Anyway "Ducati Forum" must be among the cheapest things you can spend your money on that has "Ducati" written on it ?
How about new users first month ad free , and then the choice of ads or subscribe ? Then users would know that subscribing is a thing ,
New users know they can subscribe now.....the welcome DM from me tells them so, and also tells them the benefits of subscribing.....as the old saying goes......you can take a horse to water but you cant make it drink
How about subscribe now - and offer a lottery only for subscribers - prizes could include - a fancy T-Shirt - or a ticket to Monkey World. Money would pour in by the bucketful ....
Fiver a year to help keep forum superb & also destroy adverts,....you're choice! You are the resource fiscal metric if your doing things via free-lark.