Forum Marketing: Hated, But Devastatingly Effective!

If I had to name one thing that shocks more people about blogging than any other topic, it’s traffic generation. Namely, that there is no “magic” tool that will send hordes of visitors to your blog for no effort. Rather, it’s a systematic and labor-intensive process to build readership over time.

Sure, I use traffic programs like Traffic Kahuna, Ethic Links, and the like, but they are just tools that help me manage the work that must be done. The bottom line is that no matter how they’re wrapped up, and no matter what fancy names people apply to them, the top traffic generation methods are simple. Today I’d like to go into a little more detail about one of those effective methods: forum participation.

The concept is simple:

1) Find good forums in your niche that use “dofollow” links, meaning the “nofollow” attribute is absent. Good means high traffic, high Page Rank forums that allow signatures.

2) Create a profile, learn the rules of the forum, and create an effective signature.

3) Post frequently on each forum, visiting several times a week, and write good posts. No spam!

Proper execution, though, is lost on 90 percent of those who try forum marketing. Here are some additional tips to help you market your blog effectively through the forums.

1) Fill out your profile completely, and show off your personality. You’re trying to attract readers! Give forum viewers an opportunity to see what they’ll find on your blog each day. That includes a GOOD avatar. Silly, but it makes a big difference.

2) FOCUS. Limit posting to 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, whatever. Time your efforts and constantly remind yourself to stay focused. You’re participating, yes, but participating with a purpose. Be careful that you don’t end up browsing and lurking.

3) Shoot for 10 good posts per forum per week. A good post is filled with good, informational content.

4) Make a list of your top blog posts, their URL’s, and related keywords. Use the list to help you find the right discussions.

5) If you can’t find the right discussion, create them. Ask a question, solicit opinions, and be sure to state your position.

6) Craft a compelling signature. Point to your anchor posts, a special offer, a review page, a freebie. This serves two purposes: increases your direct traffic and builds a deep backlink to your blog.

7) If you don’t have time (or the will) to make these posts, find someone on Elance who will post for you. Post a descriptive project, make sure the poster has good writing skills, give him or her posting guidelines (length, frequency, quality). Be specific!

It’s always best to go with someone who already has knowledge in your niche. I usually request an average of 10 posts per day for 10 days, for a price of $100. I also request no active promotion — just participation and a signature file. When the contract is complete, I retain rights to the posting account so that I can change the signature for any future promotion effort. Instant links!

Track your results. You need to track the traffic you get from each forum so you know which efforts to ramp up and which ones to cut off. “You can expect what you inspect.” Measure everything!

This isn’t rocket science, but it requires effort. And this is what turns most people off blog promotion. You need to virtually shake a lot of hands to build good readership, but the effort will pay off in the long run.

To speed this process up, you can use software — not for spamming, but for managing your comment campaign. The software will help you manage your accounts, manage your logins, track the forums that
you’ve posted in, track responses to your posts, and so on. Not such a big deal when you only post to one forum, but when you’re managing 20-30 accounts, it becomes a lifesaver.

How much does this software cost? Why, it’s free for members of this group! Download it here

Good luck with your promotion efforts.