Post by Ashmadai on Nov 5, 2005 15:30:08 GMT -5
So you've started your own board and you spent a bazillion hours to get it just right, but you have no members. What are you to do?
Before starting anything else, go through the basics.
First, check that your text can be easily read and try to have your board checked with different browsers. Once you are sure that the layout does in fact work well, try the following:
1) Make sure you have a back-up Admin for your board. This can easily be done by creating a second account and making that account an Admin too. Save your passwords and usernames in a safe place, preferably in a notebook kept by the computer so if you have a hard drive failure you don't loose the information.
2) Make sure you have topics in every forum you created. Start a topic (i.e. Welcme message) for each forum explaining what that particular forum is about or post an example of what you would like to see there. Don't wait for members to provide content - you have to lure them there and make them want to reply.
3) If you can, use the keywords/description function of the board control panel to enter fitting keywords that google will use to direct people to your board.
4) Put a link to your board in your signature. Participate in other boards (don't spam!) and make friends. They'll come and visit you in turn.
5) Put your own board into the favourites list of your personal information center and make it visible to others. Make sure you put the URL in your notebook, if you have one.
6) Put your board into the correct categories on this forum. Don't just give a link, show people why your board is interesting. Use good English and put in a relevant description. And if you're up to it, you might even put in a screenshot.
7) Keep posting on your board. Don't let it sag back - find at least on forum that you keep going on your own. Do not be embarassed about creating other accounts to "talk to yourself", you may feel silly at first but in reality people really don't know who anyone is -- as a general rule. People look for activity and you can always phase out the extra people.
Last but not least some Don'ts:
Don't ever beg for members or worse for people to want to become mods. Don't send people PMs. Don't drop random posts into other boards - you'll get marked for spamming, and people will avoid you.
With a bit of tenacity and a good core group, a board can be a source of pleasure even without a lot of members. And who knows, you might hit it off real well.
Good luck!
Before starting anything else, go through the basics.
First, check that your text can be easily read and try to have your board checked with different browsers. Once you are sure that the layout does in fact work well, try the following:
1) Make sure you have a back-up Admin for your board. This can easily be done by creating a second account and making that account an Admin too. Save your passwords and usernames in a safe place, preferably in a notebook kept by the computer so if you have a hard drive failure you don't loose the information.
2) Make sure you have topics in every forum you created. Start a topic (i.e. Welcme message) for each forum explaining what that particular forum is about or post an example of what you would like to see there. Don't wait for members to provide content - you have to lure them there and make them want to reply.
3) If you can, use the keywords/description function of the board control panel to enter fitting keywords that google will use to direct people to your board.
4) Put a link to your board in your signature. Participate in other boards (don't spam!) and make friends. They'll come and visit you in turn.
5) Put your own board into the favourites list of your personal information center and make it visible to others. Make sure you put the URL in your notebook, if you have one.
6) Put your board into the correct categories on this forum. Don't just give a link, show people why your board is interesting. Use good English and put in a relevant description. And if you're up to it, you might even put in a screenshot.
7) Keep posting on your board. Don't let it sag back - find at least on forum that you keep going on your own. Do not be embarassed about creating other accounts to "talk to yourself", you may feel silly at first but in reality people really don't know who anyone is -- as a general rule. People look for activity and you can always phase out the extra people.
Last but not least some Don'ts:
Don't ever beg for members or worse for people to want to become mods. Don't send people PMs. Don't drop random posts into other boards - you'll get marked for spamming, and people will avoid you.
With a bit of tenacity and a good core group, a board can be a source of pleasure even without a lot of members. And who knows, you might hit it off real well.
Good luck!
? is their something in admin for it