March 10th, 2009 at 08:36pm
Under Ethics
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 language 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.
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By admin
March 10th, 2009 at 08:36pm
Under Ethics
Posting messages to e-mail discussion lists is a great way to get free advertising. An e-mail discussion list is a group of people connected together via e-mail that can communicate with one another. When you post a message to a list include your signature file at the end. Your sig file should be no more than 5 to 6 lines. Include an attention getting sentence why they should visit your web site or e-mail your auto responder. Try to select list’s that are archived because your signature file will be viewed for years to come.
E-mail discussion lists are highly targeted. There are thousands of discussion lists with thousands of different subjects. You can usually subscribe to these lists by sending an e-mail or by filling out a web form. You want to subscribe to one that would be related to your target audience. If you are selling books about marketing, you would want to post to lists were people and marketers would congregate.
Before posting to any e-mail discussion list, read the FAQ or rules first. They will tell you what kinds of posts are allowed. Read the messages for a few days before posting your message to see what type of messages are being posted. If the list is archived you could read the older messages. If you want to make sure, you could e-mail the list moderator. Never post messages that are unrelated to the list’s subject.
There are many different types of messages you could post to the e-mail discussion list. You could post an informative comment or article that would interest the other list members. Post a question on the discussion list that you would like answered. You could answer another person’s question on the list. When you post and answer questions you will become know as an expert and meet other experts on the list.
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By admin
March 10th, 2009 at 08:36pm
Under Ethics
Why Do People Start Writing Discussion Lists?
Angela Gillaspie, who owns Southern Angel, says she created her list for a very simple reason. I started the list because there were so many folks that wanted to read my writing, and I had a hard time remembering everyone’s addresses.
Gillaspie’s list, which is a newsletter-type list where only she can post messages, was officially launched on March 24 and currently has 40 subscribers, most of whom joined after receiving an invitation from her. I hope this list would make my subscribers smile and *think*, she says. I’m not trying to make money, I just want others to enjoy life. Making some one laugh is almost a religious experience, in my opinion! The main thing that Gillaspie gets from the experience of being a list owner is very useful feedback, she says. My list is currently humor-oriented.
Recently, on a whim, I sent out an inspirational story and immediately lost one subscriber. She claimed my stories were too long. Indeed that particular article was 1200 words, but the story right before that was a mere 320 words….so I really wonder if her true reason for leaving was because I used the word Jesus in my article. This prompted me to conduct a poll to see if my readers want inspiration *and* humor. So far, the majority wants both — but, I may create a separate list for the inspirational-type stories. Gillaspie, who is a work-at-home programmer/analyst, freelance writer, and proud Southern Momma, created her list with the hope that her readers will get a lift to their day, a grin, and maybe even a big belly laugh knowing that there is a strange woman living in Alabama that experiences the same spilt milk, bad hair cuts, worms in the fridge, and missing toilet paper that they do.
I started The-Ethereal-Pen as a way to build a bit of community in the sci-fi/fantasy world that women seem to be over-looked in, says Victoria, who runs a few group lists online. I, myself, am a writer, and I know that exposure for stories is sometimes very hard to get. I set this group up as a way for female writers to get opinions and ideas about their on-going works, as well as possiblly getting editors and publishers to come and post a little bit about submission requirements and how to present their works to publishers.
Victoria also owns Where-Is-Love, which she created because, well, it was a rant. I got tired of seeing women being objects for sexual abuse and torture, Victoria says. I found it hard to believe that these sexual fantasies were considered all there was in the world of Erotica, and so, I created Where-Is-Love as a means for women to express passion, love and sex, in a very positive light with no vicutums and no violence. They are free to post stories, poems, ideas thoughts or whatever is on their mind, whether on-topic or not. The basic idea was to get over the modesty and down to the real heart of love.
Then, I decided to make it a e-group as well, to further the feeling of community among the web-sites, she added. She says she gets a lot out of her experience as a list owner. I know this sounds hokey, but I really do get alot of satisfaction that I’ve brought people together in a safe environment to share ideas and thoughts on the subject matters regarding the list, or not, depending on the case. 
I think one of the best things we get from e-groups is friends, Victoria says. I would like the members of each group to get what they put into it. Participation is what makes a group strong and happy. Sure lists can get petty and mean, but I think as long as you can start off with a general understanding that we are all here to grow and learn from each other, it’s a bit easier to listen to what other people have to say.
I wanted to find a serious list where working novelists would discuss the art and craft of writing fiction. I couldn’t find one, says Melisse, MJ Rose, who runs The Novelists. I belong to many lists and wanted one that was not chatty - though I have nothing against chatty - so I created the list I wanted.
Rose started her list a year ago and currently she has about 100 subscribers. What she gets from the experience is simple - Great dialog between serious writers about the craft of writing, she says. The biggest problem - since its not chatty - unless we are in the midst of dicussing a topic - the list gets slow.
You will find more information about discussion lists on the following website -http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art16926.asp
Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of the Free Ezine for Writers featuring news, reviews, and continuously updated links to the best resources for writers online like - freelancing & jobs, markets & publishers, literary agents, classes & contests, and more… Read it online at - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art157.asp
Author: Danielle Hollister
Keywords: writing,writers,write,discussion,lists,email,writing groups, writers groups, writing online
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By admin
March 10th, 2009 at 08:36pm
Under Ethics
What Are the Advantages and/or Drawbacks of Subscribing to Discussion Lists?
I learn a lot about publishing houses, editors, etc., and we’re like one big happy family, says Dotti Enderle, who belongs to several lists - the biggest being the Children’s Writers List.
Unfortunately, because we do spend a lot of time with banter, it takes away from my writing time. But I couldn’t live without this list. If anyone has any type of publishing question, someone there can answer it. The members are quick to share notes from conferences. We cheer when someone gets published, and we console when someone gets that really tough rejection. If I could only be on one email list, there’s no doubt which one I’d choose.
Anyway, I’m no longer a debut author but I refuse to give up my list, Coen says. It’s been the best thing to happen to me fiction career-wise besides being published. And to top it all off, these women are the most supportive people I have ever been around, and that’s not easy to say among fellow writers. Other lists that I have belonged to you had a lot of back-stabbing, jealousy-type issues, but not here. On some of my lowest days, my Tobeez buddies have really picked me up. I’ve made some of the best friends through this group of remarkable women.
What I’ve found to be rather curious in reality is that there is a surprisng number of list subscribers who deeply resent promotional posts by other subscribers, some to the point of calling them spam, Tibbetts says. As a result lots of posts are generated arguing and complaining about the propriety of promotional posts. In the end, what’s more aggravating, deleting one promo post that doesn’t interest you or eight to ten posts bickering over it? Seems like a no brainer to me. I don’t understand why someone would subscribe to a list and then complain about promo content related to the subject matter. In my mind, part of the purpose of subscribing is to learn what’s new and what others are doing online–a means of sharing. If that involves promo posts, then so be it. Perhaps it’s incumbent on the list moderators to clarify for their subscribers whether promo posts are acceptable. Obviously everyone agrees that a promo post about a new weight loss program on a publish list is inappropriate. But as for promo posts related to the list topic, there’s currently a good deal of ambiguity, even controversy.
I primarily write nonfiction and historical fiction for young adults and only occasionally write mysteries, but I’ve been a member of The Short Mystery Fiction Society email list for nearly two years, says Tabatha Yeatts, who is a published author. Not only do I enjoy hearing about great new mysteries, I feel the tips I receive from the list help my writing, as well as giving me ideas. I particularly like this list because it has a warm, supportive feel and is generally able to stay on-topic without seeming like it’s all business. My experience with other writing lists has shown me that I have trouble with a large amount of messages, that ones that are continually off-topic — although they may be interesting — are not what I’m looking for, and that jealousy can ruin a list. The Wordweave Creative Writing Workshops are also very supportive and helpful.
I have had varied experiences on lists. Some are great, vibrant communities with committed people who do lots of great work and have tons of good advice, says Gwendolynn Gawlick, who provides Publicity Services. When I join a list I look for people who will be able to contribute to my knowledge as well as look for help that I can provide. I’ve been on one or two lists that I unsubscribed because the other list members would continually ask inane questions without doing any of the work or research themselves. Then, they would flame each other and spend a week complaining about some imagined slight. That’s a waste of time for EVERYONE. I’ve been able to connect with some great people on lists, and, as an aside, HIGHLY recommend getting the digest version wherever possible!
I have joined a few lists to exchange experience and learn from others, says Teresa Cottam, a writer from the UK. One of the problems for me is people taking umbrage at what you write without understanding what you mean (I’m from the UK so maybe this is a cultural thing). But I think it can be offputting when someone starts accusing you of all sorts of things you didn’t say in a very hectic tone. I can hold my own in arguments, but some of my female friends have avoided Internet discussions because they don’t like e-mail aggression.
Another problem is that you often get hundreds of e-mails about subjects that you don’t have any interest in, Cottam says. But I still have to sift and delete and then I worry I’m missing something so I end up reading a bit… it’s a real waste of time. I also have to adapt myself to the lists, because a lot of them are US-based and circumstances etc are very different in the UK/Europe. Sometimes you feel a little isolated, because although you are on the Internet and it is supposed to be a worldwide experience, we are expected to adapt ourselves to the US experience. This makes a lot of non-US participants believe that the US and US writers are fairly parochial. US lists don’t talk much about life etc outside the US and sometimes I don’t really understand everything that is said because it is something that depends on an understanding of US things.
On the positive side though I have learnt a lot from US lists simply because people do things differently and the writing/editing experience is somewhat different, Cottam added. For example, in the UK a lot of the publishing industry looks down their noses at you when they find out you work in technical publishing - it’s been really great to find people who are making money out of it and are proud! I feel as though I’m part of a wider community of technical editors/writers. I’m now trying to persuade my boss to send me on one of these conferences in the US that all the lists talk about. Well, I can but dream.
Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of the Free Ezine for Writers featuring news, reviews, and continuously updated links to the best resources for writers online like - freelancing & jobs, markets & publishers, literary agents, classes & contests, and more… Read it online at - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art157.asp
Author: Danielle Hollister
Keywords: writing,writers,writer,write,discussion lists,discussion,lists,email,groups,writing groups, writing
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By admin
March 10th, 2009 at 08:36pm
Under Ethics
Are they really free? Are they actually helpful?
Why do writers subscribe to these lists?
Why do people start lists for writers?
While there’s no definite answers to any of those questions, I can share some opinions of other writers, who have participated in discussion lists, and links to websites with more information so you can make your own decision!
First let’s start with the basics. An email discussion list is not the same as an ezine, an email newsletter or an announcement list.
A discussion list is different because it allows you as a subscriber to post your own messages, as well as read and reply to messages from other subscribers. The ability to interact with other people is the defining feature of email discussion lists.
Many such lists exist - some with as few as 5 subscribers and others with more than 500 subscribers. The number of posts each day varies just as much depending upon the list.
For example, Childrens-Writers List which is dedicated to the discussion of writing (and illustrating) for children, including such topics as creativity, work styles and techniques, marketing and promotion, dealing with rejection, etc. - has more than 500 members and had more than 1,200 postings last month.
While the Romance Writers Support Group, which was created to discuss romance writing and offer encouragement and advice to romance writers, had less than 100 messages posted between its 34 members in the year 2000.
This is one of the reasons that most email discussion list hosts offer subscribers the option to receive individual emails or a daily digest of all messages. Some hosts also allow subscribers to read the list only on the web (by logging into the list archives at the host site, subscribers can choose how often they read the postings).
You never know what you may learn from others, who share your interests and goals. By communicating with other writers via discussion lists, you can potentially find support, advice, ideas and new resources.
Just as list size and posting frequency varies, the content and quality of messages are equally diverse depending upon the other participants and list owners. But the only way you’ll find out if discussion lists can be beneficial to you, is by giving them a shot! You have nothing to lose - most are free! And you’re usually not required to post messages or respond to others’ messages, if you choose not to.
You can just sign up, read postings at your leisure and then decide whether you want to contribute or cancel your subscription!
Selecting a discussion list that will deliver what you want is obviously a subjective process. However, you may want to read some opinions of other writers, who have participated in various lists.
So why do writers subscribe to discussion lists?
Subscribing to a writers list is the same as shopping for new shoes,” says Shydove. It takes trial and error, but then you find the right group, the ‘write’ answers of which you can pick and choose at will.
I chose a diverse group of writers in A Writing Parent as I am a stay at home grandmother.” Shydove added. New to online writing, and still seeking my muse and genre, there are varied questions I ask that someone is ready to answer. They have been more than willing to share their experience with me.”
I generally subscribe because I want to be kept in touch but will not remember to visit as a favourite as mine are so many,” says Jennifer Francis, who is currently subscribed to a few lists. I am a member of two or three good ones covering public relations, sponsorship and sometimes the others present interesting articles and/or links. But convenience is the main issue for me to be kept in touch. I think it is an efficient way of being informed of a variety of thing that would take days of scanning newspapers, magazines and the fabulous opportunity of getting another take from likeminded people around the world.
I’m a debut historical romance author, or at least I was when I joined the Tobeez email loop, says Cher Coen, Online features editor for The Advocate Online. Tobeez stands for To Be Published. The group began when a few newly published romance authors began chatting online and realized there were many things new authors needed to know and that other new authors could benefit from such a network. This list has been my saving grace. I have learned so many things that only come from going to conferences, chapter meetings of the Romance Writers of America (which I’m a member) and from doing a lot of reading in industry magazines, none of which I have much time or money for. We exchange information about promotions, booksignings, contract negotiations, agents, editors, press kits, personal fears and good reviews, among much more. The list contains members from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and most of the United States, and because of this we are also able to share information on research for upcoming novels.
I’m subscribed to a half dozen lists related to books, writing, and publishing,” says Peggy Tibbetts, Author of Carly’s Ghost and Rumors of War. Booklocker’s online promotion kit and Secrets of Our Success both recommend discussion lists as a good way to promote online to a broad audience. What I’ve found to be rather curious in reality is that there is a surprisng number of list subscribers who deeply resent promotional posts by other subscribers, some to the point of calling them spam. As a result lots of posts are generated arguing and complaining about the propriety of promotional posts. In the end, what’s more aggravating, deleting one promo post that doesn’t interest you or eight to ten posts bickering over it? Seems like a no brainer to me. I don’t understand why someone would subscribe to a list and then complain about promo content related to the subject matter. In my mind, part of the purpose of subscribing is to learn what’s new and what others are doing online–a means of sharing. If that involves promo posts, then so be it. Perhaps it’s incumbent on the list moderators to clarify for their subscribers whether promo posts are acceptable. Obviously everyone agrees that a promo post about a new weight loss program on a publish list is inappropriate. But as for promo posts related to the list topic, there’s currently a good deal of ambiguity, even controversy.
I began an Intranet site rather than a listserv, as I felt that this would enable people to chime in on their own accord, rather than filling an inbox … says Julie Selman, Seattle Writergrrl, Webgrrl, Techwr-L’er, Woman of the Woods… My husband is an active member of a listserv that has been a real community for him for years. These people share the same passion, and they are very, very involved. They will be meeting in the spring for the first time at a conference that they are setting up. I know that he and I will be looking forward to it. Drawbacks that we have both seen is that we feel guilty if we have not read all of the listserv — and we both subscribe to listservs in digest form. Cross postings do happen, especially if you belong to several listservs for the same community. Managing them is more time than either of us usually have. People on some of the lists are not aware of the etiquette of cut and paste — or don’t know how to sign up or get off, or how the communication works — or about propriety … some things you just don’t post to an entire list! Lurkers are an issue — how do you know what you are posting won’t get back at you in some way? Who is listening, anyway? On the more positive side, it is a constant source for information and contacts in areas that interest us. They can be deleted, and often the archives can be visited on some associated web site. Like the early days of bulletin boards, I would imagine that these lists will evolve, and some of the issues will fall away.
Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of the Free Ezine for Writers featuring news, reviews, and continuously updated links to the best resources for writers online like - freelancing & jobs, markets & publishers, literary agents, classes & contests, and more… Read it online at - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art157.asp
Author: Danielle Hollister
Keywords: writing,writers,discussion lists,discussions,email,groups,writing groups,writers groups,writing onli
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By admin
March 10th, 2009 at 08:36pm
Under Ethics
Yahoo Groups: I see countless marketers on shoestring budges turn to traffic exchanges for free traffic. If they would spend the time creating online groups rather than clicking for traffic they would see much more quality traffic. By no means am I saying throw in the towel on traffic exchanges as I use a number of them.
Would you rather click a thousand times for 80 unique visitors daily or would you like to receive hundreds or more unique visitors daily. (not mentioning repeat visitors) I thought so…
With hundreds of thousands of people visiting the yahoo group directory you can’t help but get excited. I have 18 groups, each one in a different business category of the yahoo directory.
A great way to get your group noticed is to create a group description consisting of html. Don’t worry, there are numerous areas on the web where you can learn basic html. Take a tour and see what kind of resources yahoo groups offer. In addition to the welcome page and links, I encourage you to send a automatic file that goes out each week containing cutting edge marketing techniques and resources.
So what are the benefits of owning your own group? Heres a few for example, members who are joining you group to post their business are now part of you opt-in list. These same people come back daily to post their business or product creating residual exposure to your business. Most of the posters are in it for the quick riches which will never happen. With the proper training and exposure, these people will buy into you business join your down line just from the daily exposure of your business on the group.
When you start reaching several thousand members you will start working your way up the yahoo group directory since groups are ranked by the number of members you have. You will not only create residual traffic with your members but also with visitors locating your group in the yahoo directory. When you feel comfortable with your ranking open a new group in a different yahoo biz category. You can start your own yahoo group here. Remember to use the principles above to create a massive residual traffic flow.
Msn Groups: I would like to introduce another group to you, msn groups. These group are ranked by group activity which is not hard to achieve with what you have just learned. Take a look at different members groups to gain a feel for whata they are promoting and running things. Once again these groups are very friendly to posting your business or product. As you can see, link structures are setup different from a yahoo group. Links Are Uploaded to a link directory from your computer to the group site. You can get your msn group started by searching for msn groups.
You also have the option to e-mail members as much as you like with the msn groups feature. Remember that is important not to spam your members as it will lead to unsubscriptions which leads lower activity lower ranking. I usually e-mail my members twice a month at the most. I have found it very effective to release information on your latest articles and free e-books. Giving away free information will gain you respect and a good reputation which will pay huge dividends later on!
Once you get these two groups running you will be able to cross promote them with each group. You will be getting a majority of the same members in each of these groups which will bolster your ranking and create residual traffic.
The most effective ways to market groups are to promote them in traffic exchanges and classified ads.
Author: Corey Morehouse
Freewebbizsolutions.com
Author: Corey Morehouse
Keywords: egroups, yahoo groups, success tips, marketing checklist, msn groups
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By admin
March 10th, 2009 at 08:36pm
Under Ethics
Message boards, discussion forums and newsgroups can all produce very profitable results for you and your business. Most of us already participate in one or more of these and the more you participate the bigger the benefits to you and your website will be.
So let’s find out how to make this a profitable venture for you.
Posting on forums, newsgroups and boards is the start of a relationship between you and others who read these venues. Many message boards and forums also allow you to use a picture of yourself. This adds to making the whole experience much more personal between you and other readers. It allows for many friendships to be formed. I am constantly told by readers of my newsletter that they have often meet people they deal with online and many friendships have been developed.
With these venues you have the potential to reach thousands of people, all who can help you and your business and may form some lasting friendships in the process..
This is one of the most productive efforts that you can involve yourself in online. Time is money and a lot of you are also working full time jobs while trying to build an online business. Set aside time on a daily basis to participate in at least one of these ventures.
- Join boards where your expertise can help relevant traffic and leads for your site.
- Join areas where you have an opportunity to help others and others who may be able to help you.
- Join areas where people are involved with the same interests that you have in websites you have developed.
I have an online newsletter (http://www.emailpromotions.net) that is aimed at people working on the internet. I offer free software that I have found online as well as marketing tips, traffic tips and computer tips. I also have a website that focuses on Resort Spas Worldwide (http://www.spasoftheworld.com). I participate in a great number of forums and newsgroups and it is a tremendous help in building my online businesses
1. Look for message boards that get a lot of traffic. The more traffic on the board the better your chances of getting more traffic to your site and making good connections with others. If the forums contain spam, avoid them like the plague. They are a waste of your time.
2. Let people know who you are. Use your real name and if possible post a picture of your self. Don’t be afraid to also use the logo from your site if you have one. You need people to trust you in order to build an online experience with them. You will be surprised at how well known you will become by using this simple method. Not only will people get to know and trust you but they will refer others to you. Word of mouth/email is a very powerful tool for you to use.
3. Success in getting your post read is your first priority. Subject lines MUST catch a persons eye in order for them to open it. Stick to topics that are hot or create your own hot topic. That way your message is right at the top. People like to look at hot topics and busy threads.
5) When posting or responding to a topic, use keywords that people using the search engines would use to find that topic. Put those right in the subject line since the search engines do index many popular discussion boards.
4. Keep in mind that message boards are also websites and search engines pick up keywords. Make sure you use a lot of good keywords in the body of your message and also in the subject line if possible.
5. As well as keywords, offer a link to someone that is free that people can use. An ebook, a free software program etc. The link alone will bring people back to the topic time and time again, bringing more and more traffic.
6. Signature files…you should already be using a signature file with your emails but make sure to use them every time you post. Make sure it explains your site and your product. This will also count as sites that link to your website and thereby increase you popularity and rankings. Make sure you do it tastefully or you will see your message tossed very quickly.
7. Make sure you are contributing something of value when you participate in these communities. Once you start to become a valuable contributor others will be more trusting of you and will feel safe making purchases from your site.
8. Forum etiquette. Make sure you follow the rules to a T or you will develop a reputation for being combative. So many people attack others and if you must respond to someone attacking you, take it to private messages. Attacking others or attacking in defense will drive business away from your site faster than you can blink an eye. Before you post any message, read it carefully and make sure it does not sound combative. Always read your posts before hitting the submit button.
9. Posting on a regular basis will give you more traffic than you dreamed of. Set aside hour a day to monitor boards and to post on some. It should pay off very nicely in the end.
Jean Sutherland has successfully run her own ezine for over 5 years and has a subscriber base of 35,000. Her ezine revolves around people doing business online and beside offering free software, it also provides traffic & marketing tips, informative business articles, free ebooks and computer tips for those trying to work online. http://www.emailpromotions.net
Author: Jean Sutherland
Keywords: traffic, sales, marketing, discussion forums, message boards
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By admin
March 10th, 2009 at 08:36pm
Under Ethics
Nothing promotes a online better than staying in touch with prospects. The more interactive the continued contact, the more of a relationship that is built with a potential client.
This principle of continued contact and relationship building has given rise to the popularity of online forums, and of course, theme-related online forums. Online forums quickly establish empathy, set forum owners up as experts in the eyes of visitors, and serve as a promotional vehicle for other products and services that forum owners seek to sell.
While online forums are popular and the perfect method of relationship building, starting a forum and maintaining one can be challenging, especially in the beginning when members can be few and far between. The challenge for most new forum owners is to get beyond the initial start up phase and move onto a phase where the forum members themselves promote the forum simply by posting.
Although each forum is individual and personal, a few general guidelines should be followed or at least kept in mind when starting and maintaining an online forum. These are as follows:
1. Take care when choosing the type of forum and forum script or software that will be used. The forum should be easy to access, easy to use, and come with visitor- friendly features. All visitors should be made to feel welcomed and find the navigability of the forum, user friendly. Forum scripts and software, especially free varieties, may be overburdened with ads from the parent company and lead to a poor experience for visitors.
Some recommendations:
http://www.phpbb.com/ http://www.vbulletin.com/
2. The forum should have a good number of interesting and focused topics. The content should reflect the interests of the target audience, and every care should be made to have well-written and informative content that is updated regularly. This not only helps attract new members, it keeps older members from losing interest and defecting to other forums.
3. The forum should be Search Engine friendly. High activity forums, like popular blogs, provide a great reason for Search Engines to visit them frequently as they are brimming with fresh content all the while. Dynamic urls, session ids, etc. used by most forum software can be very detrimental to the forum health from Search Engine point of view.
When selecting a forum software, check if they are Search Engine friendly. Open source software like phpbb, have mods (modifications) developed by third party sources, to enhance the forum in many ways.
Here’s a great mod for phpbb to make it Search Engine friendly: http://www.able2know.com/forums/about15132.html
4. The forum needs to have a clear list of rules, a disclaimer, and most of all, good solid moderation. Visitors will quickly become frustrated with forums that have no clear guidelines, or feature rude, obnoxious, or overbearing members. Good manners are required as much online as offline.
5. Promotion, especially in the early days, will take considerable time and effort. Forums can be difficult to start (members generally are shy when there are only a few present), and the more posts that take place, the more individuals will join. This is a snowball effect of forums, so marketing must be done consistently, day in and day out, until the forum becomes more self-sustaining.
6. The owner of the forum should take an active interest in the forum and SHOW this interest by contributing regularly. Above all else, people join forums where they feel they will learn from the owner of the forum, and if the owner is never present, they quickly lose interest in the forum.
7. The forum should be targeted, yet diverse, encouraging older members to contribute, without making newer members feel uncomfortable. Cliques can form in forums, and this type of behavior should be discouraged by the owner and moderators. Every effort should be made to answer questions or comments by all members as quickly and thoroughly as possible.
8. As with all other Internet related ventures, care needs to be given as to hosting and maintenance of the forum. A forum that is always experiencing downtime, will lose members quickly, and a forum that has many coding mistakes will quickly frustrate visitors. As with Web sites, cheap providers of hosting and maintenance are not always better.
All in all, online forums can be a great way to generate income, develop a good reputation among clients, and provide entertainment and instruction for many individuals. Like with everything else, however, they take marketing savvy, and a great deal of time and attention to detail. The old saying, You only reap what you sow really applies to the world of online forums.
———–
Vishal P. Rao is the owner of Work at Home Forum, an online community of people who work from home.
———–
Author: Vishal P. Rao
Keywords: online forum, internet marketing
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By admin
March 10th, 2009 at 08:36pm
Under Ethics
Forums are a community where a group of webmasters can post a discussion on different topics, like running an online business, web promotion, marketing, web design, etc. You can post questions asking for advice and learn a great deal of knowledge from others who participate. You can also participate by answering questions that you are well versed on.
In order to participate in a business forum, most forums will require that you register with a user name and password. To register is relevantly simple and there is no cost.
With most forums you can leave your signature file at the end of your message and become a recognizable name in the Internet community. This in itself can give you added exposure and increased traffic to your website. It is important that you check the rules of each forum, as not all forums will allow the use of your signature file.
When searching for forums, you will find some that have moderators that oversee the discussions, as well as forums with no moderators.
You may benefit more by using the forums that are moderated. You will find more meaningful ongoing discussions and higher activity. Using forums with moderators is not a place to post ads in your messages. Keep in mind that although some forums may allow you to use your signature file, placing ads in your messages is not allowed and you can be banned from using the forum.
The idea is to participate in a professional manner staying focused on the forums topic of interest. The people using these boards frown upon posting messages that do not relate to the forums topic, which can cause you to loose credibility.
With some of the forums that are not overseen by a moderator, the focus to any given topic can be inconsistent. You will also notice that many of these post are filled with advertisements rather than supplying useful content.
By being an active member of business forums, you can gain valuable information that can benefit your home business, as well as enhance your online presence.
There are many different forums covering different topics that you can use on the Internet today, in which you can search by category. You can find business forums by going to any major search engine and performing a search.
Copyright 2003-2005
John Kovacs is the CEO and founder of A Home Business Opportunity. His websites main focus is supplying free marketing tips, resources and support for home startup businesses and Internet marketing. To get a step-by-step guide in building an online business, visit http://www.ahomebusinessopportunity.net
Author: John Kovacs
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By admin
March 10th, 2009 at 08:36pm
Under Ethics
Well… first off, let’s define exactly what a Forum is so that you’ll be able to relate to what I’m about to explain within this article.
The simple definition of a Forum is… it’s a online community with a open discussion that allows you to ‘Post’ questions or queries related to a specific topic.
You can find Forums online related to any topic under the sun, so it doesn’t matter what the question is that you might have because there’s a Forum out there with hundreds, if not, thousands of members ready and willing to give you helpful Tips and Advice to the questions you have making your life and decision making that much easier.
I can’t stress this enough, especially if you’re New to Internet and the Internet marketing scene.
Now, for the last segment of this article on want to focus on WHY forums are essential for Anyone who is considering starting an online business.
Well, the main reason is this… Forums are a great way to research your market you are considering developing a Product or Service for.
Why, you ask?
Simply because this is where people go to post there questions about a certain problem they’re dealing with and the ‘Rule Of Thumb’ is… when creating a Product or Service (no matter what kind of product or service it is) make sure it solves a — Problem.
This is the KEY ingredient to the success of your Product or Service.
Seriously, take a look at all the Posts from the members and note which ones share the most common threads.
If you see alot of common treads, that means there’s potential for a Product or Service to be developed.
By doing this simple task it will save you Time and more importantly… MONEY, because who would spend the Time and Money researching and developing a Product or Service if there was NO demand for it. Right?
You see how this works.
It Pays to do a little research.
And Research is the KEY ingredient for a successful Product or Service and Forums are simply a great place to get started, especially for anyone considering starting an online business.
Now, with that said, what you need to do now is figure out what you would ENJOY doing as a online business and draft up a business plan from there.
This is a VERY important step.
Then, go to your favorite search engine and search out a few forums within the area of business your interests lie and become a member.
Take notice to the main topics and write them down on a notepad so you can look over them later to see if there’s any potential.(Remember, the most common threads)
It’s that simple.
I truly hope this article helped you and opened up your mind up to the endless possibilities that await you online, no matter what business your considering.
We all need Answers and Forums are simply the BEST place to get them answered.
Want to get MORE ‘Insider’ marketing Secrets on How-To drive HUGE amounts of Laser Targeted Traffic to your website? Then you need to subscribe to Cory Threlfall’s ezine called… The Internet Wonders eZine at — internet marketing
Author: Cory Threlfall
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