Muse Marketing in Forums

[BlindSquirrel]

I would like to hear from members who have used forums in their niche market to promote their muse. Most forums specifically prohibit promoting your products or sites in their forums, so I'm wondering if there is a creative way to promote your muse without offending or violating that policy.

The search feature for this forum didn't give me any existing threads devoted to this, but I've found out that doesn't mean they aren't here somewhere. So I'd also appreciate a link to any existing thread devoted to this subject minus the "search first" flaming rebuke.

Thanks!

[BlindSquirrel]

I wanted to add what I'm thinking of doing and maybe get some feedback...

- Include information about my muses in my introduction post
- Include links to my websites in my signatures on all my posts in the forum
- Search the forums for threads that are related to my muse and contribute


I think the third point is where I'd like to be able to post and be effective without violating the policies of the forum and where I could use some input.

[officer_dibble]

My advice would be to read the tos carefully and even PM the mods before you post anything. Some forums will be cool or even welcome you but on others your approach will be about as welcome as a bad smell. However subtle you think your marketing may be - most people will spot it a mile off and call you out on it.

One thing you can do is be genuinely helpful - and maybe a short sig/profile information. If you are helpful - people will make contact. It's a slow burn approach - ie not at all 4HWW. But it works. I recently got my first couple of Ubot programming commissions by adopting that same approach on a forum.

[Sven]

People spot pluggers from miles away. So just as Officer says, be truthfull, honest and give good advice. And I think it's better to write a lot on one forum than just every now and then on a lot of them.

[networkmemetics]

I have used forums in the past to promote stuff.

You need to build membership and trust first - which takes some time. You also need to post quality stuff, and post other peoples stuff too.

Look up 'Relationship Marketing' for more info.

[BlindSquirrel]

Great feedback - I really appreciate the help!

[TimW]

In nearly every Internet forum I am on where people know my business, I was a member there long before I started my business, so I was a known quantity.

Where that wasn't the case, I would join as I normally do (me, as a person, not the company name), but put my company contact info in my profile.

But then I would just participate as I normally would have..since I am not on any forums where I wouldn't be interested in being as a member anyway.

People can spot a shill a long ways off. In fact, on one board where I am the head moderator, we ban these people unless they're paid advertisers. There's nothing wrong on that board with promoting one's business, but if that's ALL they do, they're history.