Building forum trust is something which should be done if you truly want your blog to be noticed by other forum members.  In one of my previous posts on blogging forums, I encouraged my readers to join internet forums related to their niche, in order to interact with other people with the same interests.

The advantages of using forums as a means of blog promotion include exposure for your blog, the chance to add your signature to each forum comment you make (backlinks), as well as getting your name ‘out there’ within your field of interest.

However, these promotional advantages for your blog will not bear much fruit unless you concentrate on building forum trust.  I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen people comment on forums with the sole intention of whoring their blog or website, without any input to the threads within the forum.  If you really want to harness the power of forums as a promotional tool for your blog, here are 5 things you must do:

 

Provide Genuine Input To Forum Threads

Forums are a great place to pick up a lot of knowledge within your niche.  But if you see a thread where someone is asking a question you can answer, then go ahead and give a great answer!  Take your time to fully understand the question asked, and provide a detailed response.  This is a great way to gain kudos within the forum community.  If you can help anyone out with a query, then they will be more likely to click on your signature which points towards your blog.

Be Courteous To Others

Forums can sometimes attract the type of people who revel in an argumentative environment, and some folk will go out of their way to be nasty.  If this ever happens to you, rise above it and always post in a courteous manner.  Believe me, you’ll get more respect from the decent forum members (who will make up the majority of the forum community) who are reading your comments if you don’t rise to the bait.

Before Asking A Question, Check If You’re The First

If you have a question about anything related to your niche, check to see if someone has already asked the same question in the recent past.  There’s a good chance that your question has already been answered in a past thread.  Have a quick look over recent thread headings before asking, as some forum members will not enjoy having to answer the same questions over and over again.  It also makes you look kinda stupid if you start a thread along the lines of ”How Do I Use Meta Tags?”, only to find that someone has asked the same question (which has already been answered) half an hour ago!!

Give Thanks To Your Fellow Forum Members

A lot of forums have a system in place whereby other members can give you ‘reputation’ points based on the quality of your posts.  Digital Point uses this system, and it certainly encourages me to become more helpful.  If someone helps you out in a forum (whether directly or indirectly) it’s a good idea to give them reputation points.  Acknowledging someone elses forum post quality is a good way of giving thanks, and the goodwill gesture on your behalf will be well received.  This also encourages a better community spirit within the forum.

Building A Forum Reputation Takes Time

This is probably the hardest thing to be aware of (it is for me, I expect everyone to bow down to my greatness immediately…) but it’s a valid point.  Building your forum trust and reputation will not happen overnight, it takes time for you to become an established and well regarded forum member.  I’m sure that everyone in a forum give someone more respect if they have hundreds (or thousands) of previous forum posts.  The more informative, helpful and engaging posts you make, the higher your stock will rise within the forum.

 

Building forum trust does take a little bit of time, but will eventually lead to more visits to your blog through your signature link.  By being helpful to others, you’re raising the profile of both yourself and your blog.

Related blog post(s):

Digital Point Forums - A Great Blogging Resource

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