In this article I am going to teach you how to generate targeted traffic using forums.
Forum marketing can be achieved in five easy to follow steps.
1. Find the right forum for your market
It’s really important for you to know where your target market hangs out. Whatever your chosen niche is, there will be a forum. If there isn’t you may be in the wrong niche. Why would I say that? Because competition is your friend. It demonstrates a marketplace is healthy and hungry. People are willing to spend money in that niche to solve their problems.
If you don’t already know what the popular forums are for your niche, simply search on Google “your niche + forum” and a list of forums will be returned in the search results.
2. Hang out in your niches forum
You need to know what questions people are asking. What issues people have? In short you need to know how you can add value.
You need to start getting involved and helping people. Answer peoples questions. DO NOT send them a link straight away or try selling to them. That is the worst thing you can do and it’s spamming so you could get thrown out.
3. Complete your signature
Most forums allow you to put a link into your signature. So you are not directly spamming or sending people a link. Just like article writing, if you like the value and advice I give you, you may sign up to my list. But it’s not in your face. The decision is up to you.
4. Write valuable posts and interesting thread topics
As well as answering people’s questions directly you can also start discussions or ask open questions to get people interacting.
I enjoy writing articles on forums. Informative and interesting short training pieces that help people overcome a specific problem.
If you combine that with taking an interest and helping people it won’t take long before you start to get noticed for all of the right reasons.
You will also start building your expert status at the same time. If you know what you’re talking about of course.
The same with every other traffic generation strategy though. It doesn’t take five minutes. Do not expect to see immediate results. You need to focus on this strategy and give it a chance to start working.
5. Give and you will receive
This is a very true statement in forum marketing. The more helpful and selfless you are the more people will start taking an interest in you. They will start wanting to know more about you.
I now get asked if I have a product or a course or some training I can offer, so they can learn more. It’s a great feeling when people start approaching you rather you having to chase them and almost force them to take a look at your sales page.
That’s when you know you are giving a lot more than you are receiving and giving more value.
This of course is the way it should be.
