Exchanging posts with other admins

Post exchanges, where forum admins agree to post on each other's forums in order to boost activity and engagement, are a common practice in the world of forums. On the one hand, it can be argued that post exchanges are a great way to build relationships between forum owners and help each other grow their communities. It can also be a good way to get exposure for your own forum and reach new audiences.

However, there are also some potential downsides to post exchanges. Some argue that it can lead to unethical behavior, such as artificially inflating post counts or creating fake accounts to post on other forums. It can also create a sense of obligation, where forum owners feel like they have to reciprocate even if they don't really want to, which can be stressful and time-consuming.

I also think that it's not genuine. It's an agreement between two admins but none wants to post more than agreed upon. So, it may be good for some activity, to spark discussion with your audience, but is it worth the trouble and effort ? I think it's better to focus on your own forum and create decent content, rather than exchanging posts with some other forum admin. This is however my point of view. For many other forum admins, this works in their favor.

So what do you think? Have you ever participated in a post exchange with another forum admin? Do you think it's a good practice, or does it lead to ethical concerns? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

If you do decide to participate in post exchanges, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Be transparent: Make sure your community knows that you're participating in a post exchange, and be clear about what the exchange entails (i.e. how many posts you'll be making, what topics you'll be posting about, etc.).
• Keep it genuine: Don't just post for the sake of posting - make sure your posts are actually helpful and relevant to the forum you're posting on.
• Follow the rules: Make sure you're not violating any forum rules or policies when participating in a post exchange. If you're unsure about anything, ask the forum admin for clarification.
• Don't overdo it: Participating in too many post exchanges can be time-consuming and take away from other important tasks, like moderating your own forum. Make sure you're only participating in exchanges that are actually beneficial to your community.

Happy posting!

 

[Oblivion Knight]

I've participated in them in the past, but due to a lack of time on my part they have pretty much stopped.

However, from those that have gone well - I consider the admin(s) to be more of a friend than anything. I still try to support one in particular where I can, a.) because he still has a higher post count on my community than I do on his, and b.) because I enjoy the conversations we have.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I have done this, as long as you don't get overwhelmed and take on too many requests posting exchanges can really help boost the activity on your forum. What I do is keep a spreadsheet of what sites I am doing post exchanges on so I know when to limit myself and to keep track on who should be joining my forum and posting. I've only had a few encounters with people not finishing their part, so I know not to participate in posting exchanges with them. It's very beneficial that we help each other out and post exchanges are a great way to not only help your site, but another person's site and become good friends with other admins.

 

[Reverie]

I have participated in them and most of the time they brought great views and differing opinions. After an experience, I don't think I'd ever let them post in the debates section. Sometimes I have participated in them and I either didn't like the content and etc and I deleted it/pruned it depending on how it was. I wouldn't say anything to them, I just would not agree to an exchange with them again.