Expanding the forum member base and increasing activity

Discussion in 'Forum Discussion' started by Cribbage, Apr 15, 2012.

  1. Cribbage RG Cribb

    I'm really going to be focusing on this between now and the start of next season. I feel we lost a lot of activity in the massive gap between contracts opening and the season starting due to the huge offseason, and I want to recapture it. We're actually still getting similar amounts of unique sign-ins but the post counts between November and now are still a fair bit down despite the simming.

    If anyone has any initiatives that they believe will increase posting, free discussion and general enjoyment of the forum, then I'd love to hear them. I don't mean others ways to encourage members to post for the sake of it, but ways to encourage them to have genuine conversations here.

    Beyond that, I'd also like to do a bit of an advertising raid on other forums. It's a fine line between showing someone the forum and coming across as an advertiser/spammer so it's better if we target individuals from other forums and get people who know them to contact them.. but actual advertising threads that were clearly spam such as this one have worked for us in the past, so we're definitely not above them. :p

    I'm thinking about offering people an activity boost to people who bring new members across if they make 50+ posts, or something. Thoughts?
     
  2. Skippos SM Morgan

    - On this topic - the conversation I had with you last night regarding that idea with another forum, looks likely to happen in a month. If you hide the aflsim subforum for guests then they'll have to sign up, then my irresistible charm should keep them

    Who did that one bring across?

    Good idea :)
     
  3. Athlai JJD Heads

    I dislike the idea of an activity boost, an unsimming skill related incentive would sit better with me.
     
  4. Cribbage RG Cribb

    Pretty much all the original poms.
     
  5. Rocks DN Boland

    Vcashies? Porn/avatar video?
     
  6. Chewie JA Chewie

    Agreed
     
  7. morgieb MC Burridge

    Didn't work for me <_<
     
  8. Captain SSD Dong

    Agree with Athlai. I know you dislike expanding the sidebar but something customised there would be nice.
     
  9. Cribbage RG Cribb

    Less talk about rewards and more ideas on how to advertise the forum and increase activity, cunts.
     
  10. Chewie JA Chewie

    Use some devious method so that when you search cricket in google it comes up as one of the top results
     
  11. Skippos SM Morgan

    I think just having a look for cricket based or friendly forums with a solid member base and mean age of about 16 would be good - and just making a thread/pm targeting the solid members
     
  12. Rocks DN Boland

    Why cricket based? Could get a large gamer following or music or soccer etc and increase the Amount and quality of discussion on non cricket related matters?
     
  13. Phlegm SP Phlegm

    Hack other forums and post a link to cricsim.
     
  14. Skippos SM Morgan

    True. Some new afl members would be choice as well.
     
  15. Cribbage RG Cribb

    It's easier to sell the forum to cricket fans. The actual appeal of the please is very hard to explain to people who aren't here, so it's the simulation competitions we have to use as leverage.
     
  16. morgieb MC Burridge

    Google "cricket forums" and the first three options were BigCricket, CW (half their members are already here though :laugh:), and CricForum.
     
  17. morgieb MC Burridge

    Union forums?

    Even try soccer forums.
     
  18. Eds E Ames

    Better SEO.
     
  19. Callum CJ Laing

    In terms of bringing in members the only way to really do it is to take people from other forums. Making threads on other forums is a way that has had some success in the past, but I am still not convinced it is a great tactic. It will often annoy admins and moderators on other forums and may well quite often be deleted as spam. Personally I feel taking the more personal or one on one approach is a better way of doing it. If people are members on other forums and can target people on those then that is an easier way. If not then it could take a while before members are established enough to make one on one approaches to people.

    At the risk of having my head bitten off for it I also feel that the CricSim clubs play a vital part in the continuation of a good level of activity. They are the place where members will settle into the site and signing for a good or bad club can often be what keeps a member and also play a part in how active they are. I think that ensuring all of the CricSim clubs are of a good standard (not meaning on the field but off it) is an important thing for the site. I do understand that this is a very difficult thing to control, without taking member's choice of clubs out of their hands, at least somewhat.
     
  20. Boobidy BJ Gemmell

    How about rewarding people who have brought others to the forum.

    I know I brought Wilson, Danno, Svizz and MF.
     

Share This Page