Chapter 53

Post on Blogs and Forums

What's the most immediate traffic-generating strategy?

I've tested a lot of different things and the most immediate strategy by far is posting on popular online forums. So what's a forum? Let's start with a definition. Forums are essentially places where online conversations take place. Each individual conversation is called a “thread.” Members of the forum can start a thread by asking a question or making a statement. Then other members can enter the thread and provide an answer or contribute their thoughts about the original statement. Soon, the thread grows to include contributions from multiple members, each attempting to demonstrate their expertise. You see, they're all using the forum to drive traffic to their own websites, just like you and me. And because they all want to impress each other with their knowledge and insights, forums are among the best places to learn about your field.

When you become a member of a forum, you create a profile for yourself including links to your website. In some cases, you can even create a signature similar to an e-mail signature. Every time you contribute to a thread and demonstrate your expertise, your signature appears immediately below your comments. That signature can include a link to your website. The idea is to contribute some useful information or insights to the conversation, enticing other members to click through to your own website. Remember, every link is another “front door” to enter your ...

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