The internet has turned out to be a premier source of entertainment and information in recent times. It is high time one tried to use this medium to one’s advantage in promoting and marketing one’s business.
An online forum is a place where people can go online and express their views on a particular topic, or join random discussions. One of the main reasons why online forums are so popular is because people can post their opinions without any inhibitions and anyone can join the forums for free. Give the man a mask and he will speak the truth. This can be a viable source for free marketing in the long run along with multiple advantages. The internet is a good strategic marketing solution, and can hold out for a longer period compared to the small bursts of ad campaign a business can afford.
In order to be able to market to the right potential client base, one needs to find the right forums to advertise our business/services. This is one of the most crucial steps, and choosing the wrong or inefficient forum can result in wastage of a lot of time on a forum that does not give any returns. Find a forum that has a good number of users and posts. This is a sure sign of an active forum where growth of the number of users is expected and all are potential clients.
Once a forum that caters to the likes of your business has been found, make no haste in joining that forum. Like most other social settings, seniority plays a major role in forums. A senior member is respected and in some cases even has a cult following within the forum. Plus senior members are heard more often and respected, while the new users are taken lightly. Early registration ensures a faster recognition within the community.
After becoming a part of the forum, abide by the rules. Some forums do not allow promotion of other businesses; hence, one needs to look into it before jumping in. Some forums restrict a new comer’s ability to post links and hence, ensure that posting links to your site is indeed ok with the moderators.
Upload good profile with relevant details filled in about the area of expertise, experience and other such info. This will allow people to take the user seriously. One needs to spend some time lurking around the forum, looking for interesting topics or discussions that are of interest. It is important to give advice and take a genuine interest in building a community in order to attract clients to one’s business. Contribution of insightful posts which make one look like someone who is knowledgeable in his field also helps.
It helps if one becomes a part of a few forums and give them dedicated time, instead of joining a number of forums where one ends up wasting a lot of time just trying to make one’s presence felt. Shun all intense arguments and drama. Keep in mind the true motive and work towards improving it.
