I want directed traffic.. so not stumble, etc. I'm willing to spend some money here, not a lot, but I'd like to regain it with activity on my forums/revenue ASAP. What are some ways, with say a $100/month MAX budget I could advertise besides word of mouth?
Find some low cost per click search engines. Some charge 10 cents a click and you can target country and how long before someone can click link again.
You can try adwords. It can be expensive or it can be cheap depending on the competition in your niche.
Spend your funds on marketing that'll last longterm (Rather than a spike of traffic). If you want some word of mouth advertising, try buying blogposts, article marketing (That people can republish but will have to link to your site). Just get your name out there as much as possible through these methods.
Raider: What are you trying to accomplish with your site? If your goal is to sign up fans from a range of different sports, you might try to find some online e-zines and submit a press release to them. Of course, unless you can detail why your site is different from others, it would be a challenge to persuade them to evaluate your site for their readership. If you do choose to issue a press release, two tips: - Try to make your press release timely so an editor feels compelled to write about your site sooner rather than later. That means, think about an upcoming event (the World Series, the Super Bowl) and tie your release to it. A couple of factors to keep in mind: if your press release sounds like a sales pitch or it's a stretch to create the link, it will be ignored; print magazines typically work up to three months before printing, so get your press release out early enough to truly be considered. - Include a photo that can accompany the story. You would never see a feature article that did not have some type of graphic. Adding one accomplishes two things: journalists slow down to more closely evaluate the story for coverage, and the photo makes it easier for them. True, they might not choose to use the photo you provide (and if you use a press release service, there will be a fee to attach the photo) - but if you do get even a single pickup, it will have been worth the investment. The most effective marketing considers the long-term - you've probably heard it takes getting in front of people several times before they are moved to action? That's the same for editors; they are people, too. Sending a press release and expecting the world to come knocking is unrealistic. Delivering a consistent message over time is how you build recognition and increase potential. You might choose at first to issue a press release to local media, who would most likely be interested and might want to know what someone in their community has done - once you get that recognition, you can build on the article by sending one out nationally. Once a journalist sees you've received coverage, it establishes nearly instant credibility and makes it easier to attract national media. Best of luck.
Link build, and attract people with provocative sports-related links, like "Should Michael Vick do time in prison? Vote here"