What type of content will help your forum grow?

[dahLabdo]

Hey all, hope you're having a good day.

I have recently released my new forum Sin Studios and want to know what type of content will be best to grow a new forum?

I am posting tutorials but aside from that, what would be the best content?

Idea is based on software/hardware for server development of all types.

I have posted a few question and answer threads, such as "what's your favourite food" but can't exactly have a 15 post conversation with myself lol.

 

[Reverie]

Hey! That’s amazing you have it up! I would also suggest you create a feedback topic: https://admin-junkies.com/forums/feedback-and-reviews.65/

Also a good place to also start is see if anyone is willing to do a post exchange here: https://admin-junkies.com/forums/posting-and-affiliate-exchanges.96/ That way not all new threads will be from you.

Topics in the lounge are really flexible though, perhaps a where is everyone from? I would try and get more topics in the server development area though since that’s your focus of the forum. Since that is a bit specific and I’m not as knowledgeable in those areas I don’t have suggestions for that. You do appear off to a wonderful start!

 

[dahLabdo]

Hey! That’s amazing you have it up! I would also suggest you create a feedback topic: https://admin-junkies.com/forums/feedback-and-reviews.65/

Also a good place to also start is see if anyone is willing to do a post exchange here: https://admin-junkies.com/forums/posting-and-affiliate-exchanges.96/ That way not all new threads will be from you.

Topics in the lounge are really flexible though, perhaps a where is everyone from? I would try and get more topics in the server development area though since that’s your focus of the forum. Since that is a bit specific and I’m not as knowledgeable in those areas I don’t have suggestions for that. You do appear off to a wonderful start!

Thank you Reverie

I have posted in the feedback area and will look at this post exchange option.

That is very true, thank you for your advice! It's really good advice.

 

[Cedric]

Depends on your audience. But you need content that's engaging. While topics like "what's your favourite food" is great for engagement, that's not why your audience you want is on your forum for. So, in your case, anything that has do to with the forums niche is good content. Unique content is really hard to come by, especially in the first few months. So you'll need to depend on some discussion starters.

With that I mean general niche related news, developments, discussions, etc. Make them as informative as you can, pushing a lot of quality in one thread. But make sure the thread is not burnt out before others can engage.

Once you've got a community, you'll be able to get some unique content flowing, people's opinions and personal experiences are great to build on. Interviews from people who develop stuff based on your niche. In your case, being able to provide resources and help to do what you want to do as server based stuff.

Like @Reverie said, do some exchanges, get some members from other similar forums, build a network, invite them to your forum, etc. You've got a long way to go, and it's never-ending! But that's the fun part really.

 

[dahLabdo]

Depends on your audience. But you need content that's engaging. While topics like "what's your favourite food" is great for engagement, that's not why your audience you want is on your forum for. So, in your case, anything that has do to with the forums niche is good content. Unique content is really hard to come by, especially in the first few months. So you'll need to depend on some discussion starters.

With that I mean general niche related news, developments, discussions, etc. Make them as informative as you can, pushing a lot of quality in one thread. But make sure the thread is not burnt out before others can engage.

Once you've got a community, you'll be able to get some unique content flowing, people's opinions and personal experiences are great to build on. Interviews from people who develop stuff based on your niche. In your case, being able to provide resources and help to do what you want to do as server based stuff.

Like @Reverie said, do some exchanges, get some members from other similar forums, build a network, invite them to your forum, etc. You've got a long way to go, and it's never-ending! But that's the fun part really.

Thank you for this fantastic advice. <3

I will continue to push as much content as I can and wait for that 'overnight success' moment

 

[Ravenfreak]

You'll definitely want to add more content to your main forums over your off topic area since it's a community that's focused on development. Your members may join the community to ask for help, rather than just shooting the breeze with other members. (Which of course that's fine, though you'd want your members engaging with the main niche of the forum.) As someone who's never been savvy enough to dive into setting up my own server a community such as yours would definitely help me if I ever wanted to do this, adding tutorials on getting things set up can definitely help. Plus if someone runs into issues, they can always go back to your forum and ask for advice.

 

[dahLabdo]

You'll definitely want to add more content to your main forums over your off topic area since it's a community that's focused on development. Your members may join the community to ask for help, rather than just shooting the breeze with other members. (Which of course that's fine, though you'd want your members engaging with the main niche of the forum.) As someone who's never been savvy enough to dive into setting up my own server a community such as yours would definitely help me if I ever wanted to do this, adding tutorials on getting things set up can definitely help. Plus if someone runs into issues, they can always go back to your forum and ask for advice.

Spot on with your reply. I have a list of tutorials that I will be writing over the next few days, I am writing one right now as we speak about components of a server hardware. They take time and it's easy to post in the off topic section, that's why most places have a massive post count in their off-topic node.

Thanks for your feedback and I hope you check back in about a week or so to see it then and re-review us! Thank you

 

[joelr]

Hey all, hope you're having a good day.

I have recently released my new forum Sin Studios and want to know what type of content will be best to grow a new forum?

I am posting tutorials but aside from that, what would be the best content?

Idea is based on software/hardware for server development of all types.

I have posted a few question and answer threads, such as "what's your favourite food" but can't exactly have a 15 post conversation with myself lol.

Here are some questions for self-reflection:
1. When you visit OTHER websites focused on software / hardware for server development, what do you like about those sites? Are they missing information or have gaps that maybe you can fill? Can you do what they do, but better?

2. Are there popular news in your niche (eg. The latest release of X server model), that you can write a tutorial on?

3. In general, what is your value proposition to the world? What are you offering that is better / faster / more accurate / more comprehensive / better organized, etc. than anyone else in the world.

You seem like a community that launched too early, but it's okay - it just means you need to rewind some of your steps. If you don't have an audience or a following, it's extremely hard to build one based on a community alone. Usually the community is a companion to your content or audience, and you should dedicate all of your focus to building that first before you focus on your community.

 

[dahLabdo]

Here are some questions for self-reflection:
1. When you visit OTHER websites focused on software / hardware for server development, what do you like about those sites? Are they missing information or have gaps that maybe you can fill? Can you do what they do, but better?

2. Are there popular news in your niche (eg. The latest release of X server model), that you can write a tutorial on?

3. In general, what is your value proposition to the world? What are you offering that is better / faster / more accurate / more comprehensive / better organized, etc. than anyone else in the world.

You seem like a community that launched too early, but it's okay - it just means you need to rewind some of your steps. If you don't have an audience or a following, it's extremely hard to build one based on a community alone. Usually the community is a companion to your content or audience, and you should dedicate all of your focus to building that first before you focus on your community.

Thank you for asking those questions, I have replied below

1. I have spent years and years on forums, especially around the server development (of all kinds, games, hardware, etc) so I know how they operate. I also have a few ideas on how to get ahead of the game in terms of offering extra services and stuff along the lines of that. May work, may not work. All is to be seen.

2. That's an amazing idea, I have yet to install Wordpress and set that up but that will added to the list of articles to publish

3. That will come in time, there is no extra value in the forums just yet because all it is is a bare bone discussion forum about the topic in hand. I think after time, the benefits will become clear.

I will flip that last section back on you. When is the right time to launch a community? How can you build an audience or following if it's not out there in world? I appreciate where you're coming from, it's easier to transfer from x to y especially when it's a niche subject. On the other hand, you have to start somewhere

 

[Reverie]

1. When you visit OTHER websites focused on software / hardware for server development, what do you like about those sites? Are they missing information or have gaps that maybe you can fill? Can you do what they do, but better?

I love this question - especially in niche specific forums! This is a helpful question to help motivate users to create new and possibly unique content!

 

[joelr]

you have to start somewhere

Yes, you have to start somewhere, but you don't start with forums. Forums are only necessary - and useful - once you actually have an audience of members to converse. If you don't have an audience, then what's the point of having forums?

You start with a a blog. You start with a newsletter. You start with a YouTube channel. In short, you start as a content creator, not a community builder.

 

[Cedric]

Thank you for asking those questions, I have replied below

1. I have spent years and years on forums, especially around the server development (of all kinds, games, hardware, etc) so I know how they operate. I also have a few ideas on how to get ahead of the game in terms of offering extra services and stuff along the lines of that. May work, may not work. All is to be seen.

2. That's an amazing idea, I have yet to install Wordpress and set that up but that will added to the list of articles to publish

3. That will come in time, there is no extra value in the forums just yet because all it is is a bare bone discussion forum about the topic in hand. I think after time, the benefits will become clear.

I will flip that last section back on you. When is the right time to launch a community? How can you build an audience or following if it's not out there in world? I appreciate where you're coming from, it's easier to transfer from x to y especially when it's a niche subject. On the other hand, you have to start somewhere

If you want to proceed with articles, use @Bob ’s article management system. If you want to add it to a wordpress, use the bridge plugin by @kolakube

 

[dahLabdo]

Yes, you have to start somewhere, but you don't start with forums. Forums are only necessary - and useful - once you actually have an audience of members to converse. If you don't have an audience, then what's the point of having forums?

You start with a a blog. You start with a newsletter. You start with a YouTube channel. In short, you start as a content creator, not a community builder.

That's an interesting view point. How do people who want to be community builders start then? Are you under the illusion that everyone who owns a successful forum started as a content creator with a large following?

 

[joelr]

That's an interesting view point. How do people who want to be community builders start then? Are you under the illusion that everyone who owns a successful forum started as a content creator with a large following?

No, not necessarily.
1. You could have started a forum 20 years ago, and been quite successful since there was no competition.
2. You could be a member of an existing group, and split off.
3. You could already have a small following.

However, based on what you provided in your OP, I didn't get the sense you had any of those.

If you want to start a forum from scratch with no following but it's something you're very keen on doing, then go for it. But your chances of survival go up dramatically if you actually have an audience of people for your forums.

 

[Cedric]

No, not necessarily.
1. You could have started a forum 20 years ago, and been quite successful since there was no competition.
2. You could be a member of an existing group, and split off.
3. You could already have a small following.

However, based on what you provided in your OP, I didn't get the sense you had any of those.

If you want to start a forum from scratch with no following but it's something you're very keen on doing, then go for it. But your chances of survival go up dramatically if you actually have an audience of people for your forums.

That's very true!

The thing we had on ZetaBoards was very similar. We had a snowglobe where everyone knew each other, and we made hypes when opening a new forum to make sure many people saw what was coming. Given that some of us had some cool and successful forums, many of those people wanted to be part of it. That was our following we had built up throughout the years. Ok, I'll admit, at one point people got fed up with the amount of new forums popping up, only after closing the previous ones for a dumb reason - but we were teens, so we didn't know better. (We equals me actually, lol)

 

[dahLabdo]

No, not necessarily.
1. You could have started a forum 20 years ago, and been quite successful since there was no competition.
2. You could be a member of an existing group, and split off.
3. You could already have a small following.

However, based on what you provided in your OP, I didn't get the sense you had any of those.

If you want to start a forum from scratch with no following but it's something you're very keen on doing, then go for it. But your chances of survival go up dramatically if you actually have an audience of people for your forums.

You would be right making that assumption because I don't have any of those.

This isn't my first rodeo, I have been that guy who smashes together a nice theme and some plugins and expects the forum to get big and to succeed. I haven't started Sin Studios with the intention to smash a few plugins together and get big. I started to learn.

I had to familiarise myself with the original post because I couldn't remember if I posted the reason for the forum there. I have a very high interest in the content that is posted on the forums, this forum is for me to learn how to become a server administrator. I have no intention of the forum ever getting big through my actions right now - if they did that will be a bonus. The reason that the forum is in the directory it's in and not the root is because there will be a blog there eventually. I have several ideas for that blog.

I am sorry because I have not made myself explicitly clear on my intentions. This thread was to understand what type of content works well on forums, not as a get rich quick scheme but as a deeper understanding of how engaging a particular way presents itself both with the forum and also with Google.

I think what you've touched upon about circles is quite interesting and with Cedric's reply. Even in the past when I have attempted to manage forums, I've never stuck with a community like I have done now with AJ but I can see how being stuck in such a loop works. It's all the same people and you're thinking that things are going well because you have posts etc but in reality, the product isn't growing it's stagnant and because you're thinking it's working you're not developing and preparing for the next thing.

 

[Cedric]

You would be right making that assumption because I don't have any of those.

This isn't my first rodeo, I have been that guy who smashes together a nice theme and some plugins and expects the forum to get big and to succeed. I haven't started Sin Studios with the intention to smash a few plugins together and get big. I started to learn.

I had to familiarise myself with the original post because I couldn't remember if I posted the reason for the forum there. I have a very high interest in the content that is posted on the forums, this forum is for me to learn how to become a server administrator. I have no intention of the forum ever getting big through my actions right now - if they did that will be a bonus. The reason that the forum is in the directory it's in and not the root is because there will be a blog there eventually. I have several ideas for that blog.

I am sorry because I have not made myself explicitly clear on my intentions. This thread was to understand what type of content works well on forums, not as a get rich quick scheme but as a deeper understanding of how engaging a particular way presents itself both with the forum and also with Google.

I think what you've touched upon about circles is quite interesting and with Cedric's reply. Even in the past when I have attempted to manage forums, I've never stuck with a community like I have done now with AJ but I can see how being stuck in such a loop works. It's all the same people and you're thinking that things are going well because you have posts etc but in reality, the product isn't growing it's stagnant and because you're thinking it's working you're not developing and preparing for the next thing.

You have a point. Being content with the current state and not seeking further development or preparing for future opportunities, the community may not reach its full potential. But you have to start somewhere. Some people want to start with a small following, some people want to start from their own and work their way up. I didn't have a large following either and had to pour in a lot of work until AJ became a community and somewhat self sustainable.

And we're still looking for methods to push the community and make it better. But we've got all the time we want. There is no need in fast development, as slow and steady wins the race. So I agree with you that it's crucial to keep seeking growth and continuously develop new ideas and initiatives for the forum or community.

Heck, it even irritates me when I see a lot of the same people and discussions on the different forums, but there's really nothing that can be done against it. You just try to make your community better from the competitors. Differentiate yours from the others. Especially nowadays. It's easier to find the same people and it's pretty much again a snowglobe factor that we've seen from back in the day.

 

[dahLabdo]

You have a point. Being content with the current state and not seeking further development or preparing for future opportunities, the community may not reach its full potential. But you have to start somewhere. Some people want to start with a small following, some people want to start from their own and work their way up. I didn't have a large following either and had to pour in a lot of work until AJ became a community and somewhat self sustainable.

And we're still looking for methods to push the community and make it better. But we've got all the time we want. There is no need in fast development, as slow and steady wins the race. So I agree with you that it's crucial to keep seeking growth and continuously develop new ideas and initiatives for the forum or community.

Heck, it even irritates me when I see a lot of the same people and discussions on the different forums, but there's really nothing that can be done against it. You just try to make your community better from the competitors. Differentiate yours from the others. Especially nowadays. It's easier to find the same people and it's pretty much again a snowglobe factor that we've seen from back in the day.

None of that was directed at AJ btw, I don't AJ is stagnant I think AJ will grow and flourish beautifully. It's just a concept that I never thought of until just then.

 

[Cedric]

None of that was directed at AJ btw, I don't AJ is stagnant I think AJ will grow and flourish beautifully. It's just a concept that I never thought of until just then.

Oops sorry, I thought it was a bit directed. Forgive me. 😅

But still, it applies to many forums really. And you just need to make sure yours is different from the others. Be determined to explore new avenues and opportunities for growth. It's also something that @Reverie and I have been discussing privately to target a different audience and get them registering here. It's just a lot of work and constantly evolving too.

 

[dahLabdo]

Oops sorry, I thought it was a bit directed. Forgive me. 😅

But still, it applies to many forums really. And you just need to make sure yours is different from the others. Be determined to explore new avenues and opportunities for growth. It's also something that @Reverie and I have been discussing privately to target a different audience and get them registering here. It's just a lot of work and constantly evolving too.

No no no, not at all! If I thought the forum was stagnant, I don't think I would enjoy being on it but you're talking about ideas and the future - that's exciting!

You can tell AJ is not stagnant because you're opening Free Forum Hosting and you have several other ideas.