Ask HN: Creating a solid Community

Hey HN.

I usually don't make submissions or comments here, but a few recent posts on HN have caught my attention. Another Ask post was asking about phpBB and why it's been dropped for other platforms.

This has sort of sparked me to want to create my own community, similar to HN but different enough that it's not a ripoff. But the point of this post is to ask: how does one promote and get members to their forum (or whatever medium) and have them stay there.

I know that people would probably find enjoyment in most communities, but I have never found an effective way to get it known.

Thanks.