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Tips to promote my forun

by Peterpapas
17 replies
My forum is based on the eighties. I've had it up for the past month and a half and I keep it rich with content. I have a Facebook page which I created last week. I wanted to wait to have some decent content on my forum before I made a page on Facebook. My question to you guys is what else can I do to attract members? I read about link building and etc but does that work for forums in this day in age Do the old rules apply now that there's Facebook and what not to compete with? Should I take a different approach? I know forums take time to build and many fail but my attitude is I'm going to try whatever it takes to not fail. I'm not looking to make money with it. Maybe in the distant future if it takes off I'll offer advertising space but that's about it. Eighties is my passion so I'm not looking to profit. I'm asking you guys because you all seem to know your stuff. Thanks!
#forun #promote #tips
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  • Profile picture of the author tagiscom
    Originally Posted by Peterpapas View Post

    My forum is based on the eighties. I've had it up for the past month and a half and I keep it rich with content. I have a Facebook page which I created last week. I wanted to wait to have some decent content on my forum before I made a page on Facebook. My question to you guys is what else can I do to attract members? I read about link building and etc but does that work for forums in this day in age Do the old rules apply now that there's Facebook and what not to compete with? Should I take a different approach? I know forums take time to build and many fail but my attitude is I'm going to try whatever it takes to not fail. I'm not looking to make money with it. Maybe in the distant future if it takes off I'll offer advertising space but that's about it. Eighties is my passion so I'm not looking to profit. I'm asking you guys because you all seem to know your stuff. Thanks!
    Had my one up for the last 6 months, (see umm,) and l tried several ideas, most haven't worked, including link building, (not directly).

    But l kept on and kept adding and adding, and it appears that SEO is kicking in, and/or word of mouth, etc.

    I am pretty sure it isn't forum links, as l have intentionally been slack with those.

    And like you it isn't the profits that is driving the site, and even though l like 80's music, my forum isn't about that.

    Currently in the process of overhauling it, as forum admin or owners on another forum have given me some ideas.

    I cannot really say what parts are ranking for keywords, and bringing in more guests, but some are, and you only need one person with a big FB following to notice you and spread the word, good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author quadagon
    I would be tempted to lock the forum for now and build a targeted audience first and then launch the forum. Dead forums are really off putting. It's only habit that occasionally brings me back here.

    A forum on the 80's is still a wide market you have fashion, music, news, movies, sports all to look at. However this does give you a lot of potential audience.

    For traffic I would be going social and making posts along the lines of remember these sweets from the 80's.

    I am really big into quizzes at the moment and would definitely run several buzzfeed style quizzes on this kind of site.

    Quizzes work really well with this audience "can you name these bands from the 80's" and if you do them right they themselves can go viral.

    Run an online campaign or petition. Select a food product that's no longer produced and create a campaign to "bring back ...."

    You could do the same with a music song. Declare outrage that this song from 80's never got to number one and run a campaign to get it to number one.

    Couple of bits on that last idea. Run this campaign to climax early January as record sales are low and get people to buy the track from iTunes for 0.99. Don't ask them to stream as they are rated so low. Reach out and get the band and the bands fans involved.

    Honestly there is so much you can do it's mind blowing.

    In terms of revenue POD and nostalgia work and make people happy too.
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    • Profile picture of the author tagiscom
      Originally Posted by quadagon View Post

      I would be tempted to lock the forum for now and build a targeted audience first and then launch the forum. Dead forums are really off putting. It's only habit that occasionally brings me back here.

      A forum on the 80's is still a wide market you have fashion, music, news, movies, sports all to look at. However this does give you a lot of potential audience.

      For traffic I would be going social and making posts along the lines of remember these sweets from the 80's.

      I am really big into quizzes at the moment and would definitely run several buzzfeed style quizzes on this kind of site.

      Quizzes work really well with this audience "can you name these bands from the 80's" and if you do them right they themselves can go viral.

      Run an online campaign or petition. Select a food product that's no longer produced and create a campaign to "bring back ...."

      You could do the same with a music song. Declare outrage that this song from 80's never got to number one and run a campaign to get it to number one.

      Couple of bits on that last idea. Run this campaign to climax early January as record sales are low and get people to buy the track from iTunes for 0.99. Don't ask them to stream as they are rated so low. Reach out and get the band and the bands fans involved.

      Honestly there is so much you can do it's mind blowing.

      In terms of revenue POD and nostalgia work and make people happy too.
      Sounds like you want to make it a full time thing, which is fine, but if you lock it up for 4 months, while pushing 80's trivia on FB and Twitter, then that is 4 months of no or little Google bots sitting idle, instead of ranking your threads/posts.

      And if you then open the forum, (which has content but is dead) to a large number of social media users, then a lot won't join.

      Either way it sounds like we both have to just work hard, and one day a few will join and start up conversations that will break the ice and got more involved, and paid advertising will speed that process up, but unless you have deep pockets, revenue will need to be utilized.
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      • Profile picture of the author quadagon
        Originally Posted by tagiscom View Post

        Sounds like you want to make it a full time thing, which is fine, but if you lock it up for 4 months, while pushing 80's trivia on FB and Twitter, then that is 4 months of no or little Google bots sitting idle, instead of ranking your threads/posts.

        And if you then open the forum, (which has content but is dead) to a large number of social media users, then a lot won't join.
        Not sure where or why it 4 months.

        I would close the forum and build a list then launch the forum to this list. Whole bunch of targeted people who know they are coming to a new forum with the chance of creating a community..

        You could do this in as short as a week.

        Certainly better than the field of dreams approach
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        • Profile picture of the author tagiscom
          Originally Posted by quadagon View Post

          Not sure where or why it 4 months.

          I would close the forum and build a list then launch the forum to this list. Whole bunch of targeted people who know they are coming to a new forum with the chance of creating a community..

          You could do this in as short as a week.

          Certainly better than the field of dreams approach
          Well it is a plan, and you have to try, and l have created a lot of lists, so not what l would consider doing.

          On the private Invision forum, everyone there is running their own forum, most are probably struggling, and some are doing well.

          And l got some feedback from some of the successful ones, which went over my one and offered some criticism, which l am taking on board.

          I also discussed the issue of no one about, and they said that the field of dreams works, or just like a website, keep working at it, and the numbers will support it.

          I have also researched a lot of similar forums online, and some are great, but very niched. So much so, they are 15 pages back in Google rankings and will probably stay there, since they only discuss one specific thing.

          4 months is out of the hat, and it took me around 6 to see a noticeable increase in traffic, (spent the first month just learning).

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    • Profile picture of the author Peterpapas
      Personally I don't see how closing the forum would benefit. Nobody wants to join a forum that has no activity. As for quizzes I'm way ahead of you. That was one of the first things that I did.
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      • Profile picture of the author quadagon
        Originally Posted by Peterpapas View Post

        Personally I don't see how closing the forum would benefit.
        You close it to build it. Instead of the same 5 faces talking to themselves you build a list of targeted people and launch the forum with a list of 100 or 200 people who know they are joining a "new" forum.

        Let you existing people continue to use it and it's no different.

        Nobody wants to join a forum that has no activity.
        Isn't that what you have already? How Will SEO? You are just going to get people clicking onto the same empty forum.

        Whatever you choose good luck with it. It's very difficult to build a forum these days and almost impossible to turn one around.

        Look at how dead this place is now compared to how it used to be.
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        • Profile picture of the author Peterpapas
          Originally Posted by quadagon View Post

          You close it to build it. Instead of the same 5 faces talking to themselves you build a list of targeted people and launch the forum with a list of 100 or 200 people who know they are joining a "new" forum.

          Let you existing people continue to use it and it's no different.



          Isn't that what you have already? How Will SEO? You are just going to get people clicking onto the same empty forum.

          Whatever you choose good luck with it. It's very difficult to build a forum these days and almost impossible to turn one around.

          Look at how dead this place is now compared to how it used to be.
          I have activity. I just want more. My forum is active with new content and comments daily so I'm not worried about that. I just want to make to know if ideas to promote it etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    I have a Facebook page which I created last week.
    Why do you feel the need for a forum? I've seen far more forums fail than succeed - and many more that seem successful taper off and die within months from lack of participation. What do you mean when you say

    I keep it rich with content
    How many different people have posted on your forum? Basic question.

    Are you interested in what others say about the 80s and their experiences? Or is this a subject you want to talk about and need an audience? Think about that question - it is basic.

    Social media makes it easy to talk to others - to express your opinion, likes, dislikes, interests. A forum requires members. It's the part new forum owners gloss over but it is the MAIN objective.....people who return over and over and participate. If you are the only one posting you may have a journal, not a forum.

    That said - have you found any 1980s sites/forums/FB pages that are ACTIVE in the past year or two? How much research have you done and have you joined those groups and forums you found? I searched Google for...

    80s forum

    There are forums that look 'busy' until you look closely and see posts were from years ago - one has been taken over by hackers/spammers -another that was quite busy from 2008-11 LOOKS busy until you realize all of the posts are from the same person who is posting in threads started in 2001 or 2008....

    A third forum I found is more typical - never quite got off the ground and the posts are from 2006-2011...and nothing since. If it's a hobby only - go for it and see what happens but realize you may be talking to yourself.

    NOW - do a google search for

    facebook 1980s

    Quite a few FB groups/pages with more recent info, the best perhaps being https://www.facebook.com/theultimate80spage/

    Do you need a forum AND a FB page? Which would be more likely to draw participation? Which would be easier to maintain?

    Not telling you what to do - just throwing out questions to think about. Let us know how it goes.
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    • Profile picture of the author Peterpapas
      I like forums and I don't like social media particularly Facebook and Twitter. My forum is extremely new and I have about 5 active members who continually post and comment. Not to mention I create new quality threads every day. I write articles as well and create my quizzes. It's fun to do. Plus a forum feels more personal as opposed to facebook group or page. That feels more like a business that you're renting considering it's not yours. Not sure if you get what I mean by that.

      I know that facebook group very well considering I'm a member on there lol. I rarely post. I just like to read posts. I created an FB page just to help drive traffic to my forum.
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  • Profile picture of the author Yuliia Zinevych
    A new forum is VERY difficult. You need a critical mass of people there asking questions and creating content or new people who come won't come back.

    I would start by having the forum "seeded" with passionate people to get it started. As it builds, they can start inviting more.

    Then use social media to drive traffic.

    In the long run, forums tend to work well for SEO. You can do keyword research for high traffic keywords and start topics in the forum with those words in the title and text.
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    • Profile picture of the author Peterpapas
      Do you think that back links and basic seo is still the way to go?
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      • Profile picture of the author Yuliia Zinevych
        Yes, but it will not work immediately as you know.
        You can write answers to some of the most popular questions and make the content available to the users of the forums by posting in it. Then you probably making back links, Most of the forums will be of do follow back links.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    Most of the forums will be of do follow back links.

    I disagree with that though it used to be true. This forum, for example, was 'follow' for many years but was changed to 'no follow' and that's what it is today.


    You can, hoiwever put your site in a signature link on some forums such as this one. That at least gets you exposure to your forum as you participate in discussions.
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  • Profile picture of the author talfighel
    Start using paid ads to get some people visiting your page and hopefully registering and coming back.
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  • Profile picture of the author NIOMARVIN83
    A new forum is VERY difficult. You need a critical mass of people there asking questions and creating content or new people who come won't come back.
    I would start by having the forum "seeded" with passionate people to get it started. As it builds, they can start inviting more.
    Then use social media to drive traffic.
    In the long run, forums tend to work well for SEO web xloo. You can do keyword research for high traffic keywords and start topics in the forum with those words in the title and text.
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