Market Your Small Business for Free by Harnessing the Power of Online Forums

With all the talk these days about online marketing and social networking it's amazing how few people understand-and take advantage of-the marketing power of online forums. Forums are one of the oldest, most powerful and easiest to use Internet tools... They don't cost you a thing to participate...Yet they've just about been forgotten.

According to a report on the internet research firm Website eMarketer.com, more than 260,000 small businesses in the U.S and Canada use Social Media marketing tactics. Yet only 28% of them use forums to market their businesses. I believe you should be part of that 28%!

I'll explain why shortly, but first things first...

What, exactly, is a forum?
They are simply Web pages or sites designed for people to ask questions and post responses. Forums were one of the earliest forms of interaction and group communication on the Web.

Originally these tended to be pretty low-tech, stand alone Web pages. Nowadays they're often part of social networking sites. Sometimes they're called Q & A forums or discussion boards.

Why should you use forums to promote your small business?

The list is surprisingly long for a generally overlooked marketing tool...

#1 - Participating in online forums doesn't cost more than a few minutes of your time.

#2 - You don't have to be tech savvy to use them.

#3 - There are forums out there on almost every topic under the sun.

#4 - You can gain tons of insight into the problems your target market is struggling with by reading their questions and comments.

#5 - You can survey your target market by posting your own questions.

#6 -Answering other people's questions lets potential prospects sample your expertise, which encourages them to want more.

#7 -Posting on forums creates at least one link (if not two) back to your own Website or blog. This is good for your search engine rankings as well as driving traffic to your site. 

#8 - You get to reach out to-and help-far more people than you likely could on your own site.

How do you find the right forums for you?

One of the keys to using forums effectively is to make sure you're participating in ones your prospects actively use...And ones where your particular area of expertise and advice would be helpful and on target.

The easiest way to find forums dedicated to your area of expertise is with a Web search. Simply Google "forums+your topic".

If you're already active on a few social networking sites check and see if they have forums. I've found active forums filled with small business owners (my target market) on Biznik.com, LinkedIn.com and StartUpNation.com. I'm sure there are more.

A few simple rules and guidelines for using forums effectively...

Once you've found a few forums that look like a good fit, what's next?

#1 - Don't jump in with both feet. First "lurk" on the site for a bit to see what others are saying and doing. Get a sense for the primary topics, quality of responses, and general style of posts before you start posting or responding to others posts.

#2 - Once you feel confident, start by simply responding to other forum posts with helpful, relevant information. You can post your own questions later.

#3 - Always include a link to your Website in your signature at the bottom. While you'll typically put a link in the participation form when you signup as a member or get ready to post a comment, this link can get overlooked.

So always include your full name, business name, title and Website link in your signature. That way people get an immediate sense for who you are and what you do, and see an obvious way to learn more.

#4 - Whatever you do, NEVER try to sell in a forum post. This is a big no-no that can get your post deleted and you forever blacklisted from the site. Instead, let the helpful info you provide do the selling for you. If people like what you have to say and see the value in it, chances are they'll want to learn more. So they'll click the link back to you site.

#5 - Set up specific guidelines and dedicated time to participate in forums. Start by picking just 2-3 forums to participate in. Any more will take up too much time. Speaking of time, it's best to shoot for spending 15-20 minutes 2-3 times a week on forums. And set a timer before you start. Otherwise it's easy to get distracted and waste hours online surfing around.

Once you get in the habit of participating in forums it's easy to do regularly-and surprisingly fun. So don't be afraid. Just follow these simple tips and guidelines and get started.