There are literally thousands of online forums that cover a
wide range of topics. Forums provide individuals, who share
a common interest, with a meeting place for open discussion,
and a great gathering spot for "water cooler" talk. When
used properly forums can be an excellent business tool and
resource. By providing well thought out, helpful responses
posters can develop a reputation as an industry expert. Establishing
a reputation within forums will eventually lead to solid
business contacts and relationships.
Forums, online discussion groups, can be found on many websites.
Companies, individuals or groups often have their own web-based
forums, which are a good source of technical information
or just general discussions. They can be closed for private
use only or open to anyone to post messages, which are usually
sorted within different categories, or topics. Posting to
forums is obviously effective when an immediate answer is
not required. Forum can be found by searching for topic or
subject with the word 'forum' or 'forums'. Forums are a great
way to participate in a community that is discussing a particular
topic, or communicate with a group of people interested in
the same topic.
Rules & Regulations
Before you post to a forum its important that you read the
Charter or description of the forum and determine what is
appropriate. It is probably not a bad idea to monitor a newsgroup
for a few days prior to posting. Understanding what is accepted
or not accepted in each newsgroup will go a long way in befriending
the participants.
Forum Etiquette
Spam is generally frowned upon, if you require information
on general forum etiquette I'd encourage you to read the
article at: http://www.small-business-software.net/etiquette.htm .
Rules and etiquette can vary from one group to another, so
don't assume what is acceptable in one, is acceptable in
another.
Some forums require that you register and provide contact
information in order to post a message or respond to messages.
The registration is typically simple and requires that you
submit general information. An email confirmation is required
in order to confirm the information; once the confirmation
is responded to posting privileges are granted. Some forums
do not require registration and you can post anonymously.
What to Look for In a Forum
Because time is valuable it is best to frequent forums that
have a lot of traffic, this will ensure that any posts receive
maximum exposure for little effort. The most recent posts
should be have current dates and it should be clear that
there is regular activity on the board.
Moderated Forums
Some forums are moderated, which means posts are approved
prior to being made public. This means that if you post to
a moderated forum, there will likely be a delay between the
submission and the posts appearance in the forum. Moderated
forums tend to have a lower 'noise' ratio and have less off-topic
posts. The downside to moderated forums is that like moderated
newsgroups they are usually less popular because of the lag
time between posts.
Signature Line
Most newsgroups allow for posters to include a signature
on any posts. This is your opportunity to mention your products
and services. Use this as an opportunity to tell other forum
visitors what you want them to know. Be sure to provide an
url to your website, as the link will not only refer potential
clients but it will help search engine ranking.
Finding Forums
Forums can contain generic information or be very topic
specific. Try the following resources to find forums that
meet your needs.
Forum Directory - http://www.small-business-software.net/forum-directory.htm
Forum Directory - http://www.forumdirectory.com
Forum Search - http://www.forumsearch.tk
About The Author
Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net a
company specializing in alphanumeric paging, SMS and wireless
messaging software solutions. Other sites by Sharon can be
found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com ,
and http://www.small-business-software.net
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