Social Network Marketing Tycoon

**imported_ipodman** · 08-11-2006, 12:29 PM

Hey,

Well a big question all the little guys ask the big ones is:-

How do you get members?

So, How do you?

For me I use Ad networks such as Google Adwords and Clicksor to get members and i have found it to work but has anyone got any cheap ways?

**PeterLancs** · 08-11-2006, 12:31 PM

post on forums related to your site, make sure users have something to post on and use competitions, fun competitions!

**Lpspider** · 08-11-2006, 12:46 PM

To get members, you've got to give them a reason to join. Most of my members are "natural".

**smnoel** · 08-11-2006, 05:52 PM

I like meeting new people and sharing what I'm passionate about. Some of my members are from search, but many are 6 degrees of separation.

**mrahul** · 08-12-2006, 09:28 AM

mostly advertising on other same related typed forums with their forum rules restrictions & from search engines

**Srirangan** · 08-12-2006, 10:18 AM

I'ld jump the gun here.

1. You need a sound business plan.
2. You need an equally sound marketing ideas.

Without these two you aren't going to go anywhere. You can't start a forum about just any topic (no matter how good it is) and hope things will automatically come together and work out. That doesn't happen. I learnt it first hand.

Buy a few marketing books, read them. Understand the principle's at work. Look at Google's products, try to follow which worked, which didn't and why. Try to study eBay, Digg and other succesful ventures.

I'ld start with thinking of a good product that adds real value to the user. Once you have the product, ask yourself how can I market this. Once you have a successful marketing plan, figure out how you are going to manage the project not only the development but also post developement when running the business is the main concern.

If you have all the answers, then venture out. You are not losing time, there is no such thing as first-movers-advantage on the internet. Google wasn't the first search engine, eBay wasn't the first auction site.

**Phelps** · 08-12-2006, 03:48 PM

Look at Kanosis website. Innovative way.

**imported_Nikolas** · 08-21-2006, 08:21 AM

First you need to have a forum that worths to register (add some cool content, an original layout and of course some modifications to your software)

Then you can get members by making quallity posts (using a signature) to forums that has relative topic to yours.

Also competitions can get you members (especcially of you do a money award contest) but don't expect too much from these members.

**njoker555** · 08-21-2006, 12:14 PM

i go on forums mostly to advertise, my forum is known as gamers-forum but people can talk about anything there, im thinking of changing the name to something more, well something better, im also trying to get my own domain name becuase i have to use that as a part of my other site that i dont like, i currently have NO money to spend on these

**imported_ahpeg** · 08-22-2006, 09:08 AM

post your site on every forum

**unionisnotdead** · 08-22-2006, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Srirangan

I'ld jump the gun here.

1. You need a sound business plan.
2. You need an equally sound marketing ideas.

Without these two you aren't going to go anywhere. You can't start a forum about just any topic (no matter how good it is) and hope things will automatically come together and work out. That doesn't happen. I learnt it first hand.

Buy a few marketing books, read them. Understand the principle's at work. Look at Google's products, try to follow which worked, which didn't and why. Try to study eBay, Digg and other succesful ventures.

I'ld start with thinking of a good product that adds real value to the user. Once you have the product, ask yourself how can I market this. Once you have a successful marketing plan, figure out how you are going to manage the project not only the development but also post developement when running the business is the main concern.

If you have all the answers, then venture out. You are not losing time, there is no such thing as first-movers-advantage on the internet. Google wasn't the first search engine, eBay wasn't the first auction site.

I think your taking yourself too seriously.

**Rhys49** · 08-22-2006, 10:00 AM

Put a link to your site on every forum you are on AND put it in every sig.

I got a PR2 just by Posting 350 posts on a PR3 forum! And I got 20 members in a month for no reason.

**Bookworm-SEO** · 08-22-2006, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Srirangan

If you have all the answers, then venture out. You are not losing time, there is no such thing as first-movers-advantage on the internet. Google wasn't the first search engine, eBay wasn't the first auction site.

Excuse me? While some websites manage to overcome the competition, there definitely is a 1st mover's advantage. Gizmodo or Gawker? Problogger.net or problogging.com? etc.

Try starting up a blog on blogging and see how far you get.

**RidinHighSpeeds** · 12-01-2006, 06:18 PM

I don't know if many of you have heard of facebook, but i've been advertising on there and I have been getting results.

I don't know if you remember the incident at UCLA where the student was tazed a couple of weeks ago, but I posted an advertisement at the UCLA network on facebook, and got a good amount of students there to sign up. Lot's of them got involved in the discussion about the incident and then visited the other discussions going on in the forums.

It only cost me around $10-15 for the flyer.

I think facebook is well worth it.

**Srirangan** · 12-01-2006, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookworm-SEO

Excuse me? While some websites manage to overcome the competition, there definitely is a 1st mover's advantage. Gizmodo or Gawker? Problogger.net or problogging.com? etc.

Try starting up a blog on blogging and see how far you get.

Again, depends on the content of my blogs. Or if I'm offering a service then the quality of the service.

**jchengery** · 12-24-2006, 12:59 AM

Hello ipodman,

I agree with the others suggesting you advertise on other forums related to your own, especially with your signature link. That's free advertising right there to people who have an interest in similar ideas, so they'll likely come to check out your forum as well. Just try to make sure there is some activity going on in the forums first to encourage other people to sign up and participate. Otherwise, they may visit, think no one is around, and likely won't want to stay either.

I'd also be leery of offering too many reward-incentives - some people may post just to post in order to get the rewards, but won't contribute much actual value to the forum itself. And, if the rewards are ever discontinued, it's quite possible those people won't return either.

Hopefully, this is helpful. Good luck with your forum!

Happy Holidays, everyone, and have a happy, safe, and prosperous 2007! :-)

Sincerely,

Joe Chengery III

**Rocket 442** · 12-24-2006, 02:52 AM

I get members a few ways.

1.) I obviously put my site is my signature around other forums like mine, and really just about anywhere else too.

2.) I make image signatures for people for free, the only catch is I add a little fbodyonline.com text to it. This really is suprising, and i've got probably 10-15 members in less than 2 months from it, and my forum is quite small still.
I run a Camaro/Firebird site, so anyone just submits me photos of their car and I make them from that.
Many people from other sites they use that signature on see the url and check it out

**reaper** · 01-06-2007, 09:10 PM

two words.....interaction and communication

without those 2 u have nothing

**vynes18** · 01-08-2007, 08:12 AM

the best is advertise, also using adgridword and linkrefferal

**imported_Switch** · 01-17-2007, 10:22 PM

Offer them cake