When done correctly, posting to discussion forums is an effective way to generate targeted traffic to your web site.
But you must use high discretion when posting to forums. Failure to follow a forum’s rules will not only result in no traffic, but it will also get you banned and labeled a spammer.
Below are some tips to help you post to forums more effectively.
First, find the best forums you can post your opinion. Go to Google and search for:
“keyword forums”
“keyword discussion groups”
“keyword message boards”
Just replace “keyword” with whatever term best describes your website’s topic.
Be as specific as possible so you find the forums that are most relevant to your site. Make a list of any that look promising.
Then go down your list one by one and check each forum out. You want forums that are active with lots of new posts.
You also want to be sure they allow you to place links in your posts, or at least in your signature.
You don’t want to waste time in a forum that doesn’t allow links because you’ll never see any traffic from them.
You should now have a list with a handful of active forums that allow you to link back to your website.
Before you do anything, go back and read the rules of each forum to see exactly what is allowed.
You don’t want to make a bad first impression by doing something that is frowned upon.
Go ahead and sign up and create your profile. But before you start posting right away, spend a little time reading through some old posts.
Get a feel for the forum and its members. What questions do they ask? What do they complain about?
Start answering some of their questions and offering solutions to their problems. Build your reputation as an expert in your niche. Be friendly, helpful, and polite.
Always think about what you can give to the forum, and not what you will get out of it. Don’t post messages with the sole intent of getting visitors to your site and never say, “Check out the site in my sig!”
These sorts of messages are frowned upon and will often be deleted.
Concentrate on building relationships with other forum members and the traffic will soon follow!
