Well, when you get your opt-in page and series all ready—then what? You need traffic! Yes, you can have the best opt-in page in the world and if nobody sees it what good is it doing you?
None! So in today’s workshop we are going to start with Forums.Yes.
Forums.
It’s easy to dismiss forums as a marketing tool. Really! Compared to some of the other amazing traffic generators which are advertised as the best thing since sliced bread, it is easy to dismiss forums as boring and un-imaginative.
BUT………………..You can build a business using forums as your only avenue of advertising………..and it is FREE!
With forums you can make friends, gain valuable business contacts, generate subscribers, gain TRUST and respect, and even become “the expert” who people seek out for advise.
Imagine that! And all this from the lowly forum.
Plus, and this is a real biggie, you will gain valuable knowledge on what people are looking for on the internet! You will be able to come up with hundreds of ideas on what you should base your opt-in page on and build your series around! Imagine—your own personal “Think Tank!”
Let’s start out by finding some forums. Just go to google and type in “forums + mlm” You can use the quotes for a tighter search or not for a broad search. With the broad search there are about 2 million forums. It shouldn’t be too hard to find 10 or 15 to join.
Take your time about the forums you want to join. Make sure they are good and have a semi-large to large base of regular visitors. After all, you want your posts read by as many people as possible. After you have found a few forums which fit your needs then it is time to get busy. So let’s go through getting started on forums.
Forums have an unspoken etiquette. Some allow outright advertising, but most do not. However, they all allow a “sig” file. We will cover how to create a great sig. file in just a bit. First let’s cover some fundamentals of forums.
When first starting on any forum it is best to “lurk” for a while until you get the feel of the forum. Every forum is different, you need to assess the quality and atmosphere to make sure you want to be a part of that particular forum.
Lurking is just sitting back and reading what others have to say before jumping in with a bunch of posts. A rule you never want to break is NEVER post just to post! If your words are not contributing to the conversation then don’t post. The forum will still be there when you have something good to say. The whole point of joining these forums is to build up your credibility and trust and posting worthless comments will not do that! People on forums are often easily offended, picky, opinioned, and sometimes irritable. These people don’t sugar coat their thoughts and if they find you “annoying” and posting just to get your name out there they will let you know in no uncertain terms! Don’t place yourself it that position because you didn’t do any lurking first to get a feel for any particular forum.
Next, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization do count. You are trying to build yourself up as an authority. Your posts are what confirm that your are, indeed, an authority. Now, if your spelling is terrible, capitalization non-existent, and you have bad spelling, it will seem rather amateurish. Now, no one puts much trust in an amateur. So if you are not willing to present yourself professionally and in a way which shows you take your online business seriously, no one else will take you seriously either! When people don’t take you seriously you gain no respect, zero trust, no click-throughs and no prospects. It is a complete lose-lose situation.
You shouldn’t stress yourself out about the occasional mistake but you should make it a habit to proof read your message before you post it. With the spell checkers available on your computer it only takes a second and a click of your mouse to do this, so get into the habit early!
Next up, have class! Sooner or later someone will post a rude, offensive, or uncalled for comment about you or someone you know on the forum boards. This is your chance to really SHINE! If you wait until your boiling blood has a chance to simmer down then you can reply with a calm, humorous, lighthearted response. Giving a positive response will show your professionalism and gain you the respect and admiration of your fellow forum members. Just remember, it can take a lifetime to build a good reputation and only and “heated minute” to ruin it!
OK, now you have your forums lined up and have been lurking for a while. It’s time to start posting.Now, the subject line of your post is vital. Imagine someone has posted a question asking where to find a good web host. So here would be their subject line:
“Where can I find a good web host?”
Most people would leave the subject line in their reply:
“Re: Where can I find a good web host?”
No good! No good at all! What if there are 10 or 20 replies and they all have the same subject line “Re: Where can I find a good web host?” ?
What reason do they have to read YOUR post rather then the other 10 or 20? Especially if yours is the 10th or 12th post. Here are three “sure-fire” ways to get your post read.
Cut yourself off in mid-sentence. For example:
“I really didn’t expect it but…”
“You should definitely check out….”
“Not only is this the cheapest web host I found But…”
The readers will want to know what comes next. You didn’t expect what? You should definitely check out what? Not only the cheapest web host but what? The curiosity factor will overwhelm them and they will read YOUR post to get the answer.
2) Begin your subject line with an energetic word or phrase.“Ouch! Pick the wrong web host and your pocket hurts!”
“Wow! Here’s the cheapest web host I ever found.”
“Unreal! These guys really do get it.”
People are subconsciously drawn to your strong feelings and excitement. They are drawn to your reply because you have an opinion on the matter. Whether they agree or not, people love energetic, opinionated replies.
3) Address the reply personally.Just use the persons name. When you are replying to the post just use their name as the subject line:
Joe…
That’s it! Effective? You bet it is. Why? Because people feel like they are eavesdropping on a personal conversation. It’s a completely psychological and effective tactic. Try it and you will see for yourself.
Now you are a member of a few forums and have done some posts. What good has it done for you? Nothing! That’s right. Now we are going to explain how you get your prospects to your opt-in page.
Your SIG file. Sig files are the “IT” in forum posting. That is what gets people over to your opt-in pages. There are rules governing your sig file which you will have to follow very carefully.
Different forums have different rules so you will want to read other posts to see exactly how they use the sig files. Some forums have a place for you to post your link, the title of your link, and some even have a place for a picture. Other forums just allow a short sig file, up to five lines, while others just allow a little link.
So before you jump in and start posting be sure you know the forum rules about your sig file.Regardless of how they let you post your sig file you will have to know how to write a good ad. After all, your sig file is just a good classified ad for your opt-in page. The best way is to have a few power packed, punchy, action inducing words. I might say here to avoid any hype. I mean “Make $50,000 in the next 24 Hours” just doesn’t cut it any more on the internet. “How to Get 15 new prospects in the next 7 Days” not only seems more believable to most people but they will want to find out HOW!
Having a good sig file is truly the golden key which unlocks the flood of prospects to your opt-in page.One last thing—-USE YOUR REAL NAME! Really, Your name is like GOLD. If you are posting at forums or writing articles or using any form of advertising which is available on the internet you want to use your real name.
Why?Because you want to “Brand” your name as the authority! Forget the screen name mentality! If you call yourself something like HotShot or CoolGirl you are completely throwing away one of the most powerful branding tools available. Use your real name. It not only plays an important role in branding you into the minds of other marketers, but is also creates a more professional and confident impression. While you are at it, capitalize your name. Don Howsden looks better then don howsden—doesn’t it?
Now lets get on to the most powerful and free branding tool available to you in the whole world. Your picture! Whenever your picture is allowed—use it. When people see your name then they will be able to associate it with your picture—you are a real person. In the incredibly cold atmosphere of the Internet being able to associate a name with a picture creates more trust. They will feel more at ease with you and be more willing to do business with you then someone who they have never seen.
Use your picture on the Internet whenever you can. You will be astonished at the results a little warmth can do in such a cold medium!Forums are an excellent way to gain subscribers to your series. You are already ahead of 99% of the people who try to use forums to build their business with. Your opt-in page which is where you are sending your subscribers to only has one purpose—to get prospects to sign up for your series. The 99% of people who fail don’t have a system such as you do. They will post their sales site link in their sigs and when other forum visitors don’t start a sales stampede they will think they are wasting their time and that forums are not so valuable after all.
They don’t realize, as you do, the only thing you want to do is get prospects into your system and then let the system do the selling. It takes building a relationship and trust before prospects believe you are there to help them and not just for a “quick sale.”
Next we will be discussing e-zines and how to effectively advertise in them to gain the most prospects and also the most effective and FREE way to do it! FREE is always good.