Creating and Monetizing an Online Forum/Message Board

[Cognition]

I'm interested in integrating an online forum [message board], for my upcoming blog and I need some competent advice. Here are my questions:

Should I integrate and launch the message board at the same time as my blog, or should I wait?

How is a message board [essentially user-generated content] grown? How is that sense of 'community' cultivated?

What are some ways to monetize a message board besides the obvious AdSense approach?

Does anyone have any credible resources for developing and growing a forum?

Thanks - your input is greatly appreciated.

-C.D. Allen

[neemtree]

From a usability perspective I would recommend using a forum that is well integrated with your blog, nothing irks users more than having to sign up and login multiple times to post comments, forum replied, and other content on different parts of the same site.

I would recommend using Drupal, take it for a spin if you're interested. The demo shows how cleanly forums are integrated with the site.

[neemtree]

I just had an idea regarding your monetization question. In addition to adsense, you can set up different user roles. Paying users/members, can be assigned a role allowing them to add rich content (pictures, videos, podcasts), unlike others who can only add plain text.

[richkid]

I would add the forum after the blog. there is nothing worse than an empty forum. and once you have a heap of readers you can have a successful launch!

[Michael Dunlop]

I would create and promote the blog first to create a following. Try to ask your blog readers in your posts and include a poll, this will make your visitors interact with your website and your blog will become "Sticky" and sticky websites make money.

I would sell private adverts and affiliate products from clickbank.com

[Cognition]

I would add the forum after the blog. there is nothing worse than an empty forum. and once you have a heap of readers you can have a successful launch!

I would create and promote the blog first to create a following. Try to ask your blog readers in your posts and include a poll, this will make your visitors interact with your website and your blog will become "Sticky" and sticky websites make money.

I agree with both of these - had this in mind initially.

What I think I'll do is create a 'following' with a comprehensive traffic-building strategy, and enable comments on the blog. After gaining a desired, significant amount of traffic, then I'll disable comments [but enable trackbacks] on the blog and include a link to the forum where people can freely discuss the blog post [thus creating user-generated content].

This is quite similar to what Steve Pavlina did - he sorta 'forced' those who wanted to comment about his various blog posts to use the forum to do so.

[richkid]

That is an interesting concept but do you alienate those who do no want to register? because usually with comments you dont have to register. just a thought.

[Cognition]

That is an interesting concept but do you alienate those who do no want to register? because usually with comments you dont have to register. just a thought.

No one will be alienated. Those who don't register will still be able to view the discussion on the message board.

For example, at the end of each blog post, I will have a link that says something like 'Discuss this blog post in the forum'. Clicking on that link will take the viewer to the message board where I will have created an individual forum/message board thread for all to discuss the blog discussion in detail.

I think integrating a message board application like vBullentin would be a great way to create a sense of 'community' to complement the blog.

[richkid]

ok.... I am looking forward to seeing it in action. Are you working on the blog design yet?

[Cognition]

ok.... I am looking forward to seeing it in action. Are you working on the blog design yet?

I will be using a free template that has been significantly modified to complement the nature of the blog as well as the functional aspect.

Once traffic builds, I plan on getting Nate Whitehill of Unique Blog Designs to do a total complete design.

For now, I have to be 'resourceful' and use what I have - a template and coding resources [HTML, CSS, PHP, etc] for the launch of the blog.

We probably won't launch until January 2008. Believe me, I am developing a most effective, comprehensible strategy for launch that will get us 'on the ground running' [design, function, traffic building, and content].