Admins/Owners - The tough reality!

[TCP/IP Warrior]

OK folks... 1st post after my introduction here so if I go overboard or say something out of line let me know.

I am a firm believer that the teacher in school should have some life experience before teaching. That said, I hope that these next few questions can be answered by the appropriate person(s)/owners/moderators.

1) FU was registered in 2004. How did you get your first 50 "real member" posts? Was it from an admin's signature on another forum, advertising, etc? What about the other 196 posts? I now that you can't really track them all but you probably have a good idea of where they came from.

2) How many members did you need before folks like Burst.net and ForumThemes sponsored you? Did you contact them or did they contact you? What about the advertisers? Same question applies to them.

3) If the moderators here were not active in other well known forums, how long(time wise) or how many members before the companies mentioned above would have sponsored in your opinion?

4) Hindsight is 20/20. Doing it all over again... what would you do different?

I look forward to your answers. If this post is "in the wrong section" please move it! :out:

Thanks!

[SoftWareRevue]

Some great questions!

I look forward to your answers. If this post is "in the wrong section" please move it!
Since you've posed the questions to FU, Feedback might be a better choice. But since anyone can benefit from the information, I think here is fine. :)


1) FU was registered in 2004. How did you get your first 50 "real member" posts? Was it from an admin's signature on another forum, advertising, etc? What about the other 196 posts? I now that you can't really track them all but you probably have a good idea of where they came from.

Just looking at the first 30 (http://www.forumuniversity.com/campus/memberlist.php?&order=ASC&sort=joindate&pp=30), it appears most are online friends and co-workers. Some of us had/have a link to FU in forum signature(s). I've puchased banner ads and links on various related sites as well.


2) How many members did you need before folks like Burst.net and ForumThemes sponsored you? Did you contact them or did they contact you? What about the advertisers? Same question applies to them.
0.

I contacted them.

I know. I know. How can an idea be sponsored? Well, sometimes you have to be enthusiastically optimistic about your dreams. :) I expand on that in this post (http://www.forumuniversity.com/campus/showpost.php?p=3612&postcount=8) in this thread (http://www.forumuniversity.com/campus/showthread.php?t=298).


3) If the moderators here were not active in other well known forums, how long(time wise) or how many members before the companies mentioned above would have sponsored in your opinion?
Since the sponsors sponsored before the launch of the site, I think this question's already been answered. But had I not been known to them (in however scale), it may have been a harder sell. I do believe, however, that you can approach anyone at anytime about your vision to find if they can see it and want to share it. :fu:


4) Hindsight is 20/20. Doing it all over again... what would you do different?
Advertising. If I wanted a larger base faster, I'd have invested in lots and lots and lots of advertising. Hire some article writers. Invested in some SEO.

Although 346 members at this point is good, 1346 might be gooder.

But, with my time schedule, I'm kinda partial to the slow-and-steady growth approach anywho.

So, I don't think there's really anything I'd do differently. I'd like to see FU grow. But I'm old and slow :grandpa: and don't mind this pace.

[TCP/IP Warrior]

Thank you for the straight answers!

[Lurker]

Slow and steady wins the race :) I have seen some forums explode with membership numbers, but looking at them a few months down the track, they are lucky to get 10 members visiting a day :S

[Aussie Bob]

. . . So, I don't think there's really anything I'd do differently. I'd like to see FU grow. But I'm old and slow :grandpa: and don't mind this pace.
Growing a forum is a lot like growing a hosting business. Slow and steady has always worked for me, with building HTTPme and now building Dotable. Slow and steady keeps things nice and tight, as you grow.

[Odd Fact]

Slow is good. Since recently taking over a forum lateyl we are starting to see growing activity. If the administration/owner helps foster growth in productive manners it will happen.

Oh and I came here because SWR as well as other members are a good source of forum knowledge.