Build your list. Increase conversions. Become an authority.
Forum marketing isn’t dead.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite. If you are a blogger, it goes without saying that you are trying to drive more traffic. You want visitors. You want subscribers. You want conversions. The standard advice seems to be: create good content, connect with other bloggers, leverage social media. While this advice is perfectly on point, one tactic that you do not hear much about these days is forum marketing. It bears mentioning. Let me tell you why.
Forum Marketing Allows You To Directly Interact With Your Target Audience
Much like blogs, forums are built around a tightly focused niche. People participate in forums to network with their peers, discuss ideas, ask questions, and get advice. This makes them the perfect place to insinuate yourself and keep your finger on the pulse of what people are asking about your industry.
How this helps you:
- You can gather ideas for your next blog post based on the questions your audience is asking.
- You establish yourself as an authority in your niche and get a chance to show off your expertise.
As you can see, it’s easy to position yourself at the forefront of your industry if you are able to answer questions as they are being asked. You’ll be able to differentiate yourself by being the ‘go-to’ for information.
Finding The Perfect Forum To Gain Exposure for Your Blog
The first thing you will want to do is target the most active (and popular) forum in your niche. You can start by using the following Google search operator:
“your keyword” + forum
For example, my primary niche is web hosting, so to locate high ranking forums in this niche, we would use the following search operator (include quotations):
“web hosting” + forum
That will pull up all forums in the web hosting niche. You’ll want to pick a forum on the first page of Google. Also, be sure to browse the forums prior to signing up. Check the threads and find which forum is the most active. Traffic is what you are after.
5 Ways You Can Use Forums To Your Advantage And Increase Traffic To Your Blog
Create value in the community. Simply creating an account and posting a few links will do nothing for you. In fact, it could do quite the opposite. Forums are huge targets for spammers – don’t make yourself look like one. Find threads, join the discussion, and add value by offering insight, advice and your expertise. People will take notice.
Join active threads. It’s very common for forums to rank high in the search engines. In the web hosting niche, WebHostingTalk sits at the top. If you are looking for a marketing forum, without a doubt, WarriorForum holds the top seat. Threads on these forums are viewed by thousands of people. They rank high for keywords associated with their respective niche.
Start your own thread. This is one way to take control. If you want to walk away a winner, you have to bring your A-game. If your post is empty or comes off simply as a weak attempt to promote yourself, no one will be impressed. You’ll like like an idiot. What you want to do is start an engaging thread. You can accomplish this with these strategies:
- Talk about a touchy subject: Choose a topic where people will have different opinions. This will help encourage interaction, as people argue their point.
- Create a tutorial exclusively for the forum: This is a great strategy to use if you are new to the forum. If you do a good job here, you’ll immediately add credibility to your name.
- Pay for an advertisement thread: Most forums allow you to advertise in your own thread. you’ll get the chance to offer a product or service to members. Use this to gain subscribers by paying for a thread. Then, use it to give away a free information product or ebook for subscribing to your blog.
Use a call-to-action in your footer link. This is where you need to be creative. Use this real estate wisely and create an incentive for them to click.
Have a tailored landing page for your signature link. If you really want to go above and beyond, you should take the time to create a landing page geared specifically towards forum members. Link to this in your forum signature. The personalization and extra effort will have an even greater impact, which will likely lead to better conversions. You’ll walk away with more than just traffic – you’ll have more subscribers.
