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harishankar
Joined: 10 Sep 2005
Posts: 203
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 Posted: 4/29/2006, 10:08 am Post subject: Should I close down my forum? |
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I've been running my forum literaryforums.org for about a year and a half now. I've got the following stats till date:
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Posts: 4,229
Threads: 910
Members: 244 |
Bear in mind that out of 4000+ posts I've posted more than 900 posts.
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Posts per day: 7.65
Threads per day: 1.65
Members per day: 0.44
Posts per member: 17.33
Replies per thread: 3.65 |
Initially I tried really hard to promote my board for the first six months or so. But nothing really helped. I don't have the money to spend on advertising and I depend mostly on google and of course, my participation in other forums to get me membership.
But going by some of the posts here, it appears that my forum should be a "dead" one by now.
The thing is, it's hard to get a literary community to discuss, because apart from book reviews and user contributed fiction/poetry section (which is great content but makes for little discussion value) there is no activity on my forum.
I like the content I've managed to generate, but this hasn't translated into an active community. I'd love your honest and genuine opinions on this one... because I've no longer the drive which I initially had. It's pretty depressing to visit my board every day and see no new posts (or just a couple of posts)...
(There were times when I thought it would pick up when I get members, but it's simply not growing and even regular participants who used to post some time back are now quiet).
My constraints: I don't have the extra money required or the method (no credit card/paypal account etc. etc.) to spend or receive money online. Obviously I cannot have contests and give prizes etc. Even on large boards, I don't see contests as the primary method of promoting forum activity.)
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~HG~
Joined: 25 Sep 2005
Posts: 423
Location: Australia
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| Posted: 4/29/2006, 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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I have a points system on one of my boards that rewards the members for posting among other things, which is exchanged for cash when they reach $50 (that takes on average about a year to achieve unless they activately buy through affilliates)
I have many of them say they are not really interested in cashing in as they are there for the enjoyment of the company of those that post regularly on the board.
So in effect, even though using a reward system will bring you some members, it is not what drives members to particiapate.
I have found the only way to have them participate is to remind them regularly via mass emails that the forum does in fact exist.
When mass emailing always ensure you include a link back to your forum for them to click on. One way is to include a link back to an interesting topic that you would like them to comment on rather than just the index page.
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Nick
Joined: 09 Sep 2005
Posts: 775
Location: Next to the stereo
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| Posted: 4/29/2006, 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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I think mass e-mails sometimes instill a feeling of guilt - I'd rather my members post because they thoroughly enjoy the place.
harishanker - think about installing a GD board apart from your literaryforums.org and then connecting members who join there to LF. I know that a couple of my active members on my main board came from my secondary Shannara forums which is very specific in its focus, like your literaryforums. I think once they join one of your forums they're more likely to join more.
There's also free affiliation - http://www.communityadmins.com/viewtopic.php?t=107
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harishankar
Joined: 10 Sep 2005
Posts: 203
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| Posted: 4/30/2006, 2:31 am Post subject: |
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Nick, once I make a few changes to my forum, I'll be interested in a link exchange with you. :)Thanks for the suggestion. I'm also going to consider vBulletin. I've heard many people say that forum activity used to pick up when they changed to vBulletin.
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Nick
Joined: 09 Sep 2005
Posts: 775
Location: Next to the stereo
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| Posted: 4/30/2006, 2:54 am Post subject: |
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Sure thing - the Partner Site topic is a specific type of exchange but I accept both buttons and text links as well.
And if you've got the money to spend on it, vB can be a good assest.
By the way, on how many other forums do you post with your link in your signature?
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Teknomancer
Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 335
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| Posted: 4/30/2006, 5:12 am Post subject: |
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| Nick wrote: |
I think mass e-mails sometimes instill a feeling of guilt - I'd rather my members post because they thoroughly enjoy the place.
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What do you mean by "instill a feeling of guilt" ? You mean you feel like you're cheating when you use it ?
I feel mass e-mailing should be done only for LARGE milestones, of course initially a forum can have small milestone e-mails like 100 members but as it grows mass e-mailing should decline... and at NO point should it annoy members to the point where you get a PM from a member asking you to stop mailing him all the time
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harishankar
Joined: 10 Sep 2005
Posts: 203
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| Posted: 4/30/2006, 8:52 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, I can see a community bulletin being useful in bringing back members. I think I should use something like that.
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Nick
Joined: 09 Sep 2005
Posts: 775
Location: Next to the stereo
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| Posted: 4/30/2006, 9:39 am Post subject: |
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| Teknomancer wrote: |
| Nick wrote: |
I think mass e-mails sometimes instill a feeling of guilt - I'd rather my members post because they thoroughly enjoy the place.
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What do you mean by "instill a feeling of guilt" ? You mean you feel like you're cheating when you use it ?
I feel mass e-mailing should be done only for LARGE milestones, of course initially a forum can have small milestone e-mails like 100 members but as it grows mass e-mailing should decline... and at NO point should it annoy members to the point where you get a PM from a member asking you to stop mailing him all the time
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No, I mean like users then feel guilty for being away or whatever and post based on obligation, not a genuine want for discussion.
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harishankar
Joined: 10 Sep 2005
Posts: 203
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| Posted: 4/30/2006, 10:21 am Post subject: |
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I can understand that. I once sent a new year greeting to my members. I got back one member, but he posted a couple of messages and then didn't come back after that.
I have members who post very very rarely. They come back once in a blue moon, post a couple of messages and then leave. This is what is so depressing that even long time members don't stick around although they remember the forum...
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Teknomancer
Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 335
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| Posted: 5/1/2006, 3:18 am Post subject: |
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| Nick wrote: |
| Teknomancer wrote: |
| Nick wrote: |
I think mass e-mails sometimes instill a feeling of guilt - I'd rather my members post because they thoroughly enjoy the place.
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What do you mean by "instill a feeling of guilt" ? You mean you feel like you're cheating when you use it ?
I feel mass e-mailing should be done only for LARGE milestones, of course initially a forum can have small milestone e-mails like 100 members but as it grows mass e-mailing should decline... and at NO point should it annoy members to the point where you get a PM from a member asking you to stop mailing him all the time
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No, I mean like users then feel guilty for being away or whatever and post based on obligation, not a genuine want for discussion. |
Well you don't mail them "reminding" of the community (though that is what we basically are) we actually are Announcing some Milestone achieved by the forum such as 100 members, 5000 posts etc.
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