10 Tips for Making your Forum More Active

[Fergal]

The video below comes from vBulletin. The tips are applicable to all forum types and are worth noting.

1. Be unique
2. Discuss hot topics
3. Provide incentives
4. Show your appreciation
5. Be active
6. Invite experts
7. Send reminders
8. Welcome new members
9. Provide content
10. Enjoy yourself

[youtube]jsKwIySp60A[/youtube]

 

[master412160]

Nice share and pretty true, enjoying working on the site is I think the most important part of all.

Without joy your going to be absorbed by the pressure and stress you get from your site.

 

[SheepishWolf]

thanks for sharing, it was an interesting video.

Discuss hot topics

But if it's a hot topics then many different forums will have it. Why not discuss unique topics that arn't as easy for other forums to get, and original?

Provide incentives

If you do that, will the members be there because they legitly like your forum, or because they'll get something from it? It's like with your friends; do you want a friend who talks to you and is your friend because you give them things or because they really like you?

# Send reminders

Do you mean via Email? If you're constantly sending out reminders to people who really don't want it, you'll just be irritating people (which, in my experience isn't a good way to get members).

Welcome new members

Just getting this out there, that when you just post "Welcome." or "Welcome to __" you're not really welcoming the member. You're upping your post count and that's it. Why do I say that? Because just saying 'welcome' doesn't make the member feel welcome. I've found that posting a few words about yourself, directing the new member to a helpful or topic that you think may be of interest to them (by their avatar, username, or introduction), or asking them a question or two can get them into the community more.