Forum marketing is an excellent way to generate traffic for free, whilst once again boosting your reputation and making you seem like an expert in your field. Get it wrong however and you may find yourself being banned from the forums quite easily, but get it right and in my experience you’ll see some pretty good results.
Forum marketing is a great traffic generation method. Not only can you get good backlinks from your keyword rich signature, you will also get lots of curious people clicking through your signature link, and it opens up many opportunities to network with people.
- First, you need to determine your niche and find appropriate forums to join. You want to find ones where posts are made on a regular basis, so don’t bother with any that haven’t had any new posts in the last week.
- Be sure to read the forum rules, as most have their own specific policies and they can vary greatly from forum to forum. If no signatures are allowed, then I would probably avoid the forum, unless it was very busy and could be used for networking purposes.
- Create an interesting signature that uses your main keywords and your unique selling proposition to direct people to your website. Always check the forum rules, as it may be that you are not allowed to have a signature until you have x number of posts. It is good to put some thought into what you want to convey in your signature. If you can make it attention grabbing but not ‘salesey’ then you should get plenty of clicks.
- An important piece of forum marketing etiquette is that if you can’t say something nice, then tie your hands behind your back, so as not to jeopardize your forum marketing efforts! You want to have a good standing and build positive relationships with other forum members. Avoid getting into an argument – it’s all too easy to do this and create lots of negativity around your business.
- Before you even think about posting, take in the forum’s ambiance and atmosphere, so that you can fit right in.
- Next, look for topics where you can reply with quality answers. When you have done this a few times people will start to regard you as an expert, respect your opinions and be more tempted to click through the link on your signature. You will become known as someone who can offer solutions.
- Start interesting threads on the latest hot topics in your niche. If a hot topic is a problem, then create a thread that offers a solution in a step by step format. Try to turn heads with your knowledge, so that you build your reputation within the forum. You want to be perceived as an expert – someone who people can turn to for friendly advice. You never want to look like a salesman.
- Be sure to acknowledge and appreciate any forum member that has provided information or that has helped you in some way. This builds goodwill and strengthens relationships and is another way to contribute to the forum.
- Over time, you will build strong relationships with other members on the forum. These friendships can develop into potential joint venture partners, which is another exciting traffic generation method.
- Lastly, you can use forums to learn more about your niche and the typical problems that your target market faces. This information can be used to create more targeted products and increase your knowledge.
I have used forum marketing for years and I particularly recommend the Warrior forum but remember that there are many popular forums in pretty much ANY niche that you can use to generate traffic to your sites, whilst building strong relationships and coming across good business development and networking opportunities.
