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Finding Forums
The Value of Forums - Finding Forums
There are literally thousands of online forums that
cover a wide range of topics. Forums provide individuals,
who share a common interest, with a meeting place for
open discussion, and a great gathering spot for "water
cooler" talk. When used properly forums can be an excellent
business tool and resource. By providing well thought
out, helpful responses posters can develop a reputation
as an industry expert. Establishing a reputation within
forums will eventually lead to solid business contacts
and relationships.
Forums, online discussion groups, can be found on many
websites. Companies, individuals or groups often have
their own web-based forums, which are a good source
of technical information or just general discussions.
They can be closed for private use only or open to anyone
to post messages, which are usually sorted within different
categories, or topics. Posting to forums is obviously
effective when an immediate answer is not required.
Forum can be found by searching for topic or subject
with the word 'forum' or 'forums'. Forums are a great
way to participate in a community that is discussing
a particular topic, or communicate with a group of people
interested in the same topic.
Rules & Regulations
Before you post to a forum its important that you read
the Charter or description of the forum and determine
what is appropriate. It is probably not a bad idea to
monitor a newsgroup for a few days prior to posting.
Understanding what is accepted or not accepted in each
newsgroup will go a long way in befriending the participants.
Forum Etiquette
Spam is generally frowned upon, if you require information
on general forum etiquette I'd encourage you to read
the article at: http://www.small-business-software.net/etiquette.htm
. Rules and etiquette can vary from one group to another,
so don't assume what is acceptable in one, is acceptable
in another.
Some forums require that you register and provide contact
information in order to post a message or respond to
messages. The registration is typically simple and requires
that you submit general information. An email confirmation
is required in order to confirm the information; once
the confirmation is responded to posting privileges
are granted. Some forums do not require registration
and you can post anonymously.
What to Look for In a Forum
Because time is valuable it is best to frequent
forums that have a lot of traffic, this will ensure
that any posts receive maximum exposure for little effort.
The most recent posts should be have current dates and
it should be clear that there is regular activity on
the board.
Moderated Forums
Some forums are moderated, which means posts
are approved prior to being made public. This means
that if you post to a moderated forum, there will likely
be a delay between the submission and the posts appearance
in the forum. Moderated forums tend to have a lower
'noise' ratio and have less off-topic posts. The downside
to moderated forums is that like moderated newsgroups
they are usually less popular because of the lag time
between posts.
Signature Line
Most newsgroups allow for posters to include
a signature on any posts. This is your opportunity to
mention your products and services. Use this as an opportunity
to tell other forum visitors what you want them to know.
Be sure to provide an url to your website, as the link
will not only refer potential clients but it will help
search engine ranking.
Finding Forums
Forums can contain generic information or be very topic
specific. Try the following resources to find forums
that meet your needs.
Forum Directory - http://www.small-business-software.net/forum-directory.htm
Forum Directory - http://www.forumdirectory.com
Forum Search - http://www.forumsearch.tk
About the Author -
Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc.
http://www.notepage.net
a company specializing in alphanumeric paging, SMS and
wireless messaging software solutions. Other sites by
Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com
, and http://www.small-business-software.net
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copy of the issue or a link to any online posting would
be greatly appreciated send an email to sharon@notepage.net
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