Launching And Running Forums How to effectivley run forums

[africa 0]

Hi to all,

 

I have been working towards running my own forums and would appreciate any advice you can give me. Thanks to the many members here, especially Truefusion, my idia is finally materialising!

 

I would like to know how best i can make them popular and get a large number of people to post threads. The other problem that I have is that I am running solo and would like moderators and all. I do not know where exactly to look and if i should trust someone I just bump into to moderate and run the show when I am not online.

 

If there is anyone who is interested in being a moderator...just PM me and then we'll take it from there. I am now working on my SEO and things are looking quite bright!

 

If you think I should consider somethign carefully..please let me know.

 

Thanks

[TheDisturbedOne 1]

I think the key to a good forum is a good topic. If somebody just makes another gaming forum, I think I'm going to die. You should also pick a good software (SMF 2.0 RC 1 is a good one ). SMF is my favorite because they have a ton of themes, and the MODs install easily and fast. You also want to have a good moderation team going. If you get attacked by spambots, you don't want the topics to sit there forever. Get a bunch of your friends to join and help bring it up. I did that with mine, and we're at around 150-200 posts per day over the last month.

[Pankyy 0]

The first path to get many posts/topics per day in a forum is to bring in more people (it sounds easy, and obvious, but it's not). An idea you can use to bring in more people to see and maybe register your forum, is, for example, creating tutorials. You can create a part for photoshop tutorials, and start creating some good and interesting photoshop tutorials that some people might search (I did many times). Photoshop is just an example, you can do this for any editing program you want. After that, maybe more people will join and some will start helping you out with it. The start is always the hardest part, when you go across it, it'll be much easier.PD: I have to learn how to make better the SEO.

[Ash-Bash 0]

1) Well make you forum unique,Don't copy or make it like others otherwise it would seem boring.2) Try to do it on one of your hobies so you know what you are doing if any questions about things come along. 3) Try and use an SEO or manually submitt it to search engines, Make sure its popular otherwise search engines wont want to know you.4) Good luck

[rvalkass 5]

I would like to know how best i can make them popular and get a large number of people to post threads.

Give people a reason to keep coming back. The point of a forum is usually to discuss a particular topic with likeminded people, and many people make the mistake of adding sections to their forum that are far too general. Make perhaps one section of the forums as a general "everything that doesn't fit somewhere else" forum, and keep the rest closely related to your topic.

You also need high quality content so that people can find you in search engines, and will want to hang around. Most forums have SEO modifications to make them better for search engines, so use them. Make sure all the content on your forum is well written and relevant.

Finally, get the word out there. Tell people why they should visit your forum, and what it offers over and above the millions of other forums out there. Tell friends, family, people online - anyone and everyone who might be interested in whatever topic you've based your forum around. Place a link in your signature on all the forums you visit (if they allow it), and even make posts about it to let people know you're out there.

The other problem that I have is that I am running solo and would like moderators and all. I do not know where exactly to look and if i should trust someone I just bump into to moderate and run the show when I am not online.
If there is anyone who is interested in being a moderator...just PM me and then we'll take it from there.

This is an incredibly bad idea. People always leap in and assume they need about a dozen moderators and three or four admins, and they just get swamped with staff arguing with one another. Look at Xisto - thousands of members, a handful of moderators! Just have yourself to start with. When you find you have too much to deal with on your own, then select potential candidates for moderator from your users. Look at the most helpful and the best contributors, and offer one of them the post. If they refuse, offer it to someone else. Each time you feel like the workload is too much for your current staff, hire one more from the best members you have. That way you can be sure that they are dedicated to the forum, won't cause you hassle, and will do whatever they can to improve the forum.

[Veradesigns 0]

i am interested but problem is i don't have time to even get on this forum to reply to everyone. its currently 1 am and i am still on probably cause i have homework to do but yea if you really need mods i can be a temporary one i mean not much but i can help with probably anything Google is my main brain

[africa 0]

Well thank you all for the valuable suggestions!

also pick a good software (SMF 2.0 RC 1)

I have been using phpbb3 but i am not too impressed with the mods so after coming close to finishing, i am on the prowl for something a bit better.

i am interested but problem is i don't have time to even get on this forum to reply to everyone. its currently 1 am and i am still on probably cause i have homework to do but yea if you really need mods i can be a temporary one i mean not much but i can help with probably anything Google is my main brain

Thanks very much. As I have said, i think i have to start over again..some of the mods used by phpbb3 are not the best around so i am still looking around. I will contact you when i finish. Give me a few weeks! Thanks very much.

I have also found a very great site where i get to discuss stuff about moderating, making money and generally how to run good forums.

The admin zone.

I am still paying attention to this thread so if you still have suggestions..please don't think twice!

[ackotheadvertiser 0]

If you already installed the forum, I'll suggest finding some messenger friends and make them register with few accounts and post with at least some of them every day. than with some promotion and SEO people will come to your forum, when they see it's active. I know from experience that people won't register at empty and forums with no (new)posts. Also, allow guest posts to some of the forums. That way people can avoid registration and that's a big plus.

[Ash-Bash 0]

Acko,You have basically copied what we have all said but put it in your own words....

[TheDisturbedOne 1]

Having guests post is the WORST thing to do. You will have no idea who they are, and it will be used by more spambots then normal people.

[Pankyy 0]

Having guests post is the WORST thing to do. You will have no idea who they are, and it will be used by more spambots then normal people.

Anyway, spambots do quick spam, if he knows PHP or searchs for a special mod, that will only allow 1 post per minute per IP, he would get over that problem. It's always better to have a user database, though this can help to bring in more interest to people.

[Ash-Bash 0]

A well made point willie,Yeh don't let guest's post as you will get the spam bots advertising ect....

[Echo_of_thunder 1]

just remember what ever you do of your forum or forums. Back Up Everything at least weekly. that way if something Beeps out you can have a backup. Trust me I found that out the hard way.

[Ash-Bash 0]

just remember what ever you do of your forum or forums. Back Up Everything at least weekly. that way if something Beeps out you can have a backup. Trust me I found that out the hard way.

Yup same I forgot to back up my forum.

Installed a mod and every thing went wrong in the data base ect...

[africa 0]

just remember what ever you do of your forum or forums. Back Up Everything at least weekly. that way if something Beeps out you can have a backup. Trust me I found that out the hard way.

Thanks. i used to have a website that crashed after a couple of weeks and i lost everything!

Now i want to use an automatic system that backups and stores the database in my email account everyday!