I wonder how many visit, read, learn, and leave without posting or buying anything? Are they in the minority or majority?
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Increasing subscriptions. Why don't pondowners subscribe? Considering how many ponds are in the USA, the number os subscribers is way less than 0.5%. Is it they really don't care about their pond enough to spend $35.00 per year, or is it they don't get enough applied how-to-do-it information from the mag to make it worth spending $35.00 or is it they don't even know about the magazine?
Maybe the question is "are they even interested in what we are discussing?" If we use the input we have gathered on our
Why Do You Own a Pond thread, it is apparent that there is alot of interest beyond the fish part of it.
Determine what bait it takes to entice average "Joe" pondowner to bite. Then tie up that bait and present it in an irrestible fashion.
A pond is a diamond in the rough. As pondmeisters, each of us hones the facets into that piece of compressed carbon to create a precious gem. Each facet that we hone gives the diamond another dimension, increasing it's value. A quality fishery is one facet, and the main thrust of Pond Boss. As a budding pondologist, I have taken measured steps to create the fish facet. I could only do it correctly with the guidance of the Pond Boss core moderator team. For this facet, Pond Boss was invaluable and I am grateful. I have many more facets to hone, though. They all exist above the waterline in the form of wildlife habitat, flora, and human habitat. Guidance regarding these facets is poorly represented within Pond Boss. Yes, Dan VanS does a great job with his articles, but I find most are larger in scope and don't relate directly to small time pond perimeter development. Yes, we see an occassional article about wood duck housing or similar, but nothing consistent and expanded in a larger category of wildlife habitat development.
To me, Pond Boss is 70% fish, 15% pond construction, 5% weeds and aeration, and 10% other. I don't care all that much about the fish. The pond construction is done, so that's behind me. Weeds and aeration are a non-issue. I don't know...maybe I'm lucky or maybe I'll have problems with that stuff later, but for now, that first 90% of the PB thrust is pretty boring for me. For me, it's all about life above the surface; that last 10%.
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For the record, I subscribe to the mag. I have for 4 years. In all honesty, I never read it cover-to-cover. In fact, I can go through it in one hour and I'm done. I subscribe because I feel that, if nothing else, I owed at least that much to you guys for helping me along with pond construction and fish stocking. Like I said, I am grateful and will likely never be able to pay you back for that assistance. But that stuff is behind me and now I seek guidance and advice and comeradery on bird houses/nesting structures, critter stuff, flowers, grasses, trees, shrubs, boat docks, pavillions, fire pits, gazebos, and pond-side cottages or houses. You know, that other 10%.
I'll bet I'm not alone.
