Starting New Forums

I've never started my own forums before, only been 'promoted' on existing ones. So, first off, this is not a money-making venture for me, I really just want to start an active community and have fun trying. Also, secondly, as far as I've found with Google there are no forums dedicated to this niche, just boards on exisiting forums (for example, like this Marketing Forum).

I'm not particularly worried about traffic yet, but what I am curious about is how I can turn that traffic into registered and posting members. So there it is: How can I get people that stumble upon the forums to register and post?

I've already thought of some things.

1. Display a message at the top of every page asking guests to register. (Nicely )
2. Integrate the forums into the main site (ie, message as above and sidebar with things like forum stats, login box, etc)
3. Limiting guests (this one I'm unsure about, see below)


For the last one, to what extent should I do it? I decided to not allow guest posting, but then I thought why not go one step further and flat out not let them view the forum at all before registering? That seem's a little harsh though so perhaps I should just have a section that only members can see (sort of like on DP). What do you all reccomend? All input is welcome!

 

Your posts are your gold dust, the search engines as well as your visitors get to see them and therefore you can rank for them, then when someone searches for that common question in your niche that has been asked in your forum ~ people find you!

Just make sure your forum is the focus of your site from which all articles point and read up on how to promote a forum, paid posts/competitions etc.

 

Alright thanks. Yes, everybody overwhelmingly told me to use contests and even Lee from Earners forum reccomended it (and told me to look for sponsors for it so I don't have to pay, always a good thing xD). I also was told to just allow guests to view but not post.

 

Any other thoughts?

 

what forum is that?

 

No forum, I was just asking for ways to give guests incentives to regisiter and start posting.