What More Does the Public and Our Members Want?

[Welder]

As you all know, social media is taking a large chunk of less established forum traffic. So.... I was wondering what everyone is doing to grow your forum community site?

My forum community currently offers:

• Topic and Off Topic Forum Discussions
• Topic and Off Top Classified Advertising
• Friends ( the ability to have friends, just like Facebook )
• Followers ( the ability to follow members )
• Following ( the ability to have members follow you )
• News ( industry news related to our sites' main topic )

What does your forum community offer the public and your members? What seems to be working the best to grow your site?

 

[StarArmy]

The best thing you can offer isn't something you can install, it's positive, interesting people who are fun to talk with, and who are around reliably. If your forum is full of awesome members, people passing through will be more likely to stick around.

 

[Welder]

StarArmy,

Thanks for the advice, but that is not what I am asking. I guess you missed my point.

I understand your point, but you have to have some engaging features for people to use as well.

So let me rephrase this... What features have you provided on your site that seem to be working the best to help grow your site?

To be clear, I am looking for additional feature ideas here in this post and maybe that will help other forum community owners as well.

 

[StarArmy]

I'm not sure what the nature of your site is but have you considered a wiki add-on to your XenForo (or standalone wiki)? Or some other way to basically build a knowledge base about your subject area? If you become "known" as the place on the web with the best and most useful/helpful info for your niche on the web, that could be a big boost and it would also fuel more natural links to your site.

tl;dr A place for knowledge base content

 

[AndyB]

To be clear, I am looking for additional feature ideas here in this post and maybe that will help other forum community owners as well.

It would be helpful to know what your forum is about.

 

[Welder]

I'm not sure what the nature of your site is but have you considered a wiki add-on to your XenForo (or standalone wiki)? Or some other way to basically build a knowledge base about your subject area? If you become "known" as the place on the web with the best and most useful/helpful info for your niche on the web, that could be a big boost and it would also fuel more natural links to your site.

tl;dr A place for knowledge base content

It would be helpful to know what your forum is about.

My site supports automotive enthusiasts and the automotive industry. So, a very broad subject matter is involved here.

Can you tell me more about this Wiki idea? What do you mean? Never heard of that add-on.

Are you talking about Wiki Tools or WikiPosts?

 

[Welder]

Star ARMY,

Actually you gave me a good idea based on your idea of a wiki.

As it is right now, the public has to register as a member to post on my forum site. However, I have added a "Public Forum" where anyone can post topics related to the automotive industry.

So that idea was just implemented on my site, thinking tipped off by you. Thank you.

The wiki in my opinion, is the content that my members provide via automotive related threads and reply's.

However, I may have a page with all automotive related terms? Possibly . I need to think that one through.

 

[Your Ski Advisor]

I would avoid a politics and hot topic section.

 

[Welder]

I would avoid a politics and hot topic section.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[meetdilip]

I use Google, mainly. I get unique visitors, new visitors, traffic etc from Google.

 

[tommydamic68]

However, I have added a "Public Forum" where anyone can post topics related to the automotive industry.

Is this its own forum where anyone - including an unregistered member can post? How is that set upon on the back end. Permission wise.

 

[Welder]

Is this its own forum where anyone - including an unregistered member can post? How is that set upon on the back end. Permission wise.

Our "Public Forum" is a forum open to both visitors ( unregistered ) and registered members. Anyone can post.

Backend wise... registered members and visitors ( unregistered ) have the same forum permissions.

I hope that helps.

 

[tommydamic68]

Our "Public Forum" is a forum open to both visitors ( unregistered ) and registered members. Anyone can post.

Backend wise... registered members and visitors ( unregistered ) have the same forum permissions.

I hope that helps.

And has it improved general engagement in the forum? Is the engagement general "chit chat" or informational- useful content.

 

[Welder]

And has it improved general engagement in the forum? Is the engagement general "chit chat" or informational- useful content.

To early to determine on the Public Forum.

However, I have just added the ability for members to have their own forums. Click here to check it out.

The more opportunities for the public to engage the better.