Knocking out the competition

**cpvr** · 11-07-2007, 09:04 PM

Do you guys have any competition with your communities? Does someone run a similar community to yours? Well, have you guys ever thought about merging with your competitor - or just buying them out?

I don't like to buy out my competition, but if I see that they have our ideas and such, then I'll buy them out and merge - also; bringing along their staff members to.

So, if you have any competitors; what are your plans to knock them out and take all of their traffic?

**Flashgear** · 11-07-2007, 09:24 PM

My competitors have alot more money than i do, and a bigger memberbase, this is the big ones, but i've recently merged with a small graphics site and become one, so we will probably keep doing this for a while to get a community going.

**cpvr** · 11-07-2007, 10:37 PM

Well, how do you know they have a lot more money than you do?

**Flashgear** · 11-07-2007, 10:48 PM

Because I've checked them out, clantemplates.com, zymic.com etc , because look at theres & look at mine

**mh0825** · 11-08-2007, 12:13 AM

That's not necessarily true Flash. I would say my sports site looks like we have a lot more money than more active sites because of how it's set up.

**Ryan** · 11-08-2007, 03:45 PM

I say if you can afford it, then yes, you should buy out your competitors. We've done this twice here at AF. Not only does it make your forums larger, but it also decreases the competition - two birds with one stone!

Any merger or acquisition needs to be well thought out though, there are so many things to consider and so many things that could go wrong.

You need to decide what stays and what goes. Who stays on staff, who goes? Can you even perform the merge? How do the members feel about it?

vblee · 11-08-2007, 10:15 PM

For me i would love to buy out my competition, but i do not have a budget that can afford to do that as much as i would love to.

**Caddyman** · 11-08-2007, 11:20 PM

i only have one competitor, it's massive compared to me. they would never sell since they are a million dollar news outlet. fortunately for me they have a popular forum with lots of activity that is extremely lightly moderated so i can spam it all i want...lol

everyday i post there i take usually 2 of their good posters......its coming along nicely.

**mh0825** · 11-08-2007, 11:22 PM

I plan on trying to buy out some of the smaller competitors. I would never be able to buy out rivals.com (I don't think) but there are fan sites that have thousands of members that I may try to buy out.

**lpxxfaintxx** · 11-23-2007, 09:06 PM

Our members and my competitors' members absolutely hate the crap out of eachother. I don't think they'd be very happy if we merged.

11-07-2007, 09:04 PM	#1
cpvr Forum Addict Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Spring, Texas Posts: 1,356	Knocking out the competition Do you guys have any competition with your communities? Does someone run a similar community to yours? Well, have you guys ever thought about merging with your competitor - or just buying them out? I don't like to buy out my competition, but if I see that they have our ideas and such, then I'll buy them out and merge - also; bringing along their staff members to. So, if you have any competitors; what are your plans to knock them out and take all of their traffic? __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-07-2007, 09:24 PM	#2
Flashgear Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,390	My competitors have alot more money than i do, and a bigger memberbase, this is the big ones, but i've recently merged with a small graphics site and become one, so we will probably keep doing this for a while to get a community going. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Where Innovation Meets Design

11-07-2007, 10:37 PM	#3
cpvr Forum Addict Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Spring, Texas Posts: 1,356	Well, how do you know they have a lot more money than you do? __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-07-2007, 10:48 PM	#4
Flashgear Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,390	Because I've checked them out, clantemplates.com, zymic.com etc , because look at theres & look at mine __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Where Innovation Meets Design

11-08-2007, 12:13 AM	#5
mh0825 Super Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Gainesville, FL Posts: 1,287	That's not necessarily true Flash. I would say my sports site looks like we have a lot more money than more active sites because of how it's set up. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Gators Sports Blog for Gator Nation To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. or To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-08-2007, 03:45 PM	#6
Ryan Forum Guru Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 10,256	I say if you can afford it, then yes, you should buy out your competitors. We've done this twice here at AF. Not only does it make your forums larger, but it also decreases the competition - two birds with one stone! Any merger or acquisition needs to be well thought out though, there are so many things to consider and so many things that could go wrong. You need to decide what stays and what goes. Who stays on staff, who goes? Can you even perform the merge? How do the members feel about it? __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Professional vBulletin Skins

11-08-2007, 10:15 PM	#7
vblee Lurker Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 5	For me i would love to buy out my competition, but i do not have a budget that can afford to do that as much as i would love to.

11-08-2007, 11:20 PM	#8
Caddyman Forum Addict Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Delaware Posts: 1,342	i only have one competitor, it's massive compared to me. they would never sell since they are a million dollar news outlet. fortunately for me they have a popular forum with lots of activity that is extremely lightly moderated so i can spam it all i want...lol everyday i post there i take usually 2 of their good posters......its coming along nicely. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. boomshockalacka

11-08-2007, 11:22 PM	#9
mh0825 Super Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Gainesville, FL Posts: 1,287	I plan on trying to buy out some of the smaller competitors. I would never be able to buy out rivals.com (I don't think) but there are fan sites that have thousands of members that I may try to buy out. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Gators Sports Blog for Gator Nation To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. or To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-23-2007, 09:06 PM	#10
lpxxfaintxx Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 143	Our members and my competitors' members absolutely hate the crap out of eachother. I don't think they'd be very happy if we merged.

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