Forum marketing is a great way to make your online business stand out from the crowd. Forum users are generally net savvy and open to making online purchases. Many forum users are also respected experts and bloggers in the specific topics covered by the forum.
Forum marketing is a high ROI strategy because making a good impression in front of this savvy and influential audience can help your marketing message spread far and wide.
Follow this step-by-step guide to effectively use forum marketing as a part of your overall online marketing strategy and avoid some common mistakes.
1. Find the right forums
Not all forums are worth your time. Successful forum marketing means finding the right community for your business.
Look for popular forums that cover your niche topic. Start by asking your employees, suppliers, and customers which online communities they hang out in. Also try searching forum hub sites such as Board Reader, Big Boards, and Board Tracker using niche-specific keywords.
Narrow your list to 5-10 forums that will be worth your time using the following criteria:
Look for forums that have at least 1,000 members and 10,000 posts.
Make sure the forum gets at least ten to fifteen new posts on a daily basis.
Ignore forums that are overrun by spam.
Avoid forums hosted by your direct competitors.
