Build-up services?

[lauhde]

I'm abit curious.. :think:

Have you guys ever tried any of those forum build-up services that are set up somewhere in distant afghanistan, pakistan, india or mosambik, where they have trained :monkey: 's to type messages to ones BB for banana profit?

Thanks!

[SoftWareRevue]

I've heard of good results from such services.

I think it depends a lot on your target audience. But, I can see where it would work well with many new communities.

[lauhde]

I've heard of good results from such services.

I think it depends a lot on your target audience. But, I can see where it would work well with many new communities.

Btw, I haven't yet got my banana today! :evilb:

Oh well, to be serious.. I think you're somewhat correct, but I wouldn't bother hiring up that kind of folk myself, at least not in the kind of forums I have....

[Jan]

Those services seem to be popping up quite a bit lately, it would be interesting to get some forum URLs where they have been put to use.

Have another :banana:

[lauhde]

Those services seem to be popping up quite a bit lately, it would be interesting to get some forum URLs where they have been put to use.


That would be interesting indeed, I'm not saying I'm better than .PK messagers-for-money in any way, but I still have my doubts concerning the quality of their output.

How could they keep up the quality when they are probably paid w/ provision of 1 banana per 10,000 messages or so? :crazy:


Have another :banana:

Thanks, I needed that desperately! :banana2:

[SoftWareRevue]

I've seen the work done on one forum. But, that was for the cheapest package. However, the posts weren't just random posts. They were all relevent to the forum category and focus.

Some offer one line posts. And others will get more invovled, for more money.

The one-liners are likely fine, if you want to jump start a community feel.

I'd rather do it the old fasioned way. But, I don't see anything wrong with using a quality service.

[Jan]

/me wonders if lauhde was a hired :monkey: :emlaugh:

[Aussie Bob]

I've seen some of these services offered, and thought, hmmmm, that's a bit on the dodgy side. It's not something I'd ever do, although I see the attraction, as you need that initial movement, and then folks catch on and start participating etc. There's that difficult stage when a forum's new, and doesn't have traction. Much like my dotable forum. lol. :dfingers:

[Jan]

I have seen one forum where they were used and it seemed that the hired person was the first poster in a while and the last poster when I viewed it.

/me finds the URL to take another look to see if progress was made.

[Aussie Bob]

Ummmm, not that I'm thinking of using such a service :nope: but does anyone have a few links to these sites?

Just out of curiousity's sake. :whistle:

[Tyler]

Only one I'm familiar with is CommunityStarters (www.communitystarters.com), but I believe you could probably get a few people by yourself for a lot cheaper and better quality. :yippee:

[Jan]

Contact galactnet on WHT and see if he will give you a couple of links to check.

[ldcdc]

Contact galactnet on WHT and see if he will give you a couple of links to check.Tried searching for "galactnet" but didn't find him. galacnet seemed to be the closest usename. I'm afraid to contact him though. :)

*Thought to self: Or am I simply postponing things like I usually do? :confused:

[Jan]

Pssst Tyler, your avatar is a bit out of date :cow:

[Tyler]

Yuh, I need to make my new avatar smaller, but been too busy :(

[Matthew]

I saw on one forum a group of people who were in a group of forum starters. To qualify for the group you had to post X amount of posts per month on other people's forums and in turn all those people would help each other out by returning the favour.

I am not sure on the ratio of posts you need to post against those who post in your forum though.

Might be worth starting here!

[Floris]

I have tried various, just for the experience and I have hired posters, and it works.

You get about 50 online users generating 100 new posts.

Then I hire 5 guys to post 100 new threads/posts.

After a month my average is up to 60 online users generating 200 new posts.

So yes, it works. But you have to know where the boost is needed.

[Aussie Bob]

But isn't hiring forum posters fake? Won't members feel a little scammed, if they found out that the community was hiring posters? :iunno: :think:

[Darth]

But isn't hiring forum posters fake? Won't members feel a little scammed, if they found out that the community was hiring posters? :iunno: :think:


Personally I would not feel 'cheated', providing the forum costs nothing to join.

Maby if your lucky the paid poster(s) might stay as they enjoy chatting with the genuine members....?

:banana2:

[SoftWareRevue]

Exactly as Darth said.

Darth?

Darth?!?

:wavey:

Anywho . . . . If you paid for posters, maybe the posters that didn't get paid for posting may feel somewhat cheated if they found out. But then, doesn't everybody win by having a more productive community?

[Darth]

Yes, the Darth that posts once a year now :)

I have a VB licence ready for my new top secret site which will be launched next year so i'll use a poster service and find out how useful it is :)

:banana2:

[Jan]

Yes, the Darth that posts once a year now :)
That's a change from every 20 seconds :evilb:

Good to see you around these here parts :wavey:

[spechackers]

i think this could bring some activeness in some communities where it is lacking with members

[Doug]

I've also heard of services like this. Generally, it's best if you get "real" members, because they know about the topic of the forum, etc. However, I can see how it'd be helpful, but I don't think I'd ever use such a service.

[ForumPosts.net]

I think (though admittedly I may be biased :ftag: ) paid forum posing services do work; a "bare" forum isn't really attractive to people visiting.

No matter ho wmuch marketing of your forum you do, you have to question why people sign up to forums, and if you are checking all those (or at least the majority of the) boxes.

People sign up to forums because it offers something to them in one way or another - it isn't a selfless act (unless it's a help/support forum where they feel they can be valued for the information they give). Bare forums have nothing to interact with, no valuable knowledge and really don't offer anything to the prospective members.

With paid posting, (depending on which service you go with) you get targeted and possibly researched information which makes the forum less bare and actually welcoming to people - it's hard breaking the silence on a new board.

[Banana]

I was looking at the results of paid posting on one site and it appeared that they ask alot fo questions that aern't very difficult to answer, alot of things you could have googled...

[SoftWareRevue]

But, if the questions are relevant to the forum's purpose, it can be a good way to fill your forum with useful information. :)

[Banana]

ya, sort of fills in your site with all the information that a casual browser might belooking for I geuss...