If you are going to be successful at using forum marketing as a traffic generation strategy there is some work to do after you have registered. The first thing you should do is complete your profile. Most forums will let you add a photo, a bit about yourself and a link to your blog. Some might include social media information too. complete all of that.
A lot of forums have specific threads designated for welcoming new members and you will be able to go there to introduce yourself so everyone can get to know about you. Your introductory post should basically inform the other members who you are and why you have 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 on and may get you banned.
Do not post immediately. Most forums have at least one, large, close-knit community in it. If you suddenly post on a thread where discussions have been carried on for days, you shall be shunned and ignored. Spend some time going through the archives and figure out which topics are perennial favorites and which users are the unofficial leaders. Also observe the particular etiquette of the forum.
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, efficient member, you are 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 are there to bring traffic to your blog and stay away from topics like religion, race and politics; don’t immediately respond to criticism; make sure the others know when you are joking; leave discussions when they become contentious.
Once you are acknowledged as a respected user you can start writing about your products but if you have been proving to be helpful people are naturally curious and will come a long to look at your profile and click on your links anyway – which is why filling in your profile is important.
Focus on techniques which are likely to prove beneficial to the community as a whole. Offer forum members free samples and/or discounts if you are running a business but make sure you get permission from the forum moderator before you start a forum marketing campaign.
Using forum marketing as a traffic generation tool is still a great online marketing strategy and one that has been popular since I came online back in 2005 – there is a reason for that and the reason is it works, so make the most of it.
