In this edition of the Small Business Trends Radio show, host Anita Campbell has as her guest, online forum expert, Lee Dodd of Zydeca Media. (Forum Trends)

This is a fascinating conversation. If you are not familiar with online forums or discussion boards then this information packed 60 minutes will serve as an excellent primer on the subject. You will learn the basics:

Lee is a terrific guest and knowledge source on this topic. He has 7 successful, highly-trafficked forums. In fact he hosts a forum and blog that serves other forum owners. Take the time and listen today.

Date: Recorded March 28, 2006

Duration: 60 minutes

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The regularToday’s Trend segment in this show is:

“The Renewed Business Importance of Community on the Web.”

About Lee Dodd

Lee Dodd is a full time webmaster and forum administrator making a living from the relatively new Internet medium of online communities or forums.

Back in 2003 he stumbled upon his first Internet forum and little did he know that he would one day own 3 of the largest forums on the web. It wasn’t until almost a year later that he began his very first forum for parents to discuss child safety. This was helping a nonprofit organization to provide a medium for discussion amongst parents. This was a small attempt, but something that would drive him to the forum world on a much larger scale.

Within the past year alone, he has started CruiseLineForums.Com and seen it grow from nothing to more than 2,700 members and 200,000 posts. He has seen SprintUsers.Com grow from 20,000 members to more than 52,000 members in only 9 months time and both Zelda Universe and Smash Boards grow at a frantic pace. Within a year Smash Boards surpassed the 1 million post mark.

While his forums are growing at a tremendous pace, he says that it doesn’t come easy. There have been many 16+ hour days spent working on the web and spent countless hours doing research, talking to people in the know, building relationships, enhancing his boards, monetizing the traffic and so on.