How important is winning to you? Do you think the surfers care if you've won an award, or is winning more of a way to have the work you've done recognized within the industry?
Printable View
How important is winning to you? Do you think the surfers care if you've won an award, or is winning more of a way to have the work you've done recognized within the industry?
Interesting question, seems that while it might boost one's own ego by being nominated, even winning, I doubt if it means diddley to the surfer, and if it did matter, wouldn't most sites be jumping up and down to get nominated?
In short while I think an Academy Award or People's Choice Award might mean increased sales at the box office, the adult awards are just for show and status.. but just my opinion :innocent:
Reason I asked is because the cybersocket nominations is open
http://www.cybersocketwebawards.com/nominate.php
I agree that winning certainly boosts the ego, just not sure how it also translates into business or money perks for the winner. Any past winners care to share the "after the win" effects?
Bec,
I used to care a lot about the awards...and was always very pleased to get nominated for things like Cybersockets Best Fetish Site, and GayVN's Specialty Video of the year...
However, at the AVN show in Vegas last year I was told point blank by a ad rep sitting behind a rather well known magazine table that I did't spend enough on ads to ever win...so now I don't give a shit one way or the other.
I can tell you though that being nominated did nothing that I could see for increased traffic or sales...but I can't tell you about winning...because I don't spend enough on ads to find out. :angry:
Sometimes I still put up my cybersocket button...but I haven't yet this year...and may not. I think I am bitter. (And for the record it was not Cybersocket that told me I did not spend enough to win...although I was once told that by my old Cybersocket ad rep that with a certain ad buy I could be promised a nomination...not sure if he was joking or not.)
- Michael
He wasn't joking.
If you look at the history of who has won what award (and how some of the winners are grossly out-of-category compared to some of the nominees) you'll understand more clearly.
That's one of the things I really hate about the industry.
Indeed, im not even going to get started on this topic because it would only be considered 'drama' LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by gaybucks_chip
Regards,
Lee
I was wondering if that side of "winning" would come into play on this thread... it's not the first time I've heard that for some of the awards, it's not how many nominations you get, or the quality of the site/product nominated, but who you know/support that tips the scale on the final vote.
I think our Cybersocket award last year opened up heaps of opportunities and helped us get more business, plus I love the look of the big award sitting on my desk - its inspiration.
And, no, I did not spend a dime on advertising last year either, so the whole pay-to-win discussion in this thread is b.s. imho.
cheers,
Luke
But Luke, lets be honest here...
How many other predominantly GAY marketed hosting companies can you name?
Regards,
Lee
We have tried advertising in cybersocket a few times, but are certainly not a high value account yet have won 9 awards in the last 8 years. I think the cybersockets are actually legit based on the online voting. As for do surfers care about the awards? We have tested displaying the award and found that if we put it on our shopping cart page we get a slight bump in conversion. Must be the 3rd party trust factor. The problem is that the average surfer isnt familiar with the awards like they are the Oscars or Golden Globes so you dont get much "wow they won a Grabby" effect.
UKnakedmen was nominated for (I think) 6 Cybersocket awards last year. We didn't win anything. We were nominated even though we've never (before or since) been approached about advertising with Cybersocket.
We didn't even nominate ourselves or campaign our members to do so. We did put up a button after we were nominated. But I'm sure they sent us more traffic then we returned to them.
I'm with Luke here. I don't think the Cybersocket awards are as dishonest as many make them out to be.
Hello Everyone, :angel:
I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you to GWW for allowing this thread to go on. I am so happy there is so much excitement around the up coming awards this Fall. it is going to be a great success and I want to wish you all the best of luck in advance. There are soooo many GREAT GREAT websites out there and as we know its about getting your members to vote for you... So put up banners and get out the VOTE!!!
XStr8Guy from UKNakedMen, I would love to set you up with advertising. *wink*
Okay Boys I will check back soon, until then keep it clean!!!
:troll:
Now, see that is what has me wondering all about these so called awards. Here is a discussion about the value of it, and the response is rather tepid at best, skirts the question, but then says it is about 'your members voting' for you, so doesn't that in itself, imply that the award is more about how well you get 'your' crew to push for you, that garners the win versus whether or not it is the best?Quote:
Originally Posted by DouglasSocket
While awards like the Academy Awards are voted on by members, it is secret ballot, and is supposed to be industry wide, so a win is perhaps a bit more in tune, than if a movie simply had its cast, crew, and family sending in votes.
From what I see, this is like Alexa. Someone sits and hits the F1 key or whatever to show traffic for a site, when in reality it is just one guy, having nothing better to do.
:morning:
So they are a way for CyberSocket to get traffic from the banners people use.Quote:
Originally Posted by DouglasSocket
Thanks for letting us know Doug :)
Get your banners up folks ;)
Regards,
Lee
our award is fucking fabulous and has opened up loads of opportunitiesQuote:
Originally Posted by gaystoryman
:cheerleader::cheerleader::cheerleader:
Actually you are missing my point my dear friends: First let me take Lee's ( I love you Lee) comment about banners and traffic; if you notice the voting site is not the same domain as Cybersocket. There is logic flaw if you believe that this is a traffic generating tool for us. This is was and always has been a way to find out that which the surfer deems "The best of the BEST!" After voting people are free to go to any of the sites listed on the voting page (notice these are trunk URL's). :tongue:
Okay, remember I support free speech and truly believe that everyone is entitled to their opinions. Even if they are wrong & have no idea what they are talking about. :heartu:
MY POINT IS: Most gay consumers have a higher disposable income and are therefore members of several adult sites. What if you are a member of 3 of the sites in a category???? Which do you vote for??? Umm, Maybe your favorite??? This is what makes a surfers choice awards so unique, it truly allows the SURFERS to pick who THEY think is the best. The winners list consistently shows Websites who are not advertisers of ours and we think that is great. It allows us to see what is out there; there are so many sites out there that we may have missed. Also this becomes a tool for site developers to look to those sites that won for ideas to make their own sites better.
TRASH TALK: As far as the comment about who said what, kids, if you are gonna be ballsy enough to make an accusation you better back it up with some meat! Lets hold people accountable and stop the rhetoric. Personally I would love to know the person who claims that our awards are "bought" or based upon ad revenues. Hmmm I can think of several off the top of my head who were never advertisers...
BOTTOM LINE DON'T MISS THIS POINT: :develish:
DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT MOST POPULAR; not about electing the most correct or the most needed. 2004 taught us that!! It is about electing the most POPULAR. Let me say that one more time in case anyone missed it MOST POPULAR!!!! So yes to a great extent this is a popularity contest and if you don't like how we do things here in the USA then you are free to move somewhere else. :daddy:
Okay I have things to do and places to be so I wish you all a Warm Happy and Safe Fourth. Please drive sober and remember drinking in the sun all day to put on SUNSCREEN!!! And remember to throw the firecracker after you light it... No missing limbs come Monday....
Best to you all
xoxoxoxo
Douglas
MUAH!!!
SEE YOU ALL AT XBIZ!!! Its gonna be off the hook!!!
YEAH
VEGAS!!!!
D Fresh
Will someone nominate me??!! I've never been nominated before, and I spend lots of money with Cyberscoket! :flogging:
I look forward to the awards every year. I also look forward to seeing a great example of hard work and dedication that comes from Douglas at Cybersocket. He is always working hard to make sure that the parties, the awards, and the webmasters are taken care of.
The awards are meant to showcase and build traffic and awareness. NOTHING wrong with that. Love you Douglas!!!
Derrick and Sean you can both share my tent. :morning: Its getting kinda crowded in here though so you better not fart!!!! :flogging:
hehehe
:donmike:
We had won awards from Cybersocket before we ever started advertising with them. I think they are very fair. And I'm sure the awards have something to do with generating traffic for the website and increasing the readership of the magazine in some capacity. I mean, do you think they do it for fun? Come on, guys. Everyone does little things here and there that help your business out. Lee, would you run GWW without any advertising revenue? Everything has a reason for being, we just do things that make our jobs a lot more interesting and fun. It's a job to post on message boards to get your name out, network and get people to be familiar with your brand. But we take it a step further and make it fun as well as informative. Conventions are held to network and do business, but does it stop there? No. Everyone has a great time and enjoys themselves as well. So, Cybersocket has an event that helps their company as well as provides some enjoyment for the adult webmaster community and gives the magazine's readers something to enjoy and even look forward to. Kudos!
Why debate over whether the awards themselves are a clear benefit like some kind of universality appreciated the same way by everyone?
The awards are beneficial to many people. Others don't need or want them. It depends on your specific company and their goals.
I'd say that the purpose of awards, like the Cybersocket Awards, are two-fold: They are offer recognition and publicity to the recipients.
Some people like that and can use it, others do not. When Woody Allen won best director for Annie Hall, he didn't bother leaving New York. On the other hand, many others wouldn't miss it for anything.
And it's a win win for Cybersocket too, because as a magazine, they are making some news. Good for them, that's their job.
Ok, so many of you guys seem modest. Maybe you were trained by Yoda who once famously said "recognition.... publicity... a Jedi craves not these things..."
I've always found them fun.
Steve
Wahoo!! Sweet! Thanks Dougy!Quote:
07-03-2007 04:36 PM
DouglasSocket Derrick and Sean you can both share my tent. Its getting kinda crowded in here though so you better not fart!!!!
hehehe
And you dont have to worry about me farting, I dont do thoes evil things ;)
We have never spent a dime on advertising with Cybersocket and we also know no one at Cybersocket, and we won Best Voyeur Site in 2005 & 2006.
After winning the second time, I believe it helped us gain attention and helped bring in webmaster sales inquiries.
I know we won our awards honestly. So make up whatever sore winner stories you want, but that's not the case with us winning are awards. Cybersocket didn't make us the winner, the individuals voting for us, made us the winner.
We should be grateful for Cybersocket putting up their time and money to make a nice award ceremony for our industry!
Quote:
Originally Posted by LiveTwinksCam
I meant sore losers.
Yes the Cybersocket awards helped us out, mainly after we won for the 2nd time.
Some really great responses guys! Overall I can see Steve's point about how it can help some businesses, and not really mean much to others.
And this just wasn't about Cybersocket awards, but other industry awards as well. Any others care to share their experience with wins or losses?
We find most awards are given once the site or a product is already successful, and therefore more a reflection of popularity than the main reason behind any boost. We sell more copies of DVDs that are award winners, but then sales are normally higher before the award or even nomination as well. Awards do get your name out there and free publicity is always a good thing.