How to save a dying forum?

My forum has slowly declined over the past few weeks. We started out great! We have 10 members (3 are now inactive) and over 400 posts in several topics. I just don't get why people, even my staff, aren't logging on. Even my co partner isn't logging on!

I have tried new things. I have two competitions going on at the same time (a posting comp and a banner comp), yet no one is even trying to participate in them. Also, I added an arcade, but no one visited it. Now, I am adding post-for-host hosting and a downloads center for scripts and software that are available to top contributors.

What else can I do? I am in the process of getting a custom layout and design made, but why put in the money if its already falling? I really really want to make this forum succeed, and will try anything! I need any advice that will help me be a better administrator and to bring my community back to life!

What should I do? What do you do?

 

is your forum private (password protected), or is it public and indexed by the search engines?

 

Post some topics yourself and get the ball rolling. Try to get more person such as "How old are you?", "Where are you from?". Threads like that get conversations started.

 

Run a contest , newbies will join and have fun with your forums

 

Thanks for the advice! My forum is public, and is indexed by Google and other search engines. I have posted almost 200 of the nearly 500 posts myself. I already have competitions going, and am looking for forums to advertise on, like this one here!

I would like to start a referral contest, but I don't have a mod for it.

 

Hire lots of people and pay them to post !!

Give them incentives..higher the posting..higher the pay...etc.

Regards,

RightMan

 

get people here to post in/join your forum

 

make a female celebrity gallery post few pics, try to update the gallery once in a week, don't try to empty your collection at one go, and then post your pic and link in google adult forum on every update. hope this will work

 

Hey Jeremy,

I sympathize with you. I just started a marketing forum and marketplace a month or so back and have 48 members. BUT, 80% of them are inactive.

I've tried giving out $150 in 2 cash prizes for the most referals and the posts. I've tried competitions, hiring posters, etc ...

Now I am offering people free auction listings for the month of January, and letting them post their products and services for free. I've evn went so far as to offer an affiliate sub-forum where people can post their affiliate links all free of charge.

I've bent the rules so people don't have to have X amount of posts before they post a thread in these sections.

I've also offered a profit sharing for the founding members that help build it up, by putting the word out.

And I am still having problems getting people to register and stay active.


On the flip side though, I also have another forum that me and a partner of mine put up last month that is getting over 500 active vistors daily!

And we aren't offering anything to the members except a place for them to voice their opinions!

Go figure right?

The only thing I can figure out is that one of my forums is in a market that is much more competitive then the other one. Plus the second forum is unique.


If anyone has any other tips, I'm all eyes.

Anyway, hope you get yours going better soon.


Mary

 

Try to send Bulk email to all inactive members with some new promotions in your forum. So they comeback again to your forum

 

Forums in many cases can take some time to grow. Plus, there are so many of them out their that initially they can easily get lost in the shuffle or not even seen or heard of at all.

Word of mouth is always a good thing too.

Also, like the old saying that's been said over a million times, if you build it they will come. Sometimes knowing when can be the tricky part. If you stay focused on your forum and how to build on and improve it, keep asking for advice at helpful places like DP, over time you will surely get plenty of people posting.

 

Hey dbonline,

I don't know how Jeremy feels about your post but I sure do want to thank you for your encouragement. It helps a lot to know that things will pick up in due time.

Thanks!

 

Hire some paid gunners.

 

Do a bulk email and list all the improvements you made, contests you have, etc. It might draw a few members back at least temporarially.

 

Advertise your forum..Post it in your signature..make a little SEO..what is your forum all about?.

 

Wow, thanks for all of the help! I am going to try to address everyone's posts here!.

I thought about paying people to post, but really, I don't have the money right now to support that. I have a few hundred back for a design, a hundred or so for coding work, and with my hosting...I really don't see how I could do that option right now, unless I hold off on some things.

Thanks for the encouragement dbonline, you don't know how much better I feel now. You are the first person to say that "it will grow"...even though you aren't specifically talking about my forum. I really hope this old saying is true!

As far as emailing...I have a no spam rule and it states that we don't send spam...would that be considered spam? Plus, many have opted out of receiving forum emails.

I am installing a referrals mod for my forum...hopefully that will help!



My forum is based on technology, coding, gaming, etc. It's the United Geek Society "hints the geek part". It hasn't been online too long, but there is now rarely any activity, besides a google bot or a guest.

 

Be careful what you wish for. "Artificial" methods of boosting a forum might also change it quite a bit.

 

hire some posters and try to post you as much as you can but remember to post good content. try to make some seo on page and off page. i hope it helps.

 

Try hiring paid posters. I have seen several forums hiring a lot of people to post. You can hire them for at least $0.10 per post. This should help your forum.