How do you keep members?

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How do you keep members?
Tweet Topic Started: Jun 14 2005, 09:32 AM (632 Views)
pingu2k4	Jun 14 2005, 09:32 AM Post #1
Member Posts: 135 Group: Members Member #54,528 Joined: May 16, 2005	I have seen some forums, built on the server1 of this free service. My forum is built on server 10, so its pretty new, but still, a lot of work has gone into it. (and a lot more is needed :P) I was just wondering, how everyone gets their members to stay there, and be a member, when they could so easily just go and be an admin elsewhere! At the moment, I have got 15 members, but havent advertised. Im planning a wide scale advertisement rant soon, but thats up to my coleages as well. (I work voluntarrily for a charity) So, anyone got any tips?



This user name better work	Jun 14 2005, 01:00 PM Post #2
Member Posts: 45 Group: Members Member #57,415 Joined: June 12, 2005	give stuff away they like that



pingu2k4	Jun 14 2005, 01:29 PM Post #3
Member Posts: 135 Group: Members Member #54,528 Joined: May 16, 2005	give what? and doesnt that cost money? im not paying people to visit me! any more ideas?



Loona	Jun 14 2005, 05:10 PM Post #4
Flawgic Loless Posts: 7,384 Group: Members Member #10,821 Joined: January 10, 2004	I'm not sure if you've seen it, but there are some great Forum Promotion Techniques here: http://support.invisionfree.com/index.php?showforum=96 There are some pretty good methods that you may find useful to get your boards activity up and keep it up. Members want good content and interest, not to mention a nice design to your board wouldn't hurt.



Shivan Fire	Jun 14 2005, 07:25 PM Post #5
Support before Beer Posts: 329 Group: Members Member #43,986 Joined: February 7, 2005	This is often the hardest quetion to answer. But simple you have to make them feel good about being a member. first step to that is to always respect thier opinions and suggestions. You should always let the member body control the flow of the board most of the time.



Magpie	Jun 14 2005, 08:15 PM Post #6
The Wizearse From Aus Posts: 76 Group: Members Member #12,874 Joined: February 15, 2004	Treat everybody the same and don't consider yourself to be higher than anyone. Sure you might be the admin and are on paper 'higher', but don't think you're better than anyone else by having this 'power' over anyone. Of course have things that people will stick around and stay for, as well as being polite and couretous with everything. If you bite someone's head off for breaking one rule upon registering or when they're new, they are not going to stay around. A polite pm saying which rule they broke, etc, would make them feel better....just my opinion anyway.



Sorrel_uk	Jun 14 2005, 08:20 PM Post #7
Member Posts: 109 Group: Members Member #17,461 Joined: April 24, 2004	keep active, if the admin doesnt post your members wont, thats what i find. It looks like you cant be bothered with your own forums. Have a couple of forum games like word assosation so they have a good couple of places to well spam really, so its easy posting. Have some meaningfull topics dotted around and some funny jokes etc. Do a challenge. I myself own a art forum and we have a monthly challenge, a fortnight challenge and a tutorial of the day so theres always something new for people to join in with and its been the most succesfull forum ive had. ALthough we only have 49 members but we have 3450 posts so everyone is really active basicly because i am and thers plently to do. Thats the only advice i can give hun.



Technex	Jun 15 2005, 01:32 AM Post #8
THISISSHORT Posts: 2,126 Group: Members Member #52,147 Joined: April 23, 2005	Magpie June 14, 2005 07:15 PM Treat everybody the same and don't consider yourself to be higher than anyone. Sure you might be the admin and are on paper 'higher', but don't think you're better than anyone else by having this 'power' over anyone. Of course have things that people will stick around and stay for, as well as being polite and couretous with everything. If you bite someone's head off for breaking one rule upon registering or when they're new, they are not going to stay around. A polite pm saying which rule they broke, etc, would make them feel better....just my opinion anyway. This is a great tip, there is no need to shout at your members, just try to be one of them.



pingu2k4	Jun 15 2005, 02:01 AM Post #9
Member Posts: 135 Group: Members Member #54,528 Joined: May 16, 2005	Christina T June 14, 2005 04:10 PM I'm not sure if you've seen it, but there are some great Forum Promotion Techniques here: http://support.invisionfree.com/index.php?showforum=96 There are some pretty good methods that you may find useful to get your boards activity up and keep it up. Members want good content and interest, not to mention a nice design to your board wouldn't hurt. ooh, OK, thanks for that! im sorry, i hadnt seen it.



GaryP	Jun 21 2005, 12:58 AM Post #10
Member Posts: 5 Group: Members Member #58,031 Joined: June 18, 2005	Does your forum have a specific theme? One of them that I run on Invision Power is a Star Trek Forum. I try and make sure we have trivia weekly (Though I've been so busy lately my research for trivia has lapsed) also, as someone already suggested, a games forum is a good idea. One other thing you can do is have a chat room. there are places to get a free chatroom that you can host anywhere, and you can even put it as a footer on your board (But remember, it takes up alot of room.)



The_Pro_Designer	Jun 21 2005, 02:25 AM Post #11
Teh Pr0 Des!gn3R Posts: 1,672 Group: Members Member #55,336 Joined: May 24, 2005	My advice would be to always update your fourm, im not saying a new skin everyday and stuff like that, see i'd start out with 1 new skin every 5 months. and about every 3 weeks add somthing like that goes with your theme. The modify it gradully, post when members post and keep conversations going until they have to absultly have to end. This shoudl show the people this is an up board. That is what I do, I also advertise on other fourms and more. Hope this advice helps!



Postulate-ZNS	Jun 21 2005, 11:24 AM Post #12
I am, therefore I think: Descartes can shove it Posts: 1,427 Group: Members Member #57,890 Joined: June 16, 2005	My two cents: 1) Remain active, and listen to each and every one of yourmembers. An understanding and hardworking admin is always appealing. Be a personal admin as well; try to really get to know your members as much as possible. Your friends won't leave you, as I'm sure you wouldn't for them. 2) Make sure you have extra features besides just chatting to keep things fresh--hold contests for little forum privelages, such as colored names, the ability to bump topics, or even post count. You'd be surprised at how much people are into these things. Contests work especially well for gaming and role playing forums. 3) A comfortable atmosphere always helps. Get a nice clean skin, and make all of the images of your forum fit with your theme to get members more into it. Live chatroms and/or arcades elp with this as well. 4) Last but not least, make things clean and well-moderated. Make sure you have t least two moderators looking out for the forums actively, and have an excplicit, but not harsh, list of bard rules. Make sure that whatever you type that permanantly stays on the forum (forum descriptions, rules, etc.) has correct spelling and grammar, so you look as professional and serious as you really are. Don't get too serious though; a sense of humor will always help you out.



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