Ok, now what?

[TheRedGoat]

I installed vBulletin 4.0.6. I installed a point market system, based upon user experience. I have added some audience appropriate RSS feeds, a posting bot, and forums.

I added a blog, created a FAQ. I changed my basic site style, and added some things to my own album.

I know my target audience, I know my goals, and I know what I want to accomplish. I know that my website is now fully capable of allowing users to build a social network, share ideas, and discuss current issues, and help identify problems in their area of interest.

Now, why are they not here?

I built a better mousetrap, and nobody has shown up. How can I spread the word and get people to come to my website and start posting? I need ideas, suggestions, techniques, what worked for you?

~Brian

http://www.frookty.com

[onehost]

If I setup a website, then they will come....

If it were only this easy, we would all be rich...

Getting a website going, even a forum takes a lot of dedicated work,
just because you set this or that up, does not mean they will come.

(1) you can spend 100' - 1000's of dollars, and still not be successful
(2) your site can also take many years to build to where you want it.

Just because you build it, does not mean they will come...

get out and advertise your site, build quality backlinks, submit articles...

and after you have done all this, repeat 100 more times...

and still you will not be guaranteed of success.

This is like asking "well i put money in my savings, why does it not grow"

it does not grow by itself, it grows with you constantly adding to it.

Setting up a forum is not a not a short term success. It is long term, so be
prepared to invest a lot of time, and maybe some money to get it going....
if you are not a waiter, then this is not good for you then.

[Xtrigit]

First, add some content.

Have at least 30 threads in each section/forum so it doesn't look so empty.

Once you have done that, apply for an advertiser account (adwords,clicksor,adbrite,etc) so you can get more traffic.

Also, advertise your site on facebook, twitter and all major websites.

You have done the easiest part, now it's time to work hard.

[Videx]

I finally gave up on one not too long ago. We had kept pumping money into it for a year, including paid posting.

[onehost]

Originally Posted by Videx

I finally gave up on one not too long ago. We had kept pumping money into it for a year, including paid posting.

You first mistake was giving up...a year is still short term for
any type of success. Some of the biggest forums probably
took 5-7 years to get to their level of success, and some of
them have been up for 10 years...

I also find it hard to believe that you were up for a year
and you did not gain any members at all? Maybe you did not
have something interesting, or worthty of joining, there could
many reasons for your failure, maybe your forum was about
selling goat hair, just really do not know. It does take tons of
effort, but since hosting is cheap, there was no reason reason
for you to remove the forum since you had put all that
work in it...my forum has been up for a month, and I am
paying a few posters for content, and I constantly have spiders
indexing this and there, and I am picking up members along
the way...foruming is a very long term process....

[Videx]

Oh, all along we had new members. But they just wouldn't participate. Even when we paid for posting the members just wouldn't post.

It was a small local city forum. But apparently the city just didn't have enough residents. Pop. 965 in 2007, maybe double that in the suburbs.

[FASEOFMARS]

I run a gaming community, i get members from gaming, we have around 50 active members. Although the only game is modern warfare, 50 aint bad for one game. In order to keep the community growing it will have to grow into more games, i.e. medal of honor and the new call of duty. When i set up shop in them games and start a clan in each the numbers will add up and i can see it be in the hundreds. I wont be losing sleep as it just takes me to pull my finger out and play the game.

Although i must say i did not do this alone. Infact i dont even play modern warfare anymore, i devised a council of twelve to handle most things, the webiste can run itself for the most part all i need to do is handle the maintenance. Although when medal of honor is released my interest will rise, and the daunting task of recruting members wont seem so daunting because i will enjoy the game.

So i guess my technique is interest, members join based on interest, interest in the playstation 3, interest in modern warfare 2. The leaders run it based on interest, interest in running a clan and taking over the gaming world. I would say another key factor is attention to detail, i have payed alot of attention to deatil with my site and edited alot of templates, i guess because i have OCD but im sure members like it too.. Interest alone should sign them up but if the viewing experience is not their members wont commit.. Make your community a nice place to make a home and new members wont turn derserters.

If i may ask who is your target audience?

[nibb]

There is no exact science. I see forums with only 10 active members and they grow big in less in then 3 years. And then I see forums with thousands that sign up each month with 0 activity from users. If I agree on something is that it takes time but there has also have to be a small community of at least 3 users that share together real things, other people will see this interesting and will join them but nobody wants to share in an empty forum or with topics of no value.

[TheRedGoat]

Originally Posted by FASEOFMARS

If i may ask who is your target audience?

Current and former International Exchange students, Host Parents, Immigrants and those seeking to pursue an education abroad.

There are several other forums out there, but we hope to add a rich enough, and entertaining enough forum that hosted students/parents/schools will use as a central clearing house for information.

We are not affiliated with any school/program, service, we hope we can be similar to Facebook with user profiles, forums, blogs, albums and still work with a core target audience.

Theoretically it is a place that an exchange student can use to talk in their native language, and English with others who had a similar educational experience, counselors, scholarship winners, and those who have direct experience with immigration issues.

The site is up and running now, and we are adding articles, content, news items everyday. (as was advised in this thread). Baby steps, and I appreciate the advice.

~Brian