I need marketing advice for my Webmaster Forum

Hey,

I would really appriciate it if you would help me market a Webmaster forum that I own.

I am working on this with a freind so I would appriciate your knowlage and thoughts as I really want this to succeed.

However the main problem is that I have no money to spend on the forum so I would appriciate any help.

My forum is TotalWebmasters.net

Thanks

 

Hi,

Having never marketed a forum myself I'm not really sure that this will help you, but here are a couple of ideas that might:

1) I had a quick look at your forum and it looks great and you already have some activity there. Why not ask your existing members to tell their friends about it. In return you could offer your services (in some way) for a one-off freebie, maybe some programming, script installation or something..

2) I'm sure you have done this, but I mention it anyway, list your forum in the many free directories that you can find on this very forum. This probably wont bring you traffic directly, but it will help boost your rankings and therefore bring in more visitors.

3) Use you knowledge to help people in other forums and have a link in your signature to your forum.

Just a few ideas that might help.

Tim

 

First, Make 3 more posts and put that link in your signature,

Then read the following thread for some free promotion tips:
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=193854#post1888043

There are so many seo and webmaster forums, so you will have to promote hard to get members.

Content will play a very important role. Until you get enough members, you will have to write your own articles.
There are services where you can get a certain number of posts made by paying the service provider and kind of also helps to keep the ball rolling, but as you said you don't have money to use here, so this will not be an option.

Give people a reason to post. Some members only area, or posts that require "feedback" can bring in members.
Don't do anything that stops someone from joining. Personally, I "avoid" joining forums where they have added a "rel=nofollow" tag to signature links...

Other incentives like something for free in a members area will also bring in registrations, although most people might just sign up, download, and then never return. But some will return and make posts, ask for help, which will keep your forum going.
Bye

 

Thanks for your ideas

What do you think of this idea that I am trying. Its called Total Webmasters $$'s. This is what you get

 

It could work, but how do people get Total Webmaster $$ ?

 

While not what you were asking, Id spend a little money on a template. The free template isnt doing it for me - why should I put my time (and money because time is money) into your site when you wont do the same? To help you, run a contest (there are hundreds of advertising "things" you can do - look around here). Find some sponsors or give in some money / prizes yourself. Give points for: posting, starting a new thread, referring a friend, posts your friend make, etc. Make sure you make the prize total large (>$1000) and make sure you promote your contest. Post the contest on a number of forums (especially webmaster related), submit a PR to PRWEB, etc etc. Good luck.

 

Thanks very much for your help.

People get Total Webmaster dollars by posting on the forum

Thanks

 

I have just the thing for you. Just drop me a PM or read my thread under the Marketing section.

 

How about revenue sharing and exchange post. Also post a thread that you're looking for partners with the same niche forum.

 

I have seen this elsewhere, and the problem is that people will post nonsense just to increase their credits, so if you decide to go this route you would need to lay down the ground rules and be a ruthless moderator!

 

I thought about revenue sharing but is it possible for PHPBB?? If so how do I do that.

Thanks guys for all your thoughts

 

Content is king!

Want people on your forum? Make posts, provide content. Content gets pulled by search engines, content gives people a reason to want to join and respond. Focus on delivering excellent site content.

Can't or lack the time?

1. Hire people to populate and post on your forum for you. I personally offer a forum posting package.

2. Find free reprint articles from ezine sites, and produce content that way.

There are other things like forum sigs, submitting to search engines, optimization, overall appeal.

But it will be fresh, updated, inticing content that will drive your forum to the top.


John Guanzon

 

and just put some neat banners in ur site first page about ur tw$$ and ur contests like this...