Do you ask your members to link back to you?

Do you offer your members rewards for putting a link in their signature back to your site? Do you promise them anything in return, or do you merely expect that you've built a good site and the members SHOULD be more than willing to do it free of charge for you?

I recently visited a site that basically begged its members to add a signature link back to their site for the sole purpose of promoting that persons site and services and just thought to myself how asinine that was and not to give anything in return.

Most people don't realize that they are doing the work for this particular webmaster

 

I never ask my members to do that, I find that as long as I treat my members well they tend to push my site without any begging from me.
I have seen on various occasions my site being promoted by existing members without any input from me.

 

In answer to your question, I expect them to ask, as the only way I'll put a link in otherwise is to promote myself.

For example I currently have a link back to vBulletinSetup in most of my sigs, one cos I'm a moderator there and two cos I am promoting my services there, I am merely using a tagline which that sites owner has asked us to, in order to gain SE rankings, even if he hadn't asked me, I would've probably linked abck anyway, as it's self promotions too.

 

I ask any members setting up a new internet forum or website to link back, but I haven't been currently demanding people to add a link to my site on other forums. Would it increase popularity? Who knows.

 

I ask them not to actually. My forum will either be successful, or not, on it's own merits. I'd rather do things off the internet to promote my site.

Admins suggesting, and especially begging, for members to promote their site is a big turn off to me. I do realize my position is not pervasive or popular.

 

We dont ask them to link to us but we do provide a thread full of banners/code and other promotional material, we also offer to send them posters about the site if they wish to have some sent to them in the post. Were not asking nor forcing but the resources are there if they would like to

 

We do the same thing, although I'm not sure anyone has used the banners. :shrug:
I recently got a full time 9-5 job and don't have the time for the vbulletin work that was flowing into the site. So I made this thread letting users know they can promote their services on our site. (which many marketplace type sites do and suggest)

So far it's been a great success! We get 3-5 new jobs/bids every week and apparently some of the users have been happy with it. I haven't had any complaints about helping them making money..lol
I added the iTrader mod to help distinguish the scammers from the legit users.
I didn't start the thread with the sole intention to gain backlinks to our site, or to promote it. I made that thread to give users information they could use to make money doing what they love.
I have no problem getting backlinks to the site, I've been doing it for years. I would never ask the members to link back without giving them a valid reason to do so.

 

Ahah, i used to link back here long ago. But don't ask anyone to do it.

 

I'm thinking of doing what Micheal and Brandon indicated - providing link back options for people who want them. I figure that this might be a good idea since the way that I found AA was through a sig link that Nick had on another forum. (So you can all blame him for my being here today.)

I'd like to write up a little bit of a lead in to this "link back" area and it would be great to get your thoughts on why somebody should link back... So, when would you expect/hope that your followers start linking back to your community? I guess better asked - what would make you want to link back to a community?

Thanks,
RR

 

I use a mod from vbEnhancer.com called the banners mod, it's marvelous.. you can see it here: ExplosiveGFX - The definitive source for graphics enthusiasts! - Our Official Banners

 

No, and I wouldn't. I have had some members that have put the Pisoga signatures I make on other sites, but I don't make banners or anything for that, if they ask me, I won't say no, though.

 

Nope, they do it on their own.

 

I provide code and images for links, and I give them a little award if they do, but I don't beg them to link. Seems to be working.

 

Getting links to Elliquiy has been rather difficult, considering its nature. It's been improving a bit, however, and the site is currently one of the top pbp forums.

 

Nah, I do not offer rewards are otherwise try to encourage members to advertise my forum. However, a fellow administrator did post a sticky topic in the forum with a lot of cool signature images to link back to the forum. Also, I have noticed that some members have posted a good word about the forum at other forums they participate at, or have invited people who have gone on to contribute. That said, though, I have accepted the advertising of my small board as entirely resting on my shoulders, since it relies on word-of-mouth. If I encourage advertising, it is indirectly by fostering an atmosphere of contributive discussion. Along those lines, some of the people I alluded to as having been invited to my forum by other members were invited because those members wanted to show their friends some of the interesting discussions that were taking place.