Gathering Members, Marketing your Forum

GoodFit53

GoodFit53

Member
I am very interested in learning from all you pros.

I am a stay home mom, and have only recently gotten into the "internet game".

I have started several websites and blogs using mostly wordpress.
I have done lots of research and I have learned many things.

However, I am at a loss as to "how" I should go about gathering members to my new forum, or to any of my sites.

I have dabbled a little bit in to facebook ads, adwords, and I am even considering youtube and twitter ads, but I wonder if this is even worthwhile.

I don't have much of a support system...My husband works full-time to provide for the family, so he isn't very involved in my endeavors. I have family members who really aren't into much and won't help me unless there is "something in it for them". I don't want to go into details of my sad family story, but I'm pretty much on my own here.

One of my downfalls is that I am generally for shy and introverted. This probably works against me, as I don't show my face when I make youtube videos, and I really don't like people to know that it is me behind my sites, so besides a couple of my sisters, I haven't told anyone else in my family about my sites.

Should I ask them to at least gather facebook likes to my pages, or is it best to just do it on my own?

How do I go about marketing my forum when It is empty....will anyone be attracted to an empty forum?

Should I pay to have someone post on the forum for me?

Should I hold a contest or giveaway to get signups?

What methods have you all used to get your forums out there in the public eye?

Any help is very appreciated...sorry for the length of this post.
 
:) Thank you , the irony is that many of the things mentioned are things I have thought of doing, or have already done, I just didn't know if my methods were "taboo" or correct. (Such as posting to my own forums via other accounts).

Thanks for the article, at least I know I am on the right track ;)!
 
I do it to :D And yeah, it gives you a bad continence, but it's a good way to get started and make your forum look real busy. ;)

Also I am pretty sure there are many threads here on this site about this subject. You just have to find them. Your questions have been raised many times in the past.
 
Yes, I figured there were probably threads on this, but I couldn't find them....I searched keywords "marketing forum" "getting members", and nothing...I will probably just have to wait until I stumble upon them, lol.
 
Good - you are in luck!

Not only do you have many here who have "done it from scratch", but this old salt is in the process of starting another site from the ground up and blogging about it! I have made three posts on it so far - so my suggestion is to start with those...I'll be adding at least one or two more in the future.
Also, ask any questions here or elsewhere...

And, yeah, i'm going to do a giveaway next month. But I think timing matters...a lot...in the whole deal. That's why you should follow along with my successes or failure.

In the good news Department, the new blog has had record traffic on some days lately - and even in the last week! Maybe I'm getting lucky!

See:
http://www.craigsfire.com/?p=430
 
GoodFit53 said:
I am very interested in learning from all you pros.

I am a stay home mom, and have only recently gotten into the "internet game".

I have started several websites and blogs using mostly wordpress.
I have done lots of research and I have learned many things.

However, I am at a loss as to "how" I should go about gathering members to my new forum, or to any of my sites.
Click to expand...

----I have dabbled a little bit in to facebook ads, adwords, and I am even considering youtube and twitter ads, but I wonder if this is even worthwhile.

Dabble is the right word. Use a tiny budget if any. $2 a day maybe...maybe less. See my blog post.

----I don't have much of a support system...My husband works full-time to provide for the family, so he isn't very involved in my endeavors. I have family members who really aren't into much and won't help me unless there is "something in it for them". I don't want to go into details of my sad family story, but I'm pretty much on my own here.

Just stay away from those people in terms of your biz. I have absolutely no help in my stuff other than having my own (small amts) of financing.

---One of my downfalls is that I am generally for shy and introverted. This probably works against me, as I don't show my face when I make youtube videos, and I really don't like people to know that it is me behind my sites, so besides a couple of my sisters, I haven't told anyone else in my family about my sites.

I have always been introverted and shy in that sense. The internet plays to those strengths. If you can write and communicate through words and images (not of you, but of things and others), well....you may just make it.

---Should I ask them to at least gather facebook likes to my pages, or is it best to just do it on my own?

In general you should do it all yourself until you really need one big push. Rather than "take", I like to give and give and give - for instance, only posting on facebook when I write a good or new article or really have something good to share. I don't care about likes and will probably not even do much on FB for the new drones site. FB can be overrated.

----How do I go about marketing my forum when It is empty....will anyone be attracted to an empty forum?

Hah, I have the same problem! Of course, I expected it. Populate your forum in some way so that it gets read. The ideal is to have a good member or two show up who want to help you (be eventual moderators or helpers). But you can look at my forum and chuckle.
http://www.droneflyers.com/talk

Should I pay to have someone post on the forum for me?

IMHO, NO.
Some here will say otherwise, but IMHO fakes can be spotted a mile away. Better that you provide info, news links and stuff (see mine) that are actually useful.

----Should I hold a contest or giveaway to get signups?

Maybe - but get something going first.

---What methods have you all used to get your forums out there in the public eye?

All of the above. See blog.

Any help is very appreciated...sorry for the length of this post.
 
GoodFit53 said:
One of my downfalls is that I am generally for shy and introverted. This probably works against me, as I don't show my face when I make youtube videos, and I really don't like people to know that it is me behind my sites, so besides a couple of my sisters, I haven't told anyone else in my family about my sites.
Click to expand...

Oh, I had another thought about this part....

You DO have to market yourself. That does not mean you have to have your mug be front and center (like it is here?). But web sites and MANY business are, in general, a cult of personality!

When you buy an Apple Product, you (well, most people) know you are buying into the Steve Jobs vision. You don't care about his image or his video, but you are buying into a state of mind "think different" or "insanely great".

People on my old (hearth) forum know who I am and they know the kind of community that I run. That's why they want to be a part of it. It fits with their outlook (in some cases).

You have to become a personality online. That does not mean an extrovert one, but one that people have interest in. This can be promoted through your writing, pictures or other talents. That's the whole idea.

Don't buy any of the "internet marketing" schemes which promise a road to riches. It's all about you and your talents.

In my case, I found that I am great at doing....well, pretty much nothing! But I am a generalist, technologist, futurist and fairly decent writer (when I try hard enough). I also, as you see, have strong opinions about many things - and, they turn out right (well, left...in my case!) most of the time!

So it ends up being you, in most cases, that your online presence must reflect.

As the old commercial said "where's the beef?". You have to figure out where the meat is and pursue that.

Meanwhile, don't look at any of this stuff as failure. As you mentioned, you are learning. That's what it is all about - continuous learning. Soon you will know a LOT more than many others, in which case your skills become valuable...maybe by the hour! Just keep learning.

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
― Thomas A. Edison
 
Thank you for the feedback:) . My shyness has definitely held me back. I like to be "private" and fly under the radar, but I find that most people who are successful are anything but that.

I think that people are more drawn to blogs and sites, that are personalized and not anonymous. I promised myself that I would change, but it is a deep part of who I am, and it definitely takes work to overcome.
 
GoodFit53 said:
Thank you for the feedback:) . My shyness has definitely held me back. I like to be "private" and fly under the radar, but I find that most people who are successful are anything but that.

I think that people are more drawn to blogs and sites, that are personalized and not anonymous. I promised myself that I would change, but it is a deep part of who I am, and it definitely takes work to overcome.
Click to expand...

You don't have to expose "that part". Just a public part.....

If you are going to blog or write - it means you have something to say or teach.
Either that, of you have a talent to get others to do so in a safe environment you provide.

Just keep looking around and asking questions and learning stuff. It will come to you as to where - or if - you fit in to be a webmaster (or web mistress).
 

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