Traffic from forums is extremely effective because you are generating highly targeted niche traffic.The first thing to remember is that forums are communities, and communities thrive because of give and take relationships. Forums are made up of people who have a COMMON INTEREST. Chances are, you can find a forum on just about ANY topic whether it’s auto repair, home financing, video game development or any other of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of topics.
Effective posting in forums can produce quality traffic in hours or sometimes even minutes.
Begin by Googling for a forum in your niche. Once you have found one, spend a little time reading what other members are posting about so you can get a good feel for the culture of this community. Also pay a little attention to the types of user names that other members are using, and take note whether signatures are allowed.
If you decide to join choose an appropriate user name. It might be a keyword that has to do with your niche, or better yet … your own name. There really is NO reason to be hiding behind the internet, and no reason to be “cute.” And if you are professional about what you do and want people to take you seriously, your name will have value. Don’t be afraid to use it. Another tip on user name selection is to put your URL right into your user name.
Powerful signature files are very important. These are backlinks to your site … so THINK KEYWORDS when creating your signature.
Once your profile is complete with all the important details (your photo and sometimes a bit about your background and a link to your web site), it’s time to start posting.
After a brief introduction (for first post) look for questions that people are asking … and provide some quality answers. When appropriate, refer to your web site, or specific articles you have written to provide them with additional information.
Keep track of the questions that come up regularly, as this is an opportunity for YOU. Forum members are now telling YOU what their problems are. And if it’s a common problem, then you need to provide a solution.
As far as “advertising your services” in a forum, generally this practice is not acceptable and is viewed as spamming. However, many forums have a marketplace where you can buy/sell/trade/swap and so forth. Look for those, and post as often as you can.
Remember to seek the right balance. Participate often enough to show your knowledge and gain credibility, but too much time in forums can also take away from your productivity. Be sure to limit how much time you post.
Maintain a goal of helping to solve people’s problems and naturally people will click on your link and visit your site. You’ll be generating traffic in no time. Now go out there and claim your free traffic at the forums.
Don D. Morrison wrote Generating Targeted Traffic from Forums posted at dondmorrison.com.
