How to grow my forum?

[NoveltySupplier]

This is a good idea, thank you.

 

[NoveltySupplier]

I've heard about that. Mixed reviews

 

[reallife]

Tried almost all of this with a newbie IM forum I built, my partner and I spent lots of time making fake username posts - still went nowhere. It's a very difficult thing to do.

It's tough to build up forums. Always has been and always will be. However, it can be done.

Once you get any shred of activity, you want to make sure that it doesn't slow down. Make sure you reply to ever post/thread someone creates. Try to leave comments that instigate a response.

If your forums start to get spammed, you have to stay on top of it and delete all spammy posts immediately. Spam can really kill a forum.

Try to post as often as you can and enlist the helps of friends to help you get the place built up.

If you have to, you could create fake usernames and begin making posts.

If you have to, you could pay people to come in and post. There's a ton of people you can find that will make posts for money, create usernames, etc...

Getting a forum rolling can be tough and once it starts rolling, you have to keep it rolling. Once it gets big enough, it can practically take care of itself.

 

[Diplomat]

Forums are too big an uphill climb for one guy on his own even in a really tight niche. Unless you have 3-5 active partners willing to work at it it will never get going.

Man, this is bullshit. I have owned many big forums myself and I have built them alone.. don't scare him with your stupid advice.

Of course you can have a nice big forum by yourself. I'd suggest building useful content and it would be even better if you could rank them.
Ranking forum posts is pretty easy I have done it in the past and I'm still doing it.
Also like others mentioned I'd use paid forum posters. You can get tons of nice content (usually general shit, but still nice) like $0.10 a post.

Another great way is to write that kind of posts that force people to make an account (if they don't have one) and reply to this post.. some even might share it.

 

[rangerOH]

you can always hire people here
in hire freelance ("not me")
add them in skype and let them send u samples (and check their forum history here in bhw) to see their english...

instead of paying postloop 0.10 per post, you can pay someone here 0.07.
more posts for you with same amont of money
people that you will hire gets 0.05 (postloop money) + 0.02
so everyone is happy