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7 Tips For Posting In Forums
Spread the word without sounding like a billboard advertisement.
by Alyice Edrich
All materials copyrighted
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Ad Disclaimer
As I perused several networking forums this past year, I discovered a disturbing truth—not all marketing is good marketing. Upon reading
several threads, I ran across a few posts that sounded like blatant advertisements but chucked my thoughts on the subject because when
I am gung-ho about a product I, too, can sound like a blatant advertisement. Yet, regulars in the forums were not impressed and some
even lowered their views of a product when they felt they were being pitched by the company—which had me questioning what we, as small
business owners sound like when we hit the Internet to promote our products, services, speaking engagements, and conferences.
When you set out to announce your business to the world, do you—in your enthusiasm—sound like a spammer? Do you only post to promote
your product or services? Do you only post when you can directly influence the reader’s view on your product or service? Do you only
post so you can “sell” your product or service? Or do you post to offer valuable insight, resources, and views?
When posting to forums, follow these simple tips to achieve true word-of-mouth advertising—all of which I am learning by trial and
error, myself:
- Only post when you have something of value to share—even if it has nothing to do with your services or your products.
- Don’t be afraid to be real—even if it means you don’t look as successful or professional as you’d like. If you don’t know something
and want more information, ask—even if it’s your field of study.
- Always stay professional. In other words, be real, be truthful, and be sincere, but don’t air your dirty laundry. While people like
to see the human side of successful people, they don’t want to read about your day-to-day struggles, marital problems, friendship
problems, co-worker problems, family problems or financial problems—unless you’ve already reached the other side and are teaching
instead of venting.
- Always remain tactful. In other words, don’t start fights on boards just because you have a different point-of-view, don’t call
someone else names because they’ve insulted you or rubbed you the wrong way, don’t prejudge, don’t harass, and definitely don’t talk
poorly about someone because it could come back to bite you in the rear.
- If someone misunderstands your question or comment, don’t hesitate to offer clarity. There’s no need to go back and delete your
original post. People like to see the human side of highly successful people—it makes life more real and interesting. And besides,
the only way we learn is by being teachable.
- Don’t be afraid to mention your product or service in relevant posts. Just remember to do it gracefully. In other words, if your
book has a section that could answer the poster’s question better, summarize the chapter in a few short paragraphs, then mention that a
more detailed take on the subject can be found in your book, TITLE. If your product is the answer to the poster’s dilemma, tell him/her
why with real facts and scenarios, then mention the name of the product and where it can be found.
- Don’t mention your product or service if there is no reason to do so. In other words, if the post doesn’t warrant you mentioning your
product or service, don’t try to stretch the poster’s view to fit your need to market. Leave a blurb in your tagline, instead. (Provided
the forum allows such taglines.)
About The Author:
Alyice Edrich is the author of several highly praised e-books designed to help you work from home. To discover how you can
earn $50 in two hours or up to $10K in your spare time visit her store:
http://thedabblingmum.com/ebookstore
* This article is available for your publication, for a F-E-E.
This article may NOT be reprinted without monetary compensation and written permission from the author.
For reprint rights or comments/questions about this article, please contact the author.
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