The Secret Weapon Most Marketers are Forgetting

Forum communities are a growing part of our high-tech business society. On average, people working in the office can spend 6-8 hours on a computer and 3-4 more when they arrive home. Almost 100% of computer users are going to end up in some kind of forum. Whether it’s the beginner doing a search on what the best way is to peel a potato or the avid user with 20 different forum sites in their favorites, these communities have become a cult of their own. In fact, in doing a search on the average time someone spends on a computer in a day, the top link that popped up brought me to a forum created solely for answering that one question.

A few blatant reasons why forum marketing should be in your tool bag? They can provide free leads and drive traffic to your site. You can gain exposure in your target market. They are a proven strategy for market research and can help build credibility in your niche. Making a good impression and coming across helpful in all of your posts can help your overall marketing message.

Here are some tips on how you could use forums as a part of your marketing strategy:

1. Niche Forums for Niche Business
With the amount of threads building in the cyber sphere on a daily basis, it would be a giant waste of time trolling through them all in the hopes that someone is going to be asking for help specifically to what it is you can be helping them with. Find the right community for your business. Be sure to ignore the forums that are overrun with spam.

Obviously there has to be a plug in this somewhere. For the insurance biz? It’s all about the forums in MyNewMarkets.com. There are agents in there every day asking for help with products and services. Products that each of you could be helping them with. Free leads every day. Swoop in and be the hero while getting new business!

2. Make Valuable Contributions
The more that users see you posting with useful answers, the more they will turn to you for solutions. You can become the trusted expert.

3. Avoid Posting the Exact Same Content on Multiple Threads
This is viewable as spam to most forum moderators and could get you erased and eventually banned.

4. Put Your Web Address in Your Signature
Take full advantage if you’re in a forum that allows self-promotional signatures. This drives traffic. Stay away from long advertising messages, however. A short description of your business and a link to your website will do perfectly.

5. Write Posts that Generate Response
Interaction is key. When people can relate, interest levels jump dramatically. Again, you’ll become the expert and users will be drawn to your replies.

6. Review the Forum’s Agreements and Guidelines
Each site has its own unique rules. The important issues to look out for would be if users are allowed to self-promote, place links in their posts, contact members privately, or use advertising methods in their signature.

7. Nice Guys Always Come in First
It’s always important to be courteous and show manners to other members. Good manners are good business. If another user is coming across rude or is posting offensively, don’t retaliate. Simply copy their post and send it to the moderator.

Forum marketing is all about building relationships. When the members get to know you as a valuable asset to their community, they will become more open to your opportunities. Time waster or money maker? It’s up to you and how you use them. Check out our forum community and see how you can start building those relationships today!
https://www.mynewmarkets.com/forums