Ways to use [TH] Monetize

Learning how to monetize your forum can be a bit overwhelming to say the least. Some of it feels like guess work, some of it can be tricky to monitor, and other ideas are just too complicated to implement without the proper tools.

Monetize combines some of the tools you need to simplify monetizing your forum. With so many options, what can you do and where should you start? Take a look at some of the features included in Monetize and ways you can use them to start making money on your site.

Enhance user upgrades

Customize your user upgrades by adding colors, shapes, icons, and features. Display upgrade pages to specific, targeted users using user criteria, for the timeframe you choose, and in just the nodes you want using page criteria. Here are some examples of how you can use upgrade pages:

• Upgrades Available for Active Users

Create an upgrade for those who have posted a certain amount, have submitted at least a certain number of resources, or have reached another desired criteria in the content and achievements in user criteria and send an alert with the upgrade page link to let users know.

• Limited Time Only Upgrade Pages

Make an upgrade page available for a limited time.

• Prompt Users to Upgrade to View New Content

Clearly indicate that a user must upgrade to access part of the site by using the post snippet permission to conceal some of the content with “...” when a user without the upgrade navigates to the section.


• Add a Free Upgrade Option

Require an upgrade on registration and add a free upgrade option so users can still join for free.

Help generate more revenue with affiliate links and keywords

Utilize the affiliate links or product pages you have and replace links and keywords with them. You can use affiliate link and keyword replace to:

• Link for Targeted Keywords

Replace the word shirt in the site with a link to your page selling shirts or with an affiliate link for a site selling shirts. (Choose whatever is relevant to your site and affiliate links.)

• Replace with Affiliate Links

Replace a link in the site with your affiliate link for it.

Strategically communicate

Automatically send alerts, emails, and messages to your users and choose who will receive them by setting user upgrade criteria and/or user criteria. You could use the Communication component of Monetize to automatically send emails/alerts/messages to:

• Celebrate Your Users’ Engagement

Congratulate users as they reach milestones like having a certain number of trophy points, making at least a certain number of posts, or having been registered for a certain number of days.

• Party Because It’s Their Birthday

Wish users a happy birthday.

• Keep Them Informed

Let users know their upgrade is about to end and remind them to upgrade.

• Prompt Users to Return

Invite users that haven’t visited in a certain number of days to take a look at the site and see what’s been going on.

• Say Thanks

Thank them for purchasing an upgrade.

Sponsors are great

Display sponsors on your forum easily. You can:

• Have Node Sponsors

Add a sponsor for a specific node by adding their logo or another image and their URL on the node.

• Make a Sponsor Directory

Display sponsors so they are listed in a directory.

As you can see, there is a lot you can do with Monetize. How will you use it?