I can never get enough (any, hehe) members for my forums, I'm wondering why. My forums are usually well-rounded covering several topics, those topics may be unrelated, though, is that why people don't join? I figured if I have a little bit of everything than everyone will be interested in joining, but I have seen that specialised forums get way more members than I. Any suggestions on what topics I should use? Whether I should focus on one topic, or how I should change my forums? I really need help here.

the link to my forum is in my signature.

start with your circle of friends. encourage them to discuss things in your forum as much as they can. when you have good discussions and content going on in there, then perhaps those visitors who chance upon your forum would be enticed to register and join your discussions too. from there, your membership will start to get large and wide.

as for topics, anything will be good for your forum, but it would be best if you can specialize in something you have a substantial knowledge of -- at least for a start. give your visitors (and potential forum members) topics they would want to contribute into -- even for just a query or a comment or additional info. as your discussions progress, you will gain more members wanting the same information or content as you have.

start small, dream big! good luck with your forums.

Thanks! I'll round up my friends and get them posting, and I'll think of what to specialise to. Here we go!

Yeah same here. Offer something someone likes, like points awards or hosting or boradband. ANything. Then advertise that. Make it fun with weekly or monthly drawings for something cheap but great. Maybe even start one where people can by tickets for it? Just some suggestions. If you offer something good, people will be more likely to come for it. I saw one that offers free domains with posting, free templates. If you have a talent that people want, and can do it for a profit, bingo, you got it made.

I'll search for my talents and see how I can attract more members. Thanks so much everyone! I took the first step and did a TOTAL reformation of the site, different look and different approach, theNR's forums are now based on music and the forum name is rhapsody, which is still a subsidary of the whole theN R site. Hopefully, I will get members soon. I have already begun my ad campaign, anyone know of sites where I could go and advertise?

One I don't have enough friends to get a forum going
So I join other forums of the same nature and post my forum on there. Some hate it, and remove my posts, others don't care.
Also post os sites that offer advertisements, for your topic of forum. Also try working our an affiliate program with other sites. I'll advert your site if you advert mine.
just some ideas

I see, yeah, it's only been a few days but no members yet, and to be honest posting with people I already know isn't that exciting. But I'll do it if it means members in the long run. I just have to find the time to look around at those affiliate sites and what not.

Wow, running a website requires so much time!

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EDIT:

So I rennovated the forums completely, they are now specialised music forums with all the goodies on the side. It's been a day or two, yet not one member, except for my friend and I. We keep going at it together, but posting between us isn't as enchanting as one would think . Anyway, the site is specialised and even the main site took some editting, too. Thanks for all your guy's help, any other suggestions would be greatly accepted. Perhaps people with really successful forums would like to share their stories or secrets?

This post has been edited by PmH: May 10 2006, 08:22 PM

make sure that your site is dmoz,google and archive.com listed because this will makae it easyer for people to find you site and then they may sign up, i have had the same problem with my old site i had no members one day and then a week later i had 100 so this is how i did it, alwats provide new and fresh content and then tell all my mates, they went on and signed up then i put my site adress as my msn title and got 300 friends through mates giving me there contact lists, then with all my mates signed up they told there mates and the site grew and grew and grew, but now i think im going to have to start again opps poor me, although it is hard at first soon you will have enough members if you can offer something that others dont have like new games and new free stuff, so go on have a go and youll see what you can do! i think this may have helped hopefully also maybe start adding you site to a banner exchange or two, any ways see ya

It can take a while to get a forum up and going with a lot of topics. Like the posters ahead of me said, ask your friends first. Sometimes it's better to be more specific with your topics than it is to have a wide variety of sections. And don't stick with the default theme with any forum software that you choose- make your place stand out.

Posting at other forums is important, but don't spam- join in the conversation and have a link in your signature. When you find people that you get on with at these other forums invite them to your site personally in a PM.

That was the thing that really got people coming to my forum. Once the people that I invited checked out my forum and signed up, I sent them a welcome PM and told them to let me know if they ever wanted any features added to the board. I tried to make it seem more like the BBS belonged to everyone, and that made the users that I had invite more of their friends.

Extras are important as well. I intergrated a chatroom and an arcade into the board, and some people signed up just to use those features, but they eventually joined in on the discussion. Good Luck.