When I first heard of the book, Managing Online Forums: Everything You Need to Know to Create and Run Successful Community Discussion Boards by Patrick O’Keefe, I knew it’s the kind of book that should go on my reading list. Learning more about different aspects of online community is something that I enjoy.

And, this book didn’t disappoint. As soon as I read this part of Chrispian Burks’ foreword – “Building your own community can be one of the most enjoyable journeys you can take as a Webmaster. You are giving people a place to meet and connect, share ideas and thoughts, and build relationships that grow out of common experiences. Building a community is about creating a fun, safe place that encourages expression and conversation.” – I was hooked.

The rest of the book offers various aspects of starting, maintaining, and growing online forums – from laying the groundwork to managing forum staff. There are 9 chapters in total. Plus, some additional resources and templates.

None of these chapters delve heavily technical aspects of forum creation. So, you won’t read a lot of suggested software or applications. That may be a downside for some people looking for a ‘how to’ in the technology side of starting forums. But, the good thing about it is that this book wouldn’t become outdated so easily, like many technology books. So yes, this is more of a management book rather than a tech book. Another thing I like about this book is that many of the online community principles may be used in other avenues other than forums, like blogs.

Plus, Patrick O’Keefe the author is quite a stellar guy. He was willing to talk to fellow b5media bloggers to help us look in to working the forums to build community as bloggers. And, he definitely walks the talk. He doesn’t just write about forums. He has been successfully creating, maintaining, and building them for many years. So, he definitely comes in with a lot of his expertise with this book.

Anyway, one particular chapter that online entrepreneurs might be interested in is Chapter 9, which is about Making Money with forums. It gives 4 basic ideas on how to monetise one’s forum community: Advertising, Merchandise, Paid Memberships, and Donations.

So, yes – this book comes recommended to everyone who wishes to explore the world of online forums. I know this book has already inspired me in more ways than one.

Also See: 4 Ways to Make Money from Forums

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Managing Online Forums: Book Review

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With so many new tools available for the web worker, is it still worth investing one’s time in creating and/or joining forums as part of one’s online business? Although monetizing forums may seem tough, there are people who are using them to make money online successfully – either directly or indirectly. Here are some ways on how to make money online from forums:

1. Use forums as a way to look for client leads. If you join or start forums that are related to your line of work or business, chances are, you’ll meet people who will eventually need your products and/or services. If they see how valuable your contributions are at a forum, they’re more likely to buy from you or hire you. Just remember not to spam forums and/or do ‘the hard sell’, as you’ll most likely get banned and turn people off.

2. Run ads. If you own a forum, you can post ads – either Adsense-type ads, Affiliate ads, or Direct ads. If you don’t own the forum, make sure you’re allowed to add affiliate links to your profiles and/or signatures before you try that route.

3. Use a subscription model. If you set up a niche forum that is useful, then people might be willing to pay money to belong to your forum. This is especially the case if people can immediately see the benefit of belonging to the forum (help them to make money, gain unusual information, etc.).

4. Build backlinks to your blog or site. As a member or administrator of forums can help you by having links to your blog or site. So, make sure to set up your profile and your forum signatures accordingly. If you’re a valued member of that forum, they’re bound to want to find out more about you even if you don’t ask them.

If you own a forum – or you support one – feel free to share your experience about them with us here.

This post is originally from Just Make Money Online. Please respect copyright.

4 Ways to Make Money from Forums