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Forums can be a
useful tool if you`re doing business online. You
can learn a lot by reading the content and
actively taking part in the discussions. Reading a
forum's archives can be a great way to get a basic
knowledge about a topic, and it can also give you
pointers about the changes in trends and opinions
through time.
It is always very important to read the terms and
conditions of each particular forum for a basic
guideline as to what is acceptable. It`s also a
good idea to read archived posts in order to see
the guidelines in action. If you don`t, you could
end up doing something wrong, like spamming the
forum, and that could seriously hurt both your
name and your business.
Taking an active part in forums can help you gain
recognition in topics you show some knowledge of,
and may even result in some great business leads
and contacts. Read through posts, and answer any
questions you are able to in a polite, friendly
and helpful manner. It`s a brilliant way to get
your name and services known, but you have to be
aware that different forums have different rules
in regards to self-promotion.
Some won`t allow any hint of self-promotion, some
are specifically aimed at self-promotion, and a
lot of them fall somewhere in between, allowing
either signature files or URL's to an off-the-page
member profile. The in-between ones are the best
ones to use for marketing yourself, especially as
the ones aimed at promoting usually end up more
like "spam boards" than anything else.
See if you can choose forums that allow a sig
file, which is basically a short block of text
about you and/or your services which can be
automatically attached to the end of every post
you make. No matter what you do, never EVER post a
reply to a 'legitimate' topic with nothing but
spam in the body of your post. This will annoy
forum members who are seeking valid answers, and
kill your credibility as an online marketer almost
instantly.
"Netiquette" is a must-have if you`re planning to
use forums. What is netiquette, you ask? Basically
the same as offline etiquette. It is essential to
have a good understanding of acceptable ways to
communicate with other forum members. That`s why
it`s so important to do a LOT of reading in the
forums before you start posting messages yourself.
This is where good moderators come into play. They
check the forums for inappropriate posts and spam,
they keep the boards clean, and make sure
everybody plays by the rules. Forums without
moderators tend to turn into ghost-towns, with
nothing but spam bots visiting them. A nice clean
board needs good moderators to keep it that way.
In the worst-case scenario, if you break the rules
in a forum, by maybe spamming, or using
inappropriate launguage or behaviour, either the
administrators or moderators may well end up
banning you from that particular forum. If that
happens, they will most likely delete each and
every post you`ve made, whether it`s good or bad.
Happy Visiting and Posting.
Anna-Marie Stewart Venton
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