I've tried so hard. I've tried most of this stuff, post exchanges, fake members and posting. I can't get a domain, because I cannot afford one. I've done this for one year. And no activity. Yes, my forum has only been there for 1 year, but I've tried.
I might as well delete my forum and try it when I have free time.
Domains are pretty cheap--Godaddy and Namecheap are both really affordable. But you said the problem yourself--you don't have the free time to put into it. A forum demands a lot of the administrator's time and paid posts, fake members aren't going to do it. Why? Because it's fake. A community needs to be founded on real people who have a genuine interest in whatever your board is about. It is a labour of love.
yeah i have tried with fake members too!! it's sick!! sometimes i thought that i would go crazy trying to find something to ask and then answer it myself...felt like an idiot 🙂. paid posts may work but you said you can't even afford a name..good luck with your board!!
In addition to advertising space, some members here may be willing to pay you to post on their forum or do other services as well. Everybody knows that money doesn't just appear, but thankfully domain names aren't too expensive.
There is also the option of getting a bunch of FP and buying one from this forum. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=57775
Also, running forums isn't easy. Getting active members isn't easy. You are competing with people who put money into theirs and work on it full time, so it is to be expected. Don't let the stats of other forums discourage you. I mean, I've been running my forum for nearly 7 years but I've seen forums get similar stats to mine in under 2. Just work to segregate yours from the thousands of others and the right people will come and stay. It's not easy, it's not quick, but it does work.
Also, don't forget to advertise to people within your target audience. Exchanges and packages help with getting some content but I wouldn't recommend them for getting active members. Finding similar forums and making friends there is a good start. You can also improve your SEO but that involves way too much stuff to go into detail about here.
