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The Impact
Junior Member
Australia
398 Posts |
 Posted - 27 April 2004 : 03:54:37
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I know many of you run large forums and have built up a good number of users who often post.
I've had a forum on my site for just over 18 months now and have been trying to build up a community of regular posters. I seem to get new members but they do not seem to post or return regularily. 
All the information on the site is regularily updated so there's always something new for members to read.
Is there any tips for building up members, keeping them interested and getting them posting  |
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wii
Free ASP Hosts Moderator
Denmark
2632 Posts |
Posted - 27 April 2004 : 04:31:38
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Well, it takes time.
One of the reasons my largest forum is so successful is that I have my site on the top 5 at google.com for years now, and that all the biggest sites which relates to my forum/site has links to mine - all that gives more exposure and therefore more members and activity. |
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MarcelG
Retired Support Moderator
Netherlands
2625 Posts |
Posted - 27 April 2004 : 04:38:00
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one word ; CONTENT
another 2 words ; VALUABLE CONTENT
another 3 words ; NEW VALUABLE CONTENT
another 4 words ; FREQUENT NEW VALUABLE CONTENT
Make people come back for more, and more and more.
I have the same problem at oxle ; I've had the luck that a Tactical ops clan is using oxle, and bringing along lots of activity, but besides that there's little to no activity besides the posts by the 'core' group of about 5 members.
It will take time, and if your community stands out, and has something to offer, it will grow. |
portfolio - linkshrinker - oxle - twitter |
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sr_erick
Senior Member
USA
1318 Posts |
Posted - 27 April 2004 : 09:47:24
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| They have to get the hook, and getting listed on Yahoo! Directory really helped me out. For me now, traffic is going down because the season is over, but next season, things will boom again, they always do. Just getting the word out is what does it, and offering something unique. The rules we have at my site are set in such a way they differ from other sites. There is absolutly no discrimination, unlike most other sites of the kind that you find out there, and people like that. They can chat will fellow sledders and not have to worry about being told off for what kind of sled they ride. A majority of the comments I recieve are telling me how much they love this rule. Other than that, I guess I don't do "too" much in advertising the site. I guess I should, but I don't. I know my link has been published in some popular Snowmobiling Magazines. Maybe I can get more publicity this coming season with the new features I plan on adding. |
Erick
Snowmobile Fanatics
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weeweeslap
Senior Member
USA
1077 Posts |
Posted - 27 April 2004 : 15:16:15
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quote:
Originally posted by marcelgoertz
one word ; CONTENT
another 2 words ; VALUABLE CONTENT
another 3 words ; NEW VALUABLE CONTENT
another 4 words ; FREQUENT NEW VALUABLE CONTENT
..........
I have a fan base nearing 6,000 now and it all started with a simple personal home page to display my coasters and coasters of others that I liked. Didn't have forums, few months in added forums, gained a few, made a few changes cuz I did not like the layout, more and more came in. Then made a drastic layout change and the members came in like mad for me. I never had any real content for them to be attracted at first, I never provided valuable content and rarely added new content. They came just cuz I used to stick my nose in other websites and just be "loud". My name became recognized because of my attitude, not a bad one, a loud, "cool" one I guess. Then a fall out happened in a site I used to visit daily, went my own way, decided to make my site more for the public, added newer version of the forums with nothing but the pm mod at first. Added ability for users to upload stuff, comment and rate the stuff uploaded. I now don't participate in other sites that share the same topic of my content which is rollercoaster games. I guess people just figured out where I had gone or just word of mouth get them over to my site now. I am affiliate with this other website, but never visit it regularly. Although I should Anyway, that is how I got my site off the ground and made it to what it is today. You have to target your agte group, for me the target group is under the age of 18, say 13-18 and of course we have fellows in there that are 70 years+ old. You have to target your market and make a marketing plan for your website and implement it in my opinion. Go to other popular websites and see what attracts the people to them, whatever you find, grab it, improve it, twist it, revamp it and add it to your site and speak out in those websites with using your sig as a link to your site.  |
coaster crazy |
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MarcelG
Retired Support Moderator
Netherlands
2625 Posts |
Posted - 27 April 2004 : 15:27:19
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| okay...that's the óther approach...I was coming to that... hihi |
portfolio - linkshrinker - oxle - twitter |
Edited by - MarcelG on 27 April 2004 15:27:33 |
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laser
Advanced Member
Australia
3859 Posts |
Posted - 27 April 2004 : 17:16:19
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quote:
Go to other popular websites and see what attracts the people to them, whatever you find, grab it, improve it, twist it, revamp it and add it to your site and speak out in those websites with using your sig as a link to your site.
That's the entire problem, he does all that on MY SITE now   Only joking, I don't mind at all.
The audience that The Impact is trying to attract is the fans of a particular motor racing series in Australia. About 4 years ago there was basically 2 forum sites where you could go to chat about V8Supercars, www.v8central.com opened in Aug 2001 and went through the same growing pains that www.v8impact.com is currently experiencing. V8Central now continually (well, for the last 3 quarters ) ranks within the Top Ten motor racing websites in Australia (results collated independently by www.hitwise.com). I've lost count, but there's probably a dozen racing forum sites out there now. LOTS more fan sites as well. V8Impact has some nice features, and some I should put on V8Central as well but we're mates and we help each other where we can - personally it's a learning experience, and almost promotes the sport as well.
quote:
You have to target your market and make a marketing plan for your website and implement it in my opinion.
For V8Impact, the target group is probably 15-25, predominantly male. The Impact has added features based on how people have found the site via Google, so he's following the marketing trends quite well.
What to add to the site ? That's the hardest question to answer, but for me hits are directly related to good forum content. You need a 'core group' of posters, "staff" if you like, that are prepared to sit there for a few months and chat, and attract a few new members per month - the sort that keep coming back. Things will snowball from there. |
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taropatch
Average Member
USA
741 Posts |
Posted - 28 April 2004 : 00:00:23
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I do not run a large site. 339 of 644 Members have posted in the 26 months that my forum has been around.
One thing going for me is that I have a forum focused on a particular type of music (unique subject matter). It helps that certain touring musicians are supporters and get the word out at concerts. But it's not mainstream music or else I'd have 10's of thousands of members. 
In an effort to get people to post, I've tried having monthly giveaways. It's a random drawing where anyone who posts that month qualifies. Then in an effort to promote new members to post, I ran a parallel giveaway for members who have fewer than 50 posts so they have 2 chances to qualify for a prize. I do not know if it works, but people seem to enjoy it. Those who win whether new or old members seem to have a increased appreciation for the site. Since my subject is music, I usually give away a CD or something.
Maybe this is something that you could try? |
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