Competition Upload Thread, How to improve GMC! Options

[audiopaal]

This is the upload thread for the "How to improve GMC" competition.

Let's keep this thread free from discussion and non-relevant posts.
ONLY UPLOAD POSTS here, please! (competition explained here)


Good luck and may the best man/woman win!

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This post has been edited by Kristofer Dahl: Mar 24 2010, 11:51 AM

[SirJamsalot]

I know the competition is closed, but I have some ideas that I'd like to get on the floor. I'll start posting tidbits from my notes here.

The Site liason
New users when they sign up should get an email with links describing the main features of the site and how to engage in it. If there is a REC program, then there needs to be a "this is what the REC program is, these are the people who head it up, this is where you go (<link>) to sign up, this is how you sign up and this is how you submit to it. The same goes for the MTP program.

But this in my opinion, is not enough. GMC needs to be pro-active in user retention. If there are 10,000 users registered in these forums, but only 60 members online at any one time, that tells me that users are losing interest for a reason. I'm going to assume several reasons.

1. pricing
2. confusion on how best to use the site
3. fall off the map because they aren't being encouraged the way they hoped they would be.

I've seen great ideas for pricing. If there are 500 guests every day who aren't signing up, then making lessons pay/per/download is going to be quick income for GMC that can be used for bolstering the concept I'm going to share next.

Instructors should act as site liasons. That is, when a new user signs up, that user should be assigned to an instructor, whose duty is to keep that person's interest by showing interest in that user. Interest would be in the following form.

"Welcome to the site! I will be your first point of contact for questions you may have concerning how to use this site and how to leverage all the great information on this site. I would like to see where you are at in terms of skill level, so if you are willing, let's get you set up with an introduction video that I'll help you create. This video will give me an idea of where you are at musically. It will also be your introduction on how to submit videos for critique. We have several programs, one of which is a mentor program where I help you find an instructor who will help you learn the genre you are intersted in, as well as any other topics you are interested in."

You get the gist. If GMC shows an active role in pursuing its users, and encouraging them pro-actively to engage the lessons, and ask questions, then they will feel like GMC has a vested interest in them, and they will feel wanted and valued as a member. It will break the ice, and mitigate confustion on "how do I enroll in any given program"? Who do I talk to, where do Post? How do I record? etc.

I think the concept of a GMC new user Liason would be a huge benefit to user retention, which is something I think GMC could use based on the feedback I've read in this thread so far.

I have some more ideas I'll post when I have time.

Christian A.

Hosting Collaborations on 3rd party sites for exposure

Sites like Indaba Music and Kompose all have home pages where they show off the latest collaborations. If GMC does its collaborations on these sites, and sets up the collaborations with a description detailing who the collaborators are "GMC students" and that the reason for the collaboration is not only to make music but to learn HOW to collaborate, and that the leader of the collaboration is a teacher, you'll find a lot of people drawn to GMC to be part of those collaborations because

1. A lot of people sign up for these collaboration sites because they have hopes of doing something, but *alot* fall off because they don't know how to participate.
2. A lot of people aren't skilled enough.

If GMC trains people both musically, but also shows them HOW to collaborate by virtue of doing their collaborations on these 3rd party sites, visitors of THOSE sites willl be exposed to GMC's professional approach at training people.

3rd party sites like indaba and kompose might even showcase GMC with a few contacts to their marketing or other insders - GMC would help them retain and get more people involved, and GMC would get exposure by being on their sites active withint their communities with no extra effort - you're just collaborating on their site flying the GMC flag so others can monitor what is going on.

christian A.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

This post has been edited by SirJamsalot: May 10 2010, 07:11 PM

[Bogdan Radovic]

I know the competition is closed, but I have some ideas that I'd like to get on the floor. I'll start posting tidbits from my notes here.

The Site liason
New users when they sign up should get an email with links describing the main features of the site and how to engage in it. If there is a REC program, then there needs to be a "this is what the REC program is, these are the people who head it up, this is where you go (<link>) to sign up, this is how you sign up and this is how you submit to it. The same goes for the MTP program.

But this in my opinion, is not enough. GMC needs to be pro-active in user retention. If there are 10,000 users registered in these forums, but only 60 members online at any one time, that tells me that users are losing interest for a reason. I'm going to assume several reasons.

1. pricing
2. confusion on how best to use the site
3. fall off the map because they aren't being encouraged the way they hoped they would be.

I've seen great ideas for pricing. If there are 500 guests every day who aren't signing up, then making lessons pay/per/download is going to be quick income for GMC that can be used for bolstering the concept I'm going to share next.

Instructors should act as site liasons. That is, when a new user signs up, that user should be assigned to an instructor, whose duty is to keep that person's interest by showing interest in that user. Interest would be in the following form.

"Welcome to the site! I will be your first point of contact for questions you may have concerning how to use this site and how to leverage all the great information on this site. I would like to see where you are at in terms of skill level, so if you are willing, let's get you set up with an introduction video that I'll help you create. This video will give me an idea of where you are at musically. It will also be your introduction on how to submit videos for critique. We have several programs, one of which is a mentor program where I help you find an instructor who will help you learn the genre you are intersted in, as well as any other topics you are interested in."

You get the gist. If GMC shows an active role in pursuing its users, and encouraging them pro-actively to engage the lessons, and ask questions, then they will feel like GMC has a vested interest in them, and they will feel wanted and valued as a member. It will break the ice, and mitigate confustion on "how do I enroll in any given program"? Who do I talk to, where do Post? How do I record? etc.

I think the concept of a GMC new user Liason would be a huge benefit to user retention, which is something I think GMC could use based on the feedback I've read in this thread so far.

I have some more ideas I'll post when I have time.

Christian A.

Hosting Collaborations on 3rd party sites for exposure

Sites like Indaba Music and Kompose all have home pages where they show off the latest collaborations. If GMC does its collaborations on these sites, and sets up the collaborations with a description detailing who the collaborators are "GMC students" and that the reason for the collaboration is not only to make music but to learn HOW to collaborate, and that the leader of the collaboration is a teacher, you'll find a lot of people drawn to GMC to be part of those collaborations because

1. A lot of people sign up for these collaboration sites because they have hopes of doing something, but *alot* fall off because they don't know how to participate.
2. A lot of people aren't skilled enough.

If GMC trains people both musically, but also shows them HOW to collaborate by virtue of doing their collaborations on these 3rd party sites, visitors of THOSE sites willl be exposed to GMC's professional approach at training people.

3rd party sites like indaba and kompose might even showcase GMC with a few contacts to their marketing or other insders - GMC would help them retain and get more people involved, and GMC would get exposure by being on their sites active withint their communities with no extra effort - you're just collaborating on their site flying the GMC flag so others can monitor what is going on.

christian A.

I really like the idea of site liason and welcoming new members and guiding them. Also some email newsletters are always great resource. Those made me sign up for many things ))

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!