How do you get your forum users to read announcements?

[Darfuria]

I always find on forums I run that if I sticky announcements, people get 'sticky fever' and don't check them - and if I put them in an announcements section, regardless of how busy the forum is, people don't check it.

How do you get your forum users to read announcements?

 

[Paul B]

Make them not look like announcements

http://xenforo.com/community/threads/does-xenforo-support-sticky-threads.347/#post-3539

 

[Wired]

Depends on the announcement, but with something like the rules, I redirect them to it upon successfully authenticating a new account.

 

[iTuN3r]

Force Read System for every New users . First verbal warning on ignoring Rules/annoucements ..second WP Third Temp ID ban for certain Period ...if samething goes around next time they'll loose their account .

 

[Darfuria]

By announcements I mean "This cool thing is happening, you should check it out" - not "If you post pictures of tubgirl, you'll be shot in the foot"

 

[Trip]

If it's something like "check this out" or "this could affect you" etc. I create a thread about it in my announcement section then throw that link into my signature. People love clicking sig links for whatever reason. I can have something posted for about a week...nothing. Place it in my signature and that thread comes life and not to mention my PM box depending on what it is.

 

[Ryan Ashbrook]

"HEY. YOU. LOOK HERE."

Usually gets the point across.

 

[anotheralias]

If it's a case where there's an "unread" and "read" icon, then I make the "unread" icon something really annoying that you just can't miss. Of course, that still doesn't force them to actually read it, but at least they notice it. Plus there's no way to get rid of it except for clicking on the announcement.

 

[Anthony Parsons]

How do you get your forum users to read announcements?

Give up... those who care will read them... those who don't won't, then they will complain after the fact. Just accept it, coat yourself in teflon and let all their crap slide off you and ignore them.

 

[Dick]

I always find on forums I run that if I sticky announcements, people get 'sticky fever' and don't check them - and if I put them in an announcements section, regardless of how busy the forum is, people don't check it.

How do you get your forum users to read announcements?

It depends on the forum software I'm using. If it's something we want to promote, we'd use a notice to offer brief information to the user, with a link to the respective thread in the announcement. It worked quite well considering notices tend to stand out. (given that they're not displayed all the time.) Basically, people tend to notice when something changes significantly, (i.e. appearance) and that's what gets their attention.

 

[---MAD---]

No matter what you do, if a user doesn't want to or can't be bother to read a thread/announcement he/she simply won't.

That includes reading forum rules.

 

[Digital Doctor]

I always find on forums I run that if I sticky announcements, people get 'sticky fever' and don't check them - and if I put them in an announcements section, regardless of how busy the forum is, people don't check it.
How do you get your forum users to read announcements?

(1) IDEA: Trigger an Alert !
- a modification, that an admin can post an announcement and it would automatically trigger an alert to everyone. Possibly a "Special Alert" could be generated. Instead of a Red [1] showing up, some "[Special Alert]" could show up. It would look so impressive, people would click on it.

(2) what about sending a XenLetter ?
(Don't over use it).

(3) I wonder if the New Posts could be tweaked such that a certain post would show up in the New Posts (Forever and at the top of the New Posts) unless it was clicked.

 

[Anthony Parsons]

(1) IDEA: Trigger an Alert !
- a modification, that an admin can post an announcement and it would automatically trigger an alert to everyone. Possibly a "Special Alert" could be generated. Instead of a Red [1] showing up, some "[Special Alert]" could show up. It would look so impressive, people would click on it.

I like where your heads at with that one... an announcement method is missing I do believe, and would be nice to have something simple like that... the ability to post a specific manner that triggers an alert to every user when they next come online, regardless when that is. Have you suggested that in the suggestion forum?

 

[Digital Doctor]

How would this work ?

 

[Carlos]

Announcements do get read. There needs to be a "views" counter for announcements.

 

[CTXMedia]

I don't think there's a magic formula. Some people will simply ignore them.

I have 1000 regular members per day visiting CycleChat.net, but a recent announcement in my Announcements forum got just 23 views! Granted, my Announcement forum is at the bottom so it doesn't get in the way at the top of the home page (especially as it's not used very often) so it's highly likely that a lot of people simply don't notice it, but still ...

Maybe you need to sex-up your announcement titles. For your next global announcement, try something like "FLAM'IN HOT NAKED BABES!!! - CLICK HERE NOW ..."

On a more serious note, I think the best you can do (without a mod to force people to read them) is to post them at the top of your site, make them global, and try to make the title snappy and appealing.

What's that expression: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink!"

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[jonsidneyb]

I want the alert to take them to a newsletter page,

 

[Grover]

Have you suggested that in the suggestion forum?

I have now: http://xenforo.com/community/thread...to-trigger-an-alert-when-posting-a-post.7558/ . I think it's a great idea, Digital Doctor!

 

[Ingenious]

This has always been a problem, I've tried (on vB) pinned posts and notices. As people above have said, some of your users just won't read them no matter what you do

 

[AnthonyCea]

I always place a photo of Shakira next to mine, 100% of the guys look and the women want to see what she is wearing.