Forums can be a valuable tool for growing your business, but you will not get much use out of
forums if the ones you are using are not at all beneficial for you and your
business! On the surface, it can seem a bit difficult to figure out exactly
which forums will be beneficial for you - but when you keep these four simple
tips in mind, finding a forum that fits will become a whole lot easier.
1. Look for forums that cover your niche topic
This might seem obvious at first, but as you begin to browse through forums - looking for ones that you feel will be a fit for you - you will discover that it is easy to find a forum that you "like" (and to find yourself deciding that you will figure out a way to make it work for you!) instead of looking for forums that actually fit what you are hoping to target. The closer a forum's focus comes to hitting exactly what your focus is, the better off you will be!
2. Target popular forums
It is great to get in on the ground floor of a new forum, as you will have seniority on that forum as it continues to grow - but you should direct your focus more fully on trying to find forums that are already popular, as these are the ones more likely to bring you immediate results! Try to sign up for (and remain active on) about five to 10 different forums - with at least 80% of these being forums that already have over 1,000 members and over 10,000 cumulative posts (with a minimum of 15 to 20 new posts being added each week). This will ensure that you are in a position to experience immediate results.
3. Make sure the forums you select are "alive"
Some forums have thousands of members and tens of thousands of posts, but the majority of these users and posts are really just spam! Avoid forums that are overrun with spam, and instead make sure you are joining forums that have a live, close-knit community in place.
4. Make sure you're getting in with the "in crowd"
Think about one of those movies where a teenage boy goes to a new high school and is trying to figure out who he should try to be friends with on the first day; after all, if the "cool kids" like him, his life will be a lot easier moving forward, but if he hooks up with the wrong group, his life might become a social battlefield for months to come. Joining a new forum is a lot like this (but with much higher stakes!). When you join a new forum, take some time to lurk and observe - making sure you do not step on anyone's toes (especially not the wrong people's toes!), and being polite and cordial until you have established yourself as a valuable member of the community as well!
1. Look for forums that cover your niche topic
This might seem obvious at first, but as you begin to browse through forums - looking for ones that you feel will be a fit for you - you will discover that it is easy to find a forum that you "like" (and to find yourself deciding that you will figure out a way to make it work for you!) instead of looking for forums that actually fit what you are hoping to target. The closer a forum's focus comes to hitting exactly what your focus is, the better off you will be!
2. Target popular forums
It is great to get in on the ground floor of a new forum, as you will have seniority on that forum as it continues to grow - but you should direct your focus more fully on trying to find forums that are already popular, as these are the ones more likely to bring you immediate results! Try to sign up for (and remain active on) about five to 10 different forums - with at least 80% of these being forums that already have over 1,000 members and over 10,000 cumulative posts (with a minimum of 15 to 20 new posts being added each week). This will ensure that you are in a position to experience immediate results.
3. Make sure the forums you select are "alive"
Some forums have thousands of members and tens of thousands of posts, but the majority of these users and posts are really just spam! Avoid forums that are overrun with spam, and instead make sure you are joining forums that have a live, close-knit community in place.
4. Make sure you're getting in with the "in crowd"
Think about one of those movies where a teenage boy goes to a new high school and is trying to figure out who he should try to be friends with on the first day; after all, if the "cool kids" like him, his life will be a lot easier moving forward, but if he hooks up with the wrong group, his life might become a social battlefield for months to come. Joining a new forum is a lot like this (but with much higher stakes!). When you join a new forum, take some time to lurk and observe - making sure you do not step on anyone's toes (especially not the wrong people's toes!), and being polite and cordial until you have established yourself as a valuable member of the community as well!
If you are interested in
finding out more about how to start or grow you online business then fill out
the form below to get your copy of the 5 Steps to Start Your Online Business.
