What do you think about Forum Marketing? Wanted: Guide

[Marc Rodill]

Hey,

In my recent search for methods of getting targeted traffic, I discovered that forum marketing is a very good means. I am curious if anyone has any forum marketing tips, or any free forum marketing guides to point me in the right direction.

Everything is set up on my website for getting opt-ins, but I need hundreds of eyeballs to my squeeze page in order to start making the money. This is a niche outside IM. I'm sure I could just join a couple forums and make a couple posts a day with a signature at the end linking to my squeeze page.

Maybe I need a gimmick like a quiz or something to entice people to opt-in and increase conversion? Controversial posts? I want the most bang for my buck, or in this case, time. Are forums a great source of traffic for those of you experienced in the method? Should I consider outsourcing the work on the cheap? Thanks for your time.

Marc

PS. I feel as that if I could get 200 UV to my website a day that I might be able to quit my job and focus on internet marketing full time. I need traffic. I need your help. I'm going to focus on forum marketing for a while and measure my results, but I could use some pointers. Thanks in advance!

[~kev~]

Some of the advice you get on forums will get you banned real quick. Sure enough someone is going to tell you to sign up on a forum and start posting links. If you sign up on my forum and your first post contains a link, your banned.

When dealing with forums, proceed with caution. Forum owners are so tired of dealing with spam, they have a hair trigger.

Find a forum and buddy up with the owner. Work out some deals and the only place you should have a link is in your signature.

[Home business]

A good idea. But definitly takes longer time. Want a long list of forums? I will send to your inbox if you are interested. Good luck.

[Loren Woirhaye]

Some forums, like this one, are pretty serious places where
baltant advertising isn't tolerated and probably isn't very
effective.

There are 100s if not 1000s of un-moderated "newsgroups"
and "forums" that run on old forum scripts. While those
forums are mostly used as link farms by some marketers
I think they do ocassionaly have some newcomer to the
internet who blunders in and believes the advertising...
so those might work for you in the short term.

There are a lot of niche forums where you could bring
yoru expertise. For example - my background is in
furniture-making and I participate, for fun, in a forum
about it. Since I know how to market a business on
the internet I put my copywriting site link in my sig-line
there. It's just a lark but it's generated a few inquiries
but no clients yet.

Going onto forums to promote money-making opportunities
is a pretty saturated thing, but don't let that stop
you - just understand that the leads and sales will
go to the more credible participants in any given forum
so try to contribute and people will take an interest in
what you are doing.

But suppose you went onto a doggie-freak forum and
put a link to your ebook about dog-training. Then
you would probably be bringing in something that is
interesting and relevant and you could establish yourself
there as an authority.

It's really very common-sense stuff. What it isn't is
a quick-fix to getting targeted traffic.

I boughthe resale rights to a forum-marketing software
and guide a while back. Send me a PM and I'll
give you a copy.

[Marc Rodill]

Thank you,

As far as spamming goes, that is the furthest thing from my mind. Of course, I only intended to have a link in my signature. But what I did want to do was to possibly stir up some controversy or something similar that will attract people to my posts like flies... although inadvertently and completely under the radar.

Thanks for the offer for a list of forums, but I know where I should begin. I don't intend to post on every forum imaginable... only a couple that are high traffic.

Loren,

I suppose you are right about it being an endeavor involving common sense. It IS a product in the relationship niche. I figure that it wouldn't take much more than participating in a high traffic relationship forum and posting my two cents, and occasionally trying to create the post that starts a debate for awhile.

Hell, I'll just give it a shot.

Thanks again,

Marc