Getting myself back on track with forums

[StrykerMGS]

I've been using and helping build forums for about a year or two now. I started out building a rather succssful community, which was soon killed by one of the staff, but it was so long ago, I can't even remember who it was. From that time, i've been helping friends out with their communities. One of them that I helped out for a bit was was destroyed, but he's rebuilt his and has gone on to make a successful multi-topic forum (kind of where I want to be at this point).

I've been doing Technical Support, where i've been setting up hosting and sql. Even though I administrate there, watching their site just grow every day just makes me wonder if i'd ever have the chance at getting a community like it.

I've setup little communities here and there, start off small, get high hopes. Probably about 2 or 3 weeks later I just destroy it because it just dies off from activity. Graphical and Web Design seem to be a favorite of mine. I've tried starting 2 or 3 of them, but they don't even pull of of the ground.

As of now, i've just setup the IPB and am ready to try yet again and get a comunity started. I'm driving towards making the board a multi-topic board, but after reading a few of the topics posted here by people with the same problem, along with some of other's suggestions of basing it off of only 1 or 2 things (e.g. Graphical and Web Design), i've been pondering where and how I should take this. I look at these 'Sonic the Hedgehog' and othe fan gaming sites, at the size of them and how well their built, and just think I may not even have a chance.

What I'm really going towards is:

-How and which direction should I start my board?
-Should I try advertising every where on the face of the web commuity I can?
-What main points should I go for in building my community?

[edited by: rogerd at 3:25 am (utc) on Nov. 28, 2004]
[edit reason] No specifics, please. [/edit]

[tresmom5]

Hmm, my ideas. I say start small and build up. We started our site with just a few forums and now have - I think 50. Not sure. I would start with a few, get a few members posting regularly. Heck, I have been known to help people start theirs out myself. I would advertise if it's important to you. We've done a lot of google ads to get our site going. They only work though if your forum looks active. And you can't keep people if it takes two days for someone to respond to something. They will just go somewhere else where they can get a response faster. That's been my experience. I don't know if I helped any.

Teresa

[Jenstar]

>> Probably about 2 or 3 weeks later I just destroy it because it just dies off from activity

Very few forums even show potential if they are only 2 or 3 weeks old. It takes much longer than that to grow and build a community forum. Most probably take months before they really pick up and don't need constant babysitting to keep them from dying off. Don't write them off too quickly.

[big_k105]

I have been running my forum for 8 or so months now and it has only been finally getting off the ground in the past few months. back in july i got a burst of members that start to post but only the few and then when more members started showing up the members that had been around longer finally started posting again when they were needed. i put alot of text links out all over the net and got good google indexing and that is what has gotten my forum off the ground. so dont count your site out if it has only be a few months it will take some time. even up to a year to be a good size :)