How to get members to join your Forum?

Discussion in 'General Marketing' started by Vel, Dec 2, 2009.

  1. #1
    I have a sports forum on my blog site but so far I have a few members but no activity.

    My blog is rank around the 100,000s on alexa. but yet no one wants to join my forum.

    is their a way to get people to join my sports forum?

    thanks
     
    Vel, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  2. LargeChimp

    LargeChimp Peon

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    #2
    Be active yourself, but not too active, create 10 accounts and have conversations with yourself to make the forum apear active, post question threads, urging others to answer/register.

    Josh.
     
    LargeChimp, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  3. Tango4Cash

    Tango4Cash Peon

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    #3
    you could always ask some of your friends to join and bullshit with you, just to get some topics going
     
    Tango4Cash, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  4. MoviesP.com

    MoviesP.com Peon

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    #4
    Find good topic is king, you must have something to attract people. If there is nothing there, who want to join?
     
    MoviesP.com, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  5. bryanon

    bryanon Well-Known Member

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    #5
    Fastest way: hire 50 Filipinos to make 5 posts a day each, paying them $0.10 per post and at the same time post some useful information by yourself.
     
    bryanon, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  6. Vel

    Vel Active Member

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    #6
    lol I done that.

    Also I invited 3 of my friends and we chatted over and over but no one joined.

    I even put a sticky feature post on my front page announcing that the forum is up and no one joined, the only time someone join was to see a video I had on private only viewable for members...I notice other sites they make videos or pictures unable to view unless you have 50 or more posts.

    Can I do that on SMF free boards? or do I have to buy Vbulletins?
     
    Vel, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  7. Vel

    Vel Active Member

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    #7
    why hire Filipinos?

    I heard about hiring people to blog news for you and you pay them 10 cents a post. but isnt that slave wages and against the rules?
     
    Vel, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  8. Steve Powers

    Steve Powers Peon

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    #8
    Try to post more incentive information on you website.It does not mean your visitors would like to spend extra time registering on your website unless that they are attracted to or have to.So try to make it as soon as possible,and that's my suggestion.
     
    Steve Powers, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  9. jillvrill

    jillvrill Peon

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    #9
    Take down any ads that you have. Don't put them back on till you have a steady traffic stream daily.
    Make your visitors an offer they cant refuse and/or add scarcity by using expirable links to direct visitors to your membership sign up page.
     
    jillvrill, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  10. Vel

    Vel Active Member

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    #10
    Any examples?

    I tried this I was offering some prizes to any of those who joined my site they could win a prize but they needed 100 posts to get a raffle ticket, and only 5 people signed up.

    The sad this is some guy was hating on my site and I found out he was a competitor he had another sports site blog thing and he was dumb enough to use his email with the title of his site when registering for a membership lol

    Anyway he was a jerk and he said "guys dont sign up this guy is a joke he just wants to gain more traffic and members for his pathetic forum its all gimmicks you aint gonna win"

    when he wrote that I was crushed cause I dont understand how people can be such jerks, I dont know why he would try to ruin me from gaining traffic when I never bother anyone and was just minding my own business.

    The sad prt is I ordered some expensive gifts to give out like some jerseys, some cards, and a ps3 system...but yet this guy was saying I wasnt going to give prizes, ever since he did that and spammed my comments section with different names people stopped looking on my forum.

    Is there anyway I could report this guy?
     
    Vel, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  11. MyNetTrek

    MyNetTrek Peon

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    #11
    Start a contest that will condone activity?
     
    MyNetTrek, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  12. Vel

    Vel Active Member

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    #12
    like what?

    I tried to give away free gifts but that didn't work, maybe its cause I have a basic smf forum.
     
    Vel, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  13. JamesKPowers

    JamesKPowers Peon

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    #13
    I used to know of a software that made your forum look extremely active...

    Basically it pulled Yahoo Answers discussion and made posts for each question... quite genius really...

    Can't seem to remember the name of it... does anyone else?


    Anyways I'm pretty sure this would help you out!

    Something about a dead forum just makes people not want to join... I'd say because its... DEAD ;)

    James
     
    JamesKPowers, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  14. Vel

    Vel Active Member

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    #14
    true, should I just close my forum alltogether?

    sometimes I wonder how these forums start how do they gain so much traffic.

    My ultimate goal is to get a active forum with many loyal members so I can get sponsors to pay for advertising space, since Adsense doesnt pay well, I cannot make a living even with decent traffic.

    Some people just have all the luck, most of the big adsense earners use autoblog and use there site as a gimmick for people looking for a good or service, but I am not savvy enough with seo.

    But that has already become over-saturated everyone is doing it now.
     
    Vel, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  15. nuke007

    nuke007 Peon

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    #15
    1. Join sports forums on Yahoo, Google and after some posts put link in your footer and be engaged sports discussion.

    2. Check local events in your area and leave pamphlets or attend those functions and distribute flyers.

    3. Leave your flyers at library, restarts, and sports retailers.

    4. Sponsor local tournaments in your area by putting your banner.

    5. Use service of your friends. relatives, family members to have dedicated few members discussing topics.

    6. Put topics related to current sports events in support or against.

    7. have couple of controversial posts such as betting in UK soccer league or Latest tiger woods scandal

    8. Engage your self in leaving back link for your site wherever applicable, specially at sports sites.

    9. Write articles and submit them to article directories with back link to your sites.

    10. Put banners at cross streets or at busy place such as train station/ bus station or near big office building.

    11 sponsor some event in nearby school/colleges etc.

    I guess there are endless ways but each need patience and hard work to achieve the success. Once you have 2-3 hundred members then one guy leaving negative remark will not pull your site down. Build on your base by keeping healthily discussion on your site.

    thanks
     
    nuke007, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  16. cyberfreakz

    cyberfreakz Peon

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    #16
    start contests for top posters. Works well. Give incentives and throw away a few mods n admin posts.. people will be attracted. Or even better, add a referral system and make a contest out of it.! :p
     
    cyberfreakz, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  17. purnima

    purnima Peon

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    #17
    Hey guys,
    what are u saying. u are talking about ur forum but not mentioned here anywhere. how can we give suggestion about that. if interested get people from my network.

    bit.ly/2o3pz5
     
    purnima, Dec 2, 2009 IP
  18. financialjesus

    financialjesus Well-Known Member

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    #18
    Make a competition! Offer to give away a laptop or something expensive among the people who have made more than 10 posts!
     
    financialjesus, Dec 3, 2009 IP
  19. bodzila

    bodzila Peon

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    #19
    Ya, provide some giveaways which are a little rare to find for a normal surfer... Keep them doing one per day and bookmarking the post.. I'm sure your gonna have nice amount of users within a month..
     
    bodzila, Dec 3, 2009 IP
  20. Vel

    Vel Active Member

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    #20
    Maybe I am doing the Contest or Giveaway wrong, but I tried it and only 5 people joined but never bothered posting.

    what I do know is people are lazy lol they are too lazy to fill out the registration form this is a fact.

    but maybe I would have to give out a prizes or 3 prizes again, but the downside is they will keep expecting prizes.
     
    Vel, Dec 3, 2009 IP