Content on Release

[JLogan]

How many topics minimum, should a forum launch with?

I'm aiming towards at least 15-30 topics in each section for the new forum I'm creating, is that a good amount?

 

[22_22]

It depends on how many sections you're planning on having aswell as your forum niche. I guess around 10-15 should be good for the main sections but try and fill them up as much as you can and keep adding new topics each day.

 

[Nullified]

Honestly, you could start with 0-1 in each forum as long as you add content/topics every day and have contests/awards to entice members to signup and post on a regular basis. New forums don't scare people away; often it actually entices visitors to signup to begin growth WITH the forum. Past activity isn't nearly as important to a new register as current activity and future expectations are. Sadly though, future growth is often forecast by looking at past data.

 

[Sylar]

How many topics minimum, should a forum launch with?

I'm aiming towards at least 15-30 topics in each section for the new forum I'm creating, is that a good amount?

That's perfect mate. You should then try and get a team of people to reply several times to each topic, and then give you some topics in addition to the ones you create. This should give you some great starting content.

Honestly, you could start with 0-1 in each forum as long as you add content/topics every day and have contests/awards to entice members to signup and post on a regular basis. New forums don't scare people away; often it actually entices visitors to signup to begin growth WITH the forum. Past activity isn't nearly as important to a new register as current activity and future expectations are. Sadly though, future growth is often forecast by looking at past data.

That's actually not how I see it. If you start with 15-30, then the available content for users to post in entices them more. I can speak from experience. My current forum was about 1,000 posts strong when we opened the doors, and the users loved it. Then, I've opened forums with 10 posts as starting content, only to see it fail miserably. Good planning will take you far

 

[Nullified]

That's perfect mate. You should then try and get a team of people to reply several times to each topic, and then give you some topics in addition to the ones you create. This should give you some great starting content.

That's actually not how I see it. If you start with 15-30, then the available content for users to post in entices them more. I can speak from experience. My current forum was about 1,000 posts strong when we opened the doors, and the users loved it. Then, I've opened forums with 10 posts as starting content, only to see it fail miserably. Good planning will take you far

Oh I was in no way disagreeing that opening with existing topics/content would condone and promote activity. I was just simply stating that a forum is generally easy to start, in my opinion, and it is not necessary to have such gratuitous amounts of content prior to launch. But of course, the more the better, I do second that.