Best way to promote a business forum?

Hello everyone,
I am looking for help with promoting my business forum, DiscussBiz (owned by Patrick and I), because we are currently stumbed - we purchased the site for $150, then we tripled the stats that were as followed:
Members: 31, posts: 150.

We have been submitting the forum to directories, engaging in post exchanges, and having our site link located in our signature on other forums.

What should we do? We've been adding some business-related articles, posting some ads on other forums, but the activity is so slow - some days go out without any posts at all. We've been adding new threads, but no polls yet, but that's the case - those threads are receiving replies, but the business forums aren't that activity.

So here is the question: What should we do to promote DiscussBiz?
And if you were the owner of DiscussBiz what would you change / do differently than what we're doing now?

Regards,
Carlos Andrade

I think you just have to give it some time before it gets very very active.
Keep up the work with posting on other forums about, have a contest ( will attract some ppl ) and Im sure you might get some members from talkfreelance to join aswell, allthought this is a webforum, and your forum is business related it quite simular to someof the topics on this forum , know what I mean ?

Originally Posted by Kenny I think you just have to give it some time before it gets very very active. Keep up the work with posting on other forums about, have a contest ( will attract some ppl ) and Im sure you might get some members from talkfreelance to join aswell, allthought this is a webforum, and your forum is business related it quite simular to someof the topics on this forum , know what I mean ?

Ya, what type of contests were you thinking about? Never ran a contest, unless a posting competition - becoming a moderator is considered a contest.

Originally Posted by cpvr Ya, what type of contests were you thinking about? Never ran a contest, unless a posting competition - becoming a moderator is considered a contest.

well, it can be everything from a posting contest to designing a flyer for your forums, but the thing with contests I think is to be unique, like talkfreelane did with the daily xmas contests. ( Just look how many ppl who entered )

I dident quite get what you where saying with "becoming a moderator is considered a contest"
Is that a idea you have ? if it is, in my opinion that isent a very good contest.
you should pick a moderator with experience and knowledge, if you know what I mean ? ....

If you are interested in getting more contest ideas I would ask around here on the forum or make a new thread about it, I know there is alot of ppl here who got experience with running ideas.

cheers,
kenny

Originally Posted by Kenny well, it can be everything from a posting contest to designing a flyer for your forums, but the thing with contests I think is to be unique, like talkfreelane did with the daily xmas contests. ( Just look how many ppl who entered ) I dident quite get what you where saying with "becoming a moderator is considered a contest" Is that a idea you have ? if it is, in my opinion that isent a very good contest. you should pick a moderator with experience and knowledge, if you know what I mean ? .... If you are interested in getting more contest ideas I would ask around here on the forum or make a new thread about it, I know there is alot of ppl here who got experience with running ideas. cheers, kenny

Ya, I know - I used to have those type of contests when I was just a beginning in the world of managing / running a forum.
Would do, always interested to hear new contest ideas.

First impression is EVERYTHING, why did people bother joining here in the beginning? It had potential, the design is KEY to attracting members and without them you don't have a forum. I wouldn't bother joining yours unless it was very large and it served a purpose (e.g to plug my site and advertise) but I would join if the skin wasn't default simply because it gives me the impression that you take pride in your work and really do want the website to succeed.

Originally Posted by Robson First impression is EVERYTHING, why did people bother joining here in the beginning? It had potential, the design is KEY to attracting members and without them you don't have a forum. I wouldn't bother joining yours unless it was very large and it served a purpose (e.g to plug my site and advertise) but I would join if the skin wasn't default simply because it gives me the impression that you take pride in your work and really do want the website to succeed.

Thanks Robson - so the key to bring in members to DiscussBiz is to have a nice skin?

Our skin is not default though. It isnt completly custom, however it is a purchased template, so much more rare on the web.

Yep, if you had a skin of the same standard as Talkfreelance I can guarantee a) I would join b) about 100 of my members would join and c) people wouldn't look at it and think it's going to be gone next week.

Originally Posted by Robson Yep, if you had a skin of the same standard as Talkfreelance I can guarantee a) I would join b) about 100 of my members would join and c) people wouldn't look at it and think it's going to be gone next week.

I believe content matters a lot.

I believe content matters a lot.

Where are you going to get the content without members?