Free Effective way to get Targeted Traffic from Forums

Forum Marketing is an effective way of getting quality traffic and backlinks to your site.

Unfortunately, very few marketers use forum marketing effectively. Everyone seems busy with content marketing, blog commenting, and other marketing methods.  Trust me; this is one of the easiest ways to get floods of traffic and quality links.

If you do it properly, you will be able to leverage, to your advantage, a method that marketers have neglected nowadays that will bring you both visitors and backlinks.

What is Forum Marketing?

Forum marketing is simple; you need to involve yourself in ‘forums’ (message boards) and talk about various topics with other like-minded people. You can get targeted traffic by leaving a link to your website in your signature file (displayed every time you post) or in the main body of your comments. Forums are based on a specific topic or niche.

For example, an affiliate marketing forum will be filled with people discussing different affiliate marketing strategies. Whatever niche you’re in, there is most likely a forum around it. This means you can find the most appropriate forums for yourself.

Forums are live communities. Even a small forum with a few hundred members receives updates daily in new posts or comments.

As we know, search engines love fresh content, and forums fit that pretty well.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Find at least three established forums that are active. There’s no point in posting if only a few people frequently visit the site. Look for forums that have at least (a) 1000 members, (b) 100 new posts every day (c) 10,000 total posts. You can use Google to find forums by searching: your niche keyword/name + forum. For instance, you can use an internet marketing forum, money-making forum, weight loss forum, etc.

Here are two collections of forums: Best Affiliate Marketing Forums and Best Money Making Forums.

2. Choose a forum that allows signatures. This is where most of your traffic will come from, so if they don’t allow signatures, look for another forum.

3. Always read the forum’s guidelines before you start. They’ll tell you how to post your links and the format. Failure to comply with their guidelines can get you banned.

4. As you promote your website, I recommend you use a shortened version of your name, brand, or website. Pick a subtle member name and avatar.

5. Add your photo to show as an avatar. Do not hide behind the company logo, a picture of your cat, or any other nonsense. People would like to know who you are. They’ll be more likely to connect with you when they see your face.

6. Spend some time creating an interesting signature.

7. Don’t just post to get your signature noticed. You could get banned. Instead, join discussions and answer other people’s questions. People will then check your signature/profile and visit your website.

8. After you’ve made 25-30 posts, place a banner ad in your signature. This is a great way to gain attention. Very few marketers make great use of this powerful technique. Before adding a banner to your signature, ensure the forum allows that. If you see other users have a banner in their signatures, it is available; if you don’t, read the forum rules or ask the admin.

9. Always check the stats: Track the links in your signature to see if they are creating traffic to your site or not. If they aren’t, you may improve the quality of your posts, post more frequently and/or change your signature. If none of these work, search for a superior forum to join.

10. Helping others, being appreciative, being polite, etc., is all about building credibility. Once you gain authority, you can directly market your website/product/services on the forums you’re in.

The only negative aspect is that if the forum is closed like MMG and TG went out of business this summer, you lose all the backlinks.

Summary

Forum Marketing is more of a fun process, and because of that, you’ll be more likely to focus on it. Think of Forum Marketing as a long-term strategy, not a “get in and get out” technique.

Also, if you’re convinced of how powerful forums can be, why don’t you start a forum for your website and monetize it properly?