How to Attract Users to a New Forum

[namd3r]

I started a forum today at my site, forum.redmanbackwards.com

For now it is completely empty as I have just set up a few of the categories and forums that I want on it. I am wondering what is the best way to attract visitors and members to a brand new forum?

[Integral]

how about post exchanges
do u wana do one with me?
you post 5 times at my forum at www.onlinegames.uni.cc/forum/
and ill post 5 times at your forum
each day
pm me if u accept

[coolwaters]

Maybe forum admins should come up with a forum or with forums that talk about special, interesting, specific, unique stuff.... with targeted readers or audiences... cuz if they have, like, general topics... I think posters would find it hard to think of anything out of everything...

Example, your forum can talk about hackers... And the targeted audience are, of course, those who know about hackers and probably those who are hackers themselves...

Just a thought.

[Integral]

and one more suggestion dont use phpbb it doesnt look good
get mybb or xennobb
they look better than phpbb (but phpbb has lots of mods)

[rain]

Add bonuses and incentives for people who post certain number of posts in your forum. That's a quick way to get people to post in a new forum.

[Drew]

phpBB is too easy to hack into.
Perl scripts are all over for exploits to phpBB boards.

Look at this :
http://www.google.com/search?q=hacked+by+sobe
Not gonna say if that is me or not , but those are all phpBB boards.

I heard someone talk about them in this thread.

[Hunz]

Maybe you invite your friend to the forum to heat it up
or
make another acount post (not recommanded thou)

[iworkforthem]

I agree that bonuses and incentives are the way to go! Whether you are doing a competition or a points systems, etc.. Have a reason for the visitors to return to your forum.

Else they probably won't...

[Zeggy]

You need to offer something for the users so that they will want to return to your forum. Like iworkforthem said, incentives and competitions You need to make it worthwhile for them to stay.
Second, you should make your board look active. Most people would rather join a forum where people respond to his messages rather than an empty forum. To help this you could start post exchanges with other forums, or register multiple accounts yourself, and chat with yourself It may feel stupid but it definitely makes your board seem like it has users on it.

[namd3r]

Chatting with myself worked out kinda weirdly, because I didn't actually make any new accounts. I was responding to my own posts with the same account that I made them with. I am starting to do post exchanges, though, so I hope that works out for me. Thanks for the tips.