If done properly, forum marketing is one of the most effective free internet marketing strategies available. Many people participate in online forums for different reasons.
Inside internet marketing forums, are people looking for advice and answers to their marketing questions. Another reason is to find new tools, products and marketing concepts that they can apply to their website or online business in general. Internet forums are also an excellent resource for connecting with other online entrepreneurs and build win-win relationships and profitable joint ventures. Finally, you can promote your website in forums in an indirect mode, of course.
Taking advantage of forum marketing can be focused on the link to your site you are allowed to place with your posts. However, this is not as simple as it sounds. Users must have a reason to click on your link. One reason, for instance, could be a useful tip or resource you provide with your answer. In the long run, you gain credibility and start becoming an expert in your field.
But how do you accomplish that you may ask? First, you must study carefully the forum's rules before you join them. Check for their guidelines, their theme, the questions, the level of knowledge and experience the users have. After that, you group the questions asked in a specific block in order to provide the answers.
For example:
Questions:
1) How can I protect my website from theft?
2) Where can I find HTML security software?
Answers:
1) HTML encryption software
2) Hide your website's code with X software.
Now is the time for getting answers. You can find answers using search engines, or a resource you have already used in the past or even a "how to" e-book you have purchased. There are many options. Don't forget that you shouldn't restrict yourself to one topic. You can repeat this procedure as many times as you want. You can provide your answers to forum users in three ways.
First, by informing the forum users with a website you saw, that contains the solution to the problem they have. This is the least effective way, because you are keeping them away from your primary cause, which is to get people to visit YOUR website by clicking your link.
Second, is to create a link to your website that contains the answer. This is an excellent way of promoting because it's not a blatant advertisement (you are informing people), resulting in users visiting your website.
Third, create a new website exclusively related to this subject. This way is extremely effective too, but you should keep in mind that you do have to spend some money for that (web hosting, domain registration and definitely more time).
The point here is that with the second and third options, you can promote your website, resulting in sales to your affiliate programs or your products without breaking the forum's rules.
Where can I find forums? One way is using search engines. Enter into the search bar "internet marketing forums" and you will find many listings, but you should notice that only the real active ones are worth your attention.
Look at how many users and posts the forum has every day. If there are only one or two users daily then you should shy away, although forums indexed by the search engines are important because a link from your website to this forum could mean better indexing for your website.
When you post to a forum, always use your name and not some kind of number or code. You want to gain credibility with your name and not with a characterless number or fake username. Use your signature in every post, which should contain your name, 2-3 lines of text (which depends upon how many lines the forum administrator permits you to use) and of course, your website URL.
