Benefits For All Users
Whatever the main topic of your website, there is almost certainly a forum which relates to this somewhere on the web. You should become a member and get involved in forums which relate to your area of interest.
It really doesn’t matter whether you are an expert or a beginner, there are benefits for everyone who participates in forums.
If you’re an expert, a forum is a good place for you to put your knowledge on display. You will increase both your visibility and your credibility.
If you’re still learning then forums are a fantastic source of hints and tips and you will pick up on new ideas and techniques much faster by interacting with others. Don’t forget, there’s no such thing as a stupid question, so don’t feel embarrassed to post and ask for help.
You may even find yourself pleasantly surprised when you find that there are some aspects where you have more knowledge than others on the forum.
Whatever your level of skill and experience, you will find that your fellow forum members appreciate someone who is polite and, occasionally, amusing and who makes an effort to contribute where possible and who supports other forum members.
Free Traffic
One big benefit you can get from forums is free traffic. You get this by including a link to your site in your signature. Set your signature in the members area –it’s the way you “sign” every post you make.
Put your link(s) in your signature – not in your post. Links in posts are normally frowned upon and considered to be “forum spam”. You can just enter your URL or – even better - you can use some anchor text that describes your opportunity or website.
The traffic that you will get from forums is very high quality. The visitors who click on your link have already read your posts so have some idea of what you’re views are and – if you’re using descriptive text in your signature – they know what your site’s about before they visit.
Forum Tips
Before you join a forum have a look at the level of activity. Are there a lot of posts, frequently updated? There’s no point joining a forum if you’re the only active member!
Don’t spam your fellow forum members. Keep your links in your sig file. They will forgive you if you ask silly questions or if you’re a little less experienced than the rest of the members. They won’t forgive you and why should they - if you keep posting your affiliate links in the body of your posts.
Don’t get involved in flame wars – trading insults with members who have different views to you. These can be very entertaining but they are much more enjoyable if you’re a spectator rather than a participant.
Sample Forums
Here’s some sample forums – just to get you started. Some of these deliver a surprising amount of traffic to my sites. If there’s nothing that interests you there then just search on Google for the topic you’re after with “forum” in the advanced search box.
XsitePro forum
A forum where XSitePro users can request advice, ask for new features and swap experience with other users.
Adsense forum
Joel Comm’s forum where Adsense users can swap hints and tips on earning using Google Adsense.
Trader online forum
A forum where members can swap ideas about making money online.
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