Getting activity on new forum is really a hard job. I'm also a webmaster and I can understand how difficult it is to get members for your new forum. But a well designed forum with interesting topics can help a lot. Here are some ways through which u can get members and activity on your new forum.
Mostly, people love to go to those forums which have the topics of their interests. Some people join forums just for fun while some for information. You've to take care of people of both categories. Have some general talk forums for the people who want to talk general. When people of second category do start to ask questions, state problems, and post for advice, you should respond in a short and informative way. In addition, you should respond as quickly as possible. The quicker you respond, the more likely the user will come back.
The best way to get activity to new forums is to start conversations with yourself. I've tried this method many times and found it successful. People mostly do not join such forums which have less activity. So, create five or ten accounts (or even more) and create threads with plenty of posts.
Another great way which I've tried is offer incentives for posting in your forum. Give members a trial product, offer a little free advertising, give them a link on the main page or even give them hosting, domains and templates for incentives. Allow them to post their website in the main forum, etc. It is amazing how the quantity and quality of posts increases after you offer even the slightest free incentive. Start a competition every month for prizes or something. This also gives u a good activity.
Advertise your forum in other forums and sites. Submit your forum to link directories. Use your other forums signature to advertise your forum.
Hence, these are the main methods I've tried on my new forums and gotten good results.
This article is written by Mujahid Ishtiaq who is a webmaster. This article is based on his research and experience. His email is
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