I just thought writing an article/blog post would be helpful to some, so here we go...
I have seen quite a number of new forums being made, not by the day, but by the hour, literally. I for one started a forum this year (2009), along with the hundreds of other people on the same day. I created a graphics forum, and after seeing Big-Boards, I thought this would be worth creating. I wasn't wrong, I wasn't right. Now, the purpose of this is to tell you what forums are too popular nowadays.
The most popular forum being created in my promotion forum experience, is in fact promotion forums. I for one am on 6 promotion forums, 4 being staff. I must say thats quite a number for just me, but then I consider the amount of promotion forums that I have seen, and the ones that I haven't. Its an outrageous amount, and to be honest, quite insulting when they close. I see way to many promotion forums closing after a few months, and even weeks. No effort is shown by those owners, and you think, what a waste of time. You must be dedicated to a promotion forum, and have friendly staff that do not even show a hint of power in members' first few weeks. otherwise, those forums will just crumble. I must also bring to attention the purpose of a promotion forum. 90% of the time, the promotion forum itself is more active than the forum needing promotion. So, balancing up the time, members, posts, money, you must think to yourself, is it worth promoting? Do I really get the most benefit, or do they? Personally, I would say the promotion forum would benefit more, but you must also consider them as another forum, starting off just like yours, in need of a few posts made in the exchanges section or the packages section. I must add that promotion forums cater for the same group of people. Do you see a major change in members over the different promotion forums? I wouldn't think so. You will just be talking to the same person. Pretty pointless eh?
Another towering genre is discussion forums. They are popular since they can generate a lot of activity, but have a think big think about it, it can go two ways. Success for the forum, or complete failure. The only real successful way to manage and gain activity on a discussion forum, is to be recognised on a forum which is quite large. Gaining a reputation, making friends, being noticed will get you over the line, and it will gain the activity needed in the first few weeks. Then, most of the "fake" activity will die off, and genuine members will come. I have seen time and time again normal members (not staff) making discussion forums, then closing it down. Its a shame to see that they have such high hopes, but then tumble, then starting a new idea, then tumble again. Now, I must accept the fact that people will definitely disagree with what I said, and I do know what they mean. But have a think about it. Someone with no forum experience is unlikely to suddenly make a Big-Boards top forum listing. Someone who has gained a reputation on another forum will get at least a good distance ahead of their fellow forumers. General discussion forums itself will do good in the short term, with simple post exchanges, and cash offers, but in the long term, you will need to rely on your reputation, and your ability to sell yourself. Also note that what goes inside your forum will matter, but irrelevant to the point I'm making.
I would say graphics forums are over done nowadays. I created my graphics forum during a time when I was improving in graphics, and also, I had a personal purpose. Many who create a graphics forum either think they are good at graphics, think that they can attract good graphic designers, think that they know how to handle one, or think its a genre that hasn't been overdone. However, I see more graphics forums being created, then failing. Also, since its such a popular topic now, I see that people are trying to integrate graphics into another genre, for example Manga and graphics (not targeting anyone). When I created my graphics forum, it was merely a way to see how I could help those who genuinely need help in graphics. I wanted to provide support, complete requests, and have fun. I did 2/3 successfully (won't tell you which ones), but the thing was, I had a purpose, and thats how I got to 5000 posts, in a short time frame (also noting I had great members). People also think graphics is about completing requests, and when people ask, they can't do it. Graphics is way to broad if you are starting off. Graphics can be technical, practical, visual and theoretical, yet people don't see these things. Those who create graphics forums who think they can handle that, but inside they know they can't will find themselves falling into a massive whole, and one that they probably can't get out of. A graphics forum is over done and I see that the successful ones do affect them because they will gain way more attention.
I will also say an equal increase in anime forums and fan forums. These tend to be popular. For anime, you cannot beat Gaia Online. Its the biggest forum on the World Wide Web and believe it or not, its anime based. You will think you can do good in this area, but all the attention is there. There is no doubt that you will fail if you try to copy Gaia. Anime seems popular because you can relate it to those children's Manga shows, and that is a good starting ground, but, you must research this area and see that its packed, and I mean packed. Fan forums are on the rise, such as an increase of MJ forums when he died. Note that you may gain attention in the short term, but when they die, or when their music, sport, or style dies out, so too will your forum. Its overdone because people think its unique, talking about one person, or a group, but in actual fact, its not. You are still talking about someone, and so you will find many forums that talk about that same person/group. Also, why not just join a forum about that person/group, rather attempt to do better than them? Its pretty pointless making something identical and assume you are unique.
Gaming forums seem pretty popular now. Not as popular as the ones mentioned, but is definitely overdone. Talking about the same thing on different forums is quite boring from my experience, with the exact same topics like "What was the last game you played?" and "Whats your favourite console?". Gaming forums will need to target certain niches like a specific game, but then, that would turn into the same issue as a fan forum (when the game dies, so will the forum). This is a hard genre to tame since there are big (and I mean big) forums that already cover this. If you want to make a gaming forum, I'd suggest you make sure you have something special, like constant competitions or constant updates, and maybe gossip and leaks into games. Thats what people want to hear, not the constant same topics.
These are the types of forums that are on the rise or have just flooded forum genres. Even if statistics don't show this, just looking in the basic promotion will tell you what people want. You hear this all the time, and its have something unique, or have a custom skin, or have a lot of posts. Yes and no is my response. You must have dedication, and perseverance to own these types of forums. You can have uniqueness, or a custom skin, but when you have users knowing the admin isn't dedicated, well then why bother posting there? If you tame dedication and perseverance, you will then get what you want, and the unqiueness, the custom skin and the posts will come later at ease.
Lastly, I must tell you this is not something official. Its like a memoir, just telling you the experiences of forum/Internet life. I don't expect you to agree, but I expect you to respect differing views.
Thank you for reading if you did. :yes:
Note: This can't be published under a different account other than my own.
David.
I have seen quite a number of new forums being made, not by the day, but by the hour, literally. I for one started a forum this year (2009), along with the hundreds of other people on the same day. I created a graphics forum, and after seeing Big-Boards, I thought this would be worth creating. I wasn't wrong, I wasn't right. Now, the purpose of this is to tell you what forums are too popular nowadays.
The most popular forum being created in my promotion forum experience, is in fact promotion forums. I for one am on 6 promotion forums, 4 being staff. I must say thats quite a number for just me, but then I consider the amount of promotion forums that I have seen, and the ones that I haven't. Its an outrageous amount, and to be honest, quite insulting when they close. I see way to many promotion forums closing after a few months, and even weeks. No effort is shown by those owners, and you think, what a waste of time. You must be dedicated to a promotion forum, and have friendly staff that do not even show a hint of power in members' first few weeks. otherwise, those forums will just crumble. I must also bring to attention the purpose of a promotion forum. 90% of the time, the promotion forum itself is more active than the forum needing promotion. So, balancing up the time, members, posts, money, you must think to yourself, is it worth promoting? Do I really get the most benefit, or do they? Personally, I would say the promotion forum would benefit more, but you must also consider them as another forum, starting off just like yours, in need of a few posts made in the exchanges section or the packages section. I must add that promotion forums cater for the same group of people. Do you see a major change in members over the different promotion forums? I wouldn't think so. You will just be talking to the same person. Pretty pointless eh?
Another towering genre is discussion forums. They are popular since they can generate a lot of activity, but have a think big think about it, it can go two ways. Success for the forum, or complete failure. The only real successful way to manage and gain activity on a discussion forum, is to be recognised on a forum which is quite large. Gaining a reputation, making friends, being noticed will get you over the line, and it will gain the activity needed in the first few weeks. Then, most of the "fake" activity will die off, and genuine members will come. I have seen time and time again normal members (not staff) making discussion forums, then closing it down. Its a shame to see that they have such high hopes, but then tumble, then starting a new idea, then tumble again. Now, I must accept the fact that people will definitely disagree with what I said, and I do know what they mean. But have a think about it. Someone with no forum experience is unlikely to suddenly make a Big-Boards top forum listing. Someone who has gained a reputation on another forum will get at least a good distance ahead of their fellow forumers. General discussion forums itself will do good in the short term, with simple post exchanges, and cash offers, but in the long term, you will need to rely on your reputation, and your ability to sell yourself. Also note that what goes inside your forum will matter, but irrelevant to the point I'm making.
I would say graphics forums are over done nowadays. I created my graphics forum during a time when I was improving in graphics, and also, I had a personal purpose. Many who create a graphics forum either think they are good at graphics, think that they can attract good graphic designers, think that they know how to handle one, or think its a genre that hasn't been overdone. However, I see more graphics forums being created, then failing. Also, since its such a popular topic now, I see that people are trying to integrate graphics into another genre, for example Manga and graphics (not targeting anyone). When I created my graphics forum, it was merely a way to see how I could help those who genuinely need help in graphics. I wanted to provide support, complete requests, and have fun. I did 2/3 successfully (won't tell you which ones), but the thing was, I had a purpose, and thats how I got to 5000 posts, in a short time frame (also noting I had great members). People also think graphics is about completing requests, and when people ask, they can't do it. Graphics is way to broad if you are starting off. Graphics can be technical, practical, visual and theoretical, yet people don't see these things. Those who create graphics forums who think they can handle that, but inside they know they can't will find themselves falling into a massive whole, and one that they probably can't get out of. A graphics forum is over done and I see that the successful ones do affect them because they will gain way more attention.
I will also say an equal increase in anime forums and fan forums. These tend to be popular. For anime, you cannot beat Gaia Online. Its the biggest forum on the World Wide Web and believe it or not, its anime based. You will think you can do good in this area, but all the attention is there. There is no doubt that you will fail if you try to copy Gaia. Anime seems popular because you can relate it to those children's Manga shows, and that is a good starting ground, but, you must research this area and see that its packed, and I mean packed. Fan forums are on the rise, such as an increase of MJ forums when he died. Note that you may gain attention in the short term, but when they die, or when their music, sport, or style dies out, so too will your forum. Its overdone because people think its unique, talking about one person, or a group, but in actual fact, its not. You are still talking about someone, and so you will find many forums that talk about that same person/group. Also, why not just join a forum about that person/group, rather attempt to do better than them? Its pretty pointless making something identical and assume you are unique.
Gaming forums seem pretty popular now. Not as popular as the ones mentioned, but is definitely overdone. Talking about the same thing on different forums is quite boring from my experience, with the exact same topics like "What was the last game you played?" and "Whats your favourite console?". Gaming forums will need to target certain niches like a specific game, but then, that would turn into the same issue as a fan forum (when the game dies, so will the forum). This is a hard genre to tame since there are big (and I mean big) forums that already cover this. If you want to make a gaming forum, I'd suggest you make sure you have something special, like constant competitions or constant updates, and maybe gossip and leaks into games. Thats what people want to hear, not the constant same topics.
These are the types of forums that are on the rise or have just flooded forum genres. Even if statistics don't show this, just looking in the basic promotion will tell you what people want. You hear this all the time, and its have something unique, or have a custom skin, or have a lot of posts. Yes and no is my response. You must have dedication, and perseverance to own these types of forums. You can have uniqueness, or a custom skin, but when you have users knowing the admin isn't dedicated, well then why bother posting there? If you tame dedication and perseverance, you will then get what you want, and the unqiueness, the custom skin and the posts will come later at ease.
Lastly, I must tell you this is not something official. Its like a memoir, just telling you the experiences of forum/Internet life. I don't expect you to agree, but I expect you to respect differing views.
Thank you for reading if you did. :yes:
Note: This can't be published under a different account other than my own.
David.
Because I always been a creative person I know I could make one very different from the others, but I never knew I should try or not. Anyway must took you a long time to make that! I put in quote the best part I read in it. 
