How to retain visitors during Christmas

[stanley2]

I am a member of a niche-specific community that has a great forum. My past experiences say that traffic is going to be lesser during Christmas/New Year. Is there anyway to retain visitors during the holidays? We have already started e-cards, Christmas messages, interesting off-topic discussions and similar stuff. Any other ideas?

[abbeyvet]

It's Christmas. People who have any life at all have other things to do, places to be, people to see. They just don't have the same time to be hanging out on forums. Just accept it and live with it. Use the quiet periods to work on things that will make your site better when the holiday is over. Or better still, take some time off and enjoy the holiday.

[Beagle]

In agreement with abbeyvet. Keep enough interesting stuff going that if someone drops in during the holidays there will be something for them, but don't make it a goal to keep visits at regular numbers - you can't. If you have a great community, they'll all be back after the holidays, recharged and with lots to discuss.

[stanley2]

thanks for the suggestions, i completely agree with you, we have recently started Christmas budgeting forum, hope it will fetch some visitors. actually i am such a forum freak that i can't leave without it.

[phranque]

promise your forum users some cool/exciting new content/feature on the first tuesday of the new year...

[phranque]

for that matter, get your hardcore addicts involved in designing/developing something new with you to keep them engaged.

[stanley2]

Good idea phranque, I will surely try it out and let you all know how it works.

Any other thoughts...

[realchaos1]

I sent out e-cards through myspace. I wish the bot script I purchased still worked X_X Anyways, it help gain response. I also enabled html in the myspace comments which encouraged more comment postings. Everyone loves those animted gif pics. I also sent out an bulk email with the e-card, I'm showing a little return, less then I expected.