No offense to anyone who has one, but I don't understand how they work. Don't they just attract other admins?

Advertising forums allow specific ways for you to get your forum across to toehr members. Not all members on advert forums are admins. This is because most advert forums have other resource; like graphic request, skin databases, etc. This enables all types of members to come and see, and hopefully join your forum.

Maybe that's why BB has been mistaken for an advertising forum at times. Which it is not. It is a services/resource forum that also offers some advertising options.

I agree with wissaboo on this, though. Unless there is something else going on besides advertising, you have little hope of attracting anyone but other admins, so there isn't much point in it for either you or for them. There needs to be something that will keep a steady stream of activity and traffic going for there to be anyone around to see the ads.

No. I've found a lot of people who don't want to run a forum, but would like to give advise to forum owners on my forum. Critics if you must call them. Its an even balance.

Instead of being admins, they're rather be staff, or just be critiques.

Well seeing as Most advertising forums these days are attracting thousands of members and around 100,000 + post IF members find it n easy way to make a big well known board on IF regardless if it's really what kind of board they want.

On alot of advertising forums the admins don't care if th ecmmunity is good as long as their statistics are really high.

and seeing as there millions of IF admins roaming around and lots of people who want to be staff at an advertising forus because they see it as away to have a good E-rep for boards,they owners of alot of advertising forums find it as easy picking because people need to get their board known and their board can hep them with it.

I'm not saying all advertisement boards are like this..but we all know theres a good bit of them that fits the description above perfectly.

Amazing. There is a whole world out there that I know nothing of. The thought of going around seeking staff positions to get a "resume" is not something it would ever occur to me to do.

I would personally find it hard to get motivated to take care of a board just because it was big. It should be fun to run a board, not just a way to get statistics.

I have seen some advertising boards that seem to have a community as well as just drive by advertisers. I would think you would almost have to have something like that going to stay interested.

Amen.

Its basically an easy place to get your forum out

There are way to many advertising forums these days. Thing is, you always see the same people at other advertising boards. Basically if you open an advertising board, you know what to expect.

Some are quite attracting, I'm moderating one called Advertisement Utopia. I've also noticed some such as supreme ads, ad centre, and some others which are quite cool to know. Because administrators post news about what's happing on there forum sometimes before they do it on their own forum.

I think they actually help ;)

but does anyone get new members through them?

Sure do; BB has likely received a couple hundred members from advertisement boards that I'm a member at. If the services don't have a significant impact on the members registering, then signature advertising must be contributing its fair bit.

Just like any other board you advertise at, if a member finds your board interesting, they'll likely join.

Advertising forums seem like a silly concept when you think about it a certain way, but they help spread your board around their board and sometimes other boards, which usually results in more sign-ups.

Most Admins tend to think that the best way of getting people to join is by offering Staff Positions, which is actually not really that good.

I don't doubt it would work well for a support board. Because I think it is likely only admin there.

Indeed, and especially on message boards that are very small. I saw one message board that had about two hundred posts and fourteen members. It also had two admins and four moderators. :wacko:

It's defiently one of the things to avaoid, because most the time there may be members who are more deserving.

Well, you're right about that wissaboo, I'm sure advertisement boards attract fellow board owners more than anything. The overall aspect of such a board is basically worthless to someone who doesn't own a board. However, most advertisement boards offer other incentives because of this; such as a community and graphics area. Advertisement boards can help any forum grow, but they especially help promote forums that attract board owners.

Yea good point there Cory. ;)

In regards to the staff aspect, I prefer to reward the best members - most active, most creative with a staff position.
Chances they are gonna stay around a lot longer, and feel like they earned their place.