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Starting a forum is no walk in the park, and many of us are well aware of the challenges involved. Nowadays, with declining interest in joining forums and massive forums already dominating various niches, the competition can be tough. To kickstart a new forum and boost its activity, forum owners often turn to different strategies, which we have extensively covered before in various articles here.

Let's say you have a brand new forum and would like to do some post exchanges campaigns with other forum owners like yourself.

What does it mean to exchange posts?

I am sure most of you know by now, but let's assume some of our members are still new to the game. A post exchange is, as the name implies, an exchange of forum posts. I will post on your forums and, in exchange, you will post on mine.

A post exchange deal is usually equal for both parts (I post 10 messages, you reciprocate 10 messages) and it's a one time deal or a long term cooperation (weekly or monthly).

Let's weigh the pros and cons of such a campaign:

Pros:

  1. Cost-effective: If you're short on funds to purchase forum posts, a post exchange allows you to grow your forum without spending money. It's a budget-friendly approach.
  2. Increased activity: By participating in post exchanges, you can significantly boost your forum's activity, especially if you invest some time in the process. Additionally, having a signature link to your forum in your partner's community can drive traffic your way.
Cons:

  1. Time-consuming: Engaging in post exchanges demands your time and effort. Time and effort you can spend on your own forum making quality content.
  2. Commitment: Not all partners may be as committed as you are, and some may not deliver quality posts.
  3. Partner quality varies: Not all potential partners will be suitable for a post exchange. Some may not align with your forum's niche or posting standards.

How do I announce I am available for posting?

Most admin or webmaster forums have specific sections dedicated to running such deals. For instance, on Admin Junkies, we have the exchange marketplace where you can present your forum and propose potential exchange deals.

Best Tactics to do Post Exchanges:
  • Do not submit an empty forum. If you don't have at least few tens of threads that are encouraging for people to post in, don't bother enter a post exchange, many people will avoid your forums.
  • Is your forum looking good? If you run a horrible theme or the design is broken down, people will avoid your forums (just as regular members would avoid it). On the contrary, if you have a pretty nice theme, you'll see there are more people willing to exchange.
  • Do NOT put your link first. It's weird, you might say, but some people don't bother read your announcement and you might get a flurry of crappy posts done and someone who's asking you to keep your part of the deal, even if you didn't accept anything. Just say 'looking for a post exchange with an admin forum (insert any niche)' and let the future partners list their forums first. You don't want to do exchanges with niches you have no interest in. That will compromise your quality and in return their quality on your forum.
  • Make sure you give ALL details in the announcement. What quantity you're looking for, which categories you don't want activity in (otherwise you'd get the same crappy messages in the off topic area, and I presume you wanted the on topic forums to get more activity), how many posts/day etc. The details you fail to give today, might bite you tomorrow, when you'll complain that post exchanges are crap. Well, they're not, but you can be successful or not and that depends on how you set the deal.
  • Look at each partner's proposal and choose ONLY the ones you like. Well, there's no free lunch and, even if you're not investing money, you're actually investing TIME (which is money some might say). Choose the best partners for the deal. Look at their forums. Do you feel like you have something to say there? If so, start the deal. If not, thank them and move on.
  • If I'm a crappy poster in the forum you're recruiting me, I'll be the same on your forums. Don't make deals with people who write bad posts in that forum. It shows they're not interested in quality content and you'll get the short stick of the deal. Choose to work with people who are consistently making decent posts and seem involved. These will make excellent post exchange partners.
  • Don't expect to retain users this way. I've done various post exchanges/paid posting deals. FEW people stuck and that was because they were really impressed with my communities and understood what I am trying to achieve. But most of the post exchange partners will be gone when the deal is done. It's the way it works and, if you've done your homework properly, you'll already have an active community to run.

An example of a successful Posting Exchange campaign:

To illustrate how to create a proper post exchange request, here's an example:

"Hello, I run a admin forum and would like to engage in post exchanges with you. Here are some details:

  • You can post in the general web and forum area if the specialized threads (SEO, revenue, software) are too challenging.
  • Please create a presentation thread so we can welcome you properly.
  • Avoid posting in the general chat area.
  • I'm looking for posts with at least 30 words.
  • Feel free to add your link in the signature, as long as it adheres to our rules. You can also upload an avatar and enjoy the same privileges as regular members.
  • I'm open to any post count: 10, 20, etc. We can also discuss a weekly/monthly arrangement.
Please give me a link to the forum you'd like me to reciprocate, so that I can see if it's a niche I can handle. You can contact me via the PM system or reply in this thread.

Thank you in advance. Looking forward to it."

This kind of message may come across as a bit formal, but it demonstrates that you're a serious and experienced poster who values quality content. By providing clear guidelines, you set expectations for your potential partners and ensure a mutually beneficial exchange.

I get to tell my partners where I'd want them to post and to create decent content and stay away from the off topic chat. You can also add the new threads/replies ratio you'd be willing to work with. They know what's expected of them and will reply with their link.

At this moment you'll have some links to look at. If you don't like the forum, don't accept. If they post crappy messages, don't accept. If their forum is empty, ugly, unfriendly etc. Don't accept.

By asking them to show their link first you can keep some from posting 20 messages in your forums for instance and then yelling you're not keeping your part of the deal, when their forums are hardly usable, with no content and you're doing all the work.

There's a difference between replying in a nicely set up forum, with tens if enticing and juicy threads and trying to create some content in a boring place, that's also got some horrid colors and impossible navigation set up.

Make sure both your efforts are similar and you enjoy the partnership. It's not uncommon for post exchangers to have longer deals, imagine having to post for 2-3 months on a horrible forum.

I don't think I need to say it: keep your part of the deal. Make sure you post excellent content and are presenting yourself as you should as a professional forum admin. You'd be amazed to see that some members from your partner forums might actually join your community. Don't expect it to happen all the time, but sometimes it does happen. Be professional and courteous at all times and you'll do a great job.