Do you think people can make a living with forums?

[Shawn Gossman]

How do you feel about the possibility of making a living with a forum?

If you don't think it can happen - why is that?

If you do think it's possible - how is it possible and what would someone have to do?

 

[AWS]

It used to be possible. I knew several forum owners that made big dollars with their forum. There are still a few that make money. The big companies like iNet Interactive and other like them were very active buying up popular forums. Some forum owners sold when they were offered a huge amount of money. Some didn't. The ones that didn't were making a good living from the sites.

I am not so sure that it's possible any longer. Sure you have a few forums that have been around for years making big dollars. Could you build a forum into a money maker. I don't know.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I remember when Crowd Gather tried to buy up all the forums and then go with a public stock for the company.

I'm not sure whatever happened to that.

The owner Sanjay was a pretty friendly guy to talk to.

I made my own forum network once, inspired by that.

I have no interest in doing that today as income isn't really my goal with these communities nowadays.

I'll save my blogs for that!

 

[Cpvr]

How do you feel about the possibility of making a living with a forum?

If you don't think it can happen - why is that?

If you do think it's possible - how is it possible and what would someone have to do?

I think it could be possible, depending on how you want to monetize your forum.


Especially if you go the private route and sell your own ad slots.



I’m just brainstorming ideas on how we can further monetize our forums.
For example:


• A monthly sticky topic for $15–$20 per month.
• A header link or monthly banner ad for $20–$50 per month, or a higher price (e.g., $XXX).
• An in-post link or ad for $XX or $XXX per month. As the forum owner, you can set your own prices.
• A footer link or banner ad for a set price.



Additionally, if you have a link directory, you could sell a featured ad spot to potential advertisers.


Account upgrades could also be a good idea.

 

[Mike30]

I have not done it yet, but I strongly believe it is possible to make any amount with a forum.
Managing a forum is not just managing a piece of software, there are really real life skills that needs
to be learned and also money invested like in any real business. Creating services, products, subscriptions about a niche, then having a forum about it
is one of the best method to monetize a community. Advertising can become very profitable only after you got network effect. That's what I have observed so far through the years.

A general topic forum would be hard to monetize, you need to put up something for sale and create a community around it.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I have not done it yet, but I strongly believe it is possible to make any amount with a forum.
Managing a forum is not just managing a piece of software, there are really real life skills that needs
to be learned and also money invested like in any real business. Creating services, products, subscriptions about a niche, then having a forum about it
is one of the best method to monetize a community. Advertising can become very profitable only after you got network effect. That's what I have observed so far through the years.

A general topic forum would be hard to monetize, you need to put up something for sale and create a community around it.

I feel like we can make a living off anything if we use the right strategy.

But making a living often means working and sometimes working hard which some forum owners lack skills in.

Too many thinks success happens overnight...

 

[Cedric]

It's still possible. But same like being a good paid influencer or streamer. It rarely happens to you unless you work very hard and have a good amount of luck.

 

[Mike30]

It's still possible. But same like being a good paid influencer or streamer. It rarely happens to you unless you work very hard and have a good amount of luck.

lol... Joining ForumRace can drastically improve that amount of luck

 

[Cedric]

lol... Joining ForumRace can drastically improve that amount of luck

Sorry? Can you explain how my luck would drastically improve?

 

[Mike30]

Sorry? Can you explain how my luck would drastically improve?

By doing what you just said. Been an influencer and working hard.

 

[Cedric]

By doing what you just said. Been an influencer and working hard.

You need to be a bit more clear as I have no idea what you're trying to say.

 

[Mike30]

You need to be a bit more clear as I have no idea what you're trying to say.

Lol.. I am not trying to say it, I just said it. I am just agreeing with your post about been an influencer you can make a living. You said about the luck part, and I am saying that that luck will drastically improve by Joining ForumRace.

 

[~ True Legend ~]

Lol.. I am not trying to say it, I just said it. I am just agreeing with your post about been an influencer you can make a living. You said about the luck part, and I am saying that that luck will drastically improve by Joining ForumRace.

Your luck is everyone’s luck, since you run a webmaster community