Steps to Successful Forum Marketing
To ensure successful Forum Marketing, you must take the necessary steps after you have
registered.
Many forums have specific threads designated for welcoming new
members. This is to encourage those who have just registered to introduce themselves. Your
introductory post should basically inform the other members who you are and why you’ve joined the forum. The
reason you give should not be in any way business-oriented. Making a sales-pitch in your first post will
definitely be frowned upon and may very well get you banned.
Do not
post immediately. Most forums have at least one, close-knit community within it. If
you suddenly post on a thread where discussions have been going on for days, you will very likely be shunned and ignored.
Spend some time going through the archives to determine which topics are perennial favorites and which users are the
unofficial leaders. Also, observe the particular etiquette of the forum moreover the specific thread.
Whenever there are questions asked that fall within your area of expertise, answer
them to the best of your ability. Back up your answers by providing links to trusted sources and answer
follow-up questions promptly. If you prove to be a helpful and efficient member, you’re more likely
to be paid attention to.
Do not get involved in heated arguments, no matter what you think of the question at hand.
Keep reminding yourself that you’re there to build up a clientele for your business; stay away from
topics like religion, race, and politics; don’t immediately respond to criticism; make sure the others know when you’re
joking; and leave discussions when they become contentious.
Once you’re
acknowledged as a respected user, start marketing your products aggressively, but not too aggressively. Focus
on techniques which are likely to prove beneficial to the community as a whole. Offer forum members free
samples and/or discounts. However, make sure to obtain the forum moderator’s permission before you
start a marketing campaign.
If you are hiring a marketing agency to run your campaign for
you, research their methods. A lot of agencies use robots to spam forums. While spamming
might ensure temporary traffic, in the long run, it’ll do you more harm than good. Forum users dislike
being flooded with spam, and they can ruin your reputation if they so wish. So accept the services of only
those marketing agencies that will abide by the guidelines set out above.
If at all possible, you should handle your own forum marketing.