Forum Marketing, Does Forum Marketing really work? Here is One Opinion.

Does Forum Marketing Really work for building a successful home business? Just like any other internet marketing strategy it has its pro’s and con’s. Here is my personal opinion on the matter. Read, do some research and then form your own.

The problem that I see in using forum marketing is the spam issue.

Is it just me or does everyone in the forums have the BEST marketing strategy or tool? At least that’s what I find the most when I visit the popular forums. If you post a question then you get back numerous answers all citing a solution that only they can provide.

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It’s funny to see sometime, because, if you look to see other posts by the same people, you will rarely see them present a question. Unless of course it is posed like, “If you are having problems with … then I recommend using …” available at their Clickbank affiliate site.

Now, let me clear up my actual stance here before you all start to boo me. I am not against promoting on forums at all. Using a good signature link is the best way, just like in blog commenting. However, I am against the use of affiliate links in forums.

The main purpose of a forum is to get together and share issues and solutions. My feeling is that most of the solutions come in the form of a sales pitch versus real content. If I ask for an opinion, or say I am having a challenge with something, I am looking for expert advice. What I am not looking for is a bunch of meaningless comments with a link to purchase a tool of some sort.

What I am really looking for are real life situations where you, the expert, may have had the same challenge and can offer some sound solutions that may assist me. If, and that’s a big one, you can fill my need I may go to your website and check it out, maybe even subscribe to your newsletter. But again another big maybe.

What would make me opt in is another whole article entirely, but suffice to say, if you have some value to pass along, then I’m in.

Now, I have covered why I don’t like using forums to promote, but I do like to use them in my own way. Let me explain.

Forum marketing and marketing in general, relies on finding what people are looking for and then offering to fill the void. So my approach is this; use the forums to research what people are lacking in my niche and then put together a way to solve the problems. It is basic internet marketing 101, market what people are actively looking for. Provide a solution for their problem.

When you enter a forum and look around, which for most you can do without signing up, most have a selection of topics. If you are in a weight lose forum you may find topics on the best low carb foods, good exercise programs and maybe some motivational topics to keep people on track.

Select one the topics, which you have knowledge in or a product/service that fits, and see what questions they are asking. Once you have found a few, what I do, is write an article using their basic question as the article title, then write something of value with a link to my website in the resource box. Once they click through it let the site do the rest, making sure to provide a solution to their problem like I stated in the article.

This method does 2 main things. For one, it gives you a way to the word out about your site, which addresses their issue. Using articles and other forms of syndication are the best traffic sources around.

Secondly, by leading people to your site instead of an affiliate link, you get the opportunity to pre-sell to them with the rest of your valuable content.

Sending people directly to an affiliate link may work, but in the long run you will gain more profits and possibly subscribers, to your value packed newsletter where you can continue to build a relationship with them, then to that other link.

When you become a trusted source for them you can enjoy more profits for a longer period of time. With the affiliate link you get one shot and that’s it.

So, does forum marketing really work? I guess the answers lies in the way you use them. If you are posting on forums, your goal should still be the same though. Provide good content and only answer if you can. Then, instead of using a link to some sales page, refer people to your website. Show them that you are concerned with more than making a quick profit and they may become a long term customer and subscriber.

To Your Continued Success,

Tim Mershon

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Search Engine Optimization Marketing

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