Popular Forums: Starting a new one?

Truestar · Moderator

Hello everybody,

I've decided once again I'd like to start another forum. And I thought I could bring a good topic too. Smile

What happens, when you love something, but so do many people around the world? You want to start a small site with a forum, but there is already hundreds of forums about it. Not to mention the official site having one too.

What's your plan on launching this community? You have some competition so if you want to get noticed you'll have to pull something big.

Thanks,
TS
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Mercury · Posted: 4/23/2006, 8:25 pm Post subject:

As per another topic I posted in, perhaps focusing on some aspects of a subject that hasn't been as focused on by many others that you think could promote some good discussions and trying to utilize this. Also, adding some misc. unique subjects, features, and aesthetics could help make your forum just as attractive despite being about something that serves as the focus for many other forums as well.
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Cross_+_Flame · Posted: 4/23/2006, 8:39 pm Post subject:

If it's "another forum" then I would certainly advertize it on my original community. As Patrick did, I heard about CA because of its advertisements on phpbbhacks. Popularity follows leadership, so if your leadership starts another project usually persons who are interested from your original site will come over...particularly if there is faster moderating need!
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Queen.Zeal · Posted: 4/24/2006, 1:11 am Post subject:

I don't agree with you, actually, when you say that popularity follows leadership. Consider runescape. It's a java-based mmorpg. zezima is the top player and, within runescape, sort-of has a cult following. Any runescape board that he were to post on would, I am very very confident, become almost instantly popular.

It's not that you have to focus on some unique aspect - or have a "strong" admin - it's that you have to have a feature that no one else has and that everyone else would want.

Patrick · Administrator

I don't really think you need to have any particular feature that no one else has. I mean, it'd help, but I don't think it's a must. I always say that there is always room for quality. Create something good and work hard and you'll get people. I don't think you need to "pull something big." Just create a good community in line with your goals and that will make it fairly unique probably and then get a few friends and get posting.

I always like to say that any community I manage is unique for the simple fact that it has me running it. Now, that may sound rather conceited, but I like to believe that my attention to detail and my dedication and my approach are different from most community administrators in the world and this represents a value that will shine through to my members.

And, there is usually a niche that people haven't focused on too much, like Mercury said. You could always make your mark there, as well.
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Dog Cow · Posted: 6/4/2007, 1:59 pm Post subject:

There may be many other sites with a similar interest, but not everyone knows about them all. More people may visit your site just because they don't know about any others.

Although this works in reverse too- no one could visit your site because there are other similar sites. :/
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Nick · Posted: 6/5/2007, 12:25 pm Post subject:

Make yours look professional.
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blaster · Posted: 6/7/2007, 8:20 pm Post subject:

I face the same problem as you. Personally i haven't done anything. But the main thing is working on your SEO and getting to higher pages. It happens a lot with webhosts and i've worked to get a fair amount of them up and running fairly good. But really you have to work with people for link exchanges and post about it in other forums and all.
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SunnyGirl · Posted: 3/18/2008, 9:47 am Post subject:

Posting in other forums about your new competitor? Why should any forum owner allow that? You may use a signature link but blatant spamming a forum is not a good style!
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JKThinking · Posted: 3/30/2008, 2:20 pm Post subject: