Well, promoting a board can be a good thing. But, before you promote your board in any way really look at the board.
Is the board lagging and lack pizzazz because all it needs is new members? I doubt it. In most cases that really isnt the
problem.
Take these steps before promoting your board:
1.Tend your board. Answer your members posts.
2.Contact your mod to remove spam.
3.Reply to their replies to your posts on the board.
4.Post interesting threads that members can sink their teeth into.
5.Round up some online friends and other cls (not in their hats) to come participate on your board. Nothing brings new members
like a board that looks like something is going on.
When your board is really ready for new members, THEN promote it. But when you do, rethink how you want to do it. A blanket
standard promo on an explore iVillage thread is often ineffective, especially if it is a board that has done those sorts of
promo threads before.
Think about where your members are! What other boards in iVillage has your typical member or has a member that would have
questions about your board topic? Find those boards. Who is the cl? Email her and let her know about your board. Ask her to
send people over if she has the topic come up on her board. Be sure to include your cgi-bin URL and directions to your board.
Ask her if she would be willing to steer the conversation towards that topic and include a pitch for your board. A personal
touch from a cl the members know goes much further than an unknown cl or a copy and paste promo.
If you have a good topic or have started a mini-challenge let your mod know so that she can promote it in the cl newsletters
and the mod newsletters.
If you have something special going on with your board, let us know on Board Q and A in the Promos and Special Events Folder!
We will help you get the word out and may even stop by ourselves. Remember what goes around comes around and take the time
to take off your hat and participate in other cl's special events too!
Please don't post more than two promotions per week per CHANNEL, or more than one promotion per week per message board. Too
many promotions will overwhelm the members who post regularly on the boards.
The invitation should be related to the board or chat in which it is posted. For example, the CL for the Diabetes board might
want to post an announcement on the Diabetic Cooking board. However, a post promoting the Disney Vacations board shouldn't
be placed on Word Processing/Transcription.
I cant stress enough how important it is though for you to really MAKE your board a place members want to be and stay BEFORE
you invite new members to stop by. I often see promos for boards. I click to go to the board and there is nothing there. The
cl hasnt posted anything new in ages. Or she has posted like mad but hasnt replied to posts answering her questions. Don't
be one of those cls. Don't have one of those boards.
