Not utilizing social media could be the downfall of your community

[Shawn Gossman]

As much as some of you may hate social media, the hard truth is that it is probably the most effective way to convert traffic into community members.

Every niche is on social media. I'm sure even yours.

But social media is hard to use as a marketing tool when you're new. The trick is building an additional community on each platform.

My hiking stuff is a second income. I'm making money with it. My main source of traffic is social media. Without it, I wouldn't be earning an extra income.

Thoughts? Arguments?

 

[joelr]

I fundamentally agree with you that social media should be part of your outreach and promotion.

What I struggle with, however, is taking my community content and repackaging it - using multi media and in an efficient manner - onto social media.

 

[~ True Legend ~]

As much as some of you may hate social media, the hard truth is that it is probably the most effective way to convert traffic into community members.

Every niche is on social media. I'm sure even yours.

But social media is hard to use as a marketing tool when you're new. The trick is building an additional community on each platform.

My hiking stuff is a second income. I'm making money with it. My main source of traffic is social media. Without it, I wouldn't be earning an extra income.

Thoughts? Arguments?

makes sense but there’s the chance social media diverts traffic away from your forums.

and advertising a forum community on social media won’t work as social media is the thing these days while forums are seen as retro

 

[Uncrowned]

It is always a good idea to build out your social media accounts and try to create them into their own communities. Then you can start to pull small percentages of the users to your sites.

Like any site, most users on social media are there to use the social media and don't join just to leave and join a different site. So simply blasting your followers with your links is normally a poor strategy.

 

[ZandraJoi]

While this may work for some, it does take a lot of work for minimal payoff. I had advertised a lot on Social Media but the main thing is people are either Team Forum or Team Social Media. I had people look at my forum & others & deem them too “busy”. They prefer one post to scroll through versus boards created.
They are in two totally different classes.
For those that this works for, Kudos, but I never had any success.

 

[ClicketyKat]

Ever since our marketing leader quit, I've had to take over posting on social media, and I try to do that every couple of days. Even on the platforms where we have a lot of followers, it just isn't bringing anybody to the forum.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I fundamentally agree with you that social media should be part of your outreach and promotion.

What I struggle with, however, is taking my community content and repackaging it - using multi media and in an efficient manner - onto social media.

It's better if it's organic - meaning original content to the social platform.

But it's not easy.

And different platforms have different traits.

I post 4 times a day on FB and it's successful because of it. That includes a question post, photo gallery, video, and external link. I post 12 times a day on Twitter and that has been it's growth here lately.

 

[joelr]

How do you have time to do anything else?? Lol

 

[~ True Legend ~]

It's better if it's organic - meaning original content to the social platform.

But it's not easy.

And different platforms have different traits.

I post 4 times a day on FB and it's successful because of it. That includes a question post, photo gallery, video, and external link. I post 12 times a day on Twitter and that has been it's growth here lately.

By successful you mean you managed to get forum members from social media? If so glad it worked for you 👍

How do you define success?

I was considering promoting my forum on social media. Not sure how effective that would be though

 

[Shawn Gossman]

By successful you mean you managed to get forum members from social media? If so glad it worked for you 👍

How do you define success?

I was considering promoting my forum on social media. Not sure how effective that would be though

Yeah.

I think anyone can do it if they use social media more than just an advertising platform.

If you just post your forum link and that's it, it isn't going to work. The algorithms will work against you.

You have to build a following and start focusing on individuals that you think would make good members.

The problem with most forum owners these days is their unwillingness to work to get new members.

We used to get them with a simple promotion post or directory link but that's long gone. The internet is too competitive for that.

It takes work and most people use social. You can definitely get them over but you got to work for it.

 

[ClicketyKat]

Yeah.

I think anyone can do it if they use social media more than just an advertising platform.

If you just post your forum link and that's it, it isn't going to work. The algorithms will work against you.

You have to build a following and start focusing on individuals that you think would make good members.

The problem with most forum owners these days is their unwillingness to work to get new members.

We used to get them with a simple promotion post or directory link but that's long gone. The internet is too competitive for that.

It takes work and most people use social. You can definitely get them over but you got to work for it.

Also you have to fight for forum users who are on other forums. The newbies to forums are hard to come by. It's a hard sale for those who prefer social media communication.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

It is but if you market yourself as part of it, and people want to be around you, it's easier to convert them over.