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Promoting Your Forum
by
06 Apr 2009
Sometimes people look too hard to find the latest-and-greatest ideas on ways to promote their forums or websites. Some of the most effective ways to promote sites are right under our nose, yet we continue to look beyond them. To start, let's outline the main goals to keep in mind when promoting a website (in order of occurrence):
I myself have engaged in the following promotional techniques, and while some are more effective than others, they have all benefited me in some way. Some may work for you and some may not. Throughout the article I will be referencing a no-longer-existent pet forum that I used to operate. One of the most effective ways to promote is by word of mouth in person. I printed myself a ton of fliers that have my site URL at the top (in a fancy, WordArt kind-of-way) with a short paragraph and a list of key points as to why readers should visit the forum. I always carry the fliers around and give one to everybody I see that is walking their dog outside, shopping in a pet store, etc. I often go to Pet Expos where I have a wide audience there. The fliers work well and people always give the positive response: Oh wow! I will be sure to check it out! An easy and free way to promote is to stand out on the internet, thus attracting attention, and present your forum. For example, you could visit other forums related to your niche and participate in many discussions. Demonstrate extensive knowledge and interest throughout your posts and if you have a link to you forum in your signature, people will surely be interested in checking it out. I like to do this on Yahoo! Answers. I always head straight towards the pet section, answer as many questions as possible and include a link to my forum in the "sources" box. Dont answer questions just to show your link; be sure you are actually answering the question in full and have presented unique and helpful content. A slightly costly idea is sell and use various promotional products. Create a CafePress online store and imprint your logo on the items. Buy some of the items (like t-shirts, tote bags, etc.) to give to your family and friends as gifts. Now you've got walking advertisements! Be sure to give them a few fliers to keep with them too in case somebody asks about the site! Another wonderful idea is to write articles related to your topic and submit them to Ezine and other article repositories. If you've written an interesting and inviting article, people will be interested in knowing more about you. I've seen some people even simply write luring articles that merely explain what knowledge and information you can gain by visiting your website. A final very effective way to promote is to visit large stores related to your topic. For me, these would be PetSmart, Petco, etc. Bring a couple hundred of your fliers and ask if the management will permit you to place a stack of them on each check-out counter. As you can guess, people will see these fliers as they check out and possibly take one home. There are, of course, other alternatives including CPC advertising. But when you first start a site, you aren't interested in shelling out a lot of money. The above recommendations are very low-cost and have a respectable effect. By Nick Rodriguez About the Author: Nick is an avid forum-goer and participates in and helps operate many online communities. He currently manages and operates a forum/blog for community administrators, http://www.adminaddict.com. |