Hi, I'm currently developing my next project, which features a challenge which I have never had before. Similarly to a forum, this is a membership site where normally you assume that the more users there are, the more people will register, and a domino effect ensues. However, unlike a forum, this is a site for an industry in which I cannot create "fake" members. I need the members to be industry professionals. I currently have no members. How can I convince my first member or two to join? I currently have a "free 30-day front-page feature" for the first 15 people to join. What else can I do? Any advice is humbly appreciated.
Give some extra services that you wont find in any other forum. or develope a very good publicity to put your site in a very "exclusive" position.
Maybe try advertising to these people in the places that they'll go? Specialist forums? Maybe try a competiton? If people aern't signing up then my guess is that obviously not enough is making them sign up so you need to make them really want the information or have something that they want.
Thanks for the advice guys! Have been looking at specialist forums, and that seems to be a smart way to go about it. Thanks!