Forum Marketing has always been one of the best free ways to drive traffic to a new site. Not only is it a good way to get inbound links so that the search engines will find and index your website, but it is a great way to gain exposure in your target market.
One of the niche sites that I launched last year was promoted exclusively through 2 major forums in that market. A simple signature file with the link to my site generated the initial traffic and got it indexed in the major search engines.
The key is to post relevant information, get involved in the active discussions and answer questions that your ideal visitors are asking. But today I have a tip that can make that Signature even more valuable for you...
Forum-Specific Signatures
Clicks and Inbound Links are nice, but if you take it a step further you can attract lifelong subscribers and build a highly targeted mailing list of repeat visitors.
Instead of just putting a cool byline and a direct link to your site, consider creating a forum-specific Signature for each discussion forum where you actively participate.
For example, if you are a member of the Warrior Forum you might use a Signature that looks like this:
Free Gift for Fellow Warriors!
When you mouse over, you will see the page is "warrior-gift.htm" (not a real page, by the way). This will let those forum members know that the gift is exclusively for them, and will increase the interest and click-through rate.
If you are also a member of the SSWT Forum, you might use a different signature there:
Exclusive Free Report for SSWT Members
This will allow you to track the number of visitors from each of the forums. You can also funnel those visitors into an autoresponder or mailing list when they request your free gift or exclusive report. Using your basic web stats, you will now know which forums are most profitable for you in terms of click-through's and conversions.
Another variation is to offer an exclusive discount on your product. If you have an ebook that sells for $27, offer it to your forum mates for only $10. People LOVE special offers and great deals, and even more so when it is personal and exclusive.
If you are trying to build credibility and name recognition, you may want to create a special profile or About Me page to include in your Signature...
Who I Am and What I Do...
This will give you an opportunity to introduce yourself, include forum-specific information (ie I have been a member of the Warrior Forum for x number of years and yada yada yada - or Greetings fellow Warriors etc) - and then introduce them to your free newsletter or your special offers.
ALWAYS include a call-to-action 😉
Try it out and track your results!
For even more great tips on funneling traffic & sales from popular discussion forums, check out Harvey Segal's Forum Marketing Supertips. It is a free download and well worth the few minutes it takes to read it.
Forums can be a huge time-waster, or a HUGE money-maker! It's all up to you...
Best,
About Lynn Terry
These are great tips, Lynn. I do have a question.
You said "You can also funnel those visitors into an autoresponder or mailing list when they request your free gift or exclusive report"
I have heard it is considered spam if you put someone on your newsletter list if they haven't specifically asked for that. What are your thoughts?
Thanks.
Great question!
You can set up a separate list for your download or special offer, and then follow-up with them to ask them if they enjoyed it and what they thought of it. This is a great way to begin building more of a one-on-one relationship with your forum mates.
You can then follow-up with them again (in an autoresponder sequence) and invite them to get even more great tips and resources on that topic through your main mailing list.
Keeping your list micro-targeted to the offer and their interest like this will help to build trust and turn them into loyal readers.
Its a much better strategy than say, flooding them with unrelated news and offers right away in exchange for them showing enough trust in you to hand over their email address...
A few weeks later you might offer them another free download or a free report that compliments your original offer.
An email along the lines of "Since you downloaded the XYZ report I thought you might be interested in the new XYZZ report as well. I havent made it available to my subscribers yet, so I would love your feedback on it. It will sell for $7 and has a 100% affiliate program. Here is the download link (link). Please dont share this as it is only going out to select forum friends. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! Thanks ~"
Obviously you can encourage them to sign up for your mailing list as well on that download page. The goal is to attract highly targeted and loyal readers to your list - not force-feeding them ads & plugs.
This is a great way to get new testimonials, affiliates, and to increase your readership.
Lynn,
Thanks for the tips.
- Dave
Great tips, Lynn. but I dont think that we can encourage reader to sign up for our mailing list as well on that download page. Beacuse, many studies tells that most of the peoples rather reluctance to fill sign up form where too many items to be filled.
But I am agree that one of the goal of the most web site existance is to attract highly targeted and loyal readers to our list...
Thanks again for your Tips
Great answer, Lynn. Thanks for being so thorough.
Hi,
I love this articles. Infact,it came at the right time as I am working on my marketing forum at the moment.
Thank you so much.
Okoji
> I dont think that we can encourage reader to sign up for our mailing list as well on that download page. Beacuse, many studies tells that most of the peoples rather reluctance to fill sign up form where too many items to be filled.
I dont necessarily agree. I do think that you need to test your campaigns to see what works best, track the results and tweak accordingly.
You can be very personable and offer a GREAT free download link with no strings attached, and then offer a second complimentary report or product if they would also like to join your free mailing list.
Its all in how you word it, how easy you make it, and the copy you use.
Great information. I do frequent forums from time to time, and have noticed other people's signatures. They've mostly been witty sayings. It's great to know that you can use them to help drive traffic to your site, and possibly make some money from them, too.
Oh most definitely 😉 Check out Harvey's Forum Marketing Supertips - it's free, and a genius idea!
For the last couple of months I have started forum marketing by participating in discussions. I does work, although you should return regularly. I noticed when I did'nt return to a forum to post, my traffic from that source would slowly drop.
Lynn
This is the excellent tips I ever come to know.
i will definitely use that and also wait for results.
Thanks Lynn again.
Manidip
Greate Post, Lynn. I like your tips for Forum signature to get backlinks. I will try in for my forum. Thanks for sharing this informative post.
More great tips Lynn, thank you!