Can Message Board Marketing Work For You?

One of the things that makes the Internet fun is all the message boards and forums. You can sound off about nearly anything, get and give advice, and even build a relationship or two.

But message boards can be great for another reason: They're a free, effective place to market your business. You spend nothing but your time, but you make valuable connections with potential customers, and get your name out to members and guests alike.

With a link to your website included in your signature, you also can generate traffic. And, if those links are visible to guests, and the forum is indexed by search engines, those links may be counted by the spiders and improve your ranking.

Naturally, there are rules to follow if you want to effectively add forums to your marketing arsenal.

First of all, choose wisely. Keeping up to date with forum happenings takes time, and you want to make the most of it. So be sure you are posting on message boards that are visited by your prospects. You'll also get the most benefit from boards that allow you to put a link to your website in your signature, and that make those signatures visible to guests as well as members.

Your signature should contain a link to your site, as well as a tag line. Be careful not to be too pushy in your signature. A quiet link and your USP are more effective than a blatant ad.

Nothing ruins a forum faster than a bunch of pushy, in-your-face ads trying to disguise themselves as posts. Make sure your posts are genuine additions to the conversation, not just commercials, or you'll wind up doing yourself more harm than good. And you may even find yourself banned and your messages erased.

You'll get more out of your message board involvement if you put more in. Ask and answer questions. Give helpful advice, without mentioning your business. Remember that your goal is to build relationships. The more good, quality free advice you can give in your area of expertise the better. Besides just being a good thing to do, it builds goodwill and positive exposure.

Think of forums as an online version of a networking group. You don't want to be the guy in the polyester suit, pushing his way into everyone's conversation, and irritating them with constant commercials. You do want to be the guy who leaves with a stack of business cards and several new relationships.

If you've got the time, and can resist the temptation to be pushy, message board marketing may be just the boost your business is looking for.

Does your marketing forge an emotional connection with your prospects? It can. Lisa Packer delivers persuasive, targeted copywriting that dramatically increases your business. Unleash the power of words on behalf of your business by visiting http://www.dramatic-copy.com today.

---

Postcard Marketing Done Right

Say it with a post card. A well designed, colorful,... Read More

Selling To Your Affiliates

While success with any internet marketing program falls on the... Read More

Using a Contact List Profitably Part One

In previous articles, we discussed the generation of a contact... Read More

Ten Tips for Creating a Winning Proposal ? Part 2

Part 1 of this series described five critical components for... Read More

Trade Show Exhibit Booth ? 7 Tips to Improve Yours

Once you have decided to participate in a trade show,... Read More

The Beginners Mail Order Business Guide

No claim is made that the steps outlined would be... Read More

Nine Advance Networking Skills for Seasoned Networkers

A seasoned networker knows the real meaning of networking --... Read More

Telemarketers Dont Like Them? Heres An Idea For Ya!

Telemarketers... ooohhh... I'll bet we've all got a nice story... Read More

How You Can Make Money From Competitors Easy

Are you market products and services using PPCs? PPC Advertising... Read More

Getting Your Services Used

Every day I talk with professional service providers who do... Read More

Trade Show Promotions That Are Memorable

If you have been to expos and trade shows as... Read More

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth? Powerful Lessons In Marketing & The Psychology Of Selling - Part 2

NB: You can read part one here: ... Read More

Niche with Passion and Reap Your Financial Rewards

One of the keys to creating a successful business is... Read More

A Good Marketer: What?s the Measurement?

As a business owner, you know how valuable being good... Read More

Raise Your Income!

How often do you sit around and wonder how to... Read More

Marketing For Profit - 6 Critical Traits

Develop These Six Critical Marketing Traits...And Success Will Surely Follow.If... Read More

Marketing From Both Sides Of The Ball

In the world of business, marketing is often conveyed as... Read More

Tooting Your Own Horn

"If he who has a thing to sell Goes and... Read More

How to Save Thousands on Your Marketing

Marketing can be expensive. It doesn't have to be, but... Read More

Todays Definition of Marketing. Has It Changed?

With the continued proliferation of the Internet, the meaning of... Read More

To Swag or Not to Swag: Tip to Brand Your Tchotchkes on a Shoestring

It's interesting to see how resourceful people become when starting... Read More

How to Successfully Promote your Business to an International Audience

Breaking into the international marketplace can catapult a company into... Read More

Prepare Your Communications For Growth

As the American economy emerges from recession, many businesses are... Read More

Roping In Loyal Customers While Making An Extra Profit!

You've probably bought a book or two at one of... Read More

Direct Mail Strategy - Brand Identity Guru

1. Know your purpose: What do you want your direct... Read More

Your Ultimate Competitive Advantage

The biggest secret to success in business is to always... Read More

Networking: The Cost of a Connection

"Networking is a waste of time," said JoAnne, owner of... Read More

Quick Postcard Design Tips

TIP #1: Avoid the "Too Much Information" Syndrome... Read More

Using a Marketing Calendar Template

Owning a small business isn't easy, especially if you are... Read More

Communicating Our Attitude

The goal of successful marketing is to create long lasting... Read More

Networking Basics Turn Yourself Into A Profit Making Giant

I would like to introduce you to one of my... Read More

Funnel Your Way to Marketing Success

A funnel is a good way to think of the... Read More

The Secrets of?

A lot of advertising and mailings promise to reveal the... Read More