If you have decided to add an Online Forum to your website to generate traffic and interest, simply adding the software is not enough to get people to participate. In fact, one of the most difficult aspects of starting a forum is getting visitors to become members and then start posting topics and comments.
Just like in real life social interactions, a successful forum is one that is popular. You need to get the ball rolling to induce others to follow your lead. The more postings you can get, the more people’s interest will be piqued.
Doing this will take a bit of time and energy, but it will be worth it in the end when you create a successful community forum that adds value to your website.
A Good Moderator Is Worth Their Weight In Gold
It is a fact that forums need to be moderated in order to keep out the spammers and any other content considered offensive or inappropriate. Whether you take on this task yourself or assign someone else to do it, there are ways to ensure this task is effective from a marketing standpoint.
The number one characteristic of a good forum moderator is their social skill. This person needs to know how to get other people involved in the topic at hand. They should have an avid interest in the overall subject matter of your Online Forum. Their enthusiasm should come across in their posts and comments.
A good forum moderator will post a topic that is open-ended, that is it encourages discussion. Sometimes the most effective topics are those that are somewhat controversial, as everyone has an opinion. This can really get the ball rolling. Just be sure that comments are strictly moderated so that no one offends someone else.
Consider posting about a recent news story that would be of interest to the forum’s members. Ask for feedback, opinions, or just comments about the validity of the information.
Paid Posters
A very effective way to get lots of discussion going is to pay friends and acquaintances to post topics and comments. A little bit of enticement can go a long way. You don’t necessarily need to pay them in money, but perhaps offer these “plants” something special in return for the favour. The more paid posters you can afford, the more quickly your forum will take off.
Contests
Of course, in order for a forum to become popular, it must be visited. You have to get traffic in order to get posts and comments. One way to do this is to post a contest. People are always looking for something for free and if you advertise a contest that is accessed via your forum, you are bound to increase traffic. You don’t need to give away anything too valuable; it could simply be a copy of an e-book or an inexpensive gift certificate. The hope is that these new visitors will stick around after the online contest ends and become loyal members.
When you go to the time and trouble of adding an Online Forum to your website, you expect results in the form of increased page rankings, traffic, or conversion rates. The only way to experience these results is to ensure your forum becomes, and stays, popular. Some forums are advertised on other forums, via social marketing, and even via PPC campaigns as well.
Have a most outstanding day.
Sean RasmussenAussie Internet Marketing
www.SeanSEO.com © 2008 - 2012
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Sean,
I think a successful forum has a lot of great information to help out the visitors. I think the moderators should have excellent people skills and be able to make the new people feel welcome.
I think the feeling of community spirit should be fostered. I think it should also be fun and entertaining. I think if it is a place where people are achieving their dreams, that makes it something special.
I think the YOTA forum has these qualitites and many more. It is the best I have ever seen.
There is a lot of rich information here about running a succesful online forum.
I imagine being in charge of a forum you would need to be highly skilled in your craft and have excellent people skills.
Moderators are your frontline people and would have to be very patient and tolerant with excellent social skills and a courteous manner.
I imagine it would be a huge undertaking to get it started but also very rewarding once it is up and running.
It’s good to find this information as I have been asked to help moderate a small forum. I will heed the advice and place links to it on my site as well.