Internet Marketing Tycoon

**AutoShopLinks** · 02-23-2007, 04:24 PM

Hello everyone,
My website has been up for about 5 months now and I want to build an automotive community through my forum. However, I am having a hard time getting people registerd and talking. Does anyone have any suggestions? I offered to raffle prizes for the first 1000 people that registerd but it hasnt really worked. Can anyone recommend anything? Should I pay people to post? If so, how should I promote that??? Help!

**sar420** · 02-23-2007, 07:06 PM

Yes, paying people to post is the best alternative to you. And its not as if you'd be starting a unique trend. On DP forums, there are lots of forum owners who pay people to post in their forums. Have myself posted in such forums for cash.

**chrishirst** · 02-23-2007, 07:10 PM

Only 5 months?

Forums take a lot of work, dedication and two years or more to reach "critical mass"

Ask yourself, "Why do I have a forum?" if the answer is anything to do with SE promotion or generating sales/leads it's the wrong reasons.

**stOx** · 02-23-2007, 07:14 PM

Forums are the absolute hardest type of site to build. You are completely relient on others to build your content and keep your theme.

So really, Theres not a lot you can do besides give a lot more time, Engage anyone who does join and post, and see what happens.

**AutoShopLinks** · 02-23-2007, 09:33 PM

If i were to pay people to post...whats the best way to promote that? How can I let people know that I am paying them per post? Also how do people forums usually pay people? Do they send a check monthly??

THanks

**stOx** · 02-23-2007, 11:08 PM

I think they usually hold paymets until they reach a certain amount ($50 or so) then pay by paypal.

You could promote it first with a link in your sig and secondly with adwords.

**swiftmed** · 02-25-2007, 10:11 AM

Forums alone may take a lot of effort to build up. If you have some other site of the same theme as your forums, then it can help build up your forums. Example would be to offer product support in your forum, accessing special features of your site by registering on your site first, which automatically registers them on the forum. For this, there are many bridging software available, eg SMF and Joomla! bridge. You can even give special features only to those who have had x amount of posts in the past 30 days etc. Whatever you offer, it has to be a good one. But as others said, paid posting helps put things on the run.

**pace** · 02-25-2007, 11:00 PM

If you're going to use paid posting, probably best not to advertise it - there are a few paid posting sites which will send their employees to your site with thh aim of adding posts and stimulating conversation. This keeps your forum busy and helps with retention, but may not be so useful in getting new members (except the ones you paid to join)

**pace** · 02-25-2007, 11:01 PM

forgot to mention, try forumfairy.com or a google search for paid posting

**teampower** · 05-12-2007, 09:11 AM

look smf the have mod that u can install on your forums when the sign the will have there affiliate url and u can set the price per post