FORUMS

Do you look for answers to your posted replies?

Do you try to answer all posts on your forums?

Are these the secrets to successful forums?

Hi Roger,

I reply to all posts at my 2 "entertainment" forums, but I don't reply to ad-threads created by posters at my advertising forum, I only reply to people in threads that I started in my ad forum.  Occasionally I will reply to other peoples ad posts, if I have something to say that I think would be of value to them.

Kathleen,

Thanks for being so prompt in all the threads.

I figured this might be the way to keep a forum on course. By creating different threads maybe folk will be able to follow things better.

Do you thing people go elsewhere if you don't reply? Does it make a difference?

Sir Roger

Hi Roger!

I saw all the announcements for your threads in my mailbox and I liked ALL the subject lines!  (It's a great idea for people to keep their emailbox clear, the email used to receive ALP messages, I cleaned up mine in April and it's made everything much better, I can actually see what's going on as it happens!)

I think people like to be replied to, especially in the non-ad forums, the conversations are fun if kept going, even if only between 2 or 3 people.  That's how friendships are created and maintained.  People get disappointed if they're waiting for a reply from the forum owner about a topic and it never happens, that's also how forums die, from lack of interest, it's up to the forum owner to maintain interest. 

Kathleen,

Glad you like the idea of threads.

The point about maintaining interest is good. One thing that prompted me to do this series was that I was frutrated with my stress forum that I was running with Sheila. The thing just suddenly died a death.

One killer (don't get me wrong, they are great) is the PARTY, PARTY, forum.

So many times folk get tempted away to congratulate somebody (rightfully) and for a week everyone concentrates their efforts on the FUN posting. Then you notice that a serious or different forum has gone quiet.

There are some great forums, Myrnas Native American one is so successful because it's unique and the subject is actually quite wide, but, in the end, only a few people attend regularly, a new posting then kicks things off again. Fascinating.

Sir Roger