I've recently made a weight loss community website at i-weightloss.com which includes a forum. I'd like to get it active, so I've started by making posts and threads of my own.

I have money to advertise and many people recommend to have a content for posts, I'm not sure if this is the approach I should use, and if so, what kind of prizes can I give. Weight loss products? Money? How long should a content run for?

Thanks for the help.

How much traffic is your main site getting?

have you try paying some one to be a MOD to take care of your forum??

Originally Posted by petertdavis

How much traffic is your main site getting?

Barely any. It's only been up for a month or so, I've just been working on backlinks mostly and some SEO. I'd like to drive traffic to the forums mainly, but I was thinking that the content doesn't have to only include the forum posts. If users submit articles, or make blog posts, they can gain more points that way as well. It would be kind of an entire site contest.

have you try paying some one to be a MOD to take care of your forum??

No, I'd like to mod it at the start by myself, and if it gets bigger then Ill get some help.

Put flyers up in McDonalds.

I don't know much about that area. You gotta brand yourself. Give yourself a spin. Do something unique or slightly different that makes your forum better. Right some good articles and submit them to health sites. Anything that is good quality will be embraced under most circumstances.

The flyers idea is pretty cool, however, not everybody knows how to use a forum.

What I'm thinking is that you need to give folks a reason to join up and participate on your site instead of the 900,000 other weight loss sites out there. How are you helping people solve their weight problems?

Originally Posted by petertdavis

What I'm thinking is that you need to give folks a reason to join up and participate on your site instead of the 900,000 other weight loss sites out there. How are you helping people solve their weight problems?

Everyone knows its alot easier to be motivated when you're around others who are after the same thing, so I wanted to make it more of a community rather than just a forum like the other 900,00 weight loss sites out there.

People will be able to submit their own articles, journals, success stories, workout plans, etc. to be published on the site, and they'll be able to read other members' stuff as well. They'll also have a blog where they can keep their journal. And ofcourse there will be the forum where people can have discussions and whatnot. I think my site would be more of a community where the majority of the information will be coming from the users of the site.

So I guess the question is, what can I offer these people as a prizes for winning the contest and how long should the contest last? Would they want money the most? Maybe a weight loss related product? A membership to some kind of offline weight loss program?

Maybe a weight loss related product? membership to some kind of offline weight loss program?

That's what I was thinking of, But I think it's hard to submit?
Or for the membership, How would you know about the "offline" gym near them?

Everyone knows its alot easier to be motivated when you're around others who are after the same thing, so I wanted to make it more of a community rather than just a forum like the other 900,00 weight loss sites out there.

Well, that's great, giving folks a sense of community is a good draw, but you're facing a chicken/egg problem with that.

People will be able to submit their own articles, journals, success stories, workout plans, etc. to be published on the site,

Sounds like you're expecting a lot of work from your members. Why would they want to do that for you?

what can I offer these people as a prizes for winning the contest and how long should the contest last?

I think we've seen that contests can be a good way to kick start a forum. However, in the space you're trying to get into, I think you need something more meaty beyond the 'hook' that a contest will provide.

Being a trainee hypnotherapist myself I think it would be a great idea to offer a hypnotherapy session as a prize. Perhaps you could get a voucher from a local (this is where the plan might fall down!) therapist in exchange for advertising space on your forum.

Or perhaps you could get hypnotherapy CD's on weightloss which would get over the logistical problem.

I plan to lose 2 stone next year so this is something that's close to me heart

Cheers & Good luck, p.

Being that I like food and have had diabetes etc.. with pregnancy in the past.. I view alot of different "diet" forums. Honestly, and I mean NO offence at all by this.. first view of the site and it seems impersonal to me. Its set up in crisp clean colors, which look great from an admin view.. but from a user view ( to me anyway) looks like a business, not a community that wants to help.
First thing I look at when visiting a weight loss forum (3 fat chicks, atkins bb etc) is success stories and pics.. its what motivates. After that the general daily diet areas.. not induction, not maintain, the people trying to lose now. If it is informative and friendly I come back and read more.

I am in no way trying to put the site down.. IMHO even with the 9760976976 sites out there, there is always room for more. It is a good idea, but one that has been done by many. And in first view of the site, as a dieter, I would not see myself going back as it sets.

Again, this is not meant to sound hateful etc.. If you think in a dieters frame of mind, there is not much there to offer right now.

One way of making your community active is to hire the services of a company who has the experience of activating a forum and also posting articles on blog.

running everyday and meeting some friends is a great side benefit of weight loss