Hi all,
There are some interesting comments including one about financial gain. If you're running a forum to make money you're on a losing wicket right away.
Members just won't have it if they keep getting cajoled or asked to make a donation for it's upkeep. To earn money you better have the best forum going with every bell, knob and whistle available.
My main forum with over 1500 members and 4-8 joining every day was the result of a lot of hard work, being ruthless and using what was out there to advertise.
Build a group with google [plus googlepages], yahoo, MSN and get your site url everywhere.
As has been said if you're the admin, post, post and post again !
Choose your mods carefully, got a regular poster who is always sending you PM's ? Nurture him/her, get to know them and the other regulars.
Make your members feel like their are your friends and important. Don't be false though, if you don't really care it will show.
You've got to like people and communicating with them on either a forum or PM basis is all important.
Build a regular community and you'll thrive, be standoffish and you won't.
When posting in forums make sure all your url's work, there are several in this topic that don't. If I go to a forum that is down or not available I'm not going to go back.
Be eternally optimistic and there every day and don't make your members wade through adverts before they set foot in the door or have to wait an age while the million smileys you have load before they can post.
Last but not least don't give up when the going gets tough, it's going to take at least a year before your place will be up and running so hang on in there.
I'm only just starting to chill out with my main forum and now have an admin to run things with some really good mods so have started a new venture. Which reminds me . . .
Got to go and post !
Good luck everyone, take care,
Jon
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