We come across all kinds of entrepreneurs on the internet that have a hard time driving traffic to their websites. Some sign in to chatrooms hoping to find people that all of the sudden will be interested in anything, and others will send emails left and right trying to make the quick buck. The problem is because people advertise this way, they come off as constant spammers and the perception of them are horrible.
Many people will simply delete the emails and not say a word, figuring the person spamming is either new or ignorant of net etiquette and will eventually learn the correct way to advertise on the Internet. It is, however, an annoying and time consuming task which will sometimes infuriate the receiver to the point of trying to report the person spamming. It is a lose-lose scenario all the way around.
How do you combat such an issue? A lot of it has to do with realizing you are advertising without actually feeling like you are. For instance, forums are a great example of what it means to do this without even thinking about it. First thing you will want to do is find a forum that is targeted for you business.
Let's take this out of the abstract with a concrete example. Say you have a website that sells software that will allow a PC to receive satellite television. You find and join a forum of satellite TV lovers who watch it on their personal computer. They have discussion threads and questions which you and your business can answer.
Then go through the forum and answer questions or comment on other people's threads without talking about your website. People are already going to see your signature below your comments so before you know it, the forum has your name and website all over the posts and threads.
A good way to test this method out is by having two landing pages where your conversion rates can be tracked. Put one signature in a forum that is targeted, and on that is too broad and see what the final tallies are at the end of the week or month at the latest. Then you'll see what we're talking about first hand.
Forum advertising done the right way can be both effective and provide long-term traffic to your site. It is also time consuming in a world where most people don't have much time to spare. However, just remember, if you join a forum and only post once or twice a week, that will still build steady traffic. The impact is immediate and can last a great deal of time.
