Well, it’s not exactly true to say it has little relevance. You’re right in that awareness of the product is important and improving the experience is not advertising. But it’s of zero value to raise awareness if the reaction of a prospective member is to see the board and just bounce off when they see the place isn’t their cup of tea.
Suppose you wanted a Board member to spread awareness of the SDMB through word of mouth - let’s call this member NickJay, and just pretend he’s, I dunno, a baseball maniac from Canada who’s been on the board a long time. He’s not going to be inclined to do that if he thinks his friends will come here, see a place where everyone’s flaming one another, a core clique harangues and reports new posters for the slightest error, and the forums are weirdly organized, and say “Nick’s such a moron, screw this” and never join or log in again. What did that accomplish? Your conversion rate will be zero and your referral rate will, as a result, drop to zero.
Make the place welcoming and even a mild referral rate might make a huge difference.
Here’s a suggestion; create a forum just for new members to introduce themselves and be welcomed.