What is an online forum?

An online forum is an internet space structured around and dedicated to conversation, usually through posting questions, answers, and responses. Online forums do not usually happen in real time. By archiving past responses and arranging posts (either in order of posting or by popularity), a forum can host an engaging discussion that is carried out over days, months, or even years.

Some online forums are built around a special interest, anything from organic gardening tips to fiery political debates. Some are built around a product, like the community of bookkeepers who trade notes about using Quickbooks, the accounting software.

Whatever topic the online forum is dedicated to, a successful one needs users who will continue to come back and engage, putting their time and energy into keeping the conversation alive.

An online forum can be a section of a website that is dedicated to other things. This is common with forums for popular products and services. For example, the Adobe website is technically dedicated to its products and sales. But since these products are complicated to use, an online forum with a mixture of paid employees and loyal fans devote themselves to answering questions.

If you love the idea of starting a conversation with an online forum, creating your own Mighty Network might be just the ticket.

Click here to learn how to get your discussion moving!

7 Examples of online forums

1. The GHF Forum

The GHF Forum is a forum dedicated to families who have gifted kids. It teaches them how to educate a gifted child at home, whether they are a homeschooler, a hybrid schooler, or a public schooler.

2. The BWBJ Black Birthworkers Forum

The BWBJ Black Birthworkers Forum is dedicated to Black birthworkers supporting each other, sharing tips, and answering questions.

3. The Little Tern Forum

The Little Tern Forum is an online forum dedicated to little tern conservation across the British Isles. Since different regions and governments face similar challenges with preserving little tern colonies, The Little Tern Project allows them to share knowledge and best practices, and to get their questions answered.

4. Reddit

Reddit is both an online forum and a global social media network. Passionate users devote themselves to the conversation, with the best answers receiving an upvote. The platform itself is one giant online forum, with thousands of divisions into specific topics: AKA subreddits. The conversation can be everything and anything, from celebrities to hobbies to religion.

5. Quora

Quora is another massive online forum, dedicated exclusively to questions. Users can ask questions like, "Is 35 too late to go back to school?" or " What's something you've learned that you wish you knew sooner?" It’s a lot of fun and easy to fall down the rabbit hole of the fascinating stories users share.

6. Quickbooks Forum

The Quickbooks online forum is a dedicated community of accountants and bookkeepers who trade their knowledge of the software. Contributors receive a rating based on their expertise in order to help readers understand the reliability of the information. It’s a treasure trove of support, especially for business owners who do their own books and can get stuck on simple questions like, “How do I combine multiple invoices.”

7. Adobe

As we mentioned above, Adobe makes a suite of creative products, dedicated to photography, video, audio, and more. The products are extensive, but also complicated, meaning that users are constantly learning and the product is constantly evolving. The online forum creates the support users need to get the most out of their product.

Now Read: 11 Types of Online Communities That Thrive