How to get forums going

[korzon]

Hey,

I'm looking for some ideas and tips on how to get forums going.
Assume you have $500 to spend on marketting, how would you best use it?

 

[TopNames.com]

Offer cash prizes to people who post. Award a $25 prize once a week for 20 weeks.

 

[lukeeales]

I agree with Topnames, except don't offer cash as it makes you appear too business-like. Offer a product or item pertaining to your forum topic.

 

[guiwang]

I think maybe I should offer free domain names at my forum nameschat.com.

 

[SweDomains.com]

I think maybe I should offer free domain names at my forum nameschat.com.

This seems like self-promoting to me. Maybe you should just write at my forum in the future.

EDIT: About your question korzon i think having small rewards every week is a great way and also place some small ads on a couple of sites to keep guests visiting your site and get interested.

Christian.

 

[Mr.Domains]

Hey,

I'm looking for some ideas and tips on how to get forums going.
Assume you have $500 to spend on marketting, how would you best use it?

Does your forum already have members, or is it brand new? If it already has members then I would consider paid links on related sites, or Google Ads.

If it is a new forum then you need to get some content first, as even if you promote it, no one is going to sign up to a forum with no members or post. Do what most people here do, and advertise in the F$ thread to pay 10-20 DNF$ per post and get at least some starting content on there before you start promoting it.

Also, apply the SEO hack so that the Search Engines can index your content, and you should start to see some traffic from them too.

Hope this helps!

 

[csitenet]

Dont bother with rewards, i tried it, if you want TRUE long term members, you will be looking to advertise in google adwords, overture and get a seo to optimize your forum. Install mod rewrite, add some unique tutorials, download or articles and link it to other sites, i have several web design forums all get users from articles i post and people go on to read, but before they read it they need to register etc. There are MANY ways to get users, but i suggest spending the money on ads for long term users rather than some short term user only in it for the money with little intrest in the actual forum itselt. i tried that method once and all i got was asians who could barely speak english, all in it for the free stuff!

Unique tutorials / articles / EXCLUSIVE FREE software is the best method i found.

Hope it helps.

 

[korzon]

Great advice here guys, this helps a lot!

 

[blindchild]

Few questions which will attract your members (sorry for the long post).

Q1: What are the forums about?
Q2: Are they easy to navigate?
Q3: Are there interesting people who are willing to help out?

2nd choice: If you will offer people cash prizes you will get a lot of spam and then you will have to offer cash prizes monthly.

If you can do this, then your forums might get started, I will recommend you to open a $75 contest like most useful posts wins this.

This will get more and more activity.

Then get other features like interesting articles, unique tutorials (as suggested above).

Then submit it to the tutorial sites, write on yahoo " submit tutorial sites".

This will lead around 300-400 visitors daily on your site and will make your site more active and google bots will be all on your site.

This will make your site more and more popular.

Another marketing gimmick is something which is very useful like a unique software or a free site for every member ( with the sitebuilder it takes seconds).

Hope this helps.

 

[SouthernTn]

If you can do this, then your forums might get started, I will recommend you to open a $75 contest like most useful posts wins this.

I like this idea.... I might use it.

 

[LazyD]

Contests are a big attraction,you have to offer your members something.
Most quality posts/threads in a month wins $xx....and so on.

 

[labrocca]

I have a points system installed and a lottery. Occassionally I give away a real item in the lottery. Users need to buy a lottery ticket to enter...they but it with points.

Points are earned via posts and replies and also how many people reply to their topic. It works out pretty good.

 

[SouthernTn]

Im thinking of having a Referral Contest along with a Most Useful Posts contest. To catch the people who are registering from the referrals.