New sites. How to start?

When I started my first forum I was fortunate because a large number of users came with it. (Long story but the basic idea is that a forum we were on shut down and so I started one.) I'm talking 600+ people signed up on the first day alone.

But I started a new forum Tuesday and I'm not sure how to really get it going.

What I've done:

1. Pimped it out on my site. There may be some cross-users but not many. They are radically different foci.
2. Started a Facebook page and have been posting updates there and on my own FB page. I have 200+ friends but they are mostly Mafia Wars & my wife's Farmville friends.
3. Posted something at XenForo.com in their "Show us your XF" thread.
4. Signed up and posted here in the "Show us your site" thread.

So what else should I be doing to get the word out?

 

All right there are many things you can do. You have done the basics... I would also suggest you put your link in your signature on sites you frequently visit. Another thing would be helpful to do is post exchanges, where a member joins your forum, and you join theirs and you exchange a certain amount of posts. I recommend you join http://forumpromotion.net/forum/ and advertise your site there and do post exchanges. Also you should advertise on other webmaster forums that allow it like we do. For example: http://promojunkie.com/forum/ http://www.supportforums.net/ http://forums.digitalpoint.com/

I recommend Forumpromotion as its the most effective. Good luck, hope I helped

 

I think you have helped. I'll start doing that tonight! (Or tomorrow if I get sleepy....)

Thanks, man!

 

You are welcome

 

Content of the forum is very important. Try to make posts that would make someone want to join the conversation. You also want to spread out your content so it makes your forum seem active.

Other than what has already been mentioned, it just takes time. Once you attract a few good members, it can really take off.

 

Yeah, a beginning forum is very chicken/egg. You have to have content to bring in people but you have to have people to get content...

That's why I'm being a pimp-daddy, yo!

Hey, Kaiser! How'd you make your cool advertising banner that you have in your sig?

 

You can find psds for banners like that, I found one, and had my Graphics Team change it to put what I want on it.

 

I dig that. So how's about the stat panel under your sig?

 

You can get some here and request for our Graphics Team to edit it for you if you would like http://www.stemplate.com/banners.html

And the stats thingy http://xenmod.com/

 

Thanks again. Works wonderfully.

 

Thanks for the information. I too will be using those links to get my membership up. All I have been getting to join on of my sites lately are spammers. Most of them from Russia....

 

All the best Craig. The more you advertise the more the better.

 

I've been told the first year of a forum is the hardest. Especially if you are trying to raise revenue through it.

 

A lot of this plays into the niche that your creating the forum for...creating forums such as promo boards, gaming boards or things like religious boards your going to be in competition with thousands of others out there. Originality plays a huge role but there is only so far that will take you. Your cancer forum is a worth while cause and I applaud you for that one....

 

Same here.

 

I started it because of my girlfriend's daughter has leukemia. Thank God she is doing very well!

 

Very nice Craig, thats a nice thing to do.. even more respect as she isnt your daughter and you were inspired to make it.

 

That's great to hear I hope she continues to improve. Cancer took my mother a few years ago....

 

I'm sorry to here of the loss of your Mom... I too lost my Mom in October due to Cancer & Huntington's Disease. My site is primarily for kids, but I receive RSS from several sources and some of those articles are geared towards adult patients.

 

Nice tips Kaiser, I would definitely recommend DigitalPoint, has helped me over the years.