Part of marketing your website is finding resources that can make that job a bit easier. This includes networking with others who are interested in similar markets. Finding forums that deal with your particular area of niche marketing is a plus for any online business.
Finding forums can be as easy as a keyword search. Just go to your favorite search engine and search for the name of your niche and add the word forum on the end.
Even with what seems like a small niche you’re sure to find at least a few forums. If the word forum doesn’t work out, people in your niche may refer to as a message board, community, or bulletin board, etc… try those variations and see if you get better results.
There may be hundreds of thousands of forums for your niche. Try a few to see if they deal with issues that you are looking to explore.
Some of those niche forums may be for customer comments. On websites, these types of forums draw more customers to the site. They get a chance to compare notes and talk about what they have purchased. These forums can be helpful as far as hearing what customers have to say about the products and what they would like to see. In some niches you might find these forums to be the perfect place for research, but not so much for commenting, depending on your overall niche approach.
But, often times as a business owner you are looking for forums that deal with the business aspect of selling these products. You want to connect with other business owners so you can pick each others’ brains for useful information.
What is the advantage of these business forums? A business forum for your niche will give you the support you are seeking to help with your business. People with similar interests can work together to build partnerships so both businesses increase their profits.
Some forums will let you advertise your business when you post. This is a way that others can find leads on new businesses. When you find a good forum, don’t just visit to post information about your business and then leave. Be a member in good standing.
Being a member of a forum is just like being a member of a social club. The more often you show up and participate, the more people will know your name. If someone is looking to partner with a business like yours, another member can recommend you because they know you. It will be considered selfish to only focus on your own interests and not contribute to the forum as a whole.
As a business owner you’ll want to join at least a couple of forums, but don’t join more than you can possibly participate in, and stay current. However, you want to get a good mix of different types of forums. Find something special about each forum that you haven’t found anywhere else so that each offers something new.
Kind Regards,
Transcriptionist, passionate cross stitcher, writer at heart, wife, mom, and finder of lost shoes… Loretta Oliver, married to the comic book geek of her dreams and mother of four amazing young men, has been working from home full time since 2001. With a busy transcription service business, a few niche sites, and a handful of other internet marketing projects on the go, the computer is always fired up and the ideas are always flowing.