Forums have existed since 1994 and were an early form of online community before social media. Growing a forum community from scratch requires choosing a topic of interest, recruiting friends, and generating momentum through frequent posting of high-quality content. While forums were once popular, their antiquated designs and lack of business focus prevented them from becoming mainstream. The document describes how one forum, Luxury4Play.com, grew successfully through branding, merchandise, events, and ambassadorship. Modern forums are improving designs and monetizing through ads, sponsorships, and new technologies like VigLink that insert affiliate links.