blog so perhaps change the name) are the photos. They do give a magazine feel.
The idea of using a theme is excellent - when I read the comments on herbs it really inspired me. In addition to what autumngirl wrote, I thought of my own herb garden - I have over 10 herbs that will supply me all summer and beyond - made for less than 50p. There could be a section on drying herbs and herb gardening for people with disabilities. I loved the other ideas too, about cola.
There are certain topics that, if written at the right time of year, would be extremely useful. Others are useful all year round. Recycling and Green moneysaving come to mind. Perhaps have a poll on the boards to find out what people want?
I have tried to think constructively. I'm aware that this has meant suggesting and approving of alternatives as a positivebut as the majority of replies agree that a 'deals hunter' blog isn't what's needed, that in itself is constructive criticism.

Doc_N

On further reflection, I retract what I said earlier in the thread about the layout and content looking good (with the caveat that I was not in favour of feedback via Facebook).

I now agree with Autumngirl and Malebolge that the new blog actually adds very little to what's there already. And that is intended as constructive criticism - the danger is that if you provide too many places to look people just give up and go elsewhere.

fiscalfreckles

How frequently will the blog be updated? One of the main reasons I use the Grabbit Forum is that it is usually very quick with deals/glitches - whenever they are spotted ,and feedback & assistance (what works, what doesn't, what is OOS etc) are both updated very quickly.

autumngirl

Has the new blog has been designed to be more 'visually' in line with the new look Forum scheme? The new blog has quite an anaemic looking background theme and the text in the main blog posts seems to be more feint than the other blogs and the rest of MSE. Just wondering if that's the case or am I just getting paranoid with all these changes going on?!!

Former_MSE_Andrea

Thanks again for the feedback.

Charlotte's done another blog, this time on haggling discounts off Groupon discounts. What do you think?

malebolge

MSE_Andrea wrote: »

Thanks again for the feedback.

Charlotte's done another blog, this time on haggling discounts off Groupon discounts. What do you think?

This is a much better article and subject matter. It's the sort of article that potentially benefits a lot of people and is detailed & thorough. I particularly like the blog's honesty - it's as important to report on lack of success as well as success. By doing this, if someone tries it and, like Charlotte, doesn't succeed with something, they've been given the confidence not to give up.
The blog is text heavy, but I don't think any of the text could be condensed without losing content. The style is chatty but informative - just right.
I have one minor criticism, but not of the blog itself. If anyone wishes to comment on any of MSE's blogs, their Facebook details are immediately revealed. I did post, but would have preferred to do so under my MSE name. It felt a bit odd to see my real name and educational details. Much better to be known as either the 8th circle of Hell or an impossible programming language.

montymud

Ah!!! Now this I like! Great content, not already available on MSEF and really honest. Again the design is the same as before, so too white IMO.
I really don't like the picture at the top of the woman holding the phone but again - just IMO.

Contacting companies directly is a very clever idea. What have you got to lose? This blog also has the potential to continue well into the future if Charlotte is intending on continuing to ring up companies everytime a new deal is listed on the deal sites. Also Charlotte - so many times I have found an item listed on a wowcher/MightyDeals etc that are actually overpriced. As long as you are willing to do some research you will find things for sometimes much cheaper than the deal site is attempting to sell for. An example of this that springs to mind is a teddybear plush nightlight that appeared on one of the deal sites yet if you simple entered the product name into google you could find it for a lot cheaper. If you can do this then that is another way of getting people to come to your blog. You're doing the leg work - they reap the benefits

This blog sets out to save users in its own unique way. Much better.

Jazzy_B

Interesting how few of us have bothered to comment, and I think the blog has improved. I know the blog is not designed for people like me who visit the forums regularly, but is this really an improvement? Since Martin sold out, many have deserted the site, and the Grabbit board used to be lightning fast. It seems a lot of the deals are now trawled from other sites, and it just all seems to be going down hill. Time for a happy pill I think