Viral Marketing Using Forums

Forum marketing has been touted as a kind of free, organic, viral
marketing. But because so many marketers go into forums purely
with the intention of marketing products or services, their actions
and attitude unwittingly causes the exact opposite of the desired
effect.

Forums aren't marketplaces, but when used as such, the
marketers' actions become offensive and will only inspire the
wrath of fellow members and marketers, not to mention
moderators who can ban them from the site with the click of their
mouse.

In order to be effective, this kind of marketing carries a certain
degree of commitment, responsibility and respect.

The first requirement is to take a personal interest in the main
topic of the forum. Not only does that mean visiting it regularly, but
it also means developing a good relationship with both other
members and the moderators, as well as taking an active interest
in helping others. Of course, it also means abiding by and all rules
that exist.

By doing this, you can develop a reputation and, since it is human
nature to work with a trusted colleague, business will naturally
develop from this.

This type of marketing has already suffered some abuse and
because of this, many forums have recently developed stringent
rules designed to protect their members from abusive or overly-
aggressive marketing tactics. One forum grants .sig files only after
a member has created one hundred valid posts and another has
disallowed ads in sig files altogether.

Marketers must respect that the purpose of a forum is to be a
platform to exchange ideas on a given topic. It is not there to
advertise products and services. By focusing on the topic and
posting questions and answers, your reputation will grow and this
creates the potential for sales naturally.
Start your Viral Marketing Campaign Today!