Post by ~LonelyAngel~ on Jun 13, 2009 17:54:19 GMT
Forums are one of the most interactive types of websites there are. Just about every topic is covered somewhere on an internet forum. I have been running forums for almost 8 years now, and have learned a lot over the years. You may ask, "why in the world would you bother running an internet community? Isn't it a whole lot of trouble?" Actually, no, it's not that much trouble. A forum generates it's own content once up and running, and moderators usually will do the brunt of the work for you for free if they are interested in the topics at hand. Forums can be quite lucrative if set up correctly.
Starting a forum is the hardest part. Competition is fierce, and it is nearly impossible to start one from scratch unless your main topic is a niche that has yet to be capitalized on. Here are a couple pointers on getting started:
#1 Pick a topic that has yet to have a forum built around it.
Do this by looking for trends that you think may make it big. Although there may be only a few people interested in the topic right now, you can grow your forum tremendously if you get into the market before everyone else does. As the market grows, so will your forum, often at a staggering pace.
#2 Pick a good mod/admin team
Find moderators and maybe an administrator or two who are interested in the topic at hand. They will usually work hard and since they are interested in the topic, will help your forum succeed.
#3 Create content initially.
At first, don't be afraid to make a few user names and make up a few conversations to give the forum an appearance of activity. Activity attracts more activity usually, so the more posts and replies that are coming in, the easier it will be to attract new members to register, post and reply to threads..
#4 Be Patient.
The forum won't go from 0 members to 10,000 over night. Be patient, and take feedback from your early members. Make your members happy and they will spread the forum via word of mouth.
Thanks to Brian Krassenstein on Ezine
Starting a forum is the hardest part. Competition is fierce, and it is nearly impossible to start one from scratch unless your main topic is a niche that has yet to be capitalized on. Here are a couple pointers on getting started:
#1 Pick a topic that has yet to have a forum built around it.
Do this by looking for trends that you think may make it big. Although there may be only a few people interested in the topic right now, you can grow your forum tremendously if you get into the market before everyone else does. As the market grows, so will your forum, often at a staggering pace.
#2 Pick a good mod/admin team
Find moderators and maybe an administrator or two who are interested in the topic at hand. They will usually work hard and since they are interested in the topic, will help your forum succeed.
#3 Create content initially.
At first, don't be afraid to make a few user names and make up a few conversations to give the forum an appearance of activity. Activity attracts more activity usually, so the more posts and replies that are coming in, the easier it will be to attract new members to register, post and reply to threads..
#4 Be Patient.
The forum won't go from 0 members to 10,000 over night. Be patient, and take feedback from your early members. Make your members happy and they will spread the forum via word of mouth.
Thanks to Brian Krassenstein on Ezine