Forum Promotion Techniques

**Young Spark** · 08-09-2007 02:35 AM

I realize that I started another topic on this issue but I need some specific targeted suggestions. I started a teen forum and I need some help on how to promote it.

a. What are some of the common ways?
b. Which ways can guarantee some good returns?
c. Any other good advice?

**radreality** · 08-09-2007 09:05 AM

There's a lot of teen forums out there. Become an active member of those websites.

______________________________
Robert Falk
Business Developer / Investor
Self Help & Success Forum

**akula** · 08-09-2007 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by Young Spark

I realize that I started another topic on this issue but I need some specific targeted suggestions. I started a teen forum and I need some help on how to promote it.

a. What are some of the common ways?
b. Which ways can guarantee some good returns?
c. Any other good advice?

good question

there is only one correct answer

the correct method for promoting an online forum is by relocating an existing offline community to an online environment

a) a common way is to email an existing group of colleagues/friends/classmates with a compelling offer for contributing content to the community (subject to point c)

b) by doing (a), consistently (i.e. with a gantt chart and objectives)

the most important point (colloquially) is this: the way you're gonna fail with hitting your targets is if you take the fishing approach and go fishing for some unspecified new forum members, in some unspecified place, somewhere on the net. the way to succeed is to take the herding approach, and correctly herd an existing flock of users to your platform. think herding over fishing. identify your flock and move them from some other place to your place. don't try to build a new flock of your own. such action would be inconsistent with your availability of resources.

c) yes, to get results, plug into existing online sn's using api's and widgets

the point for you is to engineer viral growth

viral growth is the product of engineering

you have to engineer your self an involuntary sales force, driven by network effects

in other words, take a tip from jurvetson

**radreality** · 08-09-2007 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by akula

there is only one correct answer

wow, talk about closed box thinking. I'm not saying its wrong, I'm just surprised at how you answered it.

what happened to "Bad advisors give you answers - Good advisors give you data"?

______________________________
Robert Falk
Business Developer / Investor
Self Help & Success Forum

**akula** · 08-09-2007 10:57 PM

interesting points..

1) I answered the question the way I did because from the perspective of a decision maker, having only one correct answer is better than having lots of correct answers. Specifically, based on studies, one secret for making sucessful decisions (i.e. promotion strategy for a forum) is about blocking out irrelevant data points from the decision making process. that's why, for the purpose of young being successful, he ought to block out all other ideas which are diffrent to what I'm saying to him. if he doesn't, studies show that with increasing access to data, young's ability for making good decisions will diminish.

2) yes, I try to provide data which is why I reference my posts with links. however, sometimes the things I say are based on tacit knowledge which is not able to be referenced, or I simply don't have the time to dig up and illustrate the data - in which case, you're just gonna to trust me that "danny nerezov is not making this up" :-)

overall, from young's perspective, there is only one correct way to promote a forum (and if there isn't, there ought to be)

**silversurfer** · 08-19-2007 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by akula

...

b) by doing (a), consistently (i.e. with a gantt chart and objectives)
...

I signed up for a site called www.yelp.com to leave a negative restaurant review which counteracted some good reviews this place had. It was bad enough that I took the time to sign up and leave my review.

Now, every week they send me an email with local restaurant and store reviews of places sometimes within walking distance of my house. I'm really addicted to those emails. I cannot believe it took a company 12 years since 1995 to create something that works as smoothly as this (I used chowhound for local restaurant opinions for years), but they really transformed the experience. I was definitely herded.

SS

**biz-doggy** · 09-09-2007 07:18 AM

hi Young Spark,

Perhaps you may consider making your teen forum, a great place to hang out, like including games, small user-interactive programs.

**oldbuddy** · 09-09-2007 08:27 AM

The hot buzzword of the day seems to be revenue sharing.

Have you thought of paying them?

**biz-doggy** · 09-09-2007 11:43 PM

hi oldbuddy,

Interesting point you have raised. Do you mind sharing some of the ideas you have in mind about paying users of forums? I mean, for example, if you were running a forum, in what areas/aspects would you consider paying users of your forum?