Vietnam Urban Forum

Archive for December, 2009

Forum marketing has recently been touted as a type of free, organic marketing. But because many marketers go into forums purely with the intention of marketing, their actions and atittude unwittingly causes exactly the opposite to its desired effect.

Forums, after all, are not marketplaces. But when used as such, the marketers’ actions become offensive and will only inspire the wrath of fellow members and marketers, not to mention the moderators.

Before a marketer can effectively market on forums, they must first understand that this type of marketing — in order to be effective — carries a certain degree of commitment, responsibility and respect.

To successfully market on any forum, the first requirement is to take a personal interest in the main topic of the forum. Not only does that mean visiting it regularly, but also developing a good relationship with both other members and the moderators, as well as taking an active interest in helping others. And, of course, it means abiding by any and all rules that exist. By doing this, one develops a reputation and, since it is human nature to work with a trusted colleague, business will naturally develop from this.

Because this type of marketing has already suffered some abuse, many forums have recently (and rightfully) developed stringent rules designed to protect their members from abusive or overly-aggressive marketing tactics. One forum, for instance, grants .sig files only after a member has created 100 valid posts; another has disallowed ads in sig files altogether.

Marketers must respect that the purpose of a forum is to be a platform to exchange ideas on a given topic, NOT merely to advertise their wares. And, contrary to what might be thought, this is especially true in marketing forums, where EVERYONE has something to advertise. But by focusing on the topic and posting responsible questions and answers, a marketer’s reputation will grow. From this, the potential sales/sign-ups will naturally follow.

Also, there are different types of forums, beyond the obvious topical types, of “marketing” or “special interest”, etc. These are examples of one type of forum, referred to as “open forums.” But there are also business and professional forums, which do not operate under the same rules and, more often than not, disallow any and all types of advertising or self-promotion. Forums created to support the membership of a particular program are especially adamant on this topic and often request that all members check their adverts at the door. They ask this because advertising other programs — especially to newer marketers — can often compromise the very program the the forum was created to support.

With all that said, it is still possible to successfully market on forums. But in all cases, a pre-requisite for success is developing a good reputation and a good relationship and maintaining both. So, while this is a free form of advertising, it does require a certain amount of investment as far as time and energy are concerned, not to mention subtly and finesse. Below are seven practical suggestions to successfully market on forums.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK Prior to joining any forums a certain amount of research is required.



Join relevant forums or forums that are in some way related to the promotion’s primary sales market. For someone involved with a health related product, for instance, many types of forums — from holistic medicine to mom’s at home — could apply. But to join a forum about punk music, for instance, would not be very productive.



Choose popular forums. Page ranking and the amount of active members are two good ways to check for this. This ensures that the forum will have enough members to remain active. Because forum marketing requires a certain amount of time invested, this also ensures that it will be there beyond tomorrow.



Choose forums that allow sig tags. If it’s possible read the rules before joining and pay close attention to them. Your time is important, too. It is better to discover if a forum does not allow posts of any kind prior to joining.



YOUR FIRST DAY 4. Read and follow the rules. Every forum is different. Some allow links only to your own website. Others only allow a certain number of links. One forum allows no more than five lines in a sig file, for instance. Beyond .sig files, respect all the rules and be a model member. Complaints will also give you a bad reputation, whether you’re aware of it or not.



Keep your signature tag short and update it regularly. Ideally, limit yourself to one link, preferrably to your main website. It presents a much more professional appearance and is less offensive to members and the moderators.



NEVER, EVER create posts that are nothing more than an advertisement. This is an all-but universal rule and only displays the marketers lack of experience. At best, the post will soon be edited, and, if left on the forum (although an author can always delete their own posts), will only serve to hurt the marketer’s reputation. At worst, it could be grounds for being banned.



Some forums have a special Advertisement Section, an area where all members can post ads, though they are usually limited to no more than one per day.

If no such section exists, after being a member for at least a few weeks, a marketer can send a Private Message (PM) to the moderator(s) and politely suggest that an advertising section be added.

Point out that this would mollify any members from putting links in their .sig files, while allowing them a place to post their link. And, too, the advertising could become a service, since it would at the members’ discretion to view them. Of course, they may refuse, but at least you made the attempt.

Work the (for)room. That is, be an active member on the forum. Plan to spend at least an hour each day there and take the time to get to know the issues and other members. Depending on the forum’s topic, both new and experienced marketers can introduce themselves well with intelligent questions.

As a marketer becomes a regular member, they will develop a (hopefully) good reputation and, without saying a word about their promotion, those interested in their product or promotion will approach THEM.–mo

One of the most effective ways to get a word-of-mouth campaign going online is to use forum posting to market a product. Forums are wildly popular and are often visited by people with very specific interests. There are forums for people with children, for singles, for those who work in certain professions, those who love online games, and more. There are forums that have tens of thousands of members and are teeming with people who have an interest in the general topic.

To use these populations to your best advantage, it’s important to belong to several forums that have some type of relation to what you’re selling. If it’s an E-book about horses, you might choose a forum for horse lovers, one about pets and one about activities for kids. All of the posters at these forums will be potentially interested in what you’re selling.

To start marketing through forum posting, sign up with a user name that sounds friendly and non-promotional. If the regular forum posters see a new member with a name like “buy-horse-E-book,” it may put them on the defensive. Instead, you want to integrate yourself as a part of the community. Choose a name that is friendly and perhaps even funny. Once you have an account, personalize it with a signature file. This is what will occupy the space below each of your posts. A few words about the product you are selling and a link to where forum members can buy it is a good use of the signature space.

Spend some time introducing yourself and talking about the topic before ever bringing up the item you are selling. Forum posting should be a somewhat subtle form of marketing because many forums have policies against posts that are too promotional. Post anytime someone asks a question that can be resolved with your product and you may see a spike in sales. Even when your forum posting isn’t about your product, however, some people will click on your signature link and discover what you are selling for themselves.

One way to hook forum members and make them eager to buy from you is to have some type of deal to offer forum members only. This may be a coupon code that forum members use to get a percentage off the regular price. When offered a special deal that is only available to them, the members of the forum may not be able to pass it up.

One of the most important things to remember when using forum posting as a marketing strategy is to always stay within the rules of the forum. Stay in the good graces of the other members and follow the rules or you will alienate the regular members and build a bad name for yourself as well as for your product. Familiarize yourself with the rules and notice the way people talk to each other on the forum before diving in. This will ensure that you are accepted as one of their own and can use this marketing opportunity to its best advantage.

If you are thinking about visiting Toronto for business or leisure, perhaps you may find this article useful. There are many ways you can learn more about Toronto. You can buy travel guides, read travel blogs, consult friends who have been there before, and so on. You can even visit Toronto forums just to have a chat with the local residents or to find people from your own country who are already there.

Toronto is a vibrant city that is populated by people from various backgrounds. Mostly, they come from many different countries, in the hope that they are able to live a better quality life. They are right. For those who are hardworking, there are abundant opportunities available.

For this reason, the Toronto population is known to be creative and enterprising. On the streets, you will find all sorts of merchandise. The best part is, since many stores are founded by owners with diverse backgrounds, there is a wide variety of products and services for the Toronto visitor. To date, there are easily over twenty thousand stores in Toronto, offering all kinds of merchandise to cater to the needs of consumers. For anyone who likes shopping, Toronto is a shopping paradise.

If you are visiting Toronto temporarily, there are budget hotels and luxury hotels available. This is to ensure that whatever your budget or length of stay is, accommodation is never an issue. Depending on your preference, you can choose to stay in a luxury hotel with full amenities, or a budget hotel. Budget hotels are comparatively much cheaper than luxury hotels. But they are very clean, and offer basic amenities that tenants need. For example, most budget hotels in Toronto offer wireless Internet access these days.

A trip to Toronto for sight seeing purposes is definitely worth it because there is just so much to do and so much to see. Upon arrival in Toronto, you must remind yourself to visit the Eaton Center. This is the number one tourist attraction in Toronto, and it boasts of over 1 million visitors each week!

If you are an animal lover, you may wish to visit the Toronto zoo. This is Canada’s largest zoo, and it has over five thousand animals in their natural environment. Then to the north of Toronto, you have Paramount Canada’s Wonderland – a theme park with more than 150 attractions and over 50 rides.

As you can see, there is no lack of destinations and facilities in Toronto for anyone looking to pay the city a visit. If you want to do a little more research on these destinations, you can easily join an online forum to learn more. The greatest thing about online communities is that you can ask anything you want. Usually, other members of the community will be most willing to share their experiences with you.

So visit a Toronto forum today and participate actively.