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June 2005
This article is written by Lou Cypher, the sucessful admin of RPG Vault


He deserves this credit for this fine article which he wrote ;)




Creating a Successful ProBoard


Chances are, if you're reading this, you've tried and failed to make your ProBoard a hit. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that anything you do will make your board successful. It’s the sad but true fact of ProBoarding. I’ll try to break down the complexity of a successful board for you as easily as possible though. Taking a look at any successful board, you can split it into 5 different categories: Design, Content, Originality, Communication, and Dedication. I’ll comment on the importance of each of these in turn.

Design: A design… that’s like one of those gradient things, right?

A good design is one in which a) the colors match, b) the colors suit the theme (yes, colors can be themed), c) the graphics suit the theme, and d) the graphics match and flow together well. A good design is important because, many times it is what will draw in potential members. Many times if I see a board that has a horribly designed skin, I won’t even bother checking the content because I know I won’t join if I have to see the same ugliness every time I go there. That’s the importance of design, but design is hardly everything. Boards that base their entire being on design are ultimately doomed to fail, because design isn’t what keeps members coming back for more... content does that.

Content: Oh yeah, content… the reason I made the board.

Content is half of what keeps a member coming back to your board. If the design is your board’s physical appearance, the content is its personality. Choosing a theme seems to be something that many people have problems with. When deciding on a theme, ask yourself the following: a) ‘Do I know enough about this theme to properly run a board about it?’ b) ‘Do I like this theme?’ c) ‘Am I just trying to get members, or is this a genuine attempt to make a place to discuss my theme?’ You’d be surprised at how many people have made boards with themes that a) they know nothing about, b) they don’t like, and c) they’re only trying to get members anyways. Steer away from falling into those pits. If you want to make a graphics board because you’ve seen some, like G101 Design, with 3000+ members, don’t; that motivation will destroy any meaning you could have had behind your board. After you’ve come up with a theme, write down an outline of categories and boards that could apply to your theme. I suggest having an Administration area, a General area, and then any categories/boards that relate to your theme. Keep it organized, and keep it easy to understand. This will make navigating your board much more appealing, and will keep your members happy. Once you’ve planned the categories and boards, write up some opening posts, board descriptions, rules, etc and make sure the spelling and grammar is always flawless. Anything less will give people a bad first impression of your content.

Originality: Originality... is that what all those graphics forums have?

Originality is a definite must have for all boards. If your board doesn’t have some aspect about it that isn’t original, it won’t be able to stand up against the innovative and the unique. The easiest way to get noticed for having an original board is to have a design that includes ideas that have never been used before. This can be anything from graphics that are put together in such away that the board looks completely different than any board in its class, or a layout that adds to and changes the default one that so many boards still use (best done using innovative coding). The hardest, and ultimately most rewarding, way to be original is to have a selection of content that no one else has. If you’re the only person with one type of board, and there’s a high demand for that theme, your board will become popular. Note that while an original concept for the theme is good, it should never lead you to answering ‘no’ to any of the questions listed in the content section. Whatever form your originality comes in, it is a necessity for a good board.

Communication: Communication... sounds like a lot of talking.

This is the more important second half of keeping your members coming to your board. As an admin you are responsible for communicating with your members. Be friendly, light-hearted, even a little crazy, and your members will like you. If they like you, they’ll want to post at your board more often because they see you as a friend. I highly suggest putting your screen names for any instant messenger programs you have in your profile. By chatting with your members, you may become close friends, and close friends will stick with you (and your board) through thick and thin. If and when you promote trusted members to staff positions, be sure that they’ll be as member friendly and supportive as you are. This will insure few member/staff conflicts at your board.

Dedication: Dedication... doesn’t that mean I’m committed to doing something?

Possibly the most important aspect of keeping your board alive, and making it successful, is dedicating a lot of your time and resources into the board. If you don’t have, or want to spend, the time needed to create a successful ProBoard, you won’t have a successful ProBoard. Being the admin, you are always in the public eye. You have to be there, posting, updating, discussing, etc or else your members won’t feel like stopping by. After all, ‘if the admin doesn’t want to post at the board, why should I?’ Everybody wants the easiest way to get successful, and they want it fast. Unfortunately, in most cases board growth is very slow, especially in the early ages of the board. Don’t panic if you only have 10 members after a month. These things take time, and you must be willing to dedicate that time to helping your board grow, else you will lose anything you had to begin with.

© 2004 Lou Cypher


Last Edit: Jun 26, 2006 22:22:57 GMT by Chris

Chris

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June 2005
XD

Great article Lou, though my board is a complete contrast. We have mild activity (4-10 posts a day, minimum), I'm not too active since the opening of SZ, and graphics are shit, content isn't original. :P HEll, half the time we're off topic.

~*Moonshadow*~

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December 2005
Actually, I rather like the graphics. The unique banner is what originally drew my attention; it is completely different than what I've seen on other graphics sites.

It's rather shocking how many people start forums but aren't willing to put the time in. Then they just leave it to take up space on the servers.... Anyway. Very informative article, and well written. :)


Last Edit: Oct 13, 2005 3:38:52 GMT by ~*Moonshadow*~




"In space, all warriors are cold warriors." - General Chang, Klingon Chief-of-Staff

Luke

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August 2005
Great one. Great tips also. Nice job.

[Random] ,{Jester}

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October 2005
It's all very good, but if I may comment, it forgot about advertisement XD that is one of the ways to get members.
Projects
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Titan Sword [RPGMXP]

Graphics; ====
Ruby Script; =====
Music; =====
Story; =====

~*Moonshadow*~

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December 2005
True. Tasteful advertising is key to attracting members to your site. Tasteful being the key word. :P




"In space, all warriors are cold warriors." - General Chang, Klingon Chief-of-Staff

.trance\\

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August 2005
Very nice article. This has helped me a lot. And now, I'm going to go back and give it a go.

craz

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September 2005
yup! well written article :D
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crazynarutard

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August 2005
Great writing Lou :)



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