Starting a Forum, Ideas Needed for Growth

[BusinessSmack]

Hey BHW,
I am relatively new here and thought it be a great place to start learning about growing my forum.
The forum is about Entrepreneurship and General Business two topics I love to discuss being an International Business and Finance major.
Anyway I have a few questions about growing it (The site is only about 11 days old..)

1. How do I get members that are exited to post (already told friends about it via Facebook)
2. Should I look for moderators or wait till people ask to be one
3. SEO practices?
4. Any other good forum Ideas I should be thinking about??

Please let me know if you could provide any help/information!

 

[twentytwo]

Forums, are a bit rough to start. But once going they are rockin!

Most people wont sign up unless, they look busy. I would make fake accounts at first, act like they are different people. Basically, get good at talking to yourself

Note: make some of those fake accounts with a picture of a hot girl, you will see sign ups because of that.

 

[BusinessSmack]

Haha I like your ideas, and your right sexy woman always sell. Especially to my possibly demographics!
Any thoughts about hiring a few people from fiverr or other similar places to make accounts and posts??

 

[DarthM]

1) Fake accounts + content pulled from Yahoo answers to simulate activity (there's a script that can do that but I can't remember what it's called now). You can re-write them.
2) Competitions and prizes for top-contributing members each month.
3) Forum post-exchange with other webmasters using e.g. Postloop.
4) Hire microworkers to make some threads and posts (e.g. 5 posts for $1).

 

[creativeway]

make posts that will be highly relevant to your target market and make sure it is of good value, then they will keep returning or sign up.

 

[markhenry121]

Start a Forum with:-
Figure out what your specific niche will be.
Choose a forum script.
Find a good forum hosting program.
Start creating your forum or discussion areas
Advertise your forum to get users
Make posts to your forum.

 

[Neo240]

Lol, you are the dude who hired me from Fiverr to post for you. Guess I have to do it in today seeing as you are a member here too.

 

[BusinessSmack]

Lol, you are the dude who hired me from Fiverr to post for you. Guess I have to do it in today seeing as you are a member here too.

haha very true thanks again, they are great posts. Makes it more exciting for me when talking to myself on the forum..

 

[poweronics]

You have to posts in other forums also for gaining popularity for your own forum.

 

[queenmery]

Hiring people from Fiverr is a very good idea. You can also hire forum poster from BHW and outsourcing site oDesk at a very cheap rate.

 

[audioguy]

I recall mixergy has some good podcasts and vidcasts around building and growing communities.

"site:mixergy.com community" shows some interesting content. Should give you some ideas...

 

[jhonson5]

Best way to make your forum popular is to follow a popular forum like this one. You can also post valuable posts in several forums having your forum link in your sig. I have seen some to do the same.

 

[Geeber463]

I am in the process of adding a forum to my main site. I have tried this on a previous site and understand the challenges, that is why I am taking a slightly different approach.

Currently, I offer a 5 part video course as a ethical bribe to get subscribers to my mailing list. This does work and people sign up for the course.

What I am doing know is setting up the forum like a membership site. Using a membership plugin, I am going to use the course as the bribe to register for the forum. There is a section in the forum that only members can view which will have the links to the videos. Members can the comment and discuss the videos in the forum. I will be adding other member-only content as well.

The rest of the forum will be "open" for all to see and only members to post - like most forums. I might also include contests for posters and such. I am hoping of making the forum like a membership site will help with membership.

My forum isn't live yet as I am still working on integrating everything: site, membership and mailing list. I know how I am doing it, just have to finish it.

 

[MoellerRivaa]

also add trading thing to it, take it as a suggestion

 

[DamageX]

Start a Forum with:-
Figure out what your specific niche will be.
Choose a forum script.
Find a good forum hosting program.
Start creating your forum or discussion areas
Advertise your forum to get users
Make posts to your forum.

No shit, Sherlock...

Now take that, make it into a PDF, package it nicely and add some fluff and fancy sales text, make it into a WSO and bank like mad! :biggrin1:

 

[queenmery]

also add trading thing to it, take it as a suggestion

very good idea. But while making itrade page be careful about securing that page otherwise hackers will hack that page and take all money.

 

[BusinessSmack]

Very interesting approach, I am definitely going to make more membership perTks for users also.
There is so much to tweak on these kind of things! Let me know when you make yours live I'll be sure to check it out.

Best of luck!

 

[BusinessSmack]

I am in the process of adding a forum to my main site. I have tried this on a previous site and understand the challenges, that is why I am taking a slightly different approach.

Currently, I offer a 5 part video course as a ethical bribe to get subscribers to my mailing list. This does work and people sign up for the course.

What I am doing know is setting up the forum like a membership site. Using a membership plugin, I am going to use the course as the bribe to register for the forum. There is a section in the forum that only members can view which will have the links to the videos. Members can the comment and discuss the videos in the forum. I will be adding other member-only content as well.

The rest of the forum will be "open" for all to see and only members to post - like most forums. I might also include contests for posters and such. I am hoping of making the forum like a membership site will help with membership.

My forum isn't live yet as I am still working on integrating everything: site, membership and mailing list. I know how I am doing it, just have to finish it.

Very interesting approach, I am definitely going to make more membership perTks for users also.
There is so much to tweak on these kind of things! Let me know when you make yours live I'll be sure to check it out.

Best of luck!

 

[Lalalaenhund]

You could also try making a really good/funny post, then advertising it with stumbleupon and trying to make it go viral.

 

[Junkfood00]

Offer something exclusive that only members can get and you shall start seeing activity. Something like a money making method you came up with, an iPod prize for the person with the most forum referrals/posts or free web hosting. Be creative and you'll attract people.