Serious Forum Marketing Mistakes You Must Avoid For an Effective Online Marketing Campaign

Forums are highly effective and reputable web marketing platforms. Any serious online marketer must have employed forum marketing in his or her campaign, not only to attract new customers but also share expertise with other members. It is actually not so hard to convert members of a forum to buying customers especially if you effectively share your opinion and win them over. However, not all people who try their hands at forum marketing realize any reasonable results-mainly because they commit a number of mistakes in the process of execution.

1. Rudely Proving other People Wrong

This is the number one mistake many expert forum marketers commit. The main purpose of a forum is to encourage members to share ideas and information for the benefit of other members. Every individual is entitled to personal opinion and it is criminal not to understand that. You may be right in your forum post or comments, but there is no way everyone will share your school of thought. If you really are after attracting traffic to your site or recommending useful products to members, be friendly in your conversation and embrace other people’s opinion on the issue under discussion.

2. Being Rude to Others

Just because you don’t deal with forum members on a one-one basis doesn’t mean that you can get away with rude comments and emotions. Most forums have set guidelines that must be adhered to, members who fail risk being banned from the forums. Mocking other people on forums and calling their suggestions names is rude. This also applies to your competitors who might be sharing the same platform with you. No one will waste his or her time finding out more about you or your suggestions and products if you sound like your manners are misplaced. Therefore, always be modest, and if someone rudely hurls an insult your way, stay calm and respond in a more composed manner and not driven by hatred. No one wants to know your bad character, just like in any other business; it is bad for your online business.

 

Affiliate Links on Posts and Comments

Affiliate marketing might be one of the best marketing solutions, but there are other places where that can work, but not on forums. Many forums don’t allow affiliate links to posts and comments. Clearly define the purpose of your forum marketing campaign and leave out affiliate links from the list.

Improper Grammar and Copy Pasting Posts

Some people will consider you incompetent with nothing good to offer from your language. You might be rushing to the airport or a very important meeting, but that doesn’t mean that you can get away with obvious punctuation flaws, spellings or even worse, posting in caps. Furthermore, learn to craft your own posts, don’t copy them from elsewhere and post like your own, it is not only lazy but theft.  A thread is likely to divert from its original purpose to discussing its quality.

Finally, work on your signature, post consistently and avoid sharing sales copies; people don’t like reading them.