One of my favorite ways of getting free traffic is posting on various Internet marketing forums. And I’ve attracted tens of thousands of visitors to my website as a direct result of my forum postings.
In the beginning, I only posted on a couple of different forums. However, once I realized how effective forum posting was at bringing in free, targeted traffic, I immediately expanded the number of forums I post on.
I currently post on approximately a half dozen forums on a consistent basis. But getting plenty of free traffic is not the only reason I post on forums? There are three other reasons:
1. I truly enjoy sharing my knowledge and helping people.
2. It doesn’t cost me anything, except a few minutes of my time.
3. That’s where the majority of my business comes from. That’s where the money is.
After all, who do you think visits Internet marketing forums? People who have questions about Internet marketing, that’s who. People who have marketing problems they need solved.
And it just so happens, those people are my target audience. So for me, besides the free traffic benefits which are phenomenal, forum posting is also smart marketing. So how do I find the time to post on forums and still complete my other projects?
It all boils down to effective time management. It’s as simple as that. Here’s my number one rule for effective time management:
“Always spend the majority of your time doing only those things that are relevant to your business and are the most productive.”
Write that rule down and tape it in to your computer. Refer to it every single day. It will definitely help you manage your time more effectively and make more money.
Now I’m not going to reveal what it is, but I have a special system I use when posting on forums. And I’ve become so doggone efficient at this method of generating free traffic, on average, I spend less than 30 minutes a day posting on forums. That leaves me plenty of time to complete my other projects.
So how can you start getting free traffic by posting on forums?
First of all, go online and find a forum of interest to you - one that is relevant to the theme of your website or blog. For example, if you go on Google and type in the words “Internet marketing forums”, Google will present you with over 12 million pages of results. Typing in the words “small business forums” will bring up over 14 million pages. With so many different choices, finding a forum you like and are comfortable with shouldn’t be any problem at all.
Once you find a forum you like, lurk for a little while, until you get a feel for the forum. What does it mean to lurk? Lurking simply means visiting a forum and reading other people’s comments without actually contributing. Lurking is an excellent way for a beginner to get familiar with a forum.
Once you reach a level of comfort and familiarity with the forum, go ahead and register and introduce yourself to the other members. Start participating in the discussions. Develop a friendly relationship with the other users. Also, be sure to post your picture and write a compelling sig file. What’s a sig file?
A sig file is an electronic signature block that appears at the end of your post that includes your company name, your tag line or USP (unique selling proposition), and your preferred method of contact (either your web site address, your e-mail, phone number, etc.). I personally like people to visit my website, so I always include my web site address in my sig file. If you don’t have a website, include your affiliate program link in your sig file.
Here’s something else to consider: Every time you post on a forum, you’re not only generating free traffic, you’re also helping that forum make money. How?
Forums are driven by content - fresh, relevant content. And when you post on forums, your topics are picked up and displayed by the major search engines. This helps increase the forums page rank and traffic numbers, which are the primary factors that determine the cost of advertising on forums.
In other words, the higher the forums page rank and traffic numbers are, the more the forum can charge advertisers. So you see, it’s really a win, win situation for everyone!
In closing, and I can’t stress this point enough. The secret to geting plenty of free traffic by posting on forums is to post on a consistent basis. If you post consistently and provide accurate and reliable advice, you can quickly become a respected member of the forum whom visitors and members alike turn to for advice.
And that my friend is very good for business!
Dale King is the owner of Guruknowledge.org - The Ultimate Marketing Resource!
If you’re tired of all the money-making hype, lies and scams…read this!
http://guruknowledge.org/pages/The-Super-Affiliate-Handbook
Tags: free traffic
