Encouragement to new forum owners

[Mars Guitars]

Anyone who's ever started a forum know's it's not an easy option, it takes a lot of hard work.

When I started my guitar niche forum in 2009 I thought I'd give it a year to get established... it was a slow start, but now, almost exactly a year later it's feeling like it's finally self-sustaining. I still post lot, but don't feel like if I leave it alone it'll die, like not feeding a Tamagochi !

So, if you've started a forum, persevere and eventualy you'll get there. :clap: :thumbup:

But don't think it's gonna be easy!

 

[webcreationuk]

Congrats mate!

Have you also paid some fellows to do posting/threads or all that's there is "natural" content?

 

[davidmort]

I agree with you that to start a new forum is imensely hard. Some start and then they quit it and do something else only because to have a forum is hard. But if you rather purposeful, you will succeed.

 

[howinfo]

We did start a forum as a part of our website and as we had no experience of running and managing forum before we did not realize how much hard work it will take to promote it and get some users to sign up. Six months later and we are still in early stages and feel bit stuck. Will give it another six months and then will see what the next step would be.

 

[Jay-S]

I tried starting a forum a while back, but I ended up never having any time to keep up with it and decided to close it down.

 

[kendalcottages]

I've started a number in the past and it can be quite a lot of work. I have one now which has around 160,000 posts.

A good way of getting started is to participate in the Aardvark post exchange, but it's only suited to quality posters, not people who just want to post one-liners.

 

[zbastian_19]

thanks for sharing. yes I agree, handling a forum is not that easy.. it requires strength & effort..

 

[clide&web]

what do you get in having a forum site? I'm just new to this forum, and I wanted to learn. I have this in my mind that aside from having the opportunity to advertise their site for free, do owners get paid for ads, etc.? Did I get it right? :dancing:

 

[LineHosts: Damien]

It can be extremely frustrating at the beginning, but you just have to stick with it!

 

[LineHosts: Damien]

what do you get in having a forum site? I'm just new to this forum, and I wanted to learn. I have this in my mind that aside from having the opportunity to advertise their site for free, do owners get paid for ads, etc.? Did I get it right? :dancing:

Yeah, if you display Google Ads on your site you'll get paid for each time someone clicks them!

 

[clide&web]

Yeah, if you display Google Ads on your site you'll get paid for each time someone clicks them!

Have you ever tried click2sell? I don't know how to set that up. Is that the same with PPC-ads for Google?:help:

 

[LineHosts: Damien]

I've never used Click2Sell before, sorry.

 

[Conran]

It does take a while doesn't it?

A close friend of mine started a forum as a part of a Social Network group and it's started really slowly. Loads of members signed up to it and after about a month they have almost 250 members. But very few are posting.

He's worried about posting too much himself because it'll just show his user name on all the threads for the last post

I suggested creating a "multiple personality syndrome" and just adding accounts and talking to himself for a while to get other members posting, but he says he'd feel weird doing that. Seems like a good idea to me though. I can only spend so much of my available time talking to him on there. lol

 

[kendalcottages]

My experience of AdWords specifically on forums is that the CTR is extremely low. I think there are better ways of making money from forums.

 

[howinfo]

My experience of AdWords specifically on forums is that the CTR is extremely low. I think there are better ways of making money from forums.

I am using adsense on our forum but I would like to know about those more effective methods you mentioned.

 

[JJDC]

I run a RuneScape clan its a pretty decent sized one and we use IPB (Self Hosted) I would agree its not easy to keep it going but I think the most important thing is to have a community a if you like support base? To fall back on when things get slow once you have them loyal members I think its pretty easy going.

 

[Mars Guitars]

My experience of AdWords specifically on forums is that the CTR is extremely low. I think there are better ways of making money from forums.

I agree that CTR is low on forums.... would you care to share the 'better ways'? The obvious thing is direct sales of ads to advertisers in your niche, but not easy unless you have very high traffic - any tips?

Thanks,
Paul

 

[zbastian_19]

Yeah, if you display Google Ads on your site you'll get paid for each time someone clicks them!

More on that. I believe valuable, quality & established forum can be sell at good price.

 

[angie828]

It is not an easy task. But if you work hard then you will succeed. I feel that you have to post on the forum as well so it stays afloat.