Have you ever JV'd with a forum owner?

12 replies
I found a great forum in my niche, has over 20,000 members and is pretty busy most of the time.

I want to contact him about sending out an offer to his members, but am curious as to whether it is even possible with a forum.

I know you can mass pm members, but will he have an actual email list, what I am really asking is, is there a way for him to email that list?


Any thoughts?

P.S. The forum is vBulletin
#forum #jvd #owner
  • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
    Originally Posted by AshleyAA View Post

    I found a great forum in my niche, has over 20,000 members and is pretty busy most of the time.

    I want to contact him about sending out an offer to his members, but am curious as to whether it is even possible with a forum.

    I know you can mass pm members, but will he have an actual email list, what I am really asking is, is there a way for him to email that list?


    Any thoughts?

    P.S. The forum is vBulletin
    What will you be GIVING to him? Have you contributed at all to his forum? Does he KNOW who you are?
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  • Profile picture of the author JennSpencerIM
    Just another option: Can you buy ads in the forum? I've done that before and had pretty good success.

    I've never participated enough in a forum to be able to approach someone like that..build relationship first.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kieron
    He will have a list, it will be in his registered users database which he has full and complete access to. He can mass email the entire list if he so desired. I have worked with many forum and portal owners who are more than happy to make money from email their lists for a fee. It seems these days most companies are doing, even my own ISP is sending me spam from a local phone company. When I complained I told in know uncertain terms to feck off as when I signed there service agreement I agreed to receive emails from them. So it is a little like ad swapping so if you dont ask you will never know. Kieron
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    • Profile picture of the author Networking_now
      Originally Posted by Kieron View Post

      He will have a list, it will be in his registered users database which he has full and complete access to. He can mass email the entire list if he so desired. I have worked with many forum and portal owners who are more than happy to make money from email their lists for a fee. It seems these days most companies are doing, even my own ISP is sending me spam from a local phone company. When I complained I told in know uncertain terms to feck off as when I signed there service agreement I agreed to receive emails from them. So it is a little like ad swapping so if you dont ask you will never know. Kieron
      Do you split a chunk of the JV deal with them? a % ?

      or just give them a little fee?

      can you share some values and % too please?
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      • Profile picture of the author Ashley Gable
        Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x View Post

        What will you be GIVING to him? Have you contributed at all to his forum? Does he KNOW who you are?
        He will just be a standard affiliate. I dont see as my participation in the forum would have much weight when there is money involved.

        When I promote other peoples products I dont require them to guest blog, or write articles for me.

        Originally Posted by JennSpencerIM View Post

        Just another option: Can you buy ads in the forum? I've done that before and had pretty good success.

        I've never participated enough in a forum to be able to approach someone like that..build relationship first.
        Good idea. But in this case the owner has a very good relationship with his members, so a direct promotion by him is what would be great.

        But both probably wouldnt hurt

        Originally Posted by Kieron View Post

        He will have a list, it will be in his registered users database which he has full and complete access to. He can mass email the entire list if he so desired. I have worked with many forum and portal owners who are more than happy to make money from email their lists for a fee. It seems these days most companies are doing, even my own ISP is sending me spam from a local phone company. When I complained I told in know uncertain terms to feck off as when I signed there service agreement I agreed to receive emails from them. So it is a little like ad swapping so if you dont ask you will never know. Kieron
        Awesome this is what I wanted to know. I didnt know if he would have access to his members emails in a way that was a) legal and B) mailable.

        Thanks!
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        • Profile picture of the author ozduc
          Originally Posted by AshleyAA View Post

          He will just be a standard affiliate. I dont see as my participation in the forum would have much weight when there is money involved.
          Thanks!
          If you think that everybody's motivation is money then think again.
          As you said he has a very good relationship with his members and that maybe far more important to him than making a few bucks off your product that he may have no interest in whatsoever. So don't just assume that because you will give him 50% or whatever that that will be enough motivation.
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  • Profile picture of the author CurtisN
    If you approached someone (a forum owner in this case) who has no idea how to make money online (and isn't making any money online) and offered them $500 a month to stick one banner at the top of their forum, they'd be thrilled. That's an extra 6K a year in for doing next to nothing.

    In fact, I think it might be more effective to simply stick an add at the top of a forum rather than emailing promotions to forum members, assuming you pick an active forum. For example, I'm not subscribed to this forum's newsletter, but even if I was, I come here virtually everyday anyway, so I'd probably see an ad here before I'd see an email from the forum.

    Besides, if you go the email marketing route, you have to split the profits. With a banner, you can just pay a flat monthly fee. And assuming you've done your homework, that one banner can return your investment many times over, each and every month.
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  • Profile picture of the author Groovystar
    I would never sign up onto a forum knowing my email was being sold to advertisers. I'd never sell my own users' emails for a million dollars. And this is coming from an unemployed loser still living with her mother.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ashley Gable
      Originally Posted by CurtisN View Post

      If you approached someone (a forum owner in this case) who has no idea how to make money online (and isn't making any money online) and offered them $500 a month to stick one banner at the top of their forum, they'd be thrilled. That's an extra 6K a year in for doing next to nothing.

      In fact, I think it might be more effective to simply stick an add at the top of a forum rather than emailing promotions to forum members, assuming you pick an active forum. For example, I'm not subscribed to this forum's newsletter, but even if I was, I come here virtually everyday anyway, so I'd probably see an ad here before I'd see an email from the forum.

      Besides, if you go the email marketing route, you have to split the profits. With a banner, you can just pay a flat monthly fee. And assuming you've done your homework, that one banner can return your investment many times over, each and every month.
      Good point. I may look into that.

      Originally Posted by ozduc View Post

      If you think that everybody's motivation is money then think again.
      As you said he has a very good relationship with his members and that maybe far more important to him than making a few bucks off your product that he may have no interest in whatsoever. So don't just assume that because you will give him 50% or whatever that that will be enough motivation.
      No I dont think that. But I do know is pretty powerful. But I do agree, it isnt a given.

      Originally Posted by Groovystar View Post

      I would never sign up onto a forum knowing my email was being sold to advertisers. I'd never sell my own users' emails for a million dollars. And this is coming from an unemployed loser still living with her mother.

      It isnt being sold to advertisers. I am asking him if he wants to promote my product, not even that though. I just want him to get people to sign up to my list (with an affiliate ID attached of course).

      I would never do this with any of my other products, but this one is revolutionary. I know he will be extremely interested, and I am about to send him, and several of his senior members free access.

      And then his "promotion" is to send people to a new thread he has started in which I and he will be giving away another 25 copies.

      That is it.

      Thanks for all the help. At least I know he does have access to his list if in fact he does want to do it.

      And I will be sure to look into getting a banner directly from him.

      Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Pereira
    Yes - it works VERY well.

    Especially on niche forums where the owners do not monetize much (using things like Adsense - which IMO doesn't do well usually on forums) or monetize through things like paid advertising.

    Email can be tricky because it can potentially piss off members, but if you get a pinned thread at the top of the forum's most popular sections it can get a tonne of views fast (1-5k in the first 24 hours). Also, paying to have a banner above the main forum area works well.

    In my personal experience I've found forum owners prefer to promote and get a cut of all sales rather than a one time fee as long as your product looks reputable and you have statistics to back up that it will sell (conversion rate of the sales page, for example).

    I did a lot of this in the past, and still do it occasionally from time to time - contacting niche forum owners to promote a product (setup with high quality PLR). Quite a few $1K+ days.

    Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    Offer them 100% commission.
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    BS free SEO services, training and advice - SEO Point

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  • Profile picture of the author IRichie
    Every forum owner is having a list in its database. Just go for it and offer him a huge commission if you are expecting some great sales.


    This can definitely bring something HUGE for both of you.

    Thanks
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