how do YOU get popular?

[loser#1]

dear people, i just started a new message board and did everything to promote it, but how did you guys do that, get so popular? Please anwser this question

[kleinma]

well what is your message board about? this forum has been building for some time.. i wasnt around in the beginning... but what brings and keeps people here now is just that.. the large member base...

it also helps that the admins are pretty cool and respond to our suggestions (sometimes for better, sometimes for worse)

and people are pretty laid back here so we have diverse forums like chit-chat and world events.. to get away from the programming once in a while.. but i think chit-chat has actually attracted its own group of non programs that just like the community

[loser#1]

wel, my message board is about online-gaming, internet, soccer, PHP, those are about it. But i just cant make people want to join.

[kleinma]

Originally posted by loser#1
wel, my message board is about online-gaming, internet, soccer, PHP, those are about it. But i just cant make people want to join.

well this board draws people because its about programming so most people come here for help... then they get help so they keep coming back and start to learn more and help others..

i think that is what really makes this forum thrive.. the fact that it is based on something that people need eachothers help for...

It is amazing how far I have come in programming from this board alone...

[Dillinger4]

Yeah it is quite hard to get people to join a site. My friend is trying to get a Bmx site going www.bmxbandits.com and is having not much luck. But then again his site stinks and all people do is post not related bmx stuff on the boards. Maybe thats the problem.

[Cander]

post regularly on other boards and put the link to yours in you signature. People are likely to check it out. But dont overly spam boards with ads for yours as that just ticks people off. A signature, like mine, works fine.

[brad jones]

post regularly on other boards and put the link to yours in you signature.

But if your site is about BMX bikes, then doing this on sites about BMX bikes or about other bikes will have better results. Your signature is almost worthless on a site dedicated to other topics. For instance, this is a programming site, so your signature is about as valuable as standing on the street corner handing out paper flyers. You need to visit the bike and BMX sites. That is where the audience would be.

Of course, trying to create a site on mutliple, distinctly different topics would be hard. For example, people who are interested in soccor would probably not be interested in PHP or on-line gaming. PHP people are probably not interested in soccor or on-line gaming, etc. Who are you trying to please with your site? The people interested in all three? That is probably a very small group of people.