Internet forums are a modern version of the old online list servers or “bulletin boards” of the past. They draw participants from every part of the globe to join into topic-focused discussions covering every possible subject. Most forums are specialized – that is, they focus on particular topics or subjects ranging from fan clubs, sports themes, auto clubs, health discussions, and support groups. To give you some idea of how specialized these groups can be, one forum directory lists 16 different forums focused entirely on Honda vehicles with separate forums for different models and different vehicles ages. It’s exactly this specialization that has spawned the interest of niche marketers and created “forum marketing.”
Most forums have rules that have created to ensure that interaction on the forums is positive and constructive. Depending on the forum, these rules cover a wide variety of topics from use of profanity, “yelling”, pornography, name-calling, posting attachments, etc. Almost all forums have rules against overt use of SPAM. It is important to understand, and to never minimize, how seriously the forum participants follow the rules. Failure to adhere to the rules may not only get you booted out of the forum, but may result in the entire forum taking a negative and hostile view of any products or services you’ve discussed. Negative word of mouth advertising travels much faster than positive word of mouth advertising.
So how, you ask, can forum marketing be useful to me? In spite of the rules, many forums (not all) do allow you to post links and many also allow a signature line to include links. Many forums are interested in user experience with products and services. You may want to provide, or have a customer provide, some direct contribution to a forum that speaks objectively about your product or service. Just remember, don’t go overboard on the hyperbole. Also, simply participating in many forums and including your website link in your signature, not only exposes your web site, but also creates more link-in’s to your site (which impacts your Search Engine rankings!)
If you have a specialized product or service, it may well be worthwhile looking into, and participating, in forum marketing. Good places to start include forum directories like www.big-boards.com, www.smallbusinessforums.org, and www.activeboard.com/directory.
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