forum traffic

[-ScaRs-]

Well, I started my own studios, but I can't get traffic to my forums... people say that they don't want to register because no one posts, but no one posts because no one registers.

Also, i've been told to bring something new to have traffic, at first I thought of making Sig of the Month and whoever wins gets a free host, but I have to pay alot for that host :(

Could anyone please give out ideas ?

>> http://www.enterprizehosting.com/~buggame/boards/

(site comming out soon, and a new url )

thx, -ScaRs-

[prstudio]

this needs to be moved to random -

1. It belongs there.
2. You will have more people viewing it there.

:)

[MTsoul]

You should offer something that the users want (hosting in this case).

But you also need to earn the respect of the people: bribing isn't enough. You have to provide things that the users really want, and want to thank you for it. Have a good skin's important; having a real website (providing articles, tutorials, downloads etc) is even more important. ;)

[McGiver]

like MT already said
1st: get some friends to post intresting/controversial/strange things in the general forum
2nd: set preferences: add things that the user won't find anywhere else. Offer Photoshop tutorials for example (i.e.: how to archieve some special effect)

there are already trillions of forums, and users won't come to a forum only because it's a forum. Especially not if it's empty.

To come back to the Idea with the Sig of the Month...are swfs allowed :P

[McGuffin]

Filling a need that is already being met by someone else limits your possible audience. You need to find usefull things that people will actually use and like (Sig of the Month won't help anybody) and make steps to meet that need.

Ideas:

Use of flash
Cool profiles
Interactive forums, ie. not just forum browsing, but something more.

[T-O]

get your friends to register and to post.... more traffic will follow.

[eyezberg]

Turn off requiered registering just to post.