Can you make money off a forum?

Do you make profit on your forum?

  • No

    Votes: 67 47.9%
  • Yes, $100 +/Month

    Votes: 27 19.3%
  • Yes, $500 +/Month

    Votes: 12 8.6%
  • Yes, $1,200 +/Month

    Votes: 6 4.3%
  • Yes, $1,800 +/Month

    Votes: 4 2.9%
  • Yes, $2,500 +/Month

    Votes: 1 0.7%
  • Yes, $3,200 +/Month

    Votes: 7 5.0%
  • Yes, $4,500 +/Month

    Votes: 2 1.4%
  • Yes, $8,000 +/Month

    Votes: 1 0.7%
  • Yes, $12,000 +/Month

    Votes: 13 9.3%

  • Total voters
    140
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Wow! I be happy to make the $100.00 a month it cost me to run this site. I must be doing something wrong. Oh well! I'll just keep plugin at it.
 
I can share an update - if you look at my earlier drone post.....

The drone site is going great guns and the book now makes over $1K per month. Other income from affiliates, adsense, etc. has jumped way up.

It is not quite accurate to say I am making all the money from a forum...since the site consists of a WP blog and a XF forum - the blog gets much more action than the forum. However, the site is now up to making real money of a sort. No, I'm not ready to buy a private jet but in my (semi) retirement the income allows us to live better and help our kids out more, etc.

Traffic is up 200% or so in the last year.

It does take some work, but it's fun and I do need things to do to fill up the days and nights....so that's OK. Also, I get to fly drones...which is really cool. Look at my media gallery for some samples - here is one vid.
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Thats great news.
And your income is primarly out of affiliates?
 
I can share an update - if you look at my earlier drone post.....

The drone site is going great guns and the book now makes over $1K per month. Other income from affiliates, adsense, etc. has jumped way up.

It is not quite accurate to say I am making all the money from a forum...since the site consists of a WP blog and a XF forum - the blog gets much more action than the forum. However, the site is now up to making real money of a sort. No, I'm not ready to buy a private jet but in my (semi) retirement the income allows us to live better and help our kids out more, etc.

Traffic is up 200% or so in the last year.

It does take some work, but it's fun and I do need things to do to fill up the days and nights....so that's OK. Also, I get to fly drones...which is really cool. Look at my media gallery for some samples - here is one vid.
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Really glad to hear stories like this! Good work!
 
I just started a forum for backyard greenhouse enthusiasts earlier this month. I know it will take time to build a community. I have some marketing ideas which I will start to work on after the holidays quiet down like advertising in some greenhouse publications. This is actually the best time to market to gardeners. They are desperate for something to do that is garden-related, and there are only so many seed, flower and plant catalogs they can read during the winter. A major national greenhouse association that does not have it's own forum is going to be listing my forum in their quarterly magazine and newsletter. I also wrote an article for them which will be published in one of their upcoming newsletters. So, I am thinking ahead. Besides installing the Resource Manager where I've begun to compile greenhouse informational resources, I have installed a store on the forum where I will be selling greenhouses, greenhouse accessories, garden tools, etc. I expect this to be a source of income that will grow over time, and I am patient and dedicated to building it methodically. You can see my forum in my signature below.
 
I make next to nothing off my website... Doesn't even cover the $100 a month to run my website.

I do it for my community... and I have parleyed it into selling my modifications.
It's nice to see someone being honest. I see so many people with "The Field Of Dreams" mentality "If you build it they will come". And then they spend a ton of money on their website and complain that no one is visiting and they are not making money and then they close up shop.
 
I probably have spent about $450 t0 $500 since I started my forum at the beginning of December, but I am under no illusion about "they will come". I've been involved in online ventures in one form or another for about 14 years now. I know it takes a lot of work, time and patience to build a viable online community. I actually waited a number of months while I decided whether or not I wanted to take on this task. I'm in it for the long haul.
 
Nope. There are are so many social media sites that made forums kinda irreverent. With sites like Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter and things like Discord forums will die out.
 
To be honestly, It's really similar to have a game hosting. You can make equal money of the amount it costs but there is no way to make major profits. Do it only if you like it.
 
Successful forums are hard to find. All the ones I know are old established ones. My friend has one and it’s enough to support a family of 4 in upper middle class Sydney AU, along with cruises and vacations in Bahamas and the States every year.
 
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