Contests don't work, especially link giving - I wouldn't put any effort into winning a contest for a sitewide link that will probably end up on a site with no traffic, no rankings, de nada. Similarly giving away money won't work - contests are much better suited to an established board for a traffic boost. My main tips for a starting board would be to try and make it unique in some way, whilst it being generic may result in success it makes it fairly uninteresting and next to impossible to advertise. Something brandable works even better in a name. Secondly, get real people who can talk to you properly. If the worst comes to the worst, talk to yourself but post exchanges - well, not too keen on them, people will post and at the end of it more likely than not you'll be left with no remaining active members. Being unique in some way or another and actually having regulars are probably the most important two tips that spring to mind at the moment.
i think you are losing some of ur potential members/visitors by not putting a link of ur forum here. If you are in forums for short time then its going to be quite difficult, its going to take lot of time(couple of years?) and lot of members(couple of thousands?) then only u would see some progress. For more detailed discussion check this thread http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=83359