Hello!

I am trying to build up a forum community at the moment (or at least make the site semi-active before more users come) with a competition for an Amazon voucher. I have advertised this competition in 2 places, yet I still have no sign ups.

Is there anywhere I can advertise forum competitions like this? Is this an effective way of getting content on a forum? I know many won't stick around, but to get the content there, and a small amount of activity will help to get new users!

Try to advertise that on social networking like Facebook and Multiply

Use social networking sites for promotion it is the best way for getting traffic in any type of site.

If you have budget you should also think about PPC method of marketing. Since your niche is hard time getting traffic at first rate.

Originally Posted by khaiylle

If you have budget you should also think about PPC method of marketing. Since your niche is hard time getting traffic at first rate.

Already trying the PPC route, tons of clicks. No forum members though.

Competitions do not bring members, competitions bring entrants who stay for the duration of the contest, fulfill the requirements then disappear back into the woodwork.

Good content and patient promotion brings members, then four or five years later on the community reaches "critical mass" and does it's own promotion.

"Ketts rebellion" on the "home page" that'll get 'em flooding in!

You do realise that your site/forum isn't going to be a runaway success with members fighting for position,
Well, not unless you get Phil Harding or Mick Aston to join


BTW you suffer from the usual Joomla "bloat" where pages do not always load first time.

Originally Posted by chrishirst

"Ketts rebellion" on the "home page" that'll get 'em flooding in!

You do realise that your site/forum isn't going to be a runaway success with members fighting for position,
Well, not unless you get Phil Harding or Mick Aston to join


BTW you suffer from the usual Joomla "bloat" where pages do not always load first time.

Of course it will! I mean...obvious niche there. Everybody wants to know about Kett's Rebellion! They just don't know they need to know yet.

Yep, I realise that. I am aiming for 100-200 active members. It is a very specific niche.

and thanks. May go away from Joomla been considering it anyway.

Originally Posted by chrishirst

Competitions do not bring members, competitions bring entrants who stay for the duration of the contest, fulfill the requirements then disappear back into the woodwork.

Good content and patient promotion brings members, then four or five years later on the community reaches "critical mass" and does it's own promotion.

I have to agree, you need good quality content in order to make the new visitors "stick", although any viral forms of internet marketing can't be too bad. Just make sure you have very high quality content in order to keep the viewers interested and coming back for more.

There is of course the investment principle in psychology which says that when people invest a lot of time and money onto somehing they're likely to stick it out. One of the reasons amatuer poker players do so badly is they throw in a few chips on a hand, and the more money they put in the more "invested" they feel with it, and will ride it out all the way through to the end, when a pro player would know to back out. Pro players know this and exploit it to make money off novice players like this.

A competition with a lot of qualifying loops that require work from the viewer may be a good way to get users invested onto your website and get them to keep coming back.