How much are your forums making?

[crazlunatic]

List your forum URL, your traffic, and how much you are making off adsense.

I'll start.
Forum url is Windows 7 Center Forums - Powered by vBulletin

I get about 2000 uniques and 12000 hits. Only $2-$3 a day. The forums is technically 6 months old but was pretty much dead until I gave it a makeover in mid January and installed vbulletin so 4 months :P

[Joe Ward]

Important Tip:
[HOW-TO] Remove "Powered by vBulletin" from Your Page Titles

[briansol]

I don't think you're going to get a lot of response off this type of question...

I try to average $1 per 100 unique visits.

[crazlunatic]

I guess I'm asking for too much detail. Just tell me how much you make and your traffic :P

[forumvet]

I don't think you're going to get a lot of response off this type of question...

I try to average $1 per 100 unique visits.

So .01 a unique. Is this through all monetization techniques or just Adsense?

Most of us with experience know Adsense and forums = horrible returns. Personally I wonder if it's even worth cluttering the forum up with them.

I am in the process of trying to figure out the ideal way to monetize a forum. Let me know if anyone has any tips.

[crazlunatic]

if not adsense, what do you suggest?

many cpm networks have refused my site despite the relatively good traffic 10-25k depending on if news breaks because my niche is still very new

[forumvet]

if not adsense, what do you suggest?

many cpm networks have refused my site despite the relatively good traffic 10-25k depending on if news breaks because my niche is still very new

I certainly don't claim to have all the answers I just know adsense sucks. But if that's all you can get then by all means, $150 is better than nothing. Helps pay the server bill and your wife off your butt.

Forums don't historically do well with ads because they are familiar territories for our users. Banner blindness. They just get tuned out.

So you can optimize for search engine visitors but if you make your design all about them you risk alienating your community. Catch 22.

Monetizing to a community takes much more creativity. There are restricted access memberships but those will only work in certain situations. You can setup a donation system or payment system and charge for extra forum goodies but again, that only works in certain segments. My community could give 2 craps about bells and whistles. Most who donate do so out of the guilt I lay on them. That and the little gold star next to their user name.

There are forum sponsorships that businesses related to a particular topic can pay for. They get to market their particular wares in "their" forum, etc.

There is affiliate marketing but again, many forum members just don't respond well.

[briansol]

Adsense is 70% of my income. I wouldn't say it sucks at all.

[forumvet]

Adsense is 70% of my income. I wouldn't say it sucks at all.

That's why I need your services my man.

Hope you still have me on your list.

[m7shsh]

Drive traffic to your site than you can get $$ from adsense

[Future]

I try to average $1 per 100 unique visits.

Thanks quite high and impressive, whats your niche ?