1. Advertising
    y u no do it?

    Advertising (learn more)

    Advertise virtually anything here, with CPM banner ads, CPM email ads and CPC contextual links. You can target relevant areas of the site and show ads based on geographical location of the user if you wish.

    Starts at just $1 per CPM or $0.10 per CPC.

Where do you spend your FORUM Marketing Dollars?

Discussion in 'Forum Management' started by Woodcs82, Dec 4, 2009.

0
  1. #1
    Where do you spend your FORUM Marketing Dollars?

    I need ideas please

    -C
     
    Woodcs82, Dec 4, 2009 IP
  2. Agent000

    Agent000 Prominent Member

    Messages:
    5,034
    Likes Received:
    839
    Best Answers:
    6
    Trophy Points:
    390
    #2
    adwords....
     
    Agent000, Dec 4, 2009 IP
  3. nisar

    nisar Guest

    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    1
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #3
    Paid social reviews
     
    nisar, Dec 4, 2009 IP
  4. digitalpoint

    digitalpoint Overlord of no one Staff

    Messages:
    38,333
    Likes Received:
    2,613
    Best Answers:
    462
    Trophy Points:
    710
    Digital Goods:
    29
    #4
    I'm not sure if it's a terribly good business plan to start a forum that requires you to pay money to get visitors. Even with no expenses, forums don't really make all that much when it comes down to it.

    That being said, if I had a forum marketing budget, I'd probably spend it in AdWords and just pay per click-through.
     
    digitalpoint, Dec 4, 2009 IP
  5. Woodcs82

    Woodcs82 Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,588
    Likes Received:
    32
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    150
    #5
    Thanks Shawn...

    its more about the active users than the money..

    Thanks for the adsense tips! :)

     
    Woodcs82, Dec 4, 2009 IP
  6. digitalpoint

    digitalpoint Overlord of no one Staff

    Messages:
    38,333
    Likes Received:
    2,613
    Best Answers:
    462
    Trophy Points:
    710
    Digital Goods:
    29
    #6
    If it's about active users, then I suppose you could pay people to post with those paid posting services. {shrug}
     
    digitalpoint, Dec 4, 2009 IP
  7. Woodcs82

    Woodcs82 Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,588
    Likes Received:
    32
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    150
    #7
    Yeah thinkin about it, Just want to keep everything not scripted like if you know what i mean...

    -C

     
    Woodcs82, Dec 4, 2009 IP
  8. MatrixGodFather

    MatrixGodFather Peon

    Messages:
    611
    Likes Received:
    1
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #8
    blog comments and forum comments for backlinks is what i'm doing doing it manually though not spending much money on it takes a lot of time
     
    MatrixGodFather, Dec 4, 2009 IP
  9. RectangleMan

    RectangleMan Notable Member

    Messages:
    2,825
    Likes Received:
    132
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    210
    #9
    Forums don't need marketing as much as content for search engines to gain natural traffic. Forums can be incredibly rich in content for search engines and many top results are forums. Natural search engine traffic can account for 70% of your daily traffic if you rank well. Your goal should be to rank well. Do that and everything else will fall into place. So start with quality content even if you have to pay posters. Then work on SEO.
     
    RectangleMan, Dec 6, 2009 IP
  10. ~kev~

    ~kev~ Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,866
    Likes Received:
    194
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    110
    #10
    I would buy a nice HD digital camera - probably in the $600 - $800 price range, a lapel mic, get some easy to use video editing software that supports HD. Then start posting some HD videos on youtube.

    Right now I am posting regular (non-HD) videos. I have a wide screen camera, but it does not do HD.

    Just so you will know, youtube is my forums #1 source of targeted traffic. Over the past 2 1/2 years I have posted over 320 of my own homemade videos. This provides my forum with a steady stream of free targeted traffic.
     
    ~kev~, Dec 7, 2009 IP
  11. RectangleMan

    RectangleMan Notable Member

    Messages:
    2,825
    Likes Received:
    132
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    210
    #11
    I know Kev is big into his Youtube method and it's probably a winner but I don't think you need an expensive camera. You can probably get away with a Flip Mino HD.
    http://www.amazon.com/Flip-MinoHD-Camcorder-Minutes-Black/dp/B001HSOFI2
     
    RectangleMan, Dec 7, 2009 IP
  12. ~kev~

    ~kev~ Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,866
    Likes Received:
    194
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    110
    #12
    I could probably use something like that, but I am starting to do interviews with professionals in certain fields. And it just looks a whole lot better if you bring in a tri-pod and a nice looking camera.

    I would like a nice Sony that I could put a boom or shotgun mic on, or even a remote lapel mic with a radio transmitter. The one I'am looking at is about $2,500 brand new. Way out of my price range right now. The camera I use right now for interviews sells for about $300.
     
    ~kev~, Dec 7, 2009 IP
  13. RectangleMan

    RectangleMan Notable Member

    Messages:
    2,825
    Likes Received:
    132
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    210
    #13
    If you're doing interviews and good quality stuff sure you can splurge on better equipment but I don't see a reason to overspend starting off. Easy to buy cheap Flip and if it goes well upgrade when required. It would suck to spend $600 and then find out it's not for you or that your site isn't taking off by the videos. Sort of the same logic I use to start forums with free forums software like MyBB.
     
    RectangleMan, Dec 7, 2009 IP
  14. ~kev~

    ~kev~ Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,866
    Likes Received:
    194
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    110
    #14
    When starting off, no - do not splurge. The worst thing you can do is go into debt.

    When I first started posting youtube videos, I used the point and shoot digital camera that my wife and I owned. The resolution was pretty bad. Then we upgraded to a new point and shoot, and I finally learned how to improve the video quality with the editing software.

    Currently I use 3 cameras to film with, depending on what I'am doing:

    Canon SD750 - films at 640X480 and 30 frames a second. This is just regular point and shoot digital camera.

    Canon D10 water proof camera. If I go out to the woods, this is the camera I bring. Its drop resistant to 4 feet, water proof to 30 feet down,,,, so I do not have to worry about dropping it while on a hiking or camping trip.

    JVC MS120RU - just your basic digital camcorder. This camera holds 2 memory cards. When one gets full it switches to the other card.

    All of those cameras are in the $300 price range.

    I'am hoping somewhere around July, 2010 to get a much nicer camera that films widescreen HD and at least 60 frames a second.
     
    ~kev~, Dec 8, 2009 IP
  15. bretthexum

    bretthexum Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    129
    Likes Received:
    3
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    110
    #15
    I do a few promotional contests every few months to keep users active. I really don't have the time and money to do much else... Not looking to make a retirement off my forum. It started as a personal knowledge base for my friends and I but now we have some active members.
     
    bretthexum, Dec 8, 2009 IP
  16. webcosmo

    webcosmo Notable Member

    Messages:
    5,840
    Likes Received:
    153
    Best Answers:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    255
    #16
    marketing mainly for me.

    i guess new forums cant afford not doing marketing. paid or unpaid marketing, thats the lifeline of a new forum.
     
    webcosmo, Dec 8, 2009 IP
  17. Rizzo

    Rizzo Peon

    Messages:
    200
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #17
    I'm exactly the same :)
     
    Rizzo, Dec 8, 2009 IP