What to do with extreme popularity of facebook?

[viss02]

I started my board 2 years ago, when facebook was not popular in my country. There was only a couple of people on this site. My board was popular. Nothing extreme, but when I open it I saw some new posts... Now facebook is too popular, by alexa rating is on second place by numbers of visits. In my study a lot of people spent more than 90% of time on the facebook and only 10% on other sites (I'm talking about time on internet).
Some members from my forum and I found a problem why our board is not popular anymore - and reason was because users simply doesn't use google for free exploring or seek for cool websites. Now I want to give back popularity to my forum. I will need to win facebook (I'm optimist but this is impossible) or to make my forum to work with facebook. i want to found other solution but no luck. If you know something teel me I'll be happy

I want to integrate (or call it whatever you want) my board to facebook. So when somebody post something other friends to be informed about it using wall, notofications or something other. Also I'm interested for anyway linking facebook with my forum. If you can write some custom mod, tell me what it should do, and I'll buy it from you.

I now use IPB 3.0.5 but converting forum to other software is not problem. Except posts and topics I have nothing to lost.

[Liam.]

People here would obviously advise moving to SMF, so I propose to use SMF FaceBook connect.
http://smf-media.com/community/index.php?topic=1213.0
Alternatively, there is a mod called "Twitter and FaceBook Publisher" by 2by2host that you could use to publish topics to FaceBook. For SMF ofcourse.

[viss02]

Did I saw somewhere that smf is free lol, classic free software politic ... but it doesn't matters

Than you for answer... first mod is better but second is also good. Thanks for reply
If didn't find better solution , I'll come back.

[CFCParadox]

Yeah I did consider spending our funds on that MOD. But I realized not a lot of gamers bother to go on Facebook... or even forums but we still manage to survive

[SAFAD]

may i suggest you something ?
http://www.twitterfeed.com
is verygood if you don't want copyrights in footer
BUT
that 2by2host's mod is better
cuz the twitterfeed posts from 30 mins to another 30mins + it jsut posts 5 topics
but the mod
can post old topics
can psot unlimited posts
can post when someone posts...etc
but i think the copyrights are pain in the a**
hope it helps
best regards

[Arantor]

I so have to finish the mod I'm working on sometime.

[Mick.]

I so have to finish the mod I'm working on sometime.

...and what is that?

[viss02]

may i suggest you something ?
hxxp:www.twitterfeed.com [nonactive]
is verygood if you don't want copyrights in footer
BUT
that 2by2host's mod is better
cuz the twitterfeed posts from 30 mins to another 30mins + it jsut posts 5 topics
but the mod
can post old topics
can psot unlimited posts
can post when someone posts...etc
but i think the copyrights are pain in the a**
hope it helps
best regards

Can this post to facebook? twitter is not important nobody use it.
This post links as status or notification?

[Mick.]

may i suggest you something ?
http://www.twitterfeed.com
is verygood if you don't want copyrights in footer
BUT
that 2by2host's mod is better
cuz the twitterfeed posts from 30 mins to another 30mins + it jsut posts 5 topics
but the mod
can post old topics
can psot unlimited posts
can post when someone posts...etc
but i think the copyrights are pain in the a**
hope it helps
best regards

Can this post to facebook? twitter is not important nobody use it.
This post links as status or notification?

Yes.  Visit the website.  It supports both Facebook and Twitter

[Arantor]

I so have to finish the mod I'm working on sometime.

...and what is that?

A mod, named Flitter, that has an extensible API, meaning you can plug in all kinds of reposting interfaces. I have skeleton code for reposting to Facebook, LiveJournal, Twitter and a couple of other things, but it's really not even 50% done yet.

[SAFAD]

hmmmmm
waiting yours The Grinch
And That Site Supports Alot Of Social Things

[Arantor]

It'll be a while yet though, lots to do before I even think of releasing it.

[Mick.]

It'll be a while yet though, lots to do before I even think of releasing it.

btw, looks like your ixos website has a spam post.

[Arantor]

Thanks for that - though I've been meaning to close that for a while, just not really gotten round to it since I do everything on here now.

[Uhura!]

There is a facebook widget you can put right on your site if you make a page for your forum on FB.

But I will say this: the popularity of Fb is a threat to forums everywhere. People are posting on FB instead of forums now.

It's rough.

[Cassiel]

I gotta disagree with you there Uhura. The popularity of Facebook gives a greater chance to all of the small independent sites right now through their "Facebook Connect" system or anything similar. It is basically free advertising that people can post on their Walls. Not to mention that it adds a dynamic to the site by introducing a Social Networking aspect to forums beyond what people can just post. And if you decide to set it up so people can sign into the forum using their Facebook Login (thought i'm not quite sure why you'd want to, but that's just me) people are more inclined to register to your forum since the Login is easy. After all, the "registering" part is already done and they don't need to go through the process again.

The way I see it is the notoriety that Facebook has gives more advertising power to forums and small sites than there ever was before. The word of mouth can spread so much easier now over a larger area.

[thegreatdivide]

Start a group on facebook for your forum, which will connect current and future users to it. Post the most interesting threads on the facebook group to attract more interest. It can work pretty well to organize and personalize your forum while drawing new people in who notice others joining the group. There's nothing you can do about facebook being huge. Might as well get the most benefit you can from it being so popular.

[Uhura!]

I gotta disagree with you there Uhura. The popularity of Facebook gives a greater chance to all of the small independent sites right now through their "Facebook Connect" system or anything similar. It is basically free advertising that people can post on their Walls. Not to mention that it adds a dynamic to the site by introducing a Social Networking aspect to forums beyond what people can just post. And if you decide to set it up so people can sign into the forum using their Facebook Login (thought i'm not quite sure why you'd want to, but that's just me) people are more inclined to register to your forum since the Login is easy. After all, the "registering" part is already done and they don't need to go through the process again.

The way I see it is the notoriety that Facebook has gives more advertising power to forums and small sites than there ever was before. The word of mouth can spread so much easier now over a larger area.

I agree that FB is a gread ad opportunity; however, people are posting more on FB and less in discussion forums.

Why go to a forum when you can go to FB?

You'll see what I mean eventually LOL!

[Cassiel]

Well it just depends on what kind of discussion.

General discussion forums, yeah, they might get hit with a drop in traffic. But for forums with a focus I don't see those being affected. For example, there is always a need for forums for gaming clans. Now with Facebook they can effectively advertise any events they might have to a wider reach. The need for these kinds of forums isn't going to go away because Facebook has become so popular.

The posts people make on Facebook are only general about their lives, and to stay in touch with their friends. Then you have those "Social Interview" kind of apps that ask users questions and they answer. All in all there is no real focus. It's just what they feel at the moment they are typing. So like I said earlier in this post, General Discussion forums might take a hit from this (all 5 billion that are out there), but if your forum has a clear focus I still don't see how Facebook could be negative with so much potential for advertising.

Although, I hope I don't find out what you mean.

[Uhura!]

With certain "focuses" as you put it - such as Gaming & Sex....I would think that FB & Twitter will not be a threat. Although, there are only 24 hours in a day &  if your members become addicted to FB...it will become obvious. Less time to spend on a forum because a person is on FB all the time.

For my forum & forums like it - where the thing which brings us together in the first place is mainly talking about our lives or some aspect of it - it's causing a noticeable drop.

I have seen a few posts here about it & a few over at another administrator's forum I am a member of.

At this point, I am going to keep advertising & hope for the best.

Good luck with your forum!