Comments on: Using other forums as promotional tools

By: Lee

Lee — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:14:26 +0000

Thanks for the good info, I’ve been using the approaches you’ve suggested with a site that’s about 3 weeks old now. Nothing yet but I just keep adding my own content and helping users on other forums…Hopefully that will help .

By: Martin Reed - Blog Author

Martin Reed - Blog Author — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:43:06 +0000

Franky – That just goes to show the unpredictable nature of online communities! That being said, you are in an enviable position – it sounds like your community has really taken off! Well done!

By: Franky

Franky — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:41:31 +0000

We started our blog and it kinda turned into a forum which is strange. The subject matter was so tight that it’ now very much a specilist forum for people in the uk promotional products industry. The thing that mad a big difference for us was putting a large clear link on the top right hand corner of our site, which really contributed to people in our industry getting to the right place.

By: Martin Reed - Blog Author

Martin Reed - Blog Author — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 19:59:50 +0000

Sara – I am glad this technique is working for you. 130 members is a great start, particularly if they are all getting involved and creating content in your forum.

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 22:48:21 +0000

This is working for me. I’ve had over 30% of my members come from forums I participate at. Granted I only have 130 members, but still :p

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:40:27 +0000

True – it certainly doesn’t have the same ring to it! It’s a lot harder as well.

By: Martin Reed - Blog Author

Martin Reed - Blog Author — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 11:48:44 +0000

Jay – I really think the ‘build it and they will come’ approach doesn’t work when it comes to online communities. How easy is it to set up a forum these days? How many ghost forums are there as a result?

I think we need to change the phrase to ‘Build it, create fantastic and unique content on a regular basis, promote, and they will come’.

Doesn’t really roll of the tongue though, does it?!?

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:26:23 +0000

As a developer, I tend to promote by creating a useful free tool or feature. The “build it and they will come” approach. Of course, they don’t always come.

By: Martin Reed - Blog Author

Martin Reed - Blog Author — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 19:37:07 +0000

Ed – You are right on the money here; targeting is key. I would also agree with your statement that volume (alongside quality, of course) counts – it takes a while for others to regard you as an expert in your field, or to gain trust in what you are writing about.

Of course, a distinctive avatar (such as an evil David Hasselhoff) can also help you stand out!

By: Ed

Ed — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 19:18:06 +0000

This is a key method for delivering targeted traffic to your own site. This works not only for forums but for regular websites as well.

I think it is key to understand what Martin says – the posts you add to the forums you target for signature linking need to be of value and on-topic to the discussions at hand.

I think it is additionally important to recognize that volume matters. If you have five posts in a community do not expect to get traffic from those links. You need post counts (typically) of a hundred or more before people begin to recognize your input on a forum. Having a distinctive avatar can also help people recognize your posts.