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Forum to boost blog?

by FingerPicker
17 replies
Dear Warriors,

I have a blog since a couple of months. Working on it more and more, getting at least 100 visits a month and I'm looking for ways to expand.

Now, in my niche, there is no forum at all about the subject. Though I think a forum could do really well!

Would you recommend to create a forum linked to my website? What pros and cons do you see? I don't have amazing engagement and traffic yet, though I know quite a lot of people in my niche personally, so I could grow it from there..

Looking forward to hear your inspiring thoughts on this one!
FingerPicker
#blog #boost #forum
  • Profile picture of the author David Braybrooke
    Here is one opinion. Maybe you should build your traffic up a little more yet?
    Read more: When, Why, and How You Should Start a Forum
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  • Profile picture of the author FingerPicker
    Thanks David,

    Interesting post! I wonder if the following in my niche is that big.. well, only one way to find out I guess ;-)

    Love to hear more ideas!
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Tandan
    I'd suggest putting a regular newsletter out on that blog. Make it as interactive as possible, ask specific questions about various topics and really encourage responses.
    You could post replies for others to see and that may, in turn, encourage more participation.
    In this way you'd get an idea if your visitors enjoy that type of engagement. Because if so, you'll have more evidence about what type of forum to consider launching.
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  • Profile picture of the author Platypus45
    Well, if you want to use a forum to boost your blog, your at the right place. Warriorforum is one the most popular forums on the web.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ken Soszka
    Forums can be a lot of work to moderate. Are you taking the best advantage of those 100 visitors per month? Maybe give something away that they have to sign-up to an opt-in list for, like Mark's newsletter idea? Then you can send them emails regularly about new things on your site to make them come back again and again.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      I understand the idea of adding a forum to boost engagement. But consider carefully. Anyone who hasn't been on the inside has no clue how much work an active forum can be.

      I think there may be almost as many ghost forums as ghost blogs, empty, decaying, with the digital winds blowing through the abandoned pages.

      I'd start with email and build a list. Combine a newsletter with a Facebook group/page for discussion. If you have any budget, try running FB ads aimed at people in your niche. If "FingerPicker" means what I think it means, you should be able to target ads pretty tightly.
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  • Profile picture of the author frambles
    Why not if you know enough people to help get it started. Keep the forum small to just one or two categories and grow it as your audience grows. Forum software is cheap or free so not much investment on your part other than time!
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  • Profile picture of the author Moneymaker2012
    Would you recommend to create a forum linked to my website?
    Yes I recommend you to linked your website to forum and also to blogs related to your niche this the best way to get traffic.
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  • Profile picture of the author FingerPicker
    Thanks everyone, great input!

    How many times do you consider 'often' for sending out a newsletter? I now send out a newsletter every month, not sure what to put into the newsletter, so I think I have to research that area a little more.

    Engagement is varying still.Sometimes I get a couple of nice comments pretty quick and other times no one bothers to respond.

    Engagement (through newsletter) sounds like a better way to maybe go for the next couple months.
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  • Profile picture of the author mhegedus17
    Setting up a forum is extremely quick and simple, but making it big is something completely else. Make sure that if you do go ahead with this plan, update the forum yourself regularly. Especially at the beginning, you should reply to every thread and every post with as much detail as you can to make sure your visitors will not only come back to your forum but also tell others about it!
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  • Profile picture of the author Danny Cutts
    I am using a blog to boost a forum
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    Come and See me on Facebook... Come and See me at my blog...
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    • Profile picture of the author FingerPicker
      Originally Posted by Danny Cutts View Post

      I am using a blog to boost a forum
      Hehe, how is that working out?
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      • Profile picture of the author DirtyCopywriter
        Forums are a pain to convert.

        Get a blog instead if you're starting out. If your community gets big enough, then you can try for a forum.

        Winston,
        Dirty Copywriter
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        • Profile picture of the author Bujuk
          You should integrate forum into your blog. It will be easier to monitor the discussion. More importantly we can always use the forum for future referance. Currently there are two simple method that i know. The first one is bbpress and the second one wpunited ( phpbb). Personally i m using wpunited. Bbpress is still new, i just not comforable using it.

          Let me know if you need help. I did one post for the phpbb integration. It is not that difficult.
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      • Profile picture of the author Danny Cutts
        Originally Posted by FingerPicker View Post

        Hehe, how is that working out?
        Very well :-)
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        Come and See me on Facebook... Come and See me at my blog...
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  • Profile picture of the author Samuel Adams
    Before you put any time into starting a forum, you might want to create a fan base on your blog via your comment section and develop your readership. Then when your fan base is big enough, integrate a forum directly into your Wordpress blog (such as on a subfolder), so that you have the advantage of attracting your current blog traffic to your blog. Then you can engage your current readership on the forum without having them visit a different site.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeffery Moss
    Forum ownership is not for everyone but some people love it so much they devote a career to it. The chance to get to talk to your fans on a more one to one basis could be just what you need. So don't let the negativity of the situation stop you. Even just a few hundred people could make your forum a great success. Just approach it cautiously and use as only one way to reach your fans, rather than making everything ride on it.
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