Marketing Via Messageboards & E-mail Discussion Lists - An Alternative View

One of the most suggested means of getting traffic to a site in the early stages is to get involved in messageboard and e-mail discussions on your topic of choice. The idea is that you can show your expertise and therefore get traffic to your site via your signature file (most discussion lists allow you to include your signature file with your post - a few lines with your name, site address and maybe a very brief description). Whilst this is a valid tip, I don't believe that the real reason for why you should do this has been investigated far enough previously.

Firstly, if you post an ad for your site on a discussion list, your are spamming and will create a bit of a fiasco. This does not make good business sense. So, the way to do it is to look for people asking questions and answer them. The issue here is your reasons for doing this. If your reason is purely to drive traffic to your site, you probably won't be terribly successful and, sometimes, people will work out what you are up to. Therefore, your goal should be to be seen as an expert in your field, not to get traffic to your site.

Even if you don't include a signature with your posts, you can still make a name for yourself and, in the long term, this will prove to be a far more profitable approach. I have visited many discussion lists in my time and it is easy to see the people that have gained respect. From a business point of view, they are the ones who will benefit from this approach, not the people who post simple answers to try to get an immediate effect.

Your goal must always be to achieve success in your online venture and your personal credibility will play a major role in this. So, when looking at marketing on messageboards and in E-mail discussion lists, establishing your credentials as an expert in your field must be your number one priority, not short term traffic generation methods.


By Sean Burns

Using Message Boards Properly

We all have our own reasons for joining message boards. Maybe its to meet some friends, or find some ideas for your business. Maybe you just needed a place to announce your party. Whatever the reason, are you using them properly?

There are several purposes of a message board:

1. Meet new people/network ~ This does not mean finding people to advertise to. Networking means just meeting people. A person you meet can do several different things:

- Become a customer

- Introduce you to another customer

- Open up other networking opportunities

- Become a partner

- Become a friend

2. Share Idea/Get Opinions ~ Key word here being SHARE. Asking for ideas and opinions is good, but giving them is more important. Be sure you are giving back to the community.

3. Announce Specials and Events ~ This should be done only in appropriate categories and only if you are active in the community.

Some "don'ts" of message boards:

- Don't spam the board by posting your ads in inappropriate categories or threads. For example, in a category called "Parenting Advice", don't post your special on toys.

- Don't just post when someone is looking for a business. Get involved with the community and help people as much as you can without promoting your business to them.

- Don't rely on everyone else to start posts, start some yourself. If everyone else waited for someone else to post, no one would be posting. Share and experience with a party, or about an interesting article you read. Just get the conversation going!

- Don't join just to promote your business. If you join expecting your sales to explode, think again. Remember you are here for support, to share ideas, and make some friends. Sales will come eventually, and will probably not be directly.

There are all kinds of message boards, so be sure to follow the rules on each. A few of my favorite boards are:

Mommy's Helper Community: http://www.mommyshelperonline.com/phpBB2/index.php

WAHM.com: http://www.wahm.com

Self Starters Weekly: http://www.selfstartersweeklytips.com/forum/

Most importantly - Have Fun!

By Kara Kelso

Five Tips to Launching a Successful Message Forum

Forums a.k.a. "message boards" can be great marketing tools for your website. They attract repeat visitors and provide a meeting place for them to share their thoughts, ideas, questions and concerns.

Unfortunately many webmasters that attempt to launch a board on their site, end up closing it down due to lack of activity and popularity.

So what's the key to success, you ask?

Below you will find 5 quick tips on creating and promoting a message board for your website.

1. You Need Plenty of Traffic

If your site is receiving small amounts of traffic per day, then it will be very hard to get the conversations going on your board.

Keep in mind not everyone that comes to your site will even notice or visit your board, and those that do stop by may just browse without posting. In fact, the majority of the visitors to your board will only look around.

Your site should be getting at least 1,000 unique visitors per day before you even launch. Don't open it up prematurely because it can make your site look uninhabited if no one posts.

2. Create Some Starter Conversations

Once you've created your board, post a few questions to get the ball rolling. This may coax people to jump in and post some comments.

And if you are using a free board like http://www.phpbb.com, you can create polls to spark participation. People like interactivity and to give their opinion. Post a few polls and allow your visitors to vote on topic.

Also, don't be ashamed to talk to yourself. What I mean by that is you may want to create a few usernames on your own and have them post questions and answers. It may sound silly but if you're lacking activity, this may help get some conversations going. No one will know they aren't real people, except you! ;)

3. Promote! Promote! Promote!

Don't just provide one or two links to your message board. Link to it from every page on your website. Include it in the signature of your emails, and if you have a newsletter, devote a special edition to the launch of your board.

On your "Contact" page, suggest that your visitors post a question on the message board as an alternative to emailing you. This will force some people to browse the board and possibly find the answer they need. If your visitors begin finding the board useful, they'll return often and hopefully will start posting.

4. Keep The Categories to a Minimum In The Beginning

A big mistake that people make with new message boards is that they create too many categories. Remember that for most new forums, the number of posts are going to be small at first. So if you have 10 categories and only 1 or 2 are being used, it makes your board look scarce.

Try creating just one or two in the beginning and then once the traffic starts coming in you can add new ones.

5. Make The Board Easy to Use

Don't force your visitors to search for instructions on how to use your forums. If they have to figure things out, they will be discouraged and leave. Be sure to use a script that is neat and intuitive.

I recommend http://www.phpbb.com. Not only are they free, but the setup is easy and the layout is nice and clean.

Hopefully these quick tips will help you as you launch your new messaeg board. Again, don't forget to promote it like crazy. If you can build an active community, it can be quite the marketing tool for your website.


By Lisa Irby

Using Forums to Promote Your Business

When is work not really work? When it's fun!

Using online forums, also called message boards, can be a fun way to promote your business in a low key way.

Benefits:



You cultivate relationships with others

You learn about all kinds of topics

Your marketing message is presented without screaming advertisement

By answering questions related to your topic, you are positioned as an expert in your field



How to Use a Forum for Promotion:

First, find a forum that is of interest to you and frequented by people in your target market. A great place to start is to go to ezboard.com and search for forums by keywords that reflect your target market.

Next, I suggest you "lurk" or just watch the activity for a few days to get a feel for the tone of the forum. When you feel confident this is an appropriate place to represent your business, introduce yourself. Often message boards have a 'New Members' type place to post your first message.

After you have been welcomed, scan through the topics and post answers to questions others may have about your area of expertise. Repeat daily or weekly.

Tips:

Of utmost importance is to have a signature line that is added to the end of each message you post. This is like your calling card, and is what makes this method so subtle. You may be posting a famous recipe, but everyone who checks it out will see your business name. Most forums have an account setting or options area where you can set up an automatic signature or you can cut and paste your signature each time, but this is much more cumbersome.

Don't spam boards by visiting once and posting an advert everywhere. It will give you a bad reputation - not what you need to increase sales.

Check the regulations of the board to be sure signature lines are allowed. Some forums strictly prohibit marketing of any type.

Revisit your posting frequently to address any replies. Also, add new postings of interest every few days to keep your business in the message board's eye.

Message boards and forums can be a very valuable marketing tool. While you're at it, be sure to check out the fun topics, too!


By Megan Corwin

How To Maximize Your Profits With Forums

Forums are one of the most effective free internet marketing strategies if done correctly. Many people participate in online forums for different reasons. Especially in internet marketing forums, they use it for getting advice and answers to their questions.

Another reason is finding new tools, products and marketing concepts that they can apply to their website or online business in general. Internet forums are also an excellent resource for contacting with other online entrepreneurs and build win-win and profitable joint ventures. Finally, you can promote your website in forums in indirect mode of course.

Taking advantage of forums can be focused on the link of your site you are allowed to place with your posts. However, this is not as simple as it sounds. Users must have a reason to click on your link. One reason could be a useful tip or resource you provide with your answer for instance. On the long-term run, you gain credibility and start becoming an expert in your field.

But how do you accomplish that? First, you must study carefully the forums before you join them. Check for their guidelines, their theme, the questions, the level of knowledge and experience the users have. After that, you group the questions in a specific block in order to provide the answers.

For example:

Questions:


1) How can I protect my website from theft?


2) Where can I find HTML security software?


e.t.c

Answers:


1) HTML encryption software


2) Hide your website's code.


e.t.c.

Now it is time for getting answers. You can find answers using search engines, or a recourse you have already used in the past or even a "how to" e-book you had purchased. There are many options. Don't forget that you shouldn't restrict yourself to one topic. You can repeat this procedure as many times as you want.

You can provide your answers to forum users in three ways actually.

First, by informing the forum users with a website you saw, that contains the solution to the problem they have. This is the less effective way, because you are keeping them away from your primary cause, which is to visit your website by clicking your link.

Second, is to create a webpage to your website that contains the answer.

For example: www.yoursite.com/htmlsecurityreport.htm. This is an excellent way of promoting because it's not a blatant advertisement (you are informing people) and on the other hand users visit your website.

Third, create a new website exclusively related on this subject.

For example: www.htmlsecuritytips.com. This way is extremely effective too, but you should keep in mind that you do have to spend some money for that (web hosting, domain registrar e.t.c.) and definitely more time.

The catch here is that with the second and third option you can promote your website, which can include your affiliate programs or even your products without breaking the forum's rules.

Of course you could ask,"where can I find forums?" One way is using search engines. Write in the search bar "internet marketing forums" and you will have many listings but you should notice that only the active ones worth your attention. Another thing you should be careful about is how many users and posts the forum has every day. If there are one or two users then you should go away, although forums indexed by the search engines are important because a link of your website to this forum could mean indexing for your website too.

When you post to a forum always, use your name and not some kind of number or code like 22357 e.t.c. You want to gain credibility with your name and not with characterless number or fake username. Use your signature in every post, which should contain your name, 2-3 lines of text (that depends on how many lines the forum administrator permits you to use) and of course your site URL.

By Christos Varsamis

5 Reasons Why Participating in Forums can Benefit Your Business

Did you know that by simply participating in various forums and posting your various views and ideas, can potentially bring new growth and life to your online business?

Let's look at some of the positive aspects that forum participation can bring to your business.

1. We are all looking for traffic to our websites and if we can get it for free with little effort, that's even better. Did you know that when you sign up as a new member at a forum, you can usually create a "signature" line that will be attached to every post that you make in a forum? This signature line can contain your website address, and as other members read your post, this will provide another route for potential customers to find your website.

2. One of the worst things about trying to advertise on the Internet is the lack of trust between website owners and customers. Everyone is afraid of being scammed. A good way of building trust with potential prospects is by giving them a chance to get to know you, and by letting some of your knowledge, honesty and integrity show in the post that you make at a forum.

3. Most webmasters on the Internet exchange links with other like sites, because exchanging links will boost your link popularity. It's a proven fact that you get higher search engine rankings when your site has a high PR due to your link popularity. But did you know it's even better if you have a link pointing to your site that isn't reciprocated? Every post that you make in a forum will create a one way link pointing to your website. If you make 1000 post in a year, you have potentially created 1000 back links pointing to your site. As the search engines crawl the Internet and detect all these links pointing to your site, your website is going to move toward the top of the search engine listings.

4. Running a business on the Internet can be a very lonely occupation. There is very little interaction with other people and this can be devastating to some. By participating in forums, you will meet other people who have online businesses and who have a lot in common with you. It's sometimes comforting to know that there are others who share your occupational frustrations, and will be there to support you if you need them.

5. It's a proven fact that two minds are better than one. Everyone goes through learning curves on the Internet. Whether that learning curve involves starting out, building websites, search engine optimization, or the millions of other things that you must be prepared to do on the Internet to establish your business, there is someone in your favorite forum that has been there and done that. These people will be more than happy to give you free consultations.

Best wishes to you,


By Rebecca Gilbert

The Value of Forums

There are literally thousands of online forums that cover a wide range of topics. Forums provide individuals, who share a common interest, with a meeting place for open discussion, and a great gathering spot for "water cooler" talk. When used properly forums can be an excellent business tool and resource. By providing well thought out, helpful responses posters can develop a reputation as an industry expert. Establishing a reputation within forums will eventually lead to solid business contacts and relationships.

Forums, online discussion groups, can be found on many websites. Companies, individuals or groups often have their own web-based forums, which are a good source of technical information or just general discussions. They can be closed for private use only or open to anyone to post messages, which are usually sorted within different categories, or topics. Posting to forums is obviously effective when an immediate answer is not required. Forum can be found by searching for topic or subject with the word 'forum' or 'forums'. Forums are a great way to participate in a community that is discussing a particular topic, or communicate with a group of people interested in the same topic.

Rules & Regulations

Before you post to a forum its important that you read the Charter or description of the forum and determine what is appropriate. It is probably not a bad idea to monitor a newsgroup for a few days prior to posting. Understanding what is accepted or not accepted in each newsgroup will go a long way in befriending the participants.

Forum Etiquette

Spam is generally frowned upon, if you require information on general forum etiquette I'd encourage you to read the article at: http://www.small-business-software.net/etiquette.htm . Rules and etiquette can vary from one group to another, so don't assume what is acceptable in one, is acceptable in another.

Some forums require that you register and provide contact information in order to post a message or respond to messages. The registration is typically simple and requires that you submit general information. An email confirmation is required in order to confirm the information; once the confirmation is responded to posting privileges are granted. Some forums do not require registration and you can post anonymously.

What to Look for In a Forum

Because time is valuable it is best to frequent forums that have a lot of traffic, this will ensure that any posts receive maximum exposure for little effort. The most recent posts should be have current dates and it should be clear that there is regular activity on the board.

Moderated Forums

Some forums are moderated, which means posts are approved prior to being made public. This means that if you post to a moderated forum, there will likely be a delay between the submission and the posts appearance in the forum. Moderated forums tend to have a lower 'noise' ratio and have less off-topic posts. The downside to moderated forums is that like moderated newsgroups they are usually less popular because of the lag time between posts.

Signature Line

Most newsgroups allow for posters to include a signature on any posts. This is your opportunity to mention your products and services. Use this as an opportunity to tell other forum visitors what you want them to know. Be sure to provide an url to your website, as the link will not only refer potential clients but it will help search engine ranking.

Finding Forums

Forums can contain generic information or be very topic specific. Try the following resources to find forums that meet your needs.

Forum Directory - http://www.small-business-software.net/forum-directory.htm

Forum Directory - http://www.forumdirectory.com

Forum Search - http://www.forumsearch.tk


By Sharon Housley

Forum - A Free Way to Get Traffic

Forum is a gathering of people normally have a common interest on certain topic like investing, health etc. People in forum can share ideas, ask questions, socialize get help and give advice.

However, you cannot post your advertising or any other promotional material in the forum as this is considered as SPAM! Unless, this forum is specially mentioned that allow you to post such promotional material.

So, how to use forum as a free way to get traffic?

In most of the forums, you are allowed to create a signature file which you can place your description, attractive words and the link to your website or subscribe your newsletter.

Every time, when you post your sharing in the forum, at the end of your post will be automatically followed by your signature file which allow people to click the link to your site if they are interested to your description.

People go to the forum normally who are seeking solution to solve their problems. You can share your experience to help them. Let's share some of my experience to help get to know how to use forum to get free traffic.

I personally promote affiliate programs and member sites. All the products I promote basically are how to make money online and start internet business. So, I will look for forums which discuss about money topic, internet business, internet marketing etc.

I view the posts, read their questions and try my best by answering their questions. As mentioned above, my website link will be posted in the forum also. People read my post will normally click my link also.

This is how I get started to build up my subscriber base. I use this method everyday and get free subscriber.

Of course, there are some techniques in answering. For example, the most popular question is, "How to start internet business?" It is highly recommended that not answering like selling a product, e.g. "Oh, you can join xxx program, click my link will show you how .."

How's about this?

"Hi Mr. xxx, there are many ways that you can build your internet business, basically start an internet business by building websites. However, if you find it difficult to build a website, you can join certain affiliate program If you need further helps, you are welcome to email me or post your question here. I will be ready to help you."

Which do you feel better?

The 1st one, people would think that you just want them to join the program and make money from their pocket. However, the 2nd one, you are trying to build a relationship & trust with people, people will feel that you are sincere that you want to help them. See the difference?

Not only you can get free traffic, by sharing your ideas, helping people to solve their problems, you are also building your reputation. People will trust you and people normally buy something from whom they trust!

In conclusion, if your budget is limited and you want to get targeted prospects, go to the related forums, setup your attractive description in signature file, and post as many sharings as you like but please don't SPAM. People won't trust spammer. Of course, if you have question to ask, you are welcome to post your questions and you will get help!

By John Liew Tze Yung

How To Get Free Advertising By Participating In E-mail Discussion Lists

Posting messages to e-mail discussion lists is a great way to get free advertising. An e-mail discussion list is a group of people connected together via e-mail that can communicate with one another. When you post a message to a list include your signature file at the end. Your sig file should be no more than 5 to 6 lines. Include an attention getting sentence why they should visit your web site or e-mail your auto responder. Try to select list's that are archived because your signature file will be viewed for years to come.

E-mail discussion lists are highly targeted. There are thousands of discussion lists with thousands of different subjects. You can usually subscribe to these lists by sending an e-mail or by filling out a web form. You want to subscribe to one that would be related to your target audience. If you are selling books about marketing, you would want to post to lists were business people and marketers would congregate.

Before posting to any e-mail discussion list, read the FAQ or rules first. They will tell you what kinds of posts are allowed. Read the messages for a few days before posting your message to see what type of messages are being posted. If the list is archived you could read the older messages. If you want to make sure, you could e-mail the list moderator. Never post messages that are unrelated to the list's subject.

There are many different types of messages you could post to the e-mail discussion list. You could post an informative comment or article that would interest the other list members. Post a question on the discussion list that you would like answered. You could answer another person's question on the list. When you post and answer questions you will become know as an expert and meet other experts on the list.

By Julia Tang

Forums - Why You Might Want One And How To Get One...

Several people have asked me about setting up a forum on their website recently, so I thought it might be helpful to cover this topic for the benefit of all my readers.

But before I explain how to set up a forum, let me cover some of the reasons as to why you might want a forum in the first place...

For those that don't know, a forum is simply a web page which allows visitors to interact with each other by leaving messages and responding to messages made by other users. To see a superb :-) example of this, check out my own forum at: http://www.traderonlineforum.com

Ok, so why might you want to put a forum on your website?

1. A forum helps to build a sense of community. People, by their very nature, like to be a part of something and if your website makes them feel like this, then they will come back time and time again and of course, the more times someone comes back, the more chance there is that they might buy something from you :-)

2. It can save you time. I get emails everyday asking for advice on many different aspects of running a business and I simply don't have time to answer them all. If I am a bit pushed for time, I often direct the sender of the email to my forum since I know that their question has either been answered before or because I know that another member may be able to help them.

3. A good forum can get your customers/subscribers to love you! Ok, maybe that is a slight exaggeration BUT if your customers are able to ask questions, get help, build relationships with other people with similar interests and even advertise their own businesses on your forum, it won't do you any harm especially if you offer all of this for free.

4. Free search engine traffic. Search engines love regularly updated websites with relevant content. If you have an active forum with a specific topic of discussion, then you may well find that your forum postings are soon appearing in the free search engine results on Google and other popular engines.

5. An excellent source of new ideas. Forums are a superb resource when you are trying to think of new ideas for products to sell or create or new services to provide. They also give members the opportunity to brainstorm their own ideas with other, like-minded individuals. I have personally obtained numerous ideas for newsletters and other articles from posts made within my forum.

6. Forums can earn you (and your fellow members) money! Forums are like any other web page in that you can advertise products that may be relevant to your visitors, such as your own products or services or those that you are affiliated with. In addition, if you wish, you can allow your members to advertise their products and services either by way of a 'signature file' at the bottom of each post they make or within a specific forum board provided for the purpose of advertising.

7. Finally, owning or participating in a forum is FUN :-) Discussing and debating the topics that are close to your heart with other people that share the same interest is fun and it is amazing how you can pick up on an individual's personality simply by the messages that they write. In the impersonal world of the Internet, forums are an excellent way to get some 'real' human contact.

So how do you install a forum on your site?

There are countless scripts available that you can simply install on your web hosting server and that will set up and run a forum for you. All have step by step instructions and the scripts are often available free of charge (you can usually upgrade to a more advanced version if you pay a license fee). I will detail a few useful links in a moment.

However, if you are not comfortable installing scripts or would just prefer to take the easy option, then you should consider buying an 'all-in-one' hosting and forum package.


By Richard Grady

Forums: What They Are And WHY Theyre Essential For Anyone Considering Starting An Online Business

Well... first off, let's define exactly what a Forum is so that you'll be able to relate to what I'm about to explain within this article.

The simple definition of a Forum is... it's a online community with a open discussion that allows you to 'Post' questions or queries related to a specific topic.

You can find Forums online related to any topic under the sun, so it doesn't matter what the question is that you might have because there's a Forum out there with hundreds, if not, thousands of members ready and willing to give you helpful Tips and Advice to the questions you have making your life and decision making that much easier.

I can't stress this enough, especially if you're New to Internet and the Internet marketing scene.

Now, for the last segment of this article on want to focus on WHY forums are essential for Anyone who is considering starting an online business.

Well, the main reason is this... Forums are a great way to research your market you are considering developing a Product or Service for.

Why, you ask?

Simply because this is where people go to post there questions about a certain problem they're dealing with and the 'Rule Of Thumb' is... when creating a Product or Service (no matter what kind of product or service it is) make sure it solves a -- Problem.

This is the KEY ingredient to the success of your Product or Service.

Seriously, take a look at all the Posts from the members and note which ones share the most common threads.

If you see alot of common treads, that means there's potential for a Product or Service to be developed.

By doing this simple task it will save you Time and more importantly... MONEY, because who would spend the Time and Money researching and developing a Product or Service if there was NO demand for it. Right?

You see how this works.

It Pays to do a little research.

And Research is the KEY ingredient for a successful Product or Service and Forums are simply a great place to get started, especially for anyone considering starting an online business.

Now, with that said, what you need to do now is figure out what you would ENJOY doing as a online business and draft up a business plan from there.

This is a VERY important step.

Then, go to your favorite search engine and search out a few forums within the area of business your interests lie and become a member.

Take notice to the main topics and write them down on a notepad so you can look over them later to see if there's any potential.(Remember, the most common threads)

It's that simple.

I truly hope this article helped you and opened up your mind up to the endless possibilities that await you online, no matter what business your considering.

We all need Answers and Forums are simply the BEST place to get them answered.

Business Forums

Forums are a community where a group of webmasters can post a discussion on different topics, like running an online business, web promotion, marketing, web design, etc. You can post questions asking for advice and learn a great deal of knowledge from others who participate. You can also participate by answering questions that you are well versed on.

In order to participate in a business forum, most forums will require that you register with a user name and password. To register is relevantly simple and there is no cost.

With most forums you can leave your signature file at the end of your message and become a recognizable name in the Internet community. This in itself can give you added exposure and increased traffic to your website. It is important that you check the rules of each forum, as not all forums will allow the use of your signature file.

When searching for forums, you will find some that have moderators that oversee the discussions, as well as forums with no moderators.

You may benefit more by using the forums that are moderated. You will find more meaningful ongoing discussions and higher activity. Using forums with moderators is not a place to post ads in your messages. Keep in mind that although some forums may allow you to use your signature file, placing ads in your messages is not allowed and you can be banned from using the forum.

The idea is to participate in a professional manner staying focused on the forums topic of interest. The people using these boards frown upon posting messages that do not relate to the forums topic, which can cause you to loose credibility.

With some of the forums that are not overseen by a moderator, the focus to any given topic can be inconsistent. You will also notice that many of these post are filled with advertisements rather than supplying useful content.

By being an active member of business forums, you can gain valuable information that can benefit your home business, as well as enhance your online presence.

There are many different forums covering different topics that you can use on the Internet today, in which you can search by category. You can find business forums by going to any major search engine and performing a search.


By John Kovacs

8 Tips for Starting and Maintaining a Successful Online Forum

Nothing promotes a business online better than staying in touch with prospects. The more interactive the continued contact, the more of a relationship that is built with a potential client.

This business principle of continued contact and business relationship building has given rise to the popularity of online business forums, and of course, "theme-related" online forums. Online forums quickly establish empathy, set forum owners up as "experts" in the eyes of visitors, and serve as a promotional vehicle for other products and services that forum owners seek to sell.

While online forums are popular and the perfect method of relationship building, starting a forum and maintaining one can be challenging, especially in the beginning when members can be "few" and "far between". The challenge for most new forum owners is to get beyond the initial start up phase and move onto a phase where the forum members themselves promote the forum simply by posting.

Although each forum is individual and personal, a few general guidelines should be followed or at least kept in mind when starting and maintaining an online forum. These are as follows:

1. Take care when choosing the type of forum and forum script or software that will be used. The forum should be easy to access, easy to use, and come with "visitor- friendly" features. All visitors should be made to feel welcomed and find the navigability of the forum, user friendly. Forum scripts and software, especially "free" varieties, may be overburdened with ads from the parent company and lead to a poor experience for visitors.

Some recommendations:

http://www.phpbb.com/ http://www.vbulletin.com/

2. The forum should have a good number of interesting and focused topics. The content should reflect the interests of the target audience, and every care should be made to have well-written and informative content that is updated regularly. This not only helps attract new members, it keeps older members from losing interest and defecting to other forums.

3. The forum should be Search Engine friendly. High activity forums, like popular blogs, provide a great reason for Search Engines to visit them frequently as they are brimming with fresh content all the while. Dynamic urls, session ids, etc. used by most forum software can be very detrimental to the forum health from Search Engine point of view.

When selecting a forum software, check if they are Search Engine friendly. Open source software like phpbb, have mods (modifications) developed by third party sources, to enhance the forum in many ways.

Here's a great mod for phpbb to make it Search Engine friendly: http://www.able2know.com/forums/about15132.html

4. The forum needs to have a clear list of rules, a disclaimer, and most of all, good solid moderation. Visitors will quickly become frustrated with forums that have no clear guidelines, or feature rude, obnoxious, or overbearing members. Good manners are required as much online as offline.

5. Promotion, especially in the early days, will take considerable time and effort. Forums can be difficult to start (members generally are "shy" when there are only a few present), and the more posts that take place, the more individuals will join. This is a "snowball" effect of forums, so marketing must be done consistently, day in and day out, until the forum becomes more self-sustaining.

6. The owner of the forum should take an active interest in the forum and SHOW this interest by contributing regularly. Above all else, people join forums where they feel they will learn from the owner of the forum, and if the owner is never present, they quickly lose interest in the forum.

7. The forum should be targeted, yet diverse, encouraging older members to contribute, without making newer members feel uncomfortable. Cliques can form in forums, and this type of behavior should be discouraged by the owner and moderators. Every effort should be made to answer questions or comments by all members as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

8. As with all other Internet related ventures, care needs to be given as to hosting and maintenance of the forum. A forum that is always experiencing "downtime", will lose members quickly, and a forum that has many coding mistakes will quickly frustrate visitors. As with Web sites, "cheap" providers of hosting and maintenance are not always "better".

All in all, online forums can be a great way to generate income, develop a good reputation among clients, and provide entertainment and instruction for many individuals. Like with everything else, however, they take marketing savvy, and a great deal of time and attention to detail. The old saying, "You only reap what you sow" really applies to the world of online forums.

By Vishal P. Rao

Get Traffic & Sales Using Discussion Forums

Message boards, discussion forums and newsgroups can all produce very profitable results for you and your business. Most of us already participate in one or more of these and the more you participate the bigger the benefits to you and your website will be.

So let's find out how to make this a profitable venture for you.

Posting on forums, newsgroups and boards is the start of a relationship between you and others who read these venues. Many message boards and forums also allow you to use a picture of yourself. This adds to making the whole experience much more personal between you and other readers. It allows for many friendships to be formed. I am constantly told by readers of my newsletter that they have often meet people they deal with online and many friendships have been developed.

With these venues you have the potential to reach thousands of people, all who can help you and your business and may form some lasting friendships in the process..

This is one of the most productive efforts that you can involve yourself in online. Time is money and a lot of you are also working full time jobs while trying to build an online business. Set aside time on a daily basis to participate in at least one of these ventures.

- Join boards where your expertise can help relevant traffic and leads for your site.

- Join areas where you have an opportunity to help others and others who may be able to help you.

- Join areas where people are involved with the same interests that you have in websites you have developed.

I have an online newsletter (http://www.emailpromotions.net) that is aimed at people working on the internet. I offer free software that I have found online as well as marketing tips, traffic tips and computer tips. I also have a website that focuses on Resort Spas Worldwide (http://www.spasoftheworld.com). I participate in a great number of forums and newsgroups and it is a tremendous help in building my online businesses

1. Look for message boards that get a lot of traffic. The more traffic on the board the better your chances of getting more traffic to your site and making good connections with others. If the forums contain spam, avoid them like the plague. They are a waste of your time.

2. Let people know who you are. Use your real name and if possible post a picture of your self. Don't be afraid to also use the logo from your site if you have one. You need people to trust you in order to build an online experience with them. You will be surprised at how well known you will become by using this simple method. Not only will people get to know and trust you but they will refer others to you. Word of mouth/email is a very powerful tool for you to use.

3. Success in getting your post read is your first priority. Subject lines MUST catch a persons eye in order for them to open it. Stick to topics that are hot or create your own hot topic. That way your message is right at the top. People like to look at hot topics and busy threads.

5) When posting or responding to a topic, use keywords that people using the search engines would use to find that topic. Put those right in the subject line since the search engines do index many popular discussion boards.

4. Keep in mind that message boards are also websites and search engines pick up keywords. Make sure you use a lot of good keywords in the body of your message and also in the subject line if possible.

5. As well as keywords, offer a link to someone that is free that people can use. An ebook, a free software program etc. The link alone will bring people back to the topic time and time again, bringing more and more traffic.

6. Signature files...you should already be using a signature file with your emails but make sure to use them every time you post. Make sure it explains your site and your product. This will also count as sites that link to your website and thereby increase you popularity and rankings. Make sure you do it tastefully or you will see your message tossed very quickly.

7. Make sure you are contributing something of value when you participate in these communities. Once you start to become a valuable contributor others will be more trusting of you and will feel safe making purchases from your site.

8. Forum etiquette. Make sure you follow the rules to a "T" or you will develop a reputation for being combative. So many people attack others and if you must respond to someone attacking you, take it to private messages. Attacking others or attacking in defense will drive business away from your site faster than you can blink an eye. Before you post any message, read it carefully and make sure it does not sound combative. Always read your posts before hitting the submit button.

9. Posting on a regular basis will give you more traffic than you dreamed of. Set aside ½ hour a day to monitor boards and to post on some. It should pay off very nicely in the end.

By Jean Sutherland

Whats The Deal With Discussion Lists for Writers? (Part Two)

What Are the Advantages and/or Drawbacks of Subscribing to Discussion Lists?

"I learn a lot about publishing houses, editors, etc., and we're like one big happy family," says Dotti Enderle, who belongs to several lists - the biggest being the Children's Writers List.

"Unfortunately, because we do spend a lot of time with banter, it takes away from my writing time. But I couldn't live without this list. If anyone has any type of publishing question, someone there can answer it. The members are quick to share notes from conferences. We cheer when someone gets published, and we console when someone gets that really tough rejection. If I could only be on one email list, there's no doubt which one I'd choose."

"Anyway, I'm no longer a debut author but I refuse to give up my list," Coen says. "It's been the best thing to happen to me fiction career-wise besides being published. And to top it all off, these women are the most supportive people I have ever been around, and that's not easy to say among fellow writers. Other lists that I have belonged to you had a lot of back-stabbing, jealousy-type issues, but not here. On some of my lowest days, my Tobeez buddies have really picked me up. I've made some of the best friends through this group of remarkable women."

"What I've found to be rather curious in reality is that there is a surprisng number of list subscribers who deeply resent promotional posts by other subscribers, some to the point of calling them spam," Tibbetts says. "As a result lots of posts are generated arguing and complaining about the propriety of promotional posts. In the end, what's more aggravating, deleting one promo post that doesn't interest you or eight to ten posts bickering over it? Seems like a no brainer to me. I don't understand why someone would subscribe to a list and then complain about promo content related to the subject matter. In my mind, part of the purpose of subscribing is to learn what's new and what others are doing online--a means of sharing. If that involves promo posts, then so be it. Perhaps it's incumbent on the list moderators to clarify for their subscribers whether promo posts are acceptable. Obviously everyone agrees that a promo post about a new weight loss program on a publish list is inappropriate. But as for promo posts related to the list topic, there's currently a good deal of ambiguity, even controversy."

"I primarily write nonfiction and historical fiction for young adults and only occasionally write mysteries, but I've been a member of The Short Mystery Fiction Society email list for nearly two years," says Tabatha Yeatts, who is a published author. "Not only do I enjoy hearing about great new mysteries, I feel the tips I receive from the list help my writing, as well as giving me ideas. I particularly like this list because it has a warm, supportive feel and is generally able to stay on-topic without seeming like it's "all business." My experience with other writing lists has shown me that I have trouble with a large amount of messages, that ones that are continually off-topic -- although they may be interesting -- are not what I'm looking for, and that jealousy can ruin a list. The Wordweave Creative Writing Workshops are also very supportive and helpful."

"I have had varied experiences on lists. Some are great, vibrant communities with committed people who do lots of great work and have tons of good advice," says Gwendolynn Gawlick, who provides Publicity Services. "When I join a list I look for people who will be able to contribute to my knowledge as well as look for help that I can provide. I've been on one or two lists that I unsubscribed because the other list members would continually ask inane questions without doing any of the work or research themselves. Then, they would flame each other and spend a week complaining about some imagined slight. That's a waste of time for EVERYONE. I've been able to connect with some great people on lists, and, as an aside, HIGHLY recommend getting the digest version wherever possible! :)"

"I have joined a few lists to exchange experience and learn from others," says Teresa Cottam, a writer from the UK. "One of the problems for me is people taking umbrage at what you write without understanding what you mean (I'm from the UK so maybe this is a cultural thing). But I think it can be offputting when someone starts accusing you of all sorts of things you didn't say in a very hectic tone. I can hold my own in arguments, but some of my female friends have avoided Internet discussions because they don't like e-mail aggression."

"Another problem is that you often get hundreds of e-mails about subjects that you don't have any interest in," Cottam says. "But I still have to sift and delete and then I worry I'm missing something so I end up reading a bit... it's a real waste of time. I also have to adapt myself to the lists, because a lot of them are US-based and circumstances etc are very different in the UK/Europe. Sometimes you feel a little isolated, because although you are on the Internet and it is supposed to be a worldwide experience, we are expected to adapt ourselves to the US experience. This makes a lot of non-US participants believe that the US and US writers are fairly parochial. US lists don't talk much about life etc outside the US and sometimes I don't really understand everything that is said because it is something that depends on an understanding of US things."

"On the positive side though I have learnt a lot from US lists simply because people do things differently and the writing/editing experience is somewhat different," Cottam added. "For example, in the UK a lot of the publishing industry looks down their noses at you when they find out you work in technical publishing - it's been really great to find people who are making money out of it and are proud! I feel as though I'm part of a wider community of technical editors/writers. I'm now trying to persuade my boss to send me on one of these conferences in the US that all the lists talk about. Well, I can but dream."

By Danielle Hollister

Whats The Deal With Discussion Lists? (Part Three)

Why Do People Start Writing Discussion Lists?

Angela Gillaspie, who owns Southern Angel, says she created her list for a very simple reason. "I started the list because there were so many folks that wanted to read my writing, and I had a hard time remembering everyone's addresses."

Gillaspie's list, which is a newsletter-type list where only she can post messages, was officially launched on March 24 and currently has 40 subscribers, most of whom joined after receiving an invitation from her. "I hope this list would make my subscribers smile and *think*," she says. "I'm not trying to make money, I just want others to enjoy life. Making some one laugh is almost a religious experience, in my opinion!" The main thing that Gillaspie gets from the experience of being a list owner is "very useful feedback," she says. "My list is currently humor-oriented.

Recently, on a whim, I sent out an inspirational story and immediately lost one subscriber. She claimed my stories were too long. Indeed that particular article was 1200 words, but the story right before that was a mere 320 words....so I really wonder if her true reason for leaving was because I used the word "Jesus" in my article. This prompted me to conduct a poll to see if my readers want inspiration *and* humor. So far, the majority wants both -- but, I may create a separate list for the inspirational-type stories." Gillaspie, who is a work-at-home programmer/analyst, freelance writer, and "proud Southern Momma," created her list with the hope that her "readers will get a "lift to their day, a grin, and maybe even a big belly laugh knowing that there is a strange woman living in Alabama that experiences the same spilt milk, bad hair cuts, worms in the fridge, and missing toilet paper that they do."

"I started The-Ethereal-Pen as a way to build a bit of community in the sci-fi/fantasy world that women seem to be over-looked in," says Victoria, who runs a few group lists online. "I, myself, am a writer, and I know that exposure for stories is sometimes very hard to get. I set this group up as a way for female writers to get opinions and ideas about their on-going works, as well as possiblly getting editors and publishers to come and post a little bit about submission requirements and how to present their works to publishers."

Victoria also owns Where-Is-Love, which she created "because, well, it was a rant. I got tired of seeing women being objects for sexual abuse and torture," Victoria says. "I found it hard to believe that these sexual fantasies were considered all there was in the world of Erotica, and so, I created Where-Is-Love as a means for women to express passion, love and sex, in a very positive light with no vicutums and no violence. They are free to post stories, poems, ideas thoughts or whatever is on their mind, whether on-topic or not. The basic idea was to get over the modesty and down to the real heart of love."

"Then, I decided to make it a e-group as well, to further the feeling of community among the web-sites," she added. She says she gets a lot out of her experience as a list owner. "I know this sounds hokey, but I really do get alot of satisfaction that I've brought people together in a "safe" environment to share ideas and thoughts on the subject matters regarding the list, or not, depending on the case. :) I think one of the best things we get from e-groups is friends," Victoria says. "I would like the members of each group to get what they put into it. Participation is what makes a group strong and happy. Sure lists can get petty and mean, but I think as long as you can start off with a general understanding that we are all here to grow and learn from each other, it's a bit easier to listen to what other people have to say."

"I wanted to find a serious list where working novelists would discuss the art and craft of writing fiction. I couldn't find one," says Melisse, MJ Rose, who runs The Novelists. "I belong to many lists and wanted one that was not chatty - though I have nothing against chatty - so I created the list I wanted."

Rose started her list a year ago and currently she has about 100 subscribers. What she gets from the experience is simple - "Great dialog between serious writers about the craft of writing," she says. "The biggest problem - since its not chatty - unless we are in the midst of dicussing a topic - the list gets slow."


By Danielle Hollister

Promoting in Online Forums

Forums can be a useful tool if you`re doing business online. You can learn a lot by reading the content and actively taking part in the discussions. Reading a forum's archives can be a great way to get a basic knowledge about a topic, and it can also give you pointers about the changes in trends and opinions through time.

It is always very important to read the terms and conditions of each particular forum for a basic guideline as to what is acceptable. It`s also a good idea to read archived posts in order to see the guidelines in action. If you don`t, you could end up doing something wrong, like spamming the forum, and that could seriously hurt both your name and your business.

Taking an active part in forums can help you gain recognition in topics you show some knowledge of, and may even result in some great business leads and contacts. Read through posts, and answer any questions you are able to in a polite, friendly and helpful manner. It`s a brilliant way to get your name and services known, but you have to be aware that different forums have different rules in regards to self-promotion.

Some won`t allow any hint of self-promotion, some are specifically aimed at self-promotion, and a lot of them fall somewhere in between, allowing either signature files or URL's to an off-the-page member profile. The in-between ones are the best ones to use for marketing yourself, especially as the ones aimed at promoting usually end up more like "spam boards" than anything else.

See if you can choose forums that allow a sig file, which is basically a short block of text about you and/or your services which can be automatically attached to the end of every post you make. No matter what you do, never EVER post a reply to a 'legitimate' topic with nothing but spam in the body of your post. This will annoy forum members who are seeking valid answers, and kill your credibility as an online marketer almost instantly.

"Netiquette" is a must-have if you`re planning to use forums. What is netiquette, you ask? Basically the same as offline etiquette. It is essential to have a good understanding of acceptable ways to communicate with other forum members. That`s why it`s so important to do a LOT of reading in the forums before you start posting messages yourself.

This is where good moderators come into play. They check the forums for inappropriate posts and spam, they keep the boards clean, and make sure everybody plays by the rules. Forums without moderators tend to turn into ghost-towns, with nothing but spam bots visiting them. A nice clean board needs good moderators to keep it that way.

In the worst-case scenario, if you break the rules in a forum, by maybe spamming, or using inappropriate language or behaviour, either the administrators or moderators may well end up banning you from that particular forum. If that happens, they will most likely delete each and every post you`ve made, whether it`s good or bad.

Happy Visiting and Posting.

Whats The Deal With Discussion Lists For Writers? (Part One)

Are they really free? Are they actually helpful?

Why do writers subscribe to these lists?

Why do people start lists for writers?

While there's no definite answers to any of those questions, I can share some opinions of other writers, who have participated in discussion lists, and links to websites with more information so you can make your own decision!

First let's start with the basics. An email discussion list is not the same as an ezine, an email newsletter or an announcement list.

A discussion list is different because it allows you as a subscriber to post your own messages, as well as read and reply to messages from other subscribers. The ability to interact with other people is the defining feature of email discussion lists.

Many such lists exist - some with as few as 5 subscribers and others with more than 500 subscribers. The number of posts each day varies just as much depending upon the list.

For example, Childrens-Writers List which is dedicated to the discussion of writing (and illustrating) for children, including such topics as creativity, work styles and techniques, marketing and promotion, dealing with rejection, etc. - has more than 500 members and had more than 1,200 postings last month.

While the Romance Writers Support Group, which was created to discuss romance writing and offer encouragement and advice to romance writers, had less than 100 messages posted between its 34 members in the year 2000.

This is one of the reasons that most email discussion list hosts offer subscribers the option to receive individual emails or a daily digest of all messages. Some hosts also allow subscribers to read the list only on the web (by logging into the list archives at the host site, subscribers can choose how often they read the postings).

You never know what you may learn from others, who share your interests and goals. By communicating with other writers via discussion lists, you can potentially find support, advice, ideas and new resources.

Just as list size and posting frequency varies, the content and quality of messages are equally diverse depending upon the other participants and list owners. But the only way you'll find out if discussion lists can be beneficial to you, is by giving them a shot! You have nothing to lose - most are free! And you're usually not required to post messages or respond to others' messages, if you choose not to.

You can just sign up, read postings at your leisure and then decide whether you want to contribute or cancel your subscription!

Selecting a discussion list that will deliver what you want is obviously a subjective process. However, you may want to read some opinions of other writers, who have participated in various lists.

So why do writers subscribe to discussion lists?

"Subscribing to a writers list is the same as shopping for new shoes,'' says "Shydove." "It takes trial and error, but then you find the right group, the 'write' answers of which you can pick and choose at will."

"I chose a diverse group of writers in A Writing Parent as I am a stay at home grandmother.'' Shydove added. "New to online writing, and still seeking my muse and genre, there are varied questions I ask that someone is ready to answer. They have been more than willing to share their experience with me.''

"I generally subscribe because I want to be kept in touch but will not remember to visit as a favourite as mine are so many,'' says Jennifer Francis, who is currently subscribed to a few lists. "I am a member of two or three good ones covering public relations, sponsorship and sometimes the others present interesting articles and/or links. But convenience is the main issue for me to be kept in touch. I think it is an efficient way of being informed of a variety of thing that would take days of scanning newspapers, magazines and the fabulous opportunity of getting another take from likeminded people around the world."

"I'm a debut historical romance author, or at least I was when I joined the Tobeez email loop," says Cheré Coen, Online features editor for The Advocate Online. "Tobeez stands for To Be Published. The group began when a few newly published romance authors began chatting online and realized there were many things new authors needed to know and that other new authors could benefit from such a network. This list has been my saving grace. I have learned so many things that only come from going to conferences, chapter meetings of the Romance Writers of America (which I'm a member) and from doing a lot of reading in industry magazines, none of which I have much time or money for. We exchange information about promotions, booksignings, contract negotiations, agents, editors, press kits, personal fears and good reviews, among much more. The list contains members from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and most of the United States, and because of this we are also able to share information on research for upcoming novels."

"I'm subscribed to a half dozen lists related to books, writing, and publishing,'' says Peggy Tibbetts, Author of Carly's Ghost and Rumors of War. "Booklocker's online promotion kit and "Secrets of Our Success" both recommend discussion lists as a good way to promote online to a broad audience. What I've found to be rather curious in reality is that there is a surprisng number of list subscribers who deeply resent promotional posts by other subscribers, some to the point of calling them spam. As a result lots of posts are generated arguing and complaining about the propriety of promotional posts. In the end, what's more aggravating, deleting one promo post that doesn't interest you or eight to ten posts bickering over it? Seems like a no brainer to me. I don't understand why someone would subscribe to a list and then complain about promo content related to the subject matter. In my mind, part of the purpose of subscribing is to learn what's new and what others are doing online--a means of sharing. If that involves promo posts, then so be it. Perhaps it's incumbent on the list moderators to clarify for their subscribers whether promo posts are acceptable. Obviously everyone agrees that a promo post about a new weight loss program on a publish list is inappropriate. But as for promo posts related to the list topic, there's currently a good deal of ambiguity, even controversy."

"I began an "Intranet" site rather than a listserv, as I felt that this would enable people to chime in on their own accord, rather than filling an inbox ..." says Julie Selman, Seattle Writergrrl, Webgrrl, Techwr-L'er, Woman of the Woods... "My husband is an active member of a listserv that has been a real community for him for years. These people share the same passion, and they are very, very involved. They will be meeting in the spring for the first time at a conference that they are setting up. I know that he and I will be looking forward to it. Drawbacks that we have both seen is that we feel guilty if we have not read all of the listserv -- and we both subscribe to listservs in digest form. Cross postings do happen, especially if you belong to several listservs for the same community. Managing them is more time than either of us usually have. People on some of the lists are not aware of the "etiquette" of cut and paste -- or don't know how to sign up or get off, or how the communication works -- or about propriety ... some things you just don't post to an entire list! Lurkers are an issue -- how do you know what you are posting won't get back at you in some way? Who is listening, anyway? On the more positive side, it is a constant source for information and contacts in areas that interest us. They can be deleted, and often the archives can be visited on some associated web site. Like the early days of bulletin boards, I would imagine that these lists will evolve, and some of the issues will "fall away."

By Danielle Hollister