Fake Posts

[CurrentAffairsForum]

Hi All,

Are posting packages the only real way forward to get some content on a brand-new and totally empty forum? Is fake posting really effective? How would such fake posting transition into attracting and converting genuine traffic?

What would be the best alternatives to paid posting? After all, a genuine member would surely be able to note that posts to date are all fake?

Thanks.

 

[Nebulous]

Are posting packages the only real way forward to get some content on a brand-new and totally empty forum?

Posting packages not necessarily "fake posts," but they are posts made by someone who probably wont return to your forum once the package is done.

I think you, yourself can fill up your forum with topics. People aren't going to join if you have no topics at all. Having the topics there will give your potential members something to reply to if they decide to join up.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

+1 for theezy! 🙂

When I first started AAF, for the first couple on months, I focuses on posting 10-20 new topics in each 'main niche' board on my forum. After a few months of doing that, people started joining and had plenty to discuss. Now with daily activity and more than 50,000 posts, I still go on posting sprees and post a lot. In fact most topics are posted by me and that is cool because that is what a message forum is for and I like to post stuff 😛

 

[Chadook]

+1 for theezy too!
Like theezy said, Packages are not necessarily fake posts, they are posts provided by staff members just to give a boost to your forum activity, just because it's free doesn't make it fake, and it's same with paid posts.

 

[Uaithne]

Seeing unique users on your forum will make it more desirable, true. Activity by multiple people is definitely a plus.

But activity from the administrator is most valuable of all. Potential members will know that you are willing to invest the time and energy into getting your post rolling. If I come across a site and there is activity but not from the admin, I wonder how long that forum will last.

You also need quality content, too. A whole bunch of threads like "What's your favourite colour?" isn't really quality. It's activity, but it isn't something that will draw in members and keep them engaged.

 

[Eclipse]

Packages aren't fake. Many people request packages, absolutely nothing wrong with it. Packages are just to get a quick "boost" of activity to your forum, it isn't fake, they are real posts just as any other member would make. You can request a package here viewforum.php?f=6

You can also post around the forum and generate some FP $ (Forum Currency) and you can pay people to post or purchase user packages here viewforum.php?f=84

You can also exchange with other members posts, you help them they help you, fair exchange. Here you can find that forum viewforum.php?f=47

Hope this helps 🙂

 

[Chadook]

1+ Rep for you! 🙂
As Ho Ho Ho said, These kind of posts are not fake, the are just make to boost the activity of your forum, not to replace the activity.

 

[Migi]

Are posting packages the only real way forward to get some content on a brand-new and totally empty forum?

Absolutely not. I tend to like to start a project in team. So in the beginning, for a forum, you can try to build content and activity first between the founders to make it not so empty when it opens. Or make a beta stage in which you invite some posters in before actually opening the forum to the public as you test the functions of your forum.

Is fake posting really effective? How would such fake posting transition into attracting and converting genuine traffic?

What would be the best alternatives to paid posting? After all, a genuine member would surely be able to note that posts to date are all fake?

Fake posts still give numbers, but the discussions are not healthy, in my opinion. So it's not effective. If you're talking about post packages, they are 'fake' in a sense that you have to request for it instead of coming from someone's free will to post. Yet it's still healthier than you creating another account and pretending to be someone else because post packages are done by different brain(s) so opinions vary and may result in further discussion. So as much as post packages are 'fake', it can still be helpful in providing more point of views to help generate discussion and the rate of 'genuine' posts.

Alternatives to paid posts? Well, of course, by getting someone voluntarily post for you. Usually those are the target community of your forum's niche. Those who have same interests with your forum's idea. For example, it's best to advertise a forum about games to someone who likes to play games so he has more ideas/opinions to share on discussion later. It's the ideal answer, though. It's not as easy as it sounds. XD

 

[RigPa]

The motor in your car will not start unless there is a smaller start engine to kick start it. Is that cheating?

 

[Soapbox]

I hate them. People pick up genuine content. Just just know when people are actually chatting and when they're NOT. Do it if you have to but certainly do not rely on it, and don't invest confidence in it. We had some padding posts put in place initially, and we ended up stripping all of it.