How do I get people to call into my BBS? reddit / bbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jookie08 · 2022-07-08 00:55 I'm new to the BBS scene and I just got my own BBS online. I'm having trouble getting people to call in. I put it on a few of the other bbs's im in and I put it on the telnet bbs guide. What's the most effective FREE way to advertise and get people to call in? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- rlauzon · 2022-07-08 00:57 Most BBSs have a message group for BBS ads. Write up a good BBS ad (read the ones already posted to get a good idea of how to write one) and post it in those groups on the other BBSs. Like any other business, you need to advertise to let people know you exist and what you offer. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jookie08 · 2022-07-08 00:58 What's an active BBS I can post an ad in? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- rlauzon · 2022-07-08 01:42 The BBS of the guy who runs the Telnet BBS list is a good start: Diamond Mine. Posting your ad to the networked group for BBS ads will also mean that your ad will be seen on other BBSs too. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- codefenix · 2022-07-08 02:42 Play around with ANSI art editors like PabloDraw and come up with an eye-catching ANSI welcome message, and also an ANSI ad to post around on other BBSes; most BBSes have one or more networked message areas where you can upload your ad. Most importantly: Customize your BBS. Mod it. Make it unique. Make it yours. If it looks like all the other stock Sync & Mystic boards that periodically show up on the front page of the Telnet BBS Guide, people won't give it a second glance. When users do call, have stuff for them to do, whether that's having a unique selection of door games to play, or having interesting local message threads. And participate in the conversations that emerge in your message areas. If you give callers a reason to call back, they'll call back. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- gl3nnjamin · 2022-07-08 02:49 Tell them you have punch and pie. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PotentialDeadbeat · 2022-07-08 02:50 For sure content remains king, it has always been the secret sauce for any successful community. So first, have a niche, dont try to be all things to all people. Start with something you know, your job or your hobby or your passion. Build your BBS around that community, use the language and interests of your target audience. And then provide the things that speak to them, don't just be doors or random downloads. Create a community of information, conversation and helpful tools or downloadable objects. Then target your marketing to where they are already at, and do it without being a bore. Don't over advertise or sell, talk about what you have that they want. Join in natural conversations, join groups in Facebook or Linkedin and drop subtle hints in conversations that make sense. Its not just about building it and they will come, you need to focus your energy and efforts on a narrow path at first, and expand from there. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- auric0m · 2022-07-08 02:55 you advertise it - on reddit, other social media, echonets and other bbs's. and you have some patience. there are not a lot of bbs callers out there. i get a couple a day. making your bbs stand out from the crowd with some good ansi art, a theme, curated games etc can attract regular callers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 8bitguy1 · 2022-07-08 03:04 Call other BBS s and post messages and join their communities then they will join yours. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Call_Me_Mauve_Bib · 2022-07-08 04:11 "Free hat" also works. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- caress-of-steel · 2022-07-08 08:13 We used to offer pirate downloads, porn gifs, and active message boards. ;) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dmine45 · 2022-07-08 09:46 Advertise. Advertise. Advertise. Lots of places on FB to do that. And most message groups have that. Even advertise right here in /r/bbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dmine45 · 2022-07-08 09:47 Yeah, some guy called Diamond Dave runs this place called the Diamond Mine Online, and also runs the BBS Corner and the Telnet BBS Guide. I hear he's a really nice guy and will let you advertise on his system. Go ahead and ask him. (oh wait, that's me!) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- roger_ramjett · 2022-07-08 14:20 I think milk and cookies works better. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Iron_Slug · 2022-07-08 15:32 Please feel free to submit your board to my BBS list site at: [http://www.ipingthereforeiam.com/bbs/](http://www.ipingthereforeiam.c om/bbs/) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- digitlman · 2022-07-08 18:17 Step 1: Make a great BBS This is subjective, but I think unique compelling content is what matters here. Pretty window dressing (e.g. cool-looking login screens and menus) might get users to login once or twice, but you need compelling \*content\* to keep them coming back. If it's the same content they can get somewhere else, they likely will, so try to find a niche and fill it well. Step 2: Advertise Post on modern social media (e.g. make a YouTube demo/walk-through video), existing BBSes, blogs, etc. It's work, but the only other option is really word-of-mouth and you can't directly control that. Simple, eh? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PaulLee420 · 2022-07-08 20:51 fsxNet is a great place to advertise... its an FTN Networked Message Conference that you can post to and it networks to about 100 bbSes. \[2o fOr beeRS carries fsxNet, as does many others...\] You could even join the FTN and post adverts daily/weekly. What I really think is the most important thing to do is just join the bbS community and start getting to know people - in my experience, callers come WAY LATER than we'd want as sysOps... but if you build a cool, custom bbS it will happen - you just have to be willing to have months of NO callers. LOL... If you have any questions about bbSing in general, you can sh00t me an email on mine anytime; [20ForBeers.com:1337](https://20ForBeers.com:1337) ​ pAULIE42o . . . . . . . . . . /s ---------------------------------------------------------------------- gstandard00 · 2022-07-09 00:32 You can drop the bb's address here in the forum. If you had it in this post I will try it out ---------------------------------------------------------------------- slewp · 2022-07-12 21:50 came here to say the same thing!