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How to Monetize Message Boards

 

Traditional banner ads are not effective for message boards and ones options for ad networks are far more limited as forum traffic generally generates a poorer response to advertiser's ads.

Keeping this in mind there are ways to monetize a forum short of uncapped popups which some free forum providers are having to do to stay around. Possible ways to monetize a forum include:
1. Charging fees for "premium" memberships

which may include custom avators or user profile pages

priority attention to these people's posts.

enhanced search capability of the forum itself

The ability to host images for posting purposes on the message board's web server itself.

Special forum areas for members only.

Giving some basic low level moderator abilities to paid members that nonpaid members do not have.

Custom email addresses or free hosting space.

Longer signature files in the posts of premium members.

Allow email notification of new posts and replies to premium members only.
2. Having special forum areas that are composed of advertising posted by forum members only.
3. Using sponsors and having a sponsor for each forum topic area.
4. Using text ads in lengthy paragraph form to promote products and services in unique demand by your forum visitors.
5. Embedding ads in posts after so many responses to a given thread.
6. Embedding special full screen ads after a new post or thread is started in place of the usual your post has been sent message.
7. Running cpm or cpc banners or buttons from places that allow their ads on message boards. Expect perhaps 2 to 10 cents cpm for bottom banners and above the scroll banners respectively from networks like clickxchange that allow their ads on forums.
8. Running uncapped popups or popunders. This will definately yield revenue but it will drive a message board audience away quickly and is not a good idea.
9. Include advertising in email about new posts and threads that forum members opt into.
10. Ask for donations to keep the forum going.
11. Create site specific branded merchandise such as t-shirts or mugs and ask your visitors to buy it.