Well, i'm just a Begineer...But, i've read quite a lot about forum advertising and stuff like this...
Here's some tips to start it off!

- Before submitting your forum to any web-directory, or advertising about it, just make sure that your forums looks quite active. If you have active members from the start (i-e friends etc) and you have loads of posts too, then go ahead and advertise...But, if u think that there aint much posts, it is always better to make some FAKE members...Just login to admin cp, and register atleast aroung 10 users (each after some time)...and post atleast 5 posts with each of the member...
As a visitor, i myself see the total members and active members first before joining any forum...so, for this thing, u have to make some FAKE members to start-off ur forum, and when u feel that u have some REAL ones, just stop registering and posting from FAKES.....dont just stop with all of them simutaneously or ur visitors may take notice lol...

- The fact that attracts the visitors to join your forum is "Intrest"....I think most of the visitors register at either "General Forums" or "Help-Based Forum"....because one may find fun, friends, songs and such stuff at any general forum... and one may have any sorf of help (Tech support, hardware probs, virus, or anyother help) from any Help-Based forum...

- Any forum is fully-dependent on its Administrator...As an admin, u have to have take care of it...Forum just need a start, and then it works well itself...In the start, u have to work really hard to get it on right track in right time...As an admin, u have to have advertise (A lot), very good-behaviour with others, ACTIVE, Post Quality-wise not Quantity-wise....

- The first impression for any visitor would be the "Look" of your forum. its really important. It must look attractive, simple not complex, user-friendly.

- Colours are also really improtant and they should be used genre-wise... Dark colours should only be used in Gaming and other related forum...and Light colours should be used for other categories...The reason is, mostly Gamers are young ones, and love such Techy-Dark themes...and for any "General forum", u have to take care of everyone..thats why u should select a light theme, with easy to read text, and Simple + Cool theme...

- Another way for a good start is to have some "Contest" once you have reached reasonable number of members...Contest can be of any-type, if u have a Graphical-related community..hmm, let it be a "Design Something Contest" and give some nice prize...that'll really attract the visitors...

- As a visitor, most of us HATE ads on any site...Adds looks too annoying sometime (Especially on Forum)....Keep away from them at the start...and Just dont go for money from the start...first make it a good forum, then place adds (if you want0...

- As far as i am conecerned, i love Polls...and mostly click on any poll if i find its "thread's name" interesting, so make sure you have some Interesting Polls in your forum too ....Atleast for having me as a member .....

- Use emoticons in your post as much as you can, they EXPRESS you deeply, and make u look like a friendly person (By using a smiling smilie, or winks etc)...dont just use them too much ...

Thats all i think....just my 2 cents.....
Hope u like...

Thanks for reading
Jazzz

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Waleed Mushtaq | Online Portfolio

nice tips but i thnk this should be Creating Interest

but i like it, very nice job

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Will Stumpf - TalkNikon
Submit your sites -> Quality Link Directory

Pretty good tips, thanks for posting

I'll go ahead and move it to the Creating Interest forum, although it could really fit in either section

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...some super-sweet signature

Interesting...

For my forum I ordered paid posters and have been SEOing like crazy. Unfortunately I cannot get many visitors to convert to members, nor can I get many visitors at all.

it really depends on your content of your site

i had this one website it was called zekret but the url was elitist.iconrate.net no one remembers that so i really didnt have any visitors and who would search for something like zekret so i only had about 14 members in about 2 months

but now i switched to studiothirtynine and got studiothirtynine.be and i have 10 members and its only been, lets see, about 2 weeks

so it really depends on your content and your name of your site and url

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Will Stumpf - TalkNikon
Submit your sites -> Quality Link Directory

The name is memorable and a .com, so the issue is not that. I am in a relatively tough category though, webmaster/graphics forum. I did this for a reason, ads would sell for more due to demand however getting things going has been rough.

If I cant beat them with members, I'll beat them with pagerank.

Be careful not to strive for goals which do not help you in any way...What do you gain out of a high PR - advertising power?

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...some super-sweet signature

you say "check out my page rank 10 site ^_^" lol

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Will Stumpf - TalkNikon
Submit your sites -> Quality Link Directory

Yes, mostly to attract advertisers. It should help a small bit with SERPS as well.

How I look at it:
A PR5-6 site will attract many advertisers who will be willing to pay $xx a month for a link on the site. This revenue can be used to advertise the site to gain more members for the forum and PR at the same time. Basically perpetual income. After 2-3 more updates I should be around a PR6.

Thanks for replying guys....
I'm glad u guys find them quite good!

Thanks!
Jazzz