Guerilla Advertising

[eXe_]

Let's share a few tactics and plans on how to get most members and posts, and generally boost a community while spending minimum funds on promoting it.


If you post on other boards, then linking to your community from your signature is a good way to get some exposure. I arrived at forum university by clicking on a signature @ WHT. To make this even more effective, get more people to link to your forums from their signatures.
Organize contests, maybe one like this (http://www.forumuniversity.com/campus/showthread.php?t=517)
Have free downloads, or a gallery and update it often.


This one's my favourite, not sure it's feasible for everyone though:D It's meant to be humorous, so don't actually do it unless you want to risk your freedom and life.

Walk into a store or bank with three or four of your friends with submachine guns and perform the necassary actions to get media attention.. Make sure you and your buddies are wearing a tshirt with your website's url printed in bold letters accross it. You'll be on TV, for Free!:D The longer the standoff, the more publicity your website will get.

[writespeak]

The longer the standoff, the more publicity your website will get.

There's just one little problem with that idea. The longer the standoff, the longer you'll spend in jail, and you won't be able to maintain your forum. :(

Oh well. The other ideas sound good. ;)

Lois

[TheDPQ]

One suggestion, be careful you aren't spreading illwill twoards your community because of your advertising methods. Some forums have rules against sig ads in signatures.

We had a forum pop up that got its users to place ads in their sigs. Ok not against our rules, no worries. But what happened is that it because VERY obvious that the users (and admin!) were just spamming to have the sig shown. within 20 mins maybe they would post 'nice image' 'good luck' or something equally useless ALL over the forum.

I ended up having to threaten a ban because it was getting to be such a problem, and now that community is forever stained in some people's eyes.

Soooo yah. Be careful, and be respectful of other communities.

[eXe_]

A tell a friend script can help too.

[Webmaster7]

I don't worry about that. I just write good posts. Search engines pick them. Users come. Write. More content. Search engines send even more visitors. End :p