Growth Favorite methods of growing your community

[Cpvr]

What are some of your favorite methods for growing your online community?

Do you use post exchanges when launching a new community? What about using a posting package from a promotion forum? Do you promote your forum on social media to expand your reach and attract new members, or do you promote it through your signature on other forums?

 

[Cory]

I do all of the above except for social media promotion. I'm not too into social media and think a forum of my type would be better off promoted on forums of similar niches. My forum generally gains 30+ members monthly from my various ways of advertising, having a link back to our forum in the skins copyrights, and likely word of mouth. I admire signature advertising by actively posting on other forums you essentially advertise your board with every post you make.

 

[Cpvr]

I do all of the above except for social media promotion. I'm not too into social media and think a forum of my type would be better off promoted on forums of similar niches. My forum generally gains 30+ members monthly from my various ways of advertising, having a link back to our forum in the skins copyrights, and likely word of mouth. I admire signature advertising by actively posting on other forums you essentially advertise your board with every post you make.

Signature advertising is one of my favorite methods as well. You never know who might join your forum after seeing your signature link, so I always try to use my signature for marketing as much as possible.

Social media marketing can be somewhat time-consuming, but it often pays off in the long run.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

What are some of your favorite methods for growing your online community?

Do you use post exchanges when launching a new community? What about using a posting package from a promotion forum? Do you promote your forum on social media to expand your reach and attract new members, or do you promote it through your signature on other forums?

I prefer organic growth. People find the community on their own, like it, and join as normal members who want to be a part of it.

Other than that:

I do enjoy post-exchanging as long as the exchanger posts in the main areas rather than just the off-topic section.

Social media has helped me in some communities. All my outdoor-related ones have had very successful results using my social networking connections. However, I've built a brand and a community on social to get that benefit.

It's important to have multiple forms of marketing streams just as much as people need to have multiple streams of income if you want to make real money online. You have a better chance at meeting your goals this way.

 

[InMyOpinion]

What has worked well for me in the past is promoting my forum on billboards around the city as well as advertise through other small businesses. It worked really well because it matched the type of people I wanted to reach. Though, I think sometimes signatures and posting on other sites may help. Though I do feel like when you are posting on other forums you are competing with many other forums/people for active members where as when I would advertise in real life and with other small businesses most people didn't have other forums they would post on so I didn't feel like there was as much competition.