How to get active members for my forum?

My forum - This is a picture of my forum. What do you think?
@Darkoli (255)
May 3, 2010 8:16am CST
Hello everyone, I would like to know what are good ways to get active members for my forum. I say active because whenever I try to get members, they post a few times, then they never post again. I have tried getting family and friends to join, they do, but its the same thing. They never post more then a few times and I have to keep asking them to post. I always respond to the posts, trying to keep them active, but that does not seem to work either. It is really disheartening that all that work I put into my forum is wasted because no one uses it. I just want it to be a nice place to talk, like here in MyLot. So what do you say everyone, got any advice?
3 people like this
2 responses
@celticeagle (160064)
• Boise, Idaho
3 May 10
Welcome to the real world! I have tried to get referrals and active members to read my blogs or articles. I had the same thing happen to me. I finally gave up on the referrals and blogs. I just check out sites that are mentioned on here or that I find out about elsewhere. If I like them I become a member and put my information about recent articles in my profile. I keep these sites updated.
@Darkoli (255)
3 May 10
Yea, that's what I am trying to do now, I am asking and searching for sites that I can go to that may give me active members. If there not active I don't really want them, there's no point. We should both keep trying. Remember, never give up. =P
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (160064)
• Boise, Idaho
3 May 10
Ya, good luck!
@Darkoli (255)
3 May 10
Thank you, good luck to you too. =)
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
3 May 10
I have been a member of a lot of different forums and I have also had my own forum, and there always seems to be a huge group of inactive members who only post a few times, so I think it a common problem. I know that some people have tried to get more activity by offering money to the active members. I am not sure if this a good solution, and I haven't done it myself. On my own forum I simply tried to get more activity by posting a lot of different discussions, responding to the posts etc, but I had the same problem as you.