I need some tips please..

[BeautifulAngel]

Alright so I have just recently started a posting competition on my site and no one has even signed up or registered for the competition. I'm running out of ideas on how to get more members. I've tried the whole website promiting stuff but it just doesn't seem to work. I've tried re-doing my website and that also doesn't seem to work. Am I missing something or am I doing something wrong?



What are your suggestions on how to get new members as well as how to influence members to participate a bit more?

 

[Sinon]

There's no set method to doing it. If people don't want to participate, they won't do it. Nothing you do can force them to want to do it.



Regarding the actual promotion, you need to find something that you can take as your niché. As it stands, your forum looks pretty bland; I can find the exact same layout and content on 95% of other forums. What is there that makes me want to join yours over those? You need something that grabs the viewer.



The first thing I notice, from looking at the index, is there's very little customization. A skin that's simple is good, but a skin that's simple and custom is better. It stands out more, again, from the 95% of other forums that look the same.



There's allusion to a VIP package, but there's no information on what it is. In this case, your site is pretty small, too small to warrant a VIP side of things, especially (If I'm reading this right) if you have to pay for the privilege. (I may be wrong, but the contest rewarding free VIP status gives the impression you must somehow pay for it in other cases.)



Running a forum is often a slow process. Assuming the rules thread was the first posted, your forum has barely been around for a week. Patience is a virtue.