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One of the easiest ways to build an online community within a specific niche market is to create an active discussion forum. Here are seven tips to kick start your forum to quickly attract visitors and message posters.

If you are trying to build a web site that will attract a large portion of your target market, one of the best things you can do is to create an active discussion forum for the niche you are covering.

A well designed, search engine optimized discussion forum can act as a super powerful 'magnet' to draw visitors in your niche.

Getting it started

So you are thinking of adding a discussion forum to your web site. How do you get people to participate - especially when you are just starting out and there are no forum members or message posts?

Here are seven tips to get you started:

Seven tips to kick starting a new discussion forum

1. Search engine optimization first! - Before you choose a discussion forum software package, make sure that all the posts within the forum can be found and ranked by the search engines.

   You'd think that all discussion forum software would be search engine optimized - but unfortunately, the reverse is true. Most discussion forum software hide messages posts in such a way that they simply can not be found by the search engines.

   Since 85%+ of new traffic to your web site will come from the search engines, having your discussion forum posts found by the search engines is an absolute must. Else your forum will be invisible to potential visitors who are looking for you.

   One way to find out if message posts within a specific forum software package are search engine optimized is to visit a site using that software, copy a recent forum headline and paste it into google and do a search (surround the search headline with quotes so google knows exactly what to look for).

   If the message headline comes up within the first 50 pages found by google, you know the forum is search engine optimized.

   If the headline doesn't show, you might want to look for a different forum software package.

    

2. Seed the forum with "hot button" questions and answers - The first step to having your discussion forum found in the search engines is to start filling your forum with messages asking the kinds questions that people in your niche are likely to search for.

   For example, there are probably ten questions about any topic that are asked about that topic by everyone interested. If you know those ten questions, post them as questions in your discussion forum. (Then post brief answers to each question).

    

3. Post using multiple identities - To avoid looking like you are the only member of your discussion forum, post questions and answers using different forum user names (identities). Have at least 4 different identities and use them all.

   When you reply to a message you posted, be sure to use a different user ID - that way it won't look like you are the only member of the forum.

    

4. Reply to every message promptly - When visitors see that message questions are answered, they are more likely to post their own messages in the forum.

   But if they see that messages are rarely or never answered, they have no reason to post their own message.

   So don't leave a poster hanging. Reply to all messages promptly.

   (Look for discussion forum software that notifies you by email each time a new message or reply is posted. This helps you know when to visit your site so you can reply to messages.)

    

5. Show recent message posts on the front page of your site - Let visitors to your site see that there is an active discussion forum by showing headlines from recent posts on the front page of your site.

   These headlines can intrigue and cause visitors to want to read and participate in the discussion forum.

   The discussion forum software we use automatically creates a javascript with updated forum headlines, which we place on our front page. This way, when a new message is posted, it is instantly shown on our front page.

    

6. Post at least three new messages each day - To keep the forum alive, make sure at least three new messages are posted each day. And make sure all the messages have replies.

   If visitors don't see new messages, they will view the forum as 'dead', and they aren't likely to post any new messages.

   But if they see that the forum is active, with current messages and replies, they are much more likely to participate. So make sure that visitors find current messages (and replies) when they visit.

    

7. Keep it entertaining - Discussion forums are social gatherings and should reflect the entertainment value of being around people with a wide variety of opinions, interests, and expertise.

   For that reason encourage different points of view, avoid ridiculing any message poster, and let the forum become a meeting place to discuss different subjects.

   Just don't let it get out of hand. Step in if flame wars break out - don't let members abuse others in posts, and make sure everyone knows the rules.
   
    

Goal #1: Being found

The first goal of your discussion forum is to be found by the search engines. If you fail at this, nothing else really matters.

If the messages posted in your forum are not found by the search engines, then your forum is essentially invisible to the 300 million people who use the search engines to find things on the web.

I know I covered this above, but it is worth repeating. Your discussion forum messages must be found by the search engines!

Goal #2: Visitor participation

Most new visitors to discussion forums will be 'lurkers'. These are people that stand on the sidelines, watching how those involved in the forum interact.

There's nothing wrong with being a 'lurker' - in fact most of us start out as 'lurkers' as a safety mechanism.

We 'lurk' to find out if we will fit in. We lurk until we are sure that the messages we post or reply to won't be ridiculed, rejected, or ignored.

Your goal as the discussion forum manager is to create a place where lurkers feel they'll fit in and have fun. You want lurkers to feel that their posts to the forum will be appreciated and respected.

If you can do this, you will help lurkers move off the sidelines and become posters. And the more posters you have, the more successful your discussion forum will be.

Bonus Tip

Keep the spammers, flamers and porn mongers out - Nothing will send visitors to the exits faster than finding spam, flame wars, or obscene messages in your forum.

• The first step to eliminating spammers and porn mongers is to require registration before messages can be posted. The simple act of requiring registration will eliminate 80% of bulk spammers.

   

• The second step to eliminating spammers and porn mongers and flame wars is to constantly monitor message posts, and immediately delete any message that is a blatant advertisement or contains objectionable language.

  Most discussion forum software packages include 'dirty word' filters to help detect and hide objectionable words that might otherwise appear in your forums.

   

• The final step is to 'lead by example'. As forum manager, you have the opportunity to set a specific tone or direction of the forum. It is your job to act as 'referee' and 'judge' by cooling down any topics that get too hot, and by removing objectionable posts.

  Be fair but vigilant. Don't let things get out of control.

Your goal is participation by all - but at the same time you want 'newbies' and 'lurkers' to feel comfortable and to feel their posts to the forum will be appreciated and respected, and not met with flame wars, ridiculed or rejection.

As discussion forum manager it is your job - no one else will do it.

Discussion Forums - the great gathering place

Once you do start attracting active participation in your discussion forum, it can become the 'great gathering place' of those in your target market.

But first, you have to get it launched. The tips above should help.