keeping a forum alive

trick-r-treat · **keeping a forum alive -** 02-19-2008, 07:04 PM

I guess there are a lot of reasons to want to start a forum, but if people do not participate, a potentially good forum can die out. What are some ways to keep it going?

Stav. · 02-22-2008, 10:47 AM

If there is something to keep people coming back, perhaps a contest of some sort, then people will save it into their favourites and hopefully keep coming to check.

For instance we have a weekly predictions contest running, with over a hundred entries. There is a small prize for the winner plus a special 'medal' icon for their signature. Keeps them coming for a look!

trick-r-treat · 02-23-2008, 05:05 PM

Now, that is true - I love to see contests on a forum. Especially since most likely, the contest pertains to the forum and it is something that everyone in the forum has in interest in. It is an incentive to keep coming back!

Stav. · 02-24-2008, 10:40 PM

People like to think they can win things, and at the same time show off their knowledge of the chosen subject. In our case the football team.

SageMother · 02-25-2008, 12:43 AM

Depending on the focus of the forum, discount codes for coveted items can keep them coming back.

Stav. · 02-25-2008, 11:17 PM

Doesn't that sort of thing open up a whole load of ha s s les with merchandising and stuff? It can be a lot of work and for little return?

HeadCase · 02-26-2008, 01:43 AM

At first it's difficult to start a forum. Try and start one with some of your friends, so you can at least write back and forth to each other. Contests are excellent. I saw one forum that had a bouncing ball in the posts that would randomly bounce from post to post, even in different threads. It would keep people interested in where the ball would go next.

Green-Moo · 02-27-2008, 10:40 AM

One of the forums I use has lots of polls. They're easy polls, but they get a bit of chat going & require minimal effort to take part in.

HeadCase · 02-28-2008, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Green-Moo

One of the forums I use has lots of polls. They're easy polls, but they get a bit of chat going & require minimal effort to take part in.

I've seen sites like that. There was this one site I went to where they had a forum specifically for polls. Every thread had to be started with a poll question.

ammulu · 03-01-2008, 10:50 PM

I too came across certain forums which had poll questions but it was optional and not really every thread started off with a poll but it is a good option to vote for according to our opinions. I really never thought of starting a forum and so can't really speak about it.