Comment posted on How I Discovered a Brilliant Way To Use My Least Favorite Traffic Generation Strategy by Shannon Holden
Ana,
Another great post! I have a “guestbook” section on my website http://www.newteacherhelp.com so I guess I could turn THAT into a forum if I wanted to…could I? If not, I could definitely just build links and leads using your great tips! I am always scared when in forums that they can turn “messy” with people getting all stirred up, using put-downs and profanity, etc.
Recent comments by Shannon Holden
- Promote Yourself: More About You & Your Business
Hi again, Ana!
We are connected on Facebook and Twitter, and I appreciate your passion! My passion is the 52% of teachers who don’t make it five years in the profession. I started a website about eight months ago http://www.newteacherhelp.com to help teachers plan and present great lessons, deal with difficult students and parents, and “ace” their teaching evaluations. I just get so mad when I see young people who have spent four/five years and thousands of dollars on their college degree, and are so miserable teaching that they quit. Thanks for helping me spread the word!!
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Ana,
I’m not going to knock this technique; marketing is what it is. However, I personally would not use it because I feel that my own methods of attracting forum traffic work better for me:
1. Learn for a while, ask questions
2. Share for a while, provide answers
3. Let folks know that there’s much more where those answers came from.
One of the things I’ve learned is that, regardless of the platform (forum, blog, membership site), if I just be myself, some people are going to be interested.
I try not to push products and services beyond what is allowed, like the forum signature. Especially in blog comments, I may mention that I have written an article on a relevant topic but I never give the link unless the blog owner requests it. (That is why I love CommentLuv, I get to pick my post.)
Don’t get me wrong, I love to experiment. I’ve created more stupid websites, Twitter accounts and whatnot, just to try some things. That’s why I don’t knock the bait technique you shared: controversy is one of the main methods for gaining attention.
Cheers,
Mitch
Mitchell Allen´s last blog ..Spam Is Your Fault
I always love hearing alternative opinions, Mitchell - that’s what makes blogging worthwhile!
I hear what you are saying about forum posting. It’s a more traditional way of going about it; nothing wrong with that.
My personal problem is that it’s hard to find anyone who actually listens vs talks. Forums have changed quite a bit and this technique reflects that change.
I simply don’t have the time or the patience to do it your way for a few visitors; I prefer to find floods rather than drying creeks.
How do you track how many visitors you actually get from forums, Mitchell? How do you know it’s worth your time?
Ana
Hey Ana,
Maybe you should post this article on Better Networker and see what feedback you get?
I don’t use forums much, I sometimes dig around on Better Networker though, since many of the discussions there are highly relevant to my business.
In agreement with other comments here - there are some gold nuggets hidden away on forums, but a lot of tripe to sift through first. In the case of BN, largely consisting of pseudo-alpha macho posturing. Which can be entertaining on occasion.
Oh - love the example you picked out by the way =)
Jym
Jym´s last blog ..How To Move A Mountain…
Hey, Jym:
I did post to BN, but folks are avoiding talking about it for some reason.
That was a great example of forum “puppet mastering”.
Entertaining? Definitely!!!
Thanks for this post!
It’s indeed an interesting way of using forums as a traffic stream. I personnally picked 3 top forums in my niche and reply to some topics each day but you’re right about what some forums have become.Lots of useless link-stuffed comments for sure. But starting a topic and making people interacting by asking a question to the community is a very good idea ’cause Google seems to love forums, some are very well ranked indeed!
That’s a great way of doing it, Louise - to have a plan and follow through with it.
I wonder: do you get any traffic back to your site from posting in forums?
Ana
Lol, I participated in several forums on my behalf and I could say, besides traffic, they help me much in terms of knowledge and topic ideas. So, forums? Why not?
Mike´s last blog ..An Awesome Graphical Guide To 22 Proven Ways To Make Money Online
Indeed, why not?
However, I find blogs much more beneficial for gaining knowledge.
Thanks for the comment, Mike!
Ana
Hi Ana,
I’m certainly open to whatever is helpful to get people to come to my “store”. My brother, whose path seems strewn with large amounts of $$$, describes BNI in a similar way. I don’t really have time or money for BNI, but you have to network somehow, and posting on forums sure can’t hurt.
Lou
Lou Barba´s last blog ..CATERPILLERS- GIANT SEQUOIAS- AND JUMPING OUT OF AIRPLANES
Bingo!
As long as a strategy generates traffic, plus it’s free, it’s ALWAYS worth checking it out, Lou.
Isn’t it amazing how some people just seem to attract money in anything they do?
However, I have a feeling that it only looks easy; we all have to work for it.
Ana
PS THANK YOU, Lou, for your generosity with your recent donation - it meant a lot to me to know that you appreciate my scribblings!
Forum posting is a great way to get quick traffic from forums to your new site even long before the site is coming up in significant search engine rankings.
Btw, I’d also add forum posting in the post headline as it appears in the page title.
Good to hear forum posting works for you, Andreas.
As far as the headline is concerned, many more people will be opt to check out the post with the headline the way it is. Too many readers might be biased against forums right off the bat, so they might not want to read it just because it mentions “forum posting” in the title.
This way their curiosity might lead them to learn something they didn’t know before.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Ana
SO…would this not be considered something of a clever SPAM of the forum? It does not add value, it merely creates links. I say that with ZERO judgment, but wondering if it would not be flagged as spam and eventually deleted by the forum admin?
Cortney@Houston Search Engine Marketing´s last blog ..Hump Day Holla 004- Scott and Rand Buy Links those naughty boys!
It’s a very good point, Cortney.
My answer is it depends.
In the example above from BetterNetworker forum, David happens to be a very active value-providing member of the forum. So if he goes off on a tantrum like this every once in a while, I don’t think his reputation will be harmed in any way.
However, it’s a good rule of thumb to come up with an angle that will actually provide value to the members and visitors and not just create a lot of smoke.
Thanks for coming by!
Ana
Ana,
Another great post! I have a “guestbook” section on my website http://www.newteacherhelp.com so I guess I could turn THAT into a forum if I wanted to…could I? If not, I could definitely just build links and leads using your great tips! I am always scared when in forums that they can turn “messy” with people getting all stirred up, using put-downs and profanity, etc.
Yes, Shannon - you can easily add a forum to your site. Question is: would you want to? It’s just another thing to monitor and moderate and you can accomplish the same with just comments on your posts.
This technique definitely works best on external forums. I do understand your concern about the volatile nature of some forums. Just make sure you pick the right one, where such things as profanity are not tolerated.
Ana
Hey Ana,
I dislike forums too - they are time consuming. Some people spend hours on end on forums as a traffic generation strategy.
Let us know how this goes for you if you decide to give it a try
All the best,
Mavis Nong
I’ll do that, Mavis, although I am not sure how much time I am willing to dedicate to this.
However, I believe anything is worth a try - once.
Thanks for the comment!
Ana
Ana, I am also not a huge fan of forums. I find that at times you can find Gems there, but it can also be a lot of wasted effort for all the reasons you listed.
I am not sure how much I even like the link building there. I am not sure how effective it really is.
Anyway, this method does seem to be a decent way to drive some of the forum traffic. A little controversy in the mix never hurt. After all there is no such thing as bad press.
Steve@Lifestyle Design´s last blog ..Info Income Coaching Class Week 13
Agreed on all points, Steve.
The only reason I would ever give this technique a try is because of how little effort it takes.
I also agree on link building.
I know many SEO pros argue that a link coming from a no-PR no-value pages of a high PR website (like most forums would be) is still considered to carry good value by association.
Although I would never turn down a link like that, I haven’t seen much evidence to support the claim.
Good to have you here!
Ana
You know what they say, Ana - there is no such thing as bad press
Very true, Roy.
If your name appears all day long on the front page of a forum, good or bad, other participants will be sure to check you out.
Appreciate you sharing your opinion with me!
Ana
Hi Ana,
I had a view similar to yours but with with time and practice I’ve learned forum posting is an effective way to generate leads. Ask a polarizing question delicately, let your forum mate’s voices be heard and jump in occasionally to fan the flame, as you note.
Sometimes the chatter gets out of hand but most people seek to add value in their own special way.
Thanks for sharing your insight and have a wonderful day.
Ryan
Ryan Biddulph´s last blog ..Do You Suffer from the Debilitating Disease Known as SIS
I am glad to hear at least someone shares my newly found use for forum posting, Ryan!
Good to see it’s working for you; I will definitely give it a shot as well.
Have a great day as well and as always, thanks for stopping by.
Ana
Hey Ana, forums are dead and I hate them. They are only good for linkbuilding, because forums where on the web probably from the beginning of the internet and they have a lot of trust from search engines. I stay away from forums and focus on community of professional bloggers where I can get long time benefits.
Marios
Marios´s last blog ..Great Tools to Spy on Your Competition
I am with you, Marios, on this one.
This specific technique made me migrate from hating them to tolerating them.
The only forum I would ever participate in is BetterNetworker; there are plenty of people there who are interested in actually networking and not just link building.
Thanks for the comment!
Hi Ana,
I know some who use forums very successfully for marketing. I do use forums from time to time to get technical advice myself if I have a question.
From a traffic generation point of view I tend to stay away from forums in much the same way as I choose to ignore Brussels sprouts. Both leave a bad taste in my mouth.
~Marcus
Marcus Baker@network marketing Internet business´s last blog ..3 Ways to Leverage Your MLM Blog Posts For Maximum Exposure
I am neutral to both Broccoli sprouts and forums
; however, using this specific technique to drive traffic to a specific post every once in a while sounds like a worth-while effort to me.
Otherwise, I consider forums a waste of time.
Thanks, Marcus!
This is one clever idea. Thank you so much for sharing. I just hope I’d be able to do it the right way. Gotta let my brain think, think, think.
Thanks, Andrew.
In my experience, the only way to truly stand out these days is to either invent entirely new traffic generation strategies or use the tried and old tactics in new fresh ways.
Doing what everybody else does just won’t cut it.
I appreciate you stopping by!
Ana
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