Forums are largely interpreted as very labor intensive ways of promoting a site but the reality is that they are really effective. This is where all the discussions are held. In fact it is said that if you do not participate on these platforms, what you are doing to yourself and your brand is that you are leaving it to others to decide its fate. This is one of the most effective ways of bringing visitors to your site who have the potential of turning your brand into a powerful force online. Forum traffic will most likely do two things on your site. They will leave comments of your site and also buy your products.
Forums are like a two edged sword, they can either serve you well or depending on the approach you make they can destroy your site too. You therefore need to be extra careful and extra vigilant when using these forums. Below are some ideas on how you can convert this powerful stream into a formidable force that can build your online reputation:
Get Into the Right Forum
There are many forums out there and not all the forums are good for you. Some forums are specific about certain topical issues while others are general and just about anything are discussed. If you want to promote your site using these forums, you first of all need to check their suitability to attainment of your goals. When looking for these forums, you need to look at the quality of forums rather than the quantity. When you talk about the quality, you are looking at issues like the profiles of the people in the forums and their seriousness regarding the intensity of engagements. You may see a forum of 1000 people who talk very shallow issues compared to a forum of 100 people that discusses meaningful ideas.
Put In Much Detail on Your Profile
In forum posting, remember that every action counts and this means that whatever opportunity you get, you need to maximize it. One of the opportunities that you can leverage on is the profile. Through your profile, people should be able to know your personality and the site that you represent where possible. Almost everyone comes to the forum to earn some online reputation and create a community around them. This is exactly the reason why you are there; to create a following that you will redirect back to your site.
To achieve this, you need to fill your profile information to the fullest. Let the people relate with you as a person and contributor before they can relate with your site. Remember to pout a profile picture. Contributors without pictures on their profiles are not taken as serious and this can ruin the very reason you opted in to the forum. Use every chance to showcase your brand, products and your site.
Capitalize On Your Signature
When you comment on forum posts and when you post something, most often than not, you are offered with the opportunity to put in your signature so that whoever wants to read more about what you write can be directed to your site. Use this chance to ensure that you put in your site URL. This will help your fans follow back to your site and will also give you quality Backlinks back to your site. Before you do so however, ensure that you understand fully the rules governing signatures on that particular forum. A slight mistake can put you at loggerheads with the management and this can lead to your being banned from the forum. Be very keen in using these signatures and make the most out of them. It is also important that you portray yourself well and in a real manner. Do not give yourself titles that you do not own because this will have a long run effect on your site and its reliability.
Initiate and Respond To Topical Issues
When you visit these forums, first of all look at how the conversations are going and the kind of writing style used before jumping in. This will help you post relevant and helpful findings and also make intelligent responses. Where it is appropriate in the course of your comments and responses, insert your anchored links to your blog or site. You can also link to other people’s sites so that you are not seen as being selfish. You can try a killer post which carries with it some trappings of controversy. You will be shocked at the level of response.
Engage Your Forum Readers
Make it a regular habit to post on these forums because in doing so, you will have a reputation. Depending on how intense your engagements with your fellow forum posters is, you may earn yourself a name and reputation so is your business. Such forum participants can be slowly driven away to your blog site for further engagements.
