How do I grow my new forum? Seeking Advice

[MarblezWall43]

I recently created a fan site for the band Megadeth called https://megadethfans.net/

As of right now, there are 18 members, not including myself and my tester account. I've been promoting my site on obscure metal forums and different platforms like Reddit, Facebook, and Discord. Growth has been slow, and I find promotion difficult. Is there a better way to attract people to my forum, since I don't want to be the only one posting threads all the time? I really appreciate the help. Since I personally consider my forum to be a bit niche.

 

[Grond]

I recently created a fan site for the band Megadeth called https://megadethfans.net/

As of right now, there are 18 members, not including myself and my tester account. I've been promoting my site on obscure metal forums and different platforms like Reddit, Facebook, and Discord. Growth has been slow, and I find promotion difficult. Is there a better way to attract people to my forum, since I don't want to be the only one posting threads all the time? I really appreciate the help. Since I personally consider my forum to be a bit niche.

Well, it sounds like you're already doing everything we're supposed to (according to the prevailing consensus on the topic).

You're absolutely right about it being a slow and difficult task, and although I don't know of any practical "better way" that addresses meaningful overall community growth in terms of time and difficulty without costing significant amounts of money, however I do know any motivated individual admin can (optionally) utilize an alternative collaborative approach which doesn't cost a cent and is essentially the same as the standard (prevailing consensus) practice.

Rather than solely depending on singlehandedly posting content yourself and promoting your forum on other sites, you could (if proactively motivated enough) instead try to connect with similarly minded forum admins who may be willing to participate collaboratively in mutual reciprocity.

For example:
You would like to grow your forum.
I would like to grow my forum.

You and I could simply stick with singlehandedly doing everything ourselves to (hopefully) grow our 2 separate forums.

Or we could basically do the same thing but collaboratively, (if that makes sense).

 

[Grond]

Well, it sounds like you're already doing everything we're supposed to (according to the prevailing consensus on the topic).

You're absolutely right about it being a slow and difficult task, and although I don't know of any practical "better way" that addresses meaningful overall community growth in terms of time and difficulty without costing significant amounts of money, however I do know any motivated individual admin can (optionally) utilize an alternative collaborative approach which doesn't cost a cent and is essentially the same as the standard (prevailing consensus) practice.

Rather than solely depending on singlehandedly posting content yourself and promoting your forum on other sites, you could (if proactively motivated enough) instead try to connect with similarly minded forum admins who may be willing to participate collaboratively in mutual reciprocity.

For example:
You would like to grow your forum.
I would like to grow my forum.

You and I could simply stick with singlehandedly doing everything ourselves to (hopefully) grow our 2 separate forums.

Or we could basically do the same thing but collaboratively, (if that makes sense).

Additional elaboration for context:

At the very least, if you joined my forum, I'd reciprocate by joining your's too.

However if we were both willing to further engage in proactive mutually reciprocal collaborative efforts, I would also organize a means for you to freely promote your forum on my forum and vice versa.

As an example of how I might organize a means for you to promote your forum on mine, I could perhaps start by allowing you to create and regularly maintain a dedicated megadethfans.net promotional thread at my forum, so long as you likewise afforded me the same/similar allowance too.

Thus, (in the example above) we'd both get to freely promote our 2 separate independent forums in addition to regularly contributing content to each other's sites simply by regularly updating our respective dedicated promo threads.

Obviously this collaborative concept probably won't amount to much if only 2 forums/admins are participant, but I imagine that would be a very different story if, lets say, even just a dozen independent forums/admins were participating.

 

[Anthony Parsons]

Your forum is super niche... reddit is active for the topic. When I clicked on megadeth chat, it took me to whats new on your forum, which isn't much. You said you don't want to be the only one posting, but you haven't posted much. Here is the big thing... there is zero substance on your site about megadeth. Zero!

You could start by building actual content, not a few words each post trying to get stats.

There is nothing there for me to read if I was a megadeth fan, about megadeth. Literally, nothing. How do you expect people to signup to a community with no real content and substance in that content?

This is substance: https://www.megadeth.com/pages/band

Then pages on each band member. Tours, history, etc etc. You have nothing on your site to attract anyone to join it.

That is where I would start and that is how you get members, real members who love the band and want to chat about their love of the music.

 

[Mr Lucky]

Exactly, you need to give them a reason to use your forum rather than reddiot. Or any other website about the topic. Something unique.

 

[Suzanne O]

Have it themed.
For example if you're a sports fan who loves volleyball you could have the different types of skills, the tornaments, the umpiring, where it can be played.

 

[zappaDPJ]

As has already been said there is nothing of any substance about the band. No history, no discography, nothing about the instruments and equipment used to create their sound etc. You need to vastly expand your coverage of the band.

Personally I would get rid of your landing page, it's static and serves little or no purpose. The image used is low quality, tired and screams of the 80's.

Your forum category listing doesn't fill my screen vertically which suggests a a lack of content. If you haven't got the required content to create more forums I'd fill the empty space with a latest post widget or something similar but it must display content with substance.

Music and imagery tend to go hand in hand so I'd suggest you'd offer a better sense of the band with some good quality images. Perhaps even a small one in the header which would knock the forum listing down a little and fill the screen better.

On the positive side you've attracted 18+ members and you need to get them posting more in-depth discussion and that can only come from you. You need to be the facilitator in that respect. Start some serious threads, ensure that member posts have replies and try and guide members to discuss all aspects of the band. Light hearted threads are fine but they shouldn't fill the forum.

I would also consider making another (off-topic) forum category to discuss other bands within that genre. The chances are there are other metal bands your members will have and interest in.

 

[MarblezWall43]

I appreciate the feedback everyone. My site could benefit from some changes.