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7 Tips For Posting In Forums
Author: Alyice Edrich
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.
Regulars, however, were not impressed. Some got angry and requested the removal of the comments. While others lowered their views of a product when they felt they were being pitched by the company...
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:
Offer Value
Only post when you have something of value to share—even if it has nothing to do with your services or your products.Be Real
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 about a subject, ask; even if it’s your field of study.Be Professional
Always stay professional. 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.Be Tactful
Always remain considerate of others.
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.Offer Clarity
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.Be Graceful
Don’t be afraid to mention your product or service in relevant posts. Just remember to do it gracefully.
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 Spam
Don’t mention your product or service if there is no reason to do so.
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.)
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