Online Forums

Online forums are a great way to fish.

When you participate in a forum today, your post (what you write or contribute) will be visible to all visitors today, next month, next year and beyond.

So your post might get seen by 10's, 100's or 1000's of people over the next few months.

It takes 5 minutes to post and you could have a free advert. If it produces one enquiry over the next 6 months from that 5 minutes work, wouldn't that be worth it?

Your advert won't be a big flashing banner. In fact, it won't look like an advert at all.


There are several things to bear in mind:

• Find a forum on a subject you're knowledgeable about and/or interested in. Your posts have to be 'on topic' - meaning that it can't be meaningless rubbish just to get your 'advert' out there. Either post a genuine question or preferably, try to answer or contribute to an existing question or thread.

• Your advert must not be blatant or people will guess that you're only posting to advertise. See what others on the forum do but generally no banners. Just a simple text signature with a website link e.g. Smarter way to play - www.youraddress.co.uk. The more subtle, the less people will think you're advertising. Make people curious.

• Post plentifully but only when you have something meaningful to post - a genuine answer or a genuine question. The more posts in as many topics and threads as possible, the more your 'advert' will be seen.

• Join as many free forums as you can find subjects you're interested / knowledgeable about. Again, the more your advert will be shown and seen. More hooks in the water!

• Post regularly. Most forums show the number of posts you've made. If others see you've made lots of posts, they're less inclined to think you're just advertising.

• Use common sense, stay courteous, don't get involved in 'flames' (arguments) - keep your image whiter than white, controlled, calm.

• Compose your posts carefully. Spell check them. If someone does click on your link and is interested in joining, you want them to think highly of you, respect you. You get that by the volume of well written, meaningful posts.

Like many of these kind of methods, don't expect floods of prospects. Don't post and then keep checking your email or website counter waiting for the hits - it isn't going to happen. Just cast the line and let it just 'be there' - a permanent part of your growing funnel. Then cast another, then another.

As you build up the number of places your signature can be seen, so you'll get more results.

To your success.