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Social web vs. searchable web

Guest post by: Rob Lawson

Article Overview: Web forums have become one of the most effective outlets for communication and relationship building on the Internet. These online discussion boards have been likened to equivalent of a modern bulletin board, but are for the sole purpose of expressing opinions, advice and learning from others. Today we access online discussion forums for technical support, community and product reviews, advice on anything from career choices to fashion to schooling to illness, and general discussion about things we are interested in. People can join forum groups with others that are due to have a baby in the same month as them, or with others of the same occupation, or dog breeders that breed the same dogs as you! Where once we sought out community groups in our area, we now turn more to the online world from the comfort of our desks or couches.

Social web vs. searchable web

Web forums have become one of the most effective outlets for communication and relationship building on the Internet. These online discussion boards have been likened to equivalent of a modern bulletin board, but are for the sole purpose of expressing opinions, advice and learning from others. Today we access online discussion forums for technical support, community and product reviews, advice on anything from career choices to fashion to schooling to illness, and general discussion about things we are interested in. People can join forum groups with others that are due to have a baby in the same month as them, or with others of the same occupation, or dog breeders that breed the same dogs as you! Where once we sought out community groups in our area, we now turn more to the online world from the comfort of our desks or couches, and can access the advice and knowledge of people that have been there, done that, and have lived to share their experience with you. Many believe that online discussion forums are in fact the ‘original' social networks, giving people an outlet to share and communicate long before Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn came onto the online scene.

To see into the looking glass ...

What is interesting is that the future might see the Internet users choosing to ask for advice from their online peers before they type those few words into Google. Online discussion forums and social networking sites are taking communication to a whole new level, where not only can we meet, chat and network with people living across the globe, but we can learn from each other and develop important support networks that assist us emotionally. A new mum living in a small town in rural Australia need no longer feel isolated as she logs on to a pregnancy website and asks her peers if anyone else is suffering from that particular symptom. An individual wanting to change careers can ask advice from people who've had 20 years experience in that industry - and with just a simple click of the mouse and a few words, their question can reach thousands.

What's in it for my business?

Online discussion forums can be a major advantage to businesses. They are a powerful tool of market research, if you know where to look to find discussions that relate to your product or key demographic. People in forums are often anonymous, which means they are much more likely to be completely honest (if brutally so) than say, if they were sitting in a focus group. Businesses can find in-depth, thoughtful insight and discussion around a range of issues, as well as honest reviews of products, services or industries. Although the anonymity can be a problem if businesses are using forums to research different groups, many forum members have profile pages with basic information about themselves. However even anonymous feedback and dialogue can be useful if a business is able to grasp the general consensus of what the public feels are the pros and cons around a particular subject.

A little participation goes a long way

Businesses can benefit from using online discussion forums themselves, too. Firstly, businesses can use online forums for their most basic point - to find a solution to a problem. In fact, there are specific business forums that exist purely for that purpose - to give businesses a chance to ask questions, discuss business issues, and learn from other businesses that have gone through a similar situation or circumstance. Two such websites are smallbusinessforums.org and businessadviceforum.com, but there are countless others. Secondly, participation in online discussion forums means that you can build relationships with others in your business' industry. Interesting discussion and thoughtful contribution can assist in building up your reputation whilst networking. Similarly, your brand becomes more recognisable if you participate in forums on a regular basis. And thirdly, involvement in online forums means that you will always be ‘in the know' when it comes to topics that affect your business, making you more knowledgeable, business-savvy, and helpful to your clientele.

Not just for broadcasting

It is important to remember that although businesses can indeed make great use of online forums through actively adding to the discussion, there is also a great need to listen. Good communication is a two-way street, and that extends to communication on online discussion boards. As you participate, try to remember the needs of the consumer to be validated, and to have their voice heard. If you can strike a good balance between contribution and taking note, then you know you are making the most out of online forums. And as the web becomes more searchable, those searchers will be turning to you.

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Article Tags: forums, internet forums, online discussion forums, online forums



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