How to populate a forum?

[iJason]

I was just wondering how all those boards with like thousands of members do it? How can I make my board more popular? How do I spread the word?

[Floris]

Advertisement/Marketing.

They get listed in search engines and directories.

They are involved with product sales and other ways of getting known.

Cross linked on other sites.

A hot subject.

Experience.

[f-a_org]

Well, when I had a pop site (using IBF),
I merged with a Site that didn't have a forum.

[iJason]

F-a_org.. Nice style.. I installed the same one Merging .. thats a good idea. Putting my site in search engines.. Even if people come across it. If there are like all these threads with 0 posts.. No one will wanna register :-/ bah.

[bahawolf]

And one last word of advice: Communitys never grow if they don't go about things in a unique way. Members will not signup, if they have seen the same thing repeated 20 times.. Yaxay went about it different, as did many large communitys that you see today. Try to be unique in a way... and do something noone else has ever done.

I say that for everyone... Its very true.

[N9ne]

I say that for everyone... Its very true.

Not the case 100% of the time, but 80% of the time it is. In my case I went about it the same way, but I had a site/sites with content. the forum was just like every other forum.

[bahawolf]

In my case... I didn't need to go about it a totally different way, because I run GCNForums which is an affiliate of GCN. (I work for GCN) So.. Jason Resche (Programmer of GCN) just advertised the forums alot.. and is making them more populated. We ussually get 2-3 new members a day now.

[iJason]

Okay so I need content, I need something new and unique. But I am stumped. Do any of you have any ideas? What do you think would be cool to make a site about?

[Beth]

whatever your interests are about so you know what you're talking about - is a good start.

[djnoz]

The forum I have run is something pretty unique. Think about what hasn't been done before.

Example: Imagine you typed in skating forums in google and only came up with a few badly run communities, perhaps a few Invision/phpBB's that use the default skin or something. You have an opportunity to make something better, so you start a really nice looking vB up, spread the word, and your on your way. Don't do it alone either, get some people in the team from the start.

Of course, it should match your interests, otherwise you wouldn't have any motivation to keep the forum running.

Whatever you do, don't start a final fantasy forum

[bahawolf]

The forum I have run is something pretty unique. Think about what hasn't been done before.

Example: Imagine you typed in skating forums in google and only came up with a few badly run communities, perhaps a few Invision/phpBB's that use the default skin or something. You have an opportunity to make something better, so you start a really nice looking vB up, spread the word, and your on your way. Don't do it alone either, get some people in the team from the start.

Of course, it should match your interests, otherwise you wouldn't have any motivation to keep the forum running.

Whatever you do, don't start a final fantasy forum

Off topic but your copyright isn't accurate:

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[iJason]

Whatever you do, don't start a final fantasy forum

Yeah seriously there are enough of those. Good ones at that. I do love Final Fantasy though. My intrests are meeting new people, poetry, art, The WB.. Anyway a lot of the things im intrested in there is a good vb forum out there :-/ with lots of members. Bah! Should have started sooner

Thanks guys for the input. Anyone else?

[iJason]

Off topic but your copyright isn't accurate:[/color][/size][/size]

haha vb 3 beta 7 thats funny

[f-a_org]

I Made something that was Cool, Free, and Let people interact.
THat's what fnet radio is for it's totally controlled by the fans.

[vB3Dev.Com]

http://www.politicsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8#post8