Sponsors use standardized Tags on threads in their forums to make it easy for members and guests to find announcements on their products, news about products they are developing, answers to product questions posted by other members, reviews of their products by other members, etc.
Sponsors use a Tag which categorizes the thread as defined below:
For threads started by Sponsors:
announcement for new products, group buys or special offers
classifieds for single item sales
diy for do-it-yourself instructions
faq for frequently asked questions
news for products under development and other information
potpourri for anything else
For applicable threads started by other members:
pictures for pictures of their work
qanda for questions and answers regarding a product
review for a written review of a product
Sponsors use an additional Tag for their announcement threads, if applicable, which identifies the public forum to which a new product, group buy or special offer is related:
all_gen_wheels_tyres
all_gen_brakes
all_gen_maintenance
1st_gen_drivetrain
1st_gen_exterior
1st_gen_interior
1st_gen_ice
1st_gen_suspension
2nd_gen_drivetrain
2nd_gen_exterior
2nd_gen_interior
2nd_gen_ice
2nd_gen_suspension
Members use attn as the Tag for the threads they start in Sponsor forums, and this Tag is deleted and, if applicable, replaced by the Sponsor.
Finding Sponsor threads by category or products by forum association
Sponsors add Tags to threads in their forums so they are easier for MINI2 members and guests to find. One Tag categorizes a thread. On threads which announce new products, group buys or special orders an additional Tag, if applicable, identifies the public forum associated with the product offering. A Search Popular Tags is used to find threads by category or products by forum association:
The Sponsor Guidelines requirement for Sponsors to use Tags on their business related threads results in a Popular Tags pool at the top of each of their forums:
Unfortunately, the Tags software was designed such that clicking on one of the tags in the pool results in a list of threads by all Sponsors sorted in Last Posting Date order. However, A Search Popular Tags can be used to list threads for a particular Sponsor in Thead Start Date order:
Copy the desired Tag from the pool and click Tags on the Search line
On the Search Popular Tags panel:
Paste the Tag in Key Word(s)
Select the appropriate Sponsor under Search in Forum(s)
Change Sort Results to Thread Start Date
Click Search Now
Sponsors: Posting announcements
Title
Prefix the title of group buy and special offer announcements:
Group Buy:
Special Offer:
Append appropriate generation and/or model designations to the title of announcements which do NOT apply to all MINIs:
1st Gen - R50 R52 R53
2nd Gen - R55 R56 R57
Content
Others may form opinions on how you conduct business by the way you present your products on this site:
Taking the time to format your announcements says you are organized
Providing adequate product information in your announcements says you pay attention to detail
Before posting an announcement:
Spell Check
Preview Post
Change Styles (at the bottom of the page) to verify readability of "colored" text on the other background
Location
The Sponsor Guidelines allow posting announcements in public forums, but doing so puts you at a disadvantage. This is because the icon appearing in forum descriptions instructs members and guests to search the Sponsor forums for products. You can place a Sticky in your Sponsor forum instructing members and guests to search all forums using your username, but some may never visit your Sponsor forum to see the Sticky. If you want exposure to your announcements in public forums it's best to request a Global Moderator leave redirects in those forums to the announcement in your Sponsor forum.
Disposition
Group Buys and Special Offers end. Some products become no-longer-available. When this happens the Tags on the associated announcement thread must be deleted and the thread soft deleted.
Sponsors: Using Firefox Signature for Tags
Since your browser "remembers" the entries you type in the Tags field on a new or existing thread, a Tag or combination of Tags will only have to be typed once, as long as you don't clear your browser's Form History. As you begin to type a Tag a drop-down list will appear and you can select the appropriate Tag if you previously typed it.
To illustrate, NewMiniStuff who offers exterior, interior and ICE products for both the 1st and 2nd Generation MINI would see the following when creating a new thread to announce a product or when replacing the Tag on a user's thread after answering a question the user had about a product:
[click to enlarge]
[click to enlarge]
Firefox users can take advantage of the Signature Add-on and use its Insert Signature feature for Tags, eliminating any typing whatsoever:
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