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Forum Help

by Fantastic
10 replies
So, I have a domain (a damn good one I might add)...

And I came up with an idea for it then entails using a forum...

You know, like Warrior Forum but NOT in the IM niche...

I know it could generate a lot of traffic but here's my questions..


1. I'm doing this more out of "fun" but know it could make money (statement)

2. Can I run AdSense on forums? If so, what forum software can I use?

3. Any additional tips specifically related to forums?



Thanks!
#forum
  • Profile picture of the author clever7
    It’s not a good idea to begin with a forum because you have to make everyone participate of the discussions, and if the forum is dead you will have to pay posters to post something.

    You also need a moderator because of the spammers.

    I believe it will be better for you to simply create a regular website.






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  • Profile picture of the author createyouwealth
    Yea I believe you need to start with a regular website and build an email list. Then later you can add in a forum and promote it via email marketing, but still continue to build your list of course.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve B
      Fantastic,

      The smart way to approach this would be to first do some serious niche research. It doesn't have to be long or expensive, but you need to be certain you have an audience that is hungry and willing to pay for what you plan to offer.

      Ideas for web sites and online businesses are a dime a dozen. Everybody has one (or many) and most folks fall in love with their own ideas. But truthfully, the ideas that actually prove to be money-makers are very few and far between.

      Forums require a lot of traffic, attention, and a rabid audience. Make sure you have all that before sinking too much money or time into "your baby."

      I would think twice about trying to monetize with Adsense unless you have loads of traffic. In order to make money with Adsense folks have to click away from site - not the best business strategy for a forum.

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Luck
    Whenever you decide to go with a forum, here are the top 3 platforms:

    Community Forum Software - Vanilla Community

    https://www.vbulletin.com

    https://www.phpbb.com
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  • Profile picture of the author Graham Maddison
    Easy to install and use on a wordpress site = bbpress a free wpress plugin
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  • Profile picture of the author CyberAlien
    You can definitely use Adsense on a forum to make money - but promoting affiliate-related products may make you a bit more

    If you want to use a free forum software, I'd recommend MyBB. If you're willing to invest a little, I'd definitely suggest vBulletin.
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  • Profile picture of the author illiptic
    I would start with at least a little bit of a following...otherwise you will have a forum that nobody posts in or uses

    Start a blog, post regular, engaging content and syndicate it all over place everywhere you can think of every single day.

    People will see it, and if your content is engaging and actually helpful to them, they will keep coming back.....(def build a list to keep your blog in front of people every day)

    Once you have a following and some engagement on your blog, you will have much better starting point for a forum.
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  • Profile picture of the author Fantastic
    Thanks for all the advice thus far.
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  • Profile picture of the author imranbutt
    First choice MyBB & for blog go ahead with Wordpress. I'm using both since 2008 under bluehost's shared hosting & have no issues. Dont use "admin" username in MyBB or Wordpress, otherwise your website may hack.

    Yes you can use Google absence on both MyBB & Wordpress site with or without plugins.

    Good luck to you!
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  • Profile picture of the author brettb
    According to my site the most popular forum software is vBulletin. It's awesome forum software but if you want something free then try phpBB.

    Also check out my site to spy on the competitors, and the advanced search allows you to find forums in a particular niche who use AdSense. I'd guess 20% of forums use AdSense, the rest custom ads, sponsorship and donations.
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