You can generate traffic by posting on forums, if you do it right.
How NOT to Post on Forums to Generate Traffic
Don’t find general forums and post ads on them. First of all, it won't work. Secondly, you'll get kicked off the forum within minutes of your first spammy post.
How to Find a Forum to Post On
This is the important part. Research on google and yahoo to find forums or message boards that relate very precisely to your target market.
For instance, if you’re trying to reach Moms of Twins, don't search google for “Mom Message board” or “Parenting forums”. Be more specific than that. Search for exactly what you're looking for.
Once you find some message boards, go through your list one-by-one and determine if the board is active. If it's a new forum, but growing, that's ok. But, if it's stagnant, then move along.
If the board passes that test, then read their policies on posting and advertising. Do they allow you to include a link in the signature section of your posts? Great! Although you aren't going to actually be advertising, you won't want to invest too much time and energy into a forum that will slam the door in your face when you do mention your business.
Did you find some forums that passed the test? Fantastic! Now, go on them and spam the heck out of them! Of course I'm kidding. 🙂 That is precisely what NOT to do.
Instead what you'll want to do is to build relationships and establish yourself as an expert, the “go to” person in your field. Become a regular and include your signature line in your posts, with a link to your newsletter so you can continue to promote to all of the subscribers that you get.
Now, repeat. Don't spend all day on forums, but do find a handful that you visit regularly. Be helpful and genuine or you'll look like you're there just to promote your business, instead of helping others, making friends and maybe even business partnerships.
That's the formula for generating traffic from a forum. It's pretty simple, in theory, but you have to do it right in order to be the helpful business expert, rather than the greedy salesperson that's always hanging around the board.
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