It seems that every other article or guru tip you read extolls
the benefit of one program or another as the absolute best
way to enhance your internet marketing business. In reality,
there are many ways to boost your business online - writing
articles, search engine optimization, acquiring incoming links
- the list goes on and on. But what about online forums? Are
they really worth the investment of your time, effort and
energies?
The answer really is quite simple, YES! If you are looking for
effectiveness, looking for ways to enhance your web presence in
a significant way, without spending a fortune--then forums are
the ticket! One of the best ways which is often overlooked is
to find forums relating to your line of business and join as
many as reasonabily possible. Being a frequent participant on
forums can increase links back to your website, increase your
chances of being seen as an expert, increase your mailing list,
sell more of your product, get new affiliates to sign up, make
you new friends - and the benefits get extensive.
However, there are some things to think about before you get
started in a forum. Your purpose is primarily to establish
yourself as a knowledgable person (even a guru of sorts). You do
this through a careful etiquette and approach. Here are a few
helpful hints of good forum etiquette:
Things to Help Your Business (These are the GOOD Ones!):
1. Research each forum before you join. Make sure it's relevant
to your business and see if the participants are in your target
market. Look at how much traffic the forum gets. How busy is it?
There's no point in joining a dead forum with very few posts.
2. Check the forum rules before you post. Some forums will allow
you to post adverts for your business while others will object.
Check if you are allowed to add a signature at the end of your
posts - adding
a small biography with a web link to your business is a great
way to increase incoming links to your site and to get more
traffic.
3. Be polite and treat everyone the way you would like to be
treated. Even though you don't meet people face to face you will
build up some great relationships if you take the time to give
good answers to questions, to be helpful and to respect other
people's opinions. And every post you answer adds to your
reputation. Use your posts to give genuine, useful advice, not
just to plug your business and you'll soon be looked on as an
expert.
4. Don't be afraid to ask for advice - no-one knows everything
and sometimes you will need help.
5. To make the most of your time on the forums, allow yourself
only a certain amount of time each day.
6. Read only the posts that are relevant and that interest you
and post answers quickly before moving on. It's very easy to
spend the whole day on forums and not get anything else done.
Things that will Hurt Your Business (These are the BAD Ones!):
1. Never, ever use a post to blatantly advertise your business,
particularly if the forum rules don't allow it. Nothing will
damage your reputation faster than spamming a forum.
2. Don't go through the list of forum members, collect email
addresses and send them unsolicited mail. At best you'll be
banned from the forum and at worst the owners might report you
to your ISP.
3. Don't ever get involved in a flame war (this is when a heated
conversation on a forum boils over and degenerates into nothing
but an exchange of personal insults). It might be really
satisfying to say what you think about someone, especially if
they've been getting on your nerves, but just imagine what other
people will think of you if you do.
In conclusion, treat people online like you treat people in real
life. Think of it as a networking event that's taking place on
your computer and don't forget that other posts on the forums
are made by real people with real feelings. You already know how
to make friends and new contacts face to face. Apply what you
already know to online networking and you could be enjoying great
success with a global audience. Before you know it, you will have
gain a tremendous amount of information, knowledge, networking
contacts, friendships, and potential business venture partners
for the future. You will be amazed at how extensive the list of
benefits for forum exchange can be.
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