What are some Nerm Membership Perks You'd like to see?

[Cory]

The new Community Manager and I are brainstorming perks and different pricing levels. We've got a list of ideas, but would love for you guys to chime in. Obviously don't take offense if your idea doesn't get implemented, there are a lot of factors to look at. We've got cost, can we make it work with apps/tech. Can I dedicate enough time, does it make sense at that tier level. Is it legal etc.

The biggest core thing we are going to try and make work is a online club, with monthly speakers. From there Who knows what else we'll be adding.

Pricing levels can be from $1.99 to $100. Also needs to be scalable, if it's each person gets a 1on1 call with cory for 1 hour, with 1000 members, it becomes impossible etc.

I think it's best to see what the nerms would want, on top of what we can come up with 😉

[FrozenFins]

The discount would be a really cool option... it would be even cooler if the discount code could be used instore as well. 

Once you guys start shipping internationally, would there be a way to only ship internationally to the international members? This may make it easier, and cheaper for you guys... (not a buisness man so not sure if that will effect the cost). This could be an option for the $1.99 a month members up into the $100 a month option.

Members Merch. Have this available on teespring too so that international members can have this be availble. But merch that is only availble to the members, so that when we see someone with the merch we know their a nerm. But only nerms will know that they are a nerm because its exclusive to only nerms, does that make sense?

Edited May 20, 2021 by James Black

[Patrick_G]

@Cory, how about a forum section for members if that doesn’t already exist? 
 

[Its Hutch]

What about a Nerms only discord where people could hang out 24 hrs a day. Chat. Answer questions live. Post pics. 

[Lemon]

5 hours ago, Patrick_G said:

@Cory, how about a forum section for members if that doesn’t already exist? 
 

I think this would be cool, I would become a member for that tbh

[TheDukeAnumber1]

1 hour ago, Its Hutch said:

What about a Nerms only discord where people could hang out 24 hrs a day. Chat. Answer questions live. Post pics. 

Discord for nerm members would habe a club feel to it, with faster chat and availabke video or voice streaming for talks.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Ok, I for some reason always thought it was clever marketing for the public television during their donation telethons to have "membership levels". Depending on the level one chooses should be some sort of swag, maybe up to members only jackets! 😆 I'm kidding there (sorta), but a tshirt, mug, something that's exclusively designed for members would be cool. I can't imagine you weren't already thinking of things like that. 

[Kirsten]

I'm always down for a small discount on ACO orders or swag, but honestly I'd sign up and pay a small fee just to be a member, to have access to the guest speaker videos and Q&As, and to be able to swap and buy from my fellow members. I'd love to learn more about breeder programs and step up my fish-keeping game.

[Lemon]

15 hours ago, Its Hutch said:

What about a Nerms only discord where people could hang out 24 hrs a day. Chat. Answer questions live. Post pics. 

no!!! I already spend enough time on discord 🤣 I don't need another reason

[Cys aquatics]

What about having a raffle where you can be chosen to have a care box sent to you?

[ChefConfit]

Free shipping on all orders, or a lower minimum order for free shipping.

Exclusive merch. Member only color variants on the stickers would be cool.

Early access to new products, not crazy early, but a week or 2 so that members don't have to worry about it selling out before they can place an order.

Maybe member only pricing or a discount offer once a few times a year

[Kirsten]

I might be getting ahead of myself, but it'd be so cool to have a Nerm Retreat to get together, finally be able to shop at the ACO store, and maybe have some hands-on classes on aquascaping, CO2 injection, hatching killifish, or how to ship fish (maybe we can ship them to ourselves!)

[CalmedByFish]

Speaking as someone who isn't *officially* a Nerm:

I think it would be detrimental to the rest of us if there was a member-only forum or forum section. I think the social dynamic would be that Nerms would gravitate to each other, unintentionally leaving out nerms when it comes to providing information that would be of benefit to them and their fish. 

In fact, it would take benefits from Nerms that nerms could've given them if they'd stuck together.

It totally makes sense to give extra benefits to members, but it doesn't make sense to take benefits away from non-members. 

[Aubrey]

Tier 1

1.99 - Access to live chat. No members only videos or advanced notifications on merchandise. I feel like members only livestreams should be the norm, but maybe have a monthly stream for everyone still.

Tier 2

4.99 - Stays at the current membership level of perks. This should be the price level that gets you everything.

Tier 3

9.99 - I like the idea of member exclusive merch. This level gives you a discount on it, but the 4.99 level still has access to it because they are members also. 

Tier 4

100.00 - Name listed at the end of videos as valued contributor. Vanity Nerm Status.

Keep it simple and fair. I don't know how any of this works on your end, so maybe you could show us how YouTube membership perks work with complete transparency.

Another point on value. You can't answer every question in live streams and not everyone will be able to purchase limited quantity merchandise, so maybe have a point value attached to the tiers for voting on what comes next to the channel and store.  Tier 1 get a half point. Tier 2 gets 1 point. Tier 3 gets 2 points. Tier 4 gets a lot, like 200 or something to keep it balanced because I'm sure there won't be many at that level.

[Brandy]

On 5/20/2021 at 12:47 PM, James Black said:

Members Merch. Have this available on teespring too so that international members can have this be availble. But merch that is only availble to the members, so that when we see someone with the merch we know their a nerm. But only nerms will know that they are a nerm because its exclusive to only nerms, does that make sense?

This, 1000x this--how cool would recognizing each other in real life be?! Several price points, like buttons, hats, tshirts, hoodies, but you only get the sales link if you are a member. "Official Nerm Wear"!! Lol.

[Brandy]

14 minutes ago, CalmedByFish said:

Speaking as someone who isn't *officially* a Nerm:

I think it would be detrimental to the rest of us if there was a member-only forum or forum section. I think the social dynamic would be that Nerms would gravitate to each other, unintentionally leaving out nerms when it comes to providing information that would be of benefit to them and their fish. 

In fact, it would take benefits from Nerms that nerms could've given them if they'd stuck together.

It totally makes sense to give extra benefits to members, but it doesn't make sense to take benefits away from non-members. 

I also think this would destroy the forum. The only way this comunity works is if the old salts help the newbies, and making an exclusive clique is the opposite of the point of this forum, as I see it.

[CalmedByFish]

2 minutes ago, Brandy said:

 clique

Yeah, accurate word for it. 

[Aubrey]

27 minutes ago, Brandy said:

This, 1000x this--how cool would recognizing each other in real life be?! Several price points, like buttons, hats, tshirts, hoodies, but you only get the sales link if you are a member. "Official Nerm Wear"!! Lol.

Slightly off topic of membership perks. If possible when you get the online club going maybe you could do patches or pins that progress through the letters of NERM, so when you complete four stages you have earned your nerm Status. I'm not sure what the levels would be though. Maybe "N" and "E" would be beginner plants and fish and "R" and "M" could be advanced?

*edit*

Or Newbie, Expert or another "E" word, I can't think of an "R" word, then Master.

Edited May 21, 2021 by Aubrey
Possible nerm acronym

[Brandy]

59 minutes ago, Aubrey said:

Slightly off topic of membership perks. If possible when you get the online club going maybe you could do patches or pins that progress through the letters of NERM, so when you complete four stages you have earned your nerm Status. I'm not sure what the levels would be though. Maybe "N" and "E" would be beginner plants and fish and "R" and "M" could be advanced?

oooh, or like the youtube emoji/icons, so you are a shrimp, then a puffer...years=level=new pin.

EDIT:

Or, you could have a new design for the merch each year--2020=shrimp 2021=puffer 2022=pleco, etc...eventually you would have a collection and then newbies would be like "WHAT?!, When did they make a Murphy shirt?! How long has that guy been around?" This happens to me now with sailing race shirts...the old shirts bring people over to ask which boat I was on that year and whether I rembember the insane start pile-up, etc.

[Hobbit]

I’m not a member right now *hides* and of all the ideas listed above, I think the only one that would make me become a Nerm and stay a Nerm would be the club-like perks: the ability to buy/sell/trade with other members, breeding contests, talks, auctions, in-person events, etc. I like the NERM tiers, too! What about Newbie, Experienced, Respected, Master?

I would totally become a member for one month to buy merch for my birthday or something, but that wouldn’t be enough to make me stay.

Also can I just say: I’m so tickled that you now have a Community Manager because that’s my job title, and no one ever knows what it means! 😄 Though in my case it means managing a forum (and organizing forum events), and I know your CM is going to do different things.

[ChefConfit]

3 hours ago, CalmedByFish said:

Speaking as someone who isn't *officially* a Nerm:

I think it would be detrimental to the rest of us if there was a member-only forum or forum section. I think the social dynamic would be that Nerms would gravitate to each other, unintentionally leaving out nerms when it comes to providing information that would be of benefit to them and their fish. 

In fact, it would take benefits from Nerms that nerms could've given them if they'd stuck together.

It totally makes sense to give extra benefits to members, but it doesn't make sense to take benefits away from non-members. 

I think the only way it could work is if the members only section is only for membership related stuff or possibly beta testing new forum features before the entire forum gets access. 

I agree that if there are members only versions of anything that's already part of the main forum it will take away from both

[CalmedByFish]

58 minutes ago, ChefConfit said:

I think the only way it could work is if the members only section is only for membership related stuff or possibly beta testing new forum features before the entire forum gets access. 

I agree that if there are members only versions of anything that's already part of the main forum it will take away from both

That has potential. To keep it only to membership related stuff, it would make sense if it's set up so that only admins and mods can post on it. 

[Lowells Fish Lab]

Access to unreleased footage. I'm almost out of videos and I know there has to be a hoard somewhere beyond what got moved to the other channel. Even if you think if it's not A+ content let's be honest, you know we'd love it!

[Betsy]

I love the NERM tier words that @Hobbit picked out!!

I also really love the idea of merch...although, I would request more color options for clothing...as a very pale person, black just makes me look like a red-headed Wednesday Adams! 😂

I don't think people would wear ACO green, and the heather greys are a snore...but a forest green or charcoal grey could be nice!  I'm sure that's one of those things where you can't please everyone...

I also really like the idea of enamel pins, especially since those can easily be applied and moved to different pieces of clothing/gear.

Edited May 22, 2021 by Betsy

[FlyingFishKeeper]

Hi, I was thinking maybe at some tier you can get the opportunity to enter into a raffle where you could get the chance to purchase or get credit for fish from the retail store to be shipped anywhere in the world provided that the species is legal in the country. This could happen every few months rather than monthly so that the retail store doesn't loose all it's fish?