There are thousands of newsgroups and forums online. They provide a fascinating and useful insight into the minds and methods of others who share our interests. They also act as an amazing resource for finding out almost anything you need to know.
Want your website critiqued? Ask at a forum. Want to know how
to salvage Outlook? Ask at a forum. Want to know if a particular
book is worth buying? Ask at a forum.
Almost anything is fair game – providing it is reasonably on
topic. And dropping in to forums is a great way for newcomers
to a field to rub shoulders with the old hands.
This openness leads to a temptation that is repeated
over and over again. “Ah,” many people think, “a highly
targeted market! I must post an ad for my site and
watch them beat my door down to buy my wares.”
Wrong. That is the fastest way to oblivion.
Forums are not advertising notice boards. They are not like
the pin board in the kitchen that anyone can put up a ‘for sale’
ad on.
Forums are much more like the coffee machine or the water cooler.
People hang out, swap ideas, chat for a while. They don’t want
someone popping up every five minutes trying to sell them something.
They are trying to chill out.
That is the warning. But like all warnings, it has a
caveat: there are ways to get your advertising message
across – if you follow the unwritten rules.
So I figured I’d write those unwritten rules down.
The key to ‘advertising’ on forums and newsgroups is not to.
As soon as you put up a post that even looks remotely like an
ad, you will usually either be removed by a moderator or flamed
by incensed members. Quite right. They didn’t ask for your commercial
break and they certainly don’t appreciate your intrusion.
Then, the worst thing of all happens: your reputation is shot.
Anyone in business should have a mind to the long term. It is
pointless to try to make money from one promotion – the real
value of marketing is repeat business. Spam the boards and forums
and you will quickly find that the word spreads. Nobody will
want to do business with you.
It isn’t just buyers you will put off. The most successful people
online harness the power of joint ventures – doing a deal with
another marketer to sell your product for a commission. If you
become known as a spammer, joint ventures will be a closed avenue
for you. Nobody will touch you.
But don’t despair. There is a solution. It is to take a softly,
softly approach.
First, read every post on your target boards. Look out for recurring
themes as they will often guide you to areas you can research.
Many an info product has been born from questions raised on
forums.
Next, whenever there is a question or comment that you can add
to – do so. Answer questions generously and without trying to
push any product or service.
If the board allows it (and it is vital to check the ‘rules’),
put a very short link to your site in your signature line. But
on no account mention it in your message.
For example, I might sign myself off like this:
Martin Avis www.BizE-zine.com
– Free Business Insights Every Friday
Every once in a while ask a relevant question. And always graciously
thank anyone who answers you, even if you don’t agree with them.
That way you are not just being polite, but you are also doubling
your postings. Never, ever enter into an argument over someone’s
reply to you – however rude they may seem.
Over time, you will become a known member of the board.
People will appreciate your input and you will become
an accepted member.
When that time comes, you can begin to occasionally mention
your service or product in posts, providing the relevancy is
absolutely clear. But only those.
This way, the boards will become an excellent marketing
medium for you.
Any other way and you will get nowhere.
If this all sounds in any way cynical, I guess it is.
But it is based on the real, hard reality of Internet
etiquette: ‘People do business with people they like’.
Add ‘trust’ to that and you see the whole picture.
Martin Avis is the author of the best-selling ‘Unlock the Secrets of Private Label eBooks’ – a complete blueprint to private label rights success. Visit http://www.plrsecrets.com to see how you can tap into this goldmine for yourself.
