Copyright 2003 By Willie Crawford
I am a big fan of networking and discussing
issues on online discussion boards - or forums.
I've frequenlty been asked if this is a really
profitable way to spend one's time. My answer
is that, if done properly, it can be. In fact,
it can be VERY profitable!
Done wrong, you can spend many hours chatting away
unproductively when you should be building your
business. Let's look at the difference.
One of the things that makes discussion forums so
popular is that they reduce the coldness of the
internet. You get to connect directly with another
PERSON and no longer feel locked away behind a cold
computer screen. It's forming those bonds/those
connections that makes forums and discussion boards
a medium with such powerful potential.
If your time online is intended primarily to build
your business, then you need to make sure that you
use it most productively. That means you need to
balance building relationships with generating new
business. Incidentally, forming new relatinships
IS how you generate new business. That means:
- You need to join the online discussions that showcase
your expertise and generate leads.
- You need to join the online discussions that help
to solve your business problems and allow you to help
others.
- You need to join the online discussions that
like-minded people participate in.
My specialties are "internet marketing" karate, and also
cooking. So I frequent discussion boards/forums that focus
on these topics. Since the audience that I wrote this
article for is "internet marketing" let's focus on that.
First of all, not all internet marketing discussion
forums are equal. Some get very few visitors, spend
too much time dealing with non-productive issues,
and generally won't benefit YOU. Others get millions
of pageviews a month, are very helpful communities,
and have the potential to allow you to generate a lot
of business and "connections." Only you can decide
which forums are right for you. However, I have
posted a list of my favorites to an autoresponder.
You can get this list by sending a blank email to:
willie3-56873@...
I've been using online discussion forums since 1997, so
let me share with you a few time-tested "secrets" to
getting more out of them. Just a few quick tips that
will make your posts more likely to be read and
responded to:
1) As a rule, you want to post to forums that get
a lot of traffic. Naturally that increases the odds
of you making the right connections. The exception
is that sites which aren't moderated, and are full of
spam, are generally a total waste of time.
2) When posting to forums, you generally want to
let people know who you are. If you are trying to
build business relationships, you don't want to hide
behind cute username. Instead, I advise using your
own name, and even posting your photo or logo where
allowed. You should be branding yourself and this is
a great way to do it.
3) Posting your photo or a graphic generally has been
proven to increase response to your posts. They
make you seem more "real" to others who read your
post and that allows them to connect more. You allow
them to feel that they know you and they respond.
4) To increase the chances of your post being read,
or responded to, it's better to post to popular or
"hot" topics. When other visitors see that very few
people have responded to a topic, they tend to ignore
that thread. Post to threads that you have something
useful to contribute to, but popular threads are better
than ignored threads.
5) When posting or responding to a topic, use keywords
that people using the search engines would use to find
that topic. Put those right in the subject line since
the search engines do index many popular discussion
boards.
6) Where allowed, use a signature file or include a
link to your site/product. This pulls double duty by
helping your searchengine link popularity/rankings and
by letting fellow users of the forum know how to find
out more about you. Some seem to frown upon posting
links to your site for some reason. Done tastefully,
I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. Most of the
users of the forums that I visit are in business after
all to generate MORE business. You can't do that by
not telling people how to contact you.
7) Contribute to the community rather than just feeding
off of it. By that, I mean, offer useful comments,
suggestions, and feedback. Don't just post only to promote
your products. Don't disguise the real purpose of your
posts - most people can see right through that. If you
contribute to the community and offer genuine value, others
will notice this and be more open to make purchases from
you. It is in accordance with the inviolate natural law
of reciprocity!
8) Be civil and polite. Too many people attack others
and their products without sufficient justification.
Too many people are much ruder on the internet than
they would be in a face to face interaction. Rudeness,
and lack of civility are noticed on the discussion forums
and those who behave this way drive away a lot of business
without even realizing it. People who see this type of
behavior just make mental ... often subconscious notes
not to deal with people who behave inappropriately!
Those are just a few of my thoughts on how to use
discussion forums profitably. I post regularly to
over 20 discussion forums. I also help to moderate
several. Being a part of these online communities
can be very helpful to the growth of your business when
you adhere to just a few rules. Start applying these
today and you may be very surprised at the results.
Willie Crawford has been teaching others how to build an
on-line business since late 1996. Frequently featured in
radio, magazine and newspaper articles and interviews, Willie
teaches the average guy what the top marketers are doing but
seldom talking about. For example, Willie demonstrates the
power of automated residual income through his system at:
http://ProfitAutomation.Com Test drive this system now.