e-skills UK Guide

Using forums

Promoting your Business using forums

This Guide is designed to help you promote your business using online forums. Done properly this can provide you with a relatively cost effective way of getting your key messages in front of thousands of users, often in a targeted way.

You will need to be careful and abide by the accepted rules on business promotion using online tools, but once you understand these there is no reason why any small business owner should not take part in online discussions.

What is an on-line forum?

An on-line forum is a virtual meeting place for those interested in discussing certain topics or interests. There are many thousands of forums already available on the internet. Some have a very few members, others are very active and attract hundreds of users a day.

Typically a forum is split down into subject groupings. Users then submit questions or comments to these groups and start a “thread” or topic of conversation. Other users may then contribute to this thread. Moderators will ensure that the submissions are kept within the rules of the forum, notably avoiding profanity or abusive behaviour. Submissions may be deleted and users barred if they break the rules of the forum. You will probably be required to register on the forum so that your identity can be traced if need be, although many people post under pseudonyms or “handles”. Although anonymous to most forum readers these can be traced back to the person in question by the forum administrators if there is a problem.

Using a forum

It is advisable to read a forum for a while to get the hang of the culture before wading in with ideas or comments. Think of it as a crowded room of strangers that you need to slowly get acquainted with. Going into a room and immediately shouting your views is generally impolite!

Most forums have a set of rules and guidelines that members should abide by. Forum moderators will check comments and edit or remove inappropriate content. Users that disobey these rules can face exclusion from the site – not particularly good PR for your business

Why would I bother to use a forum?

A forum will definitely increase your profile and reputation if you use it correctly. By investing time and effort you may well see direct business return, dependent upon your specific goods or services. Think of the forum as a PR vehicle – you may not get immediate return but over time you should see some feedback.

Don’t forget that you could also learn from other forum members and gain useful ideas for products and services, so keep your eyes open for such tips.

How does a forum differ to a blog?

On-line forums are generally busier and more interactive than most blogs. Although many blogs allow the posting of responses many blog sites are more of a one way process – a bit like standing up on a soap box and venting your spleen.

A forum is far more conversational and as such is generally more frequently visited and viewed, unless you are lucky enough to create a very compelling blog that gains a huge audience as some people have.

Should I set up my own forum?

Setting up a forum is simple. If you feel that you can promote your profile by creating a new forum then by all means have a try.

YAHOO MESSAGES

GOOGLE GROUPS

In reality, you may be better served by contributing to an existing forum. With regular helpful contributions you could quickly become recognised as an expert on the forum and people will then turn to you for help and advice. This can then be turned into business opportunities as appropriate.

Remember though – NEVER directly sell or market your products on an online forum unless it is explicitly allowed. Many forum members find such sales pitches objectionable and it may result in you being removed from the forum with your reputation damaged, so be careful.

Hosting a Forum

There are a number of companies that will host a forum for your interest group. Running a forum is complex as many users can be interacting with the site and the overall navigation can be complex. It is generally better to choose one of the more popular forum providers, many of whom will allow you to start your own forum free of charge.

The following sites provide forum hosting software:

Mad Moose Hosting

Invision Power Services

Tips for Running a Good Forum

A good forum will need to excite and interest its users. As a forum is often the only place to get very specialist advice and knowledge you need to ensure that users contribute as well as read content. The best way to do this is to set an example and act like a host at a party! By mixing with your users you understand their issues and can introduce them to people to help solve their problems – if you can’t do it yourself.

This way you will build a reputation as the expert and people will turn to you and your company in times of need.

As the forum owner you are the site moderator. With this comes the ability to manage people’s posts – editing inappropriate content and even banning users that do not behave acceptably. This may be time consuming on a busy site, but at that stage you should be able to invite other trusted individuals to moderate the forums as well. The downside is that if you are seen to be moderating too heavily people will complain – so tread lightly!

Tips for running a good forum:

Keep the topics current and newsworthy
Moderate sensibly and fairly
Ensure questions are dealt with quickly and accurately
Encourage everyone to contribute and share answers/ideas
Build personal brand by being helpful and knowledgeable
Don’t oversell your services!

So, should I use a forum?

Many small businesses have benefited by using forums as discrete PR and promotional vehicles. Others have found them to be a waste of time, at least commercially.

It may be an idea to ensure that your own website is up to scratch before using forums as users will often track you back to your company site. This will be your shop window, so make sure it is up to date and gives a good reflection on you and your products. Take a look at our Choosing a website Guide as this will help you build an online presence.

Participating in forums can have a valid part to play in a small business' promotional program. Why not try and see what happens? You may enjoy the fun of contributing material and see it as a break from other day to day work you do. And remember that there are significant benefits to be had such as: