Word of Mouth (Best Form of Advertising?)

[luv2ride801]

I will tell my friends about my proboards site (When It's up and running)

But I usually spread the word by telling my friends on other forums, who've I've become close with.

Would this be considered word of mouth too? As I'm telling them about the site, and giving them a link to it to check it out?

Or is word of mouth specifically telling your friends and family members about your site?

[HoudiniDerek]

Oct 10, 2008 15:44:00 GMT -8 luv2ride801 said:

I will tell my friends about my proboards site (When It's up and running)

But I usually spread the word by telling my friends on other forums, who've I've become close with.

Would this be considered word of mouth too? As I'm telling them about the site, and giving them a link to it to check it out?

Or is word of mouth specifically telling your friends and family members about your site?

Personally, I have always seen word of mouth as being offline interactions with people. Online you can post and advertise and what not, but I would see it as different. To me, if you go home and tell your parents and sister about your forum, you are using word of mouth advertising. Anything online, I would not count that way.

[Ben]

Word of mouth is definitely sometimes the best form of advertising, especially for targeted-specific sites (such as games). Sometimes word of mouth isn't the best solution for forums, as I don't see people telling others about a cool forum they found unless they are a really active member there, and there are active contributions by others. Advertising around forums and sites that you have been a genuine active member of, is another good way of getting members to your forum - they know you as a reputable member of that specific forum, therefore they'd be inclined to visit it at least. Just a good deed of a friend I say!

[Snakeair]

I have recieve thousands of visitors over the past year from word of mouth alone. First thing you need to do is establish your forum. Try to provide something different from what your competitors are doing. Get people talking about your forum. The key to getting other people to promote for you by word of mouth is you being a active admin and always looking to improve your forum. For example your competitor might not be that active or really not into his or her forum to much in creating thread's perhaps adding new images... making improvements constantly, while you are doing this.

I like a active staff who is constantly trying to make the forum the #1 forum in there forum niche by changing things around and not just creating a forum and not ever improving it.

Go above and beyond to contribute and grow your community and eventually a few people will suggest your forum to someone. Then before you know it, it's like a viral explosion and you'll get losts of traffic from people talking about your site. In fact there are hundreds of sites that have my forum link on there site. I didn't ask them to do this. I always be nice in answering PM's and finding the right help if i'm unable to answer there question.

People will remember a helpful admin or staff member and maybe even tell there friends to take a look at the forum and join.

[rena1987]

Nice posts you guys. I have had my board open for a little over a month now. I have 34 members and it seems I am the only one who starts topics...Kind of like talking to myself...

http://removed

[Patrick [ASE]]

Sorry, you can't post your links in this board, please use advertising board for that, thanks

[Daimyo Yukimura]

The link to my forum is
musouoflegend.proboards.com/index.cgi
I messege people online, that is how I got all 40 of my members.Less features will appear on my forum unless you are registered and logged into my forum.

[kelendria]

The link to my forum is
Link Removed
I messege people online, that is how I got all 40 of my members.Less features will appear on my forum unless you are registered and logged into my forum.

Sorry, you can't post your links in this board, please use advertising board for that, thanks

[Obama/Biden08]

a lot of people tend to advertise through PM what do you guys think aBOUT THAT

[kelendria]

I personally hate it & it's not allowed here on PBS thankfully.
I hate that people I've never spoken to before, not wanting to know anything about me or my forum, suddenly sending me a PM to advertise their site.
Joining a board to advertise is one thing, joining just to PM your site is another.

[Obama/Biden08]

just though i get ur thoughts cuz a lot of ppl do it

[kelendria]

Well that's only my personal opinion, I don't speak for everyone I'm sure

[HoudiniDerek]

Nov 1, 2008 8:46:32 GMT -8 Obama/Biden08 said:

a lot of people tend to advertise through PM what do you guys think aBOUT THAT

If you are a member of a site and you know a lot of people have a secondary interest, I see no problem with PMing them about a forum you are starting. They know that you are not out to spam or to detract from the forum at hand. However, going to a forum where you are not active and do not know anyone, I feel that it is pointless because you tend to upset people.

[Obama/Biden08]

some people also tend to curse u out if u pm them about a forum though

[HoudiniDerek]

Nov 3, 2008 12:38:11 GMT -8 Obama/Biden08 said:

some people also tend to curse u out if u pm them about a forum though

People will definitely do that on some forums. Here, most people tend to just forward it to a mod and that person is either warned or banned. I like that system and have instituted it on forums where I work as a mod. It is one thing if it is a member of the forum who is active and cares about the main forum; it is another for someone who is just out to spam.