Who Are You Going To
Tell?
In this
article, I'm going to give
you some advice on how to
promote your article in
forums.
Forums
are a great way to promote
your business and indulge
your "social" nature at the
same time.
Look for
forums that are popular
with your customers, and
then become an active
participant in them. Not
only will you boost your
reputation as an industry
expert, you'll also get
some great inbound links
pointing back to your
site.
To find
your customers' favorite
forum hangouts, simply type
your top keyword phrases
into a search engine, along
with the word,
"forum."
Just be
aware that there's a RIGHT
way to promote your
business in public
forums... and a WRONG
way.
(Remember...
forums are places where
people gather to chat and
exchange FREE information
-- they're not interested
in being sold
to!)
Here are
7 tips to help make sure
you get the message out
about your business,
without annoying or
offending
anyone:
Forum Tip
#1: Lurk before you
leap!
Before
you start wading into a
forum with your opinions
and advice, hang out as a
silent "lurker" for a while
and get to know the
"flavor" of posts that are
considered
acceptable.
Every
forum is different, so what
might be considered
humorous in one could be
offensive in another. Learn
who the "regulars" are,
what questions are
typically asked, and what
responses are given. Then
do your best to follow the
accepted model.
Forum Tip
#2: Focus on "relationship
selling" -- NOT product
selling
Forum
promotions are all about
selling YOURSELF as an
industry expert, with a
wealth of knowledge to
share -- they're NOT about
selling your actual
product!
In a
forum, gimmicky sales
tactics and hype do NOT
work. Unless you want to
enrage the other
participants, don't post
blatant "buy my product"
advertisements.
Instead,
look for opportunities to
respond to questions with
the exact information the
people asking the questions
are looking for. The trick
is to sit back, listen, and
wait for legitimate
opportunities to share your
expertise. This will help
you gain the community's
respect and develop a solid
relationship with your
target market.
Forum Tip
#3: Attach a "sig file" to
all your
posts
An
electronic signature --
also referred to as a "sig
file" -- is a three- to
six-line footer that you
can attach to the bottom of
your forum
postings.
You
absolutely MUST make sure
your sig file contains your
name and site URL as well
as a link to an informative
article or newsletter
subscription
article!
For
example, your sig file
might look something like
this:
All the
best,
John
Smith
================================================
FREE
REPORT: "10 Cheap and Easy
Tricks for Increasing
The
Value of
Your Home by $10,000 in
Less Than 1
Week"
To claim
your free copy, visit:
http://www.toprealestatetips.com
================================================
Not only
does this provide a
relevant inbound link
pointing to your site for
every post you publish on
the forum, it also
encourages other forum
participants to check out
your site and see what it
has to offer.
Forum Tip
#4: Score brownie points by
doing the footwork for
others
If
someone asks you a question
and you don't know the
answer, admit it -- then
tell the person you're
going to do some research
to find the answer, and
will get back to them once
you do. It's a great way to
prove you're willing to "go
the extra mile" for your
customers.
(Just
make sure you follow
through on your
promise!)
Forum Tip
#5: Encourage visits by
announcing site
updates
Once
you're a regular forum
participant, invite other
participants to visit your
site whenever you add
something interesting or
new to it (such as a new
article or a holiday
edition of your
service).
Just post
a short note about the
changes you've made then
invite them to check out
your website
themselves.
Forum Tip
#6: Post informative
articles that link to your
site
Article
posting is one of our
favorite forum promotion
strategies -- and it's one
for the fastest ways to get
instant sales from
forums.
The trick
is to write an article
that's full of valuable
information your target
market is going to be
excited to get their hands
on. Then, at the end of
your article, include a
short biography that plugs
your product!
... If
the other forum
participants like the
information you provide in
your article, you can bet
they'll click on the link
in your "bio" to see what
your site has to
offer!
Forum Tip
#7: Focus on forums that
DON'T accept
advertising
There are
two types of forums: ones
that accept advertising and
ones that don't. Stick to
posting in forums that
DON'T accept advertising,
because this is where
you'll get the best
response.
(Why?
Because there won't be as
much
competition!)
If you
follow these 7 tips, and
always remember to be a
polite and helpful
participant, you'll find
that forums are a great
place to generate more
leads for your
business.
BACK TO ARTICLES
... Plus,
you'll have the chance to
"hang out" online with
people who share your
interests -- your future
customers!
