How to recruit new members?

Doc

Doc

Admin
Staff member
GOLD Patron
I'm brainstorming here and thought I would do it in the open forums.

Does anyone have any ideas how we can attract new tractor users & buyers? We have loads of tractor experience here, but we need some newbies to ask questions and learn from our brain trust.

I have ads running on google which should come in play when folks search for various tractor names. How else can we get folks? Referrals? They work but they are hard to come by. So for the next couple of weeks anyone that refers a new member to NTT the referrer will get 30 rep points per referral.

If you have any tractor buddies tell them about NTT and see if we can't get some new members who will post. We've attracted a few new ones lately but getting them to post and interact is not easy. Maybe if the new member knows someone here they will feel more open to asking whatever questions that are on their mind.

What do you think? Other ideas welcome.
 
Well, I happened to get a hint of this place in the "what happened to Bob Skurka" post on TBN. I had to dig around to find you guys, didn't even know you existed. I guess you could start a thread over there inviting everybody over here........LOL!!
 
RedRocker said:
Well, I happened to get a hint of this place in the "what happened to Bob Skurka" post on TBN. I had to dig around to find you guys, didn't even know you existed. I guess you could start a thread over there inviting everybody over here........LOL!!
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I wouldn't or you will get kicked out over there :lam:

They do not take it very well when you post links to here, trust me. I had a link in my signature and got told off.

But, it is the best way to get hold of people, especially when you know that they would like to be over here too. I got 20 referrals now... Do I get some rep points? ;)

How about talking to some of the other boards around and seeing if they would like to change links?

The other thing at the moment is that this place is pretty low down in the Google ranks. Searching for 'tractor forum' I found links to this place on the tenth page second from the bottom whereas I had seen all the other common ones on the first two pages. I don't know how we can get that up more?
 
Doc,

I post at several other forums under my same tag and am even a moderator at one, and in my experience, growth does come in word of mouth, but also in just time. If you have a good product, foster a good, friendly atmosphere, and get your name further up on the search results, then if you have the time to stick it through, then the posters will come.
 
Thanks guys for bringing this one back up.
The google part is slow coming but I thought we'd be further up the list by now. Every day as we post it should help. But we don't type tractor forum enough in our posts to make google recognize us.
Any hints on how to do better on google would be appreciated.
TBN has 40k members but still they are very fussy about other links. It's their forum so no sense worrying about it. There has to be 10 times that number of tractor users out there. Slow but sure we'll find them.
Tractor articles are a big plus for search engines. If you find an article we can share here or if you write one be sure to post it here. We'll grow this forum slow but sure. We'll fill it with good tractor information and watch them come running. :thumb:
 
RedRocker said:
Well, I happened to get a hint of this place in the "what happened to Bob Skurka" post on TBN. I had to dig around to find you guys, didn't even know you existed. I guess you could start a thread over there inviting everybody over here........LOL!!
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Took the words right out of my mouth.;)
 
Welcome Will (and some others I've missed recently).

I Know from the get-go many will disagree with me....but this is what I've discovered in just a few short years, and pertaining to great success with spin off or start up forum sites. And please don't judge me too harshly.

Personally, I'm very careful who I invite over to NTT. I'm a firm believer that the core base of members is what grows into a great, friendly and respectful association. I have no right to profile, select and recommend certain people as potential new members...but I do it anyway. Looking for the right people has nothing to do with social status, education or wit. It has more to do with conscientious members that instantly recognize the few that come to mock, criticize, bash and create friction between other members. They are out there...and as NTT grows they WILL come here. These same core members, moderators and staff will be more than capable to put them in their place-or rid them from our site entirely.

I am so pleased with the few I've invited (And you know who you are LOL), and how much they've brought to this forum in such a short time, that it convinces me to work under this assumption, that the founders of the community (the first 2-300 core members) works!

I know that high body counts work well for advertising and search engine hits...I also feel that the member population will grow exponentially in the next year (or two). In simpler terms: I'm comfortable with the people I ask to come over and join in the discussions, and NOW I'm certainly comfortable with the people I've invited...to invite others to join in the very same way. The foundation has been carefully laid, and a new 'High Rise' of a family friendly tractor/farm web site is underway.

Mark
 
Mark777 said:
Welcome Will (and some others I've missed recently).

I Know from the get-go many will disagree with me....but this is what I've discovered in just a few short years, and pertaining to great success with spin off or start up forum sites. And please don't judge me too harshly.

Personally, I'm very careful who I invite over to NTT. I'm a firm believer that the core base of members is what grows into a great, friendly and respectful association. I have no right to profile, select and recommend certain people as potential new members...but I do it anyway. Looking for the right people has nothing to do with social status, education or wit. It has more to do with conscientious members that instantly recognize the few that come to mock, criticize, bash and create friction between other members. They are out there...and as NTT grows they WILL come here. These same core members, moderators and staff will be more than capable to put them in their place-or rid them from our site entirely.

I am so pleased with the few I've invited (And you know who you are LOL), and how much they've brought to this forum in such a short time, that it convinces me to work under this assumption, that the founders of the community (the first 2-300 core members) works!

I know that high body counts work well for advertising and search engine hits...I also feel that the member population will grow exponentially in the next year (or two). In simpler terms: I'm comfortable with the people I ask to come over and join in the discussions, and NOW I'm certainly comfortable with the people I've invited...to invite others to join in the very same way. The foundation has been carefully laid, and a new 'High Rise' of a family friendly tractor/farm web site is underway.

Mark
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Personally, I take this post as a compliment!

Thanks Mark!!

NTT is going to be good ............;)
 
I have to agree with BD. I feel Mark's post is a compliment to all who are here. Thanks Mark! No one has ever been banned from NTT. We had one post that had to be removed, only because it was not considered appropriate for NTT. And that is it.

Thanks to all who have joined and helped with NTT's growth. We have many knowledgeable tractor folks here. I honestly feel when a newbie comes across our site they will be in for a wealth of information no matter what they ask about. We have a diverse experienced group here already. :thumb:
 
It's always the goal of any successful website to draw in new members and continue to grow. But that can be dangerous. You get the bad along with the good when the general public is invited. I can think of 4 "tractor sites" right off the top of my head that were at one point, great places to hang out. In the course of 2 to 2-1/2 years, all 4 went down the drain as the trolls, self proclaimed experts at everything, and what I like to call "keyboard bullies" started showing up. Then the job of the moderators becomes a little tougher. :umbrella:

So far, I've been very carefull about who I mention the site to. I found this place more or less by accident. If I can stumble on to it, who knows who else might find it.

I'd be cautious about growing it too quick. There's a good bunch here already, and with a clean start, the "personality" of the site will influence who joins in the future.

My advice? Just don't force it to grow. It'll get big enough, soon enough. Enjoy the "childhood" while it last's.

Spread the word by inviting those who we know are safe, responsible, decent, and friendly.
 
bczoom said:
I don't have any of those traits. I guess I someone to ban me.
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:D That dog don't hunt!!!

I spent lots of time reading back on your posts and found them interesting and entertaining....And the bomb shelter to die for, was fascinating.

Mark
 
I can't remember how I found this site, I think it was a link from my tractor forum.

I know I mentioned this previously, but you need posts on the board, one of the ways to do that is to turn off PM's, that will keep guys posting here on the board where it counts and out of the background.

I have recieved enough PM's from one member that if it was up and running on the board it may have made a two page thread easily with just a few other guys chiming in.

Posting links in other forums to this forum just for the sake of directing someone can in some instances get ya kicked off or infracted at the other forum and your post deleted.

Now if you were to ask a question about tractors in another forum, and another guy came along and said go HERE, well that's another story now isn't it! :D

I am quite sure I have seen a link or two on this site to other tractor forums, that should be discouraged.

Sooooooooooo, what sites are we all gonna go spam asking tractor questions at?:badidea: :applause: :D :hide2:
 
HeyBob said:
I can't remember how I found this site, I think it was a link from my tractor forum.

I know I mentioned this previously, but you need posts on the board, one of the ways to do that is to turn off PM's, that will keep guys posting here on the board where it counts and out of the background.

I have recieved enough PM's from one member that if it was up and running on the board it may have made a two page thread easily with just a few other guys chiming in.

Posting links in other forums to this forum just for the sake of directing someone can in some instances get ya kicked off or infracted at the other forum and your post deleted.

Now if you were to ask a question about tractors in another forum, and another guy came along and said go HERE, well that's another story now isn't it! :D

I am quite sure I have seen a link or two on this site to other tractor forums, that should be discouraged.

Sooooooooooo, what sites are we all gonna go spam asking tractor questions at?:badidea: :applause: :D :hide2:
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Just thinking out loud here,

I've got mixed emotions about links to other sites. For the most part, we all know how to go about finding all the other sites. Most of us visit a variety of sites, even posting on a few that we really don't consider as "favorites". I'd rather have a reputation of being friendly towards everyone than to have a rep of being too exclusive. The ol' "information superhighway" makes it fast and convenient for us to visit all the sites. For one site to attemt to limit access to another, IMHO, only serves to send people looking for those other sites. The best way, again, IMHO, to draw a faithful following is to be the BEST site and not be afraid of lesser competition.

I'd love to see this one make a go of it. The core group consists of folks with great personalities, even tempers, and no preconceived notions that they "know everything". Those things aren't nessicarily the case on a few other well known sites.

My beef has always been with showing post counts. It seems to me they make new people think a high post count is an indicator of experience and knowledge rather than sometimes a person just having too much free time on their hands.

I do like the reputation points system. Maybe they add validation to the post count (?)
 
Farmwithjunk said:
Just thinking out loud here,

I've got mixed emotions about links to other sites. For the most part, we all know how to go about finding all the other sites. Most of us visit a variety of sites, even posting on a few that we really don't consider as "favorites". I'd rather have a reputation of being friendly towards everyone than to have a rep of being too exclusive. The ol' "information superhighway" makes it fast and convenient for us to visit all the sites. For one site to attemt to limit access to another, IMHO, only serves to send people looking for those other sites. The best way, again, IMHO, to draw a faithful following is to be the BEST site and not be afraid of lesser competition.

I'd love to see this one make a go of it. The core group consists of folks with great personalities, even tempers, and no preconceived notions that they "know everything". Those things aren't nessicarily the case on a few other well known sites.

My beef has always been with showing post counts. It seems to me they make new people think a high post count is an indicator of experience and knowledge rather than sometimes a person just having too much free time on their hands.

I do like the reputation points system. Maybe they add validation to the post count (?)
Click to expand...

Thanks for your thought everyone.
Farmwithjunk you stated my sentiments exactly. Not linking to other sites does not mean those other sites do not exist, it just makes it a little harder to find that site. I prefer being site friendly to all other sites. I am a member of MyTractorForum.com but I have not had time to visit there lately as I'm to busy. A bunch of good guys over there though. My first tractor site was tractorbynet.com also known as TBN. TBN is an awesome resource. It helped me when I was tractor shopping and was fun to visit and learn about all different types of tractoring and how to accomplish many task the best / safest way. I was banned from TBN when I started forumsforums.com. So, one thing led to another and I decided to start my own tractor forum. I know I won't get banned from here. :D
Some of our members have visited both MTF and TBN, many are members of one or both sites. No problem.
I believe we all agree the best way to grow this forum is to treat people with respect and have fun talking about tractors and things we do with them. We will have disagreements. We will not sell out to advertisers. Everyone will be allowed to state their opinion. I do not like censorship and will try my best not to sway threads by eliminating posts .... but, sometimes, when things get to heated we will have to remove some. It is a fact of forum life. I vow to do by utmost to be fair to all. The main thing I'll strive for is that every post is civil and respectful of other members. Simple plan, and I do believe if we achieve it will will grow naturally. Slow but sure we will have a thriving tractor community.
I'm sure glad to have you all with me! :beer: :beer:
If other forums allow sigs with links to other sites please add NTT to your sig. If you are a member of TBN, don't do this or you might get banned. They are not forum friendly folks on TBN.
 
Farmwithjunk said:
My beef has always been with showing post counts. It seems to me they make new people think a high post count is an indicator of experience and knowledge rather than sometimes a person just having too much free time on their hands.
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Post counts are Everything, don't you know that! LOL
 
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