Forums Monetization?

[Dfarmer2001]

I have recently opened a forums website at www.referraldirectoryforum.com, and I have no clue how I should monetize my forums? I have over 30,000 monthly guests according to site statistics. I once tried to get advertisements placed on it but no one would ever click them, and it is understandable, but now I am needing more upgrades for my site, and I don't want to spend anymore money out of pocket to get it, so I am hoping someone has some hints for me, and knows some other ways to monetize my forums.
I am also paying users to be active within my forums website, so I am going to need some extra money to help me pay them..

I am selling advertisement spaces for $5.00 a week, but so far no luck.

 

[Azareal]

One thing which might help to attract users thus, helping monetisation would be improving the design.

One thing which you could do to directly get money is to have paid subscriptions or to get more relevant adverts.
$5 per week? That's awfully expensive for a forum which only has 30K guests per month. I don't know about other people but, I wouldn't go anywhere near a price like that.

 

[Dfarmer2001]

I am not paying $5.00 a week? I have to pay<br /><br />-- 24 Jul 2014, 11:41 --<br /><br />I am not paying $5.00 a week? If I don't want their advertisements on my website I have to pay $5.00 per 50,000 pageviews. Or if you go to do the monthly plan you can get everything for $9.99 a month.

 

[Azareal]

I am not paying $5.00 a week? I have to pay

-- 24 Jul 2014, 11:41 --

I am not paying $5.00 a week? If I don't want their advertisements on my website I have to pay $5.00 per 50,000 pageviews. Or if you go to do the monthly plan you can get everything for $9.99 a month.

The thing is that advertisors are much more willing to pay more money to a large established brand like Proboards than to a random forum on the internet. Brand and scale does matter, while you're an unknown site to them.

Not to mention, that a deal with you is yet another business deal that they're tied up in. Another issue is probably that the advertisors don't know that you exist.

 

[krishatnet]

Sell your adspace in sites like digitalpoint forums and seoclerks. Definetely you will get responce.

 

[Azareal]

Keep in mind, that many of these guests are probably bots. Bots are some of the most common visitors on small forums and they certainly won't be helping your clickrate (not in a positive way, atleast).

A quick glance shows that the forums have around ~300 posts overall. Statistics like this are unlikely to impress advertisors, as they may assume a high bounce rate.

 

[Dfarmer2001]

Okay well I guess my forums just wont work out then if that is what you are saying.

 

[Azareal]

Okay well I guess my forums just wont work out then if that is what you are saying.

I'm not saying that it's impossible but, Proboards is a much harder platform to monetise. The biggest problem is that Proboards has this policy where they charge you per x views, which many other hosts don't do.

If the main purpose of these forums is to make money then, they won't work out although, there are alternative ways like paid subscriptions but, those usually come into play on a large forum.

I might be wrong but, that's how it seems to be to me.

 

[Dfarmer2001]

Okay well I guess my forums just wont work out then if that is what you are saying.

I'm not saying that it's impossible but, Proboards is a much harder platform to monetise. The biggest problem is that Proboards has this policy where they charge you per x views, which many other hosts don't do.

If the main purpose of these forums is to make money then, they won't work out although, there are alternative ways like paid subscriptions but, those usually come into play on a large forum.

I might be wrong but, that's how it seems to be to me.

They must have changed it then, because they have a service to where you can buy ad free, and you can post any ads you want and they wont charge you, plus I am not using a real credit card I am using a prepaid.

 

[leo.Cash]

i can help you with that actually

 

[Nomad]

I use Google Adsense on my forums, I don't make a lot of money through adsense ads on my communities but I earn enough to make my forums self sustaining.

 

[Maya]

Forums can earn through ads, affiliate links, VIP memberships, merchandise sales, donations, and paid events or webinars. The main challenge is generating revenue while keeping members engaged and not making the community feel overly commercialized.