I'm going to get downvoted for this, but make some fake content. Projects users can bid on, but will never win. If real projects get put up, manually try to get developers interested in bidding on it and into your system.
In reddit's case they were providing real content, just created by them. In this case the content is completely fake.
I also think this would be harmful to the business. I have very few interactions with a service before I make a judgement on them, if most of my interactions go nowhere (as would be the case if they are fake) I would stop using the service.
However if the service was just slow I would be likely to still use it, just check it less frequently.
Of course one viable way of adding content would be to repost content from other sites - with suitable indications of course.
+1 to fake as in completely made up being a terrible idea. It might be a good idea to manually enter content you got in other ways, though. Like flip through other job listing sites, and copy some over to yours manually, or call up the companies and ask them if it's okay if you enter the info for their position on your site yourself. Then find freelancers either online or in person and do the same thing - copy their info over to your site, ask them if it's okay to do it, or meet them in person somewhere and do it for them. You'll have to be careful to not "spam" either side with too much content that they won't be interested in, or they'll all just block you. But it could make it appear that there's more activity on your site than there really is, which may make people who find it more organically more willing to at least try it.
They could define a few things that the site needs and use the site to hire developers to help build the site. It's real content created by them, similar to what Reddit did.
Reddit isn't the same thing. Reddit is a place for people to find interesting content and interesting discussions. If those discussions and links are being created by 500 people or 1 frantic person the end product is the same.
Having people waste time bidding on fake projects that have no chance of happening is not the same end product as a realistic site where projects are posted by real people and have a chance of happening.
Also I'll tell you from experience: Even if your product is 100% real people who lose their bids are going to think it is a fraud. If you site actually is a fraud you are just going to burn through all the early adopters extremely quickly. The strategy should be the opposite --- have the content be so good that early adopters feel like they've hit a goldmine.
This is illegal in USA and UK. Most countries have legislation that recruitment agencies must follow, and one of the stipulations is usually real and accurate job postings, because of the many scams and fraudulent practices involving fake postings.
OP should consult a lawyer about the relevant legal and licensing requirements for running a recruitment agency.
Comments
I'm going to get downvoted for this, but make some fake content. Projects users can bid on, but will never win. If real projects get put up, manually try to get developers interested in bidding on it and into your system.
Yep it is completely immoral in this case.
In reddit's case they were providing real content, just created by them. In this case the content is completely fake.
I also think this would be harmful to the business. I have very few interactions with a service before I make a judgement on them, if most of my interactions go nowhere (as would be the case if they are fake) I would stop using the service.
However if the service was just slow I would be likely to still use it, just check it less frequently.
Of course one viable way of adding content would be to repost content from other sites - with suitable indications of course.
+1 to fake as in completely made up being a terrible idea. It might be a good idea to manually enter content you got in other ways, though. Like flip through other job listing sites, and copy some over to yours manually, or call up the companies and ask them if it's okay if you enter the info for their position on your site yourself. Then find freelancers either online or in person and do the same thing - copy their info over to your site, ask them if it's okay to do it, or meet them in person somewhere and do it for them. You'll have to be careful to not "spam" either side with too much content that they won't be interested in, or they'll all just block you. But it could make it appear that there's more activity on your site than there really is, which may make people who find it more organically more willing to at least try it.
They could define a few things that the site needs and use the site to hire developers to help build the site. It's real content created by them, similar to what Reddit did.
Reddit did the same thing initially. I guess it's "growth hacking".
Reddit isn't the same thing. Reddit is a place for people to find interesting content and interesting discussions. If those discussions and links are being created by 500 people or 1 frantic person the end product is the same.
Having people waste time bidding on fake projects that have no chance of happening is not the same end product as a realistic site where projects are posted by real people and have a chance of happening.
Also I'll tell you from experience: Even if your product is 100% real people who lose their bids are going to think it is a fraud. If you site actually is a fraud you are just going to burn through all the early adopters extremely quickly. The strategy should be the opposite --- have the content be so good that early adopters feel like they've hit a goldmine.
I would love to read/know more if you don't mind
This is illegal in USA and UK. Most countries have legislation that recruitment agencies must follow, and one of the stipulations is usually real and accurate job postings, because of the many scams and fraudulent practices involving fake postings.
OP should consult a lawyer about the relevant legal and licensing requirements for running a recruitment agency.