Creating Forum

[xlspecial]

I fired a forum up to just play with and learn how the things work a bit. I don't expect it to do anything but will use it as a tool to learn with.

Should a guy aim for building a targeted forum, or a general forum?

Let's start with the basics, eh?

[Earl Grey]

targetted

[xlspecial]

Ok. Say you want to build a targeted forum where you pimp web hosting as an example. (I stay away from that myself) What level of ads can a guy get to with out over doing it?

Or do you not place any at all and just use the forums for backlinks? As I understand it forum users get blind to the ads or is this a bunch of BS?

[cdc]

I'm launching a forum soon myself and I've had some discussions with Earl. Here is some of his advice that I will most definately be following:

1. Don't put your forum at the root of your directory. Instead, put it in mywebsite.com/forum (or whatever you want)

2. Don't put ads up at first. For the first few months your goal should be to get users registered and posting, not to make money. Once the forum has some traction then you can put up ads. I plan to justify this as, "hosting costs are too much" even though that's bull my users won't know that.

Um...I think there's more...I'll post them if I remember.

[xlspecial]

Thanks cdc. I was kinda thinking you might be able to do some ads down the road. Nobody is going to want to hit a forum that looks like a spamfest. I've been playing with one a little bit the past couple days and it really looks bad. lol But, it's just for learning how to use it.

I guess the $10,000 question is how do you make a forum POPULAR? I don't know about you, but I am not too likely to post to an empty or almost empty forum. There has to be a reason for people to come back.

[cdc]

I think the general consensus is that you either have to:

1. Get friends to post in your new forum

2. Pay someone to post in your new forum

3. Create fake accounts and post in your new forum

4. All of the above

To get a forum off the ground. I plan on doing 4.   

[markus]

creating this forum has had its challenges.
I think that seeding the affearbers link in other affilaite forums (via a footer link) has helped,
as well as referencing useful posts found here.

[markus]

having an endorsement from Earl Grey helps too

[xlspecial]

I don't see how someone could start 100 of these things and have them be successful.

Very impressive.

[markus]

I don't see how someone could start 100 of these things and have them be successful.

minions, cronies, lackeys...

[Earl Grey]

many of them have failed miserably.

or have they?

i have about 30 forums that havent had a post for months but they have upto pagerank 4 and upto 1000 pages of unique content in them.

they failed because i didnt put enough energy into them or enough time.

but the domains are getting older by the day.

[markus]

  /seoblog/2007/02/08/10-tips-for-promoting-your-forum/