Need some advice on how to attract people to a newly established design forum. Though much like DeviantArt, this place will be a 'hang-out' joint for artist and designers. Need some marketing ideas, affiliate opportunities, operation suggestions, and any other helpful advice as far as getting such a forum established.

If you're going to spend money on marketing and affiliate opportunities, how about Google Adwords? You set your daily price on advertising.

Would recommend to set different marketing strategies like try to advertise your forum by yourself or someone who could help you out. Just go to as many webmaster sites, blogs, directories as you can and submit your link/forum. Remember even the smallest thing, if you do 'em right it will be worth.

Then try paid advertising, try google and other directories related to your forum category.

- A great way is to have an active forum, create posts which would attract new members

- Offer something free on your forum, like offer a free domain(apprx $9.99) for the first member to reach 50 new threads, or something else for the 50th member who joins your forum and there's many more strategies.

These are a few strategies who could get you started, just use your imagination.

Make some nice skins for applications, just like they have on devianart etc, to attract people to come and download the custom skins. Make something unique or special. Make sure you have submitted the url, made efforts to increase your SEO, and have patience.

I want the free coffee mug :)