Newby Looking for Assistance

Hi everyone. I have been reading through this site for HOURS, and it looks like it has some good information - but I feel like I'm getting nowhere. When I start to read through a thread, I get confused by all of the jargon, abbreviations, etc...

I run an unofficial message board for a Philadelphia radio station. It has a decent user-base, with alot of activity. How would you guys recommend turning that into a cash generator? I'm not looking to make a killing; just something to make all the work worth my while.

Are there any pointers you think you could give me? I do have a Commission Junction account. My site URL is www.freefmboard.com

Any kind've help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

 

Forums are difficult to monetize unless you have a topic about products that people buy online. Free radio is not one of them. I'd lose the idea that this site will ever be much of a cash generator for you. Having 229 registered users is not nearly enough for any board to make money -- large sites register that amount in a day or even an hour.

Now that you have no hope... make another site. Find a more profitable niche. Find a busier niche. A local radio station's unofficial site is not going to ever get enough people online. Think national. Think worldwide.

When you do get traffic on a forum, the best way to monetize is to be your own ad broker and sell banners directly to interested retailers (or open up your own web stores); that will do better than Adsense or CJ on a forum.

 

Thanks alot.

I have another questions though: The forum I run now is all free. By that, I mean that it is registered through a free forum service. All of their ads are on it, so that's how they can afford to do so.

Do you think it would be wise to pay for the next forum I make? This way, I can access my backup files anytime, I can put whatever ads I see fit, etc...

Basically, I'm asking how anyone thinks I should go about this?

 

Always control your own domain name and always control your own hosting. I'm sure others here besides me have learned the lesson the hard way by losing a site or a domain.

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. As soon as I saw this forum gaining volume, I wanted the backup files, but the site that hosts it makes up some excuse as to why he can't, or won't.

I was thinking of doing either one of two things (or both). One, I was considering making a site similiar to eBaum's World, or Something Awful with a forum linked to it. Two, I was thinking about just making a site similar to the one I have now, but with XM/Sirius Satellite radio. This way, I could set up an affiliate to sell the receivers. Do you think either of these would even be worth giving a try?

 

Check out www.sternfannetwork.com and see if you want to compete. It takes a small standing army to moderate, I'd bet. Dunno if you listen to Stern, but running that forum has landed the owner on the show numerous times and now he even has his own show on Sirius talking about Stern. They probably sell a lot of receivers from the forum but he has the ads placed pretty well... they also toiled in obscurity for years before getting all of this recognition (and traffic... and sales.) When SFN started, there was nothing to sell.

Honestly it is tough to look at a new forum idea and get excited about it unless the topic is something new. The sites you've mentioned are very old and established. Competing against huge sites is never any fun... getting the community to shift to a new forum is nearly impossible. So what you get are the dregs... newbies who don't know what they're doing or people who've been kicked off the larger community sites for causing trouble.

If you're serious about starting a forum, do it on a topic that you are passionate about it. Do it about something that you would do for free... that is the only way you'll care enough to run it longterm. Most people don't set out to make a forum and have it profitable -- the most successful forums (Something Awful included) started as hobbies.

 

Well, that's why I started this one - because I like the station alot, and I would do it for free... I just thought it'd be neat to make a little cash on the site from it.

I'm actually an acquaintance of The Reverend Bob Levy's, so that might help out. I do parody songs for the station, that's how I got involved in all the radio stuff to begin with.

Hmm... I'll just have to keep thinking, haha.

Are there any tutorials on this forum as to how to sell text links, banners, etc. I don't know abbreviations, or just how to go about doing anything you guys are talking about. When I read that I shoud do a certain thing, I have no idea how to do it. Is there anything on here to point me in the right direction?

 

Lesson #1: Get traffic
Lesson #2: Everything else, including selling links and ads

One of the big mistakes I see here is people worrying about their ad placement and minor details without having the biggest detail in place: traffic. Learn to generate buzz, learn to buy good text links, learn to do press releases, learn to spot profitable niches. Those skills will serve you in the long run versus increasing your own advertising or sales.

There isn't a FAQ or glossary that I know of. It is live and learn. Sounds like you're reading a lot and picking it up -- so keep it at it.

 

Thanks man - you're being quite helpful.

That's what I mean though. "Learn how to buy good text links." I know it'll probably make some of you laugh... but I don't even know what that means. Same thing with the press releases... Sorry, but I wasn't kidding when I said I was a noob, haha.

 

I think you should first read more about online business methods and techniques... there are lots of free eBooks available ...

Check itechbd.ifastnet.com

also if you need more books and reports on these just pm me...
thank you

 

Man, this is giving me a headache, haha. Does anyone else have any more reference points for a beginner?

 

Hi,

My first big time mentor and coach was ...and still is...Willie Crawford. Even have his first ecourse (it's free) on my site:

http://movingaheadcommunications.com/ecourses.html


.... so maybe sign up and print out the pages (I have mine in a print folder and use them a lot). And visit his site and him (his name.com) - and tell him I sent you

Willie writes great articles to help those in the Internet marketing and home-based biz arenas. You can search his name on the net and find tons of stuff from him - - lots of excellent advice!

Good luck and welcome to the online crowd! New here, but not to the IM (Internet marketing) world.


Sincerely,

Diana Barnum
Phone: (614) 529-9459
(EST-Ohio)


Skype: dbarnum