Title: Best Tips?
wissaboo - September 6, 2007 05:00 PM (GMT)
what are your best tips for running a message board?
Cory - September 6, 2007 10:57 PM (GMT)
Patience. That's my most valued tip when it comes to running an online community. After all, I created
an article about it. Having patience is important in many cases; gaining members and posts, having patience with your members during tough times, having patience with various disputes that may arise and how your board is ran. Without patience you may eventually tear you or your board apart.
wissaboo - September 6, 2007 11:45 PM (GMT)
good one cory, I forgot to put mine in :blush:
mine is to keep the board uncluttered and attractive, while still being unique.
and to remember that the board belongs ultimately to the members, not to you.
HelenaZF - October 16, 2007 03:29 AM (GMT)
Keep adding fresh content so that there are always new topics available for comments.
Have a new member area where intros can be made and orientation info is available. People who join your forum should quickly get the sense that you are glad they are there.
Keep spam ads off the forum. Nothing makes a forum look more neglected than a bunch of spammer topics left lying around.
Put your forum link in your signatures on other forums you frequent. Encourage your members to do the same. It's amazing how much traffic can be generated from signature links. I think it's because since a person has read something you have personally written somewhere, that they are more likely to check out a link in your signature, than just one they see in an advertising list somewhere.
wissaboo - October 16, 2007 02:09 PM (GMT)
always make sure that a noobs posts are responded to. Even if you have to ask some very loyal members to take up the task as well.
theking111 - October 16, 2007 03:15 PM (GMT)
Always make them feel welcome. Be nice to them unless they start getting nasty to you for no reason :)
wissaboo - October 16, 2007 07:59 PM (GMT)
don't put in 10,000 smilies just because they are cute. Smilies have to serve a function and express an emotion otherwise they are just spam in picture form. And don't put in ones that are all about you. They have to appeal to everyone. I find when I go to a forum and have to scroll through a huge bunch of smilies to get to one that is usefull I am not encouraged to post. >_>