Have you been hanging around in internet forums and/or making blog comments lately? Public posting is growing ever-popular. One thing I've noticed, is that if you use it for business purposes and you accidentally blurt the wrong thing, it can get ugly pretty quick. A remark that was never intended to be malevolent turns out to offend somebody, and next thing you know, you're engaged in yet another public forum ping pong match. This can be downright exhausting. So is there a 'proper' way to conduct oneself on the network, in the forum, and on the blog? From what I've seen so far, I have to say yes.May I present: The Unofficial Internet Posting Rules.1. Always assume that the other person has good intentions.There you are, sprinkling comments here and there and having a fine old time, when suddenly up pops someone who begs to differ. A good debate can be envigorating, but if things escalate, you may begin to feel attacked and/or misunderstood. Do you have a right to feel this way? Who is attacking who anyway?Internet conversations feel remote because they are. You can't diffuse a tense conversation by cracking a joke or meeting someone's eyes with a silent apology. Internet 'arguments' can string along for days because, unlike a verbal argument which quickly fades from your memory, they're harsh words frozen in time. Someone who is ripping you a new one on the public forum may actually be a wonderful person who thinks a lot like you, but you wouldn't know because all you see are those hostile words on the screen that won't go away!For this reason, it's unbelievably important not to take internet skirmishes to heart. The truth is, you may be taking offense for no good reason. And even if someone really does seem to be out for your blood... who cares? Click away and they're gone. Besides; the world is watching. How much of a scene do you want to make?2. Ditch the sarcasm.Sarcasm really does not translate on the internet. Sarcasm is my favorite form of communication, so believe me I've tried. People can't tell by your tone or gestures if you're serious, kidding, scathing, or what, so if you want to communicate effectively and efficiently, steer clear of sarcasm. I'll give you an example of sarcasm causing confusion on the internet.Networker 1: Say, Networker 2, how was that teleseminar you attended?
Networker 2: It was really something special."It was really something special." Hmmm. What could that mean, exactly? Sounds a little smart-alecky, but who knows! The reader can't be sure, so a straightforward answer might be the better option. "The guy was a good speaker, but I felt like he was telling me things I already knew. I'll have to pick a more advanced course next time." Now, there's a complete answer that's based in fact and well-expressed!Some people use emoticons to convey when they're being sarcastic, such as the smiley for "just kidding" , the wink which might mean, "I'm just teasing," or the guy-with-his-tongue-out -- "I know I'm being goofy." Other people use internet gestures, like the *grin* and the :::shiver:::.Emoticons are okay for a less formal public forum setting, but not so much for business networking. Use them sparingly. How are you supposed to appear professional if you're throwing (((hugs))) everyone's way? I don't know about you, but I don't go around hugging people I don't know!All this being said: stick to literal communication whenever possible. I know more than anybody how tough this is. If you're really unsure about it, you can always just be a forum 'lurker' for a while, until you get the hang of how it's done.3. Instead of offering opinions, ask questions.People love to argue. Make a statement, and by God, someone out there is going to contradict it. If you enjoy and know how to play the debate game, take them on... it will be a learning experience for all. But if conflict makes your tummy hurt, you can spur on a discussion in a more genteel way; by asking questions!If you ask people what they think, they'll feel encouraged to jump into the discussion... and that's what you want, isn't it? Ask questions, and let folks know you're open to new points of view. When you word your ideas in the from of questions, you're basically saying "Hey, I know I don't have all the answers. But I'm thinking, and I'd love for you to add your insights." Then, by phrasing your questions in a specific way, you can gently 'lead' the conversation. Next time you have a strong opinion to state, practice rephrasing it into a question. "What ways might we practice common courtesy in an effort to improve internet communication?" There, see how easy that was?4. Remember the real-time issue.If you haven't noticed, real-time has some wacky effects on internet communication. Sometimes, messages look like they're written in response to something someone else said... when really, they just landed there by sheer coincidence!Suppose someone posts a remark at 9:05 a.m. Pacific Time, as you just happen to be posting the exact opposite viewpoint at 12:05 p.m. Eastern Time. When the messages "land" one after the other, it creates the illusion that the second person was arguing with the first person, when actually they were not and had no knowledge of the other person's post! Whoa. That's real-time at work, and it's some crazy stuff. The lesson to be learned: don't assume anything, especially on the internet.The other way that real-time can botch up the works is if you're seeking advice or technical support. You post a question, some time elapses, and the moderator replies. But by now, you've figured out the answer and it's led you to a third complication. Now, you can either try and over-explain the confusion in an effort to be polite, or say to yourself, "the heck with this" and leave the discussion, which could be perceived as rude. It's quite a fretful situation. Keeping this in mind...5. Think before you speak.Using the example from Point 4: thinking before you ask technical questions can save everybody the exhaustion of over-communication. Rather than blurt out your confusion, have a look around, see what's going down. Is there an FAQ section you can refer to?I have been known to dive right in to the chat without knowing what the heck is happening. As a result, I am familiar with the taste of shoe leather. If you're puzzled about what's going on in a public forum discussion... can you go back and read a few old posts to get caught up? You'll save everyone a lot of wasted words if you just get with the program. I learned the hard way, but you don't have to."Think before you speak" also means proofread. Be on the lookout for ambiguous content. If you're tired, stressed or feeling under the weather, you may have some trouble getting your point across. Maybe it's not the best time to communicate.As a writer, I'm acutely aware of word choice. Use the wrong word, and WOOOPS- somebody is getting the total wrong idea. Copywriters have a chance to write multiple drafts ? and in that way, get multiple chances to refine what they say in their writing. Internet posters don't have this option. Once you hit POST, you can't take back what you've written. All you can do is send MORE posts, and give folks the impression that you are a babbling fool! So, for your own sake, heed my words, take your time, think about what you want to say, and PROOFREAD!Above all, keep a positive attitude and an open mind. Welcome others' opinions while gently expressing your own. Be forgiving and patient with people and their bumbling ways. Be a good internet communicator.Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.Dina Giolitto is a New-Jersey based Copywriting Consultant with ten years of industry experience. Her current focus is web content and web marketing for a multitude of products and services although the bulk of her experience lies in retail for big-name companies like Toys"R"Us. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for rates and samples.

Internet Forums are highly popular, they cater for all tastes and deal with every topic imaginable. People visit Internet forums for a variety of reasons, the most common being the search for information or entertainment. The Internet forum is a safe environment if you behave sensibly but you can find yourself in dangerous territory if you ignore the following warnings.Don't Join Internet Forum Flame WarsAn Internet Forum flame war is to be avoided at all costs. The airing of differing points of view, debate and discussion are healthy things for an Internet forum: they keep it lively. An Internet forum flame war can make entertaining reading but don't be tempted to join in or start one. If you make a habit of leaping into forum flame wars, you will acquire a reputation as a trouble-maker and you could find yourself barred from a forum because of your behaviour. Another good reason for avoiding forum flame wars is that you could find yourself caught in the crossfire. Before you know it, people will be firing at you from every direction when all you intended to do was have a bit of fun.Don't Make Jokes On An Internet ForumWell, you can if you really must, but remember that the Internet forum has the same drawback as email: the reader can't see your expression or gestures. The smile, shrug or grimace which can lift your comment from serious to humorous will be missing and your message will be something which the reader has to interpret. If the reader gets it wrong, you might very well find that you just started your very own Internet forum flame war quite unintentionally. You can safely tell a joke on a forum (provided that your joke's content is appropriate) but sarcasm and irony are dangerous and best avoided.Don't Be An Internet Forum Drama QueenThe Internet forum is not a suitable stage for you to perform your very own drama. If you flounce about making extravagant statements merely for effect, you will be the object of ridicule by other forum members even if nobody tells you so. If you are a member of a support forum for a particular programme, it is quite in order to post a message to the forum saying something along the lines of "I've started to feel unsure about [whatever], I don't think it's going to work out unless I make some changes. Can anybody suggest what I should try next?" Compare this to the next post in drama queen style: "I quit! This Sucks. I've done everything right so it must be this ****ing programme. You will never hear from me again!" Which forum member would you want to help? There will be kind people who feel the drama queen's pain and offer support and suggestions. When the drama queen makes a big re-entrance to the forum after a few days sulking, posts "I'm back!" and expresses a resolve to work diligently towards success, the kind people who offered support will feel that their advice must have done the trick. When the forum drama queen posts another "Goodbye Forever!" message, the same kind people will empathise as the drama queen is obviously being affected by an emotional roller coaster and they will offer further sound advice. The kind forum members will be pleased when the drama queen makes a further "I'm Back And Here To Stay!" recovery. By about the third or fourth "I Quit!" drama, even the kindest people will be wishing the drama queen had stayed quit the first time round and Internet forum credibility for the drama queen ends there.Don't Be An Internet Forum PuppyA real puppy can't help chasing after everything that moves, getting under people's feet and being hyperactive to the point where it sometimes becomes annoying: that's just its nature. The Internet forum member who behaves like a puppy can help it and should desist. I am talking about the person who joins an Internet forum for the sole purpose of getting the links in his signature file on the forum as often as possible. The annoying forum puppy will respond to every message posted whether he knows anything about the subject or not. He will post messages which are of no value to anyone, these messages will range from boring pointless observations to obscure drivel to requests to poll an unimportant question which bears no relevance to the forum. If you are desperate to plaster your signature file all over the place, join lots of Internet forums and just post a few messages on each. With any luck, you will grow out of this time-wasting pursuit before the other forum members form a lynching party.Don't Be An Internet Forum SeconderHave you ever come across Mr Me Too? If you have, you will know who I mean. He is about as annoying as the Internet forum puppy. Mr Me Too will post a response to every thread that appears on a forum. It won't take him long as he won't bother to read through the thread, all he will do is add a comment saying "me too" or "I agree". This gets his signature file posted with the link back to his website and that's all he wants. Mr Me Too does not go to the Internet forum for entertainment or information or to contribute anything useful. If you are subscribed to a forum thread and receive notification that someone has posted a further message on the topic, it is very irritating to log in at the forum only to find that someone has posted a message saying "me too" or "I agree" just to give his signature file an airing. It is sadly true that the Internet forum puppy and Mr Me Too will get their links on the Internet alongside the forum members who post meaningful messages. When the day arrives that Search Engine Robots are able to distinguish the difference between valuable forum messages and drivel, those two offenders will find that it's pay back time for their transgressions.Don't Attack The Internet Forum ModeratorsIf you have a message removed or edited by an Internet forum moderator, there will be a reason, so don't post complaints on the forum. Even if you don't understand or don't agree with the decision, there is no point in arguing. Attacking a moderator is like holding up a placard saying "I'm a pest, throw me out". The moderators are there to ensure the Internet forum is kept to the required standard. Remember that somebody owns this forum and invests time and energy in keeping the environment -- well -- moderate. The Internet forum is not your private sand-pit, you are a guest and if your behaviour is not appropriate, your invitation to play could be withdrawn. You should also remember that anything you post on an Internet forum will be available for public scrutiny for years to come.The dictionary definition of the verb to moderate is: "to keep within measure or bounds; to regulate; to reduce in intensity; to make temperate or reasonable". If this does not sound like your kind of environment, perhaps you should stay away from Internet forums.Copyright 2005 Elaine CurrieElaine Currie provides ideas, help and resources for anyone wanting to start a home business visit: http://www.Huntingvenus.com

If you are web designer, chances are you include forums on at least some of the sites you manage. If you haven't explored PHPBB2 you are missing out as this type of message board offers to designers a forum that is well supported, easy to manage, and above all else: free! Let's see why PHPBB2 is a hit with so many web designers.Compared to some web designers, I am relatively new to the business. I created my first forum with MSN groups in 2002 then, six months later, I made the move over to EZBoard. Sure, it did not have all the bells and whistles of vBulletin and other corporate developed boards, but it did the trick for me. That is, until EZBoard was hacked and my livelihood nearly disappeared in moments some two years later!In search of something different, I considered the move to vBulletin, but I was quite frankly not wanting to shell out license and upgrade fees on a regular basis. At the time of the EZBoard incident, I was running six forums, so I knew that I would eventually have about that many when I completed my transition away from EZBoard.So, why PHPBB2? For three reasons:1. It is free. Yes, absolutely! Since it is "open source" code, developed by the developers, it is offered as a free download to whosoever will. Believe me that is a big appeal and, apparently, many designers around the world feel the same way as over 200,000 people are members of their support forum.2. It can be used across platforms. Whether you work in Windows or Linux, IIS or Apache PHPBB2 is usable and fully functionable.3. Highly modifiable. Open Source extensibility is evident with the incorporation of PHP, HTML, CSS, and MySQL into the forum.For the novice, PHPBB2 does take some getting used to especially since you are responsible for installing, maintaining, backing up, upgrading, and modifying your own forum. For your benefit you can access onsite Flash tutorials which are a great way to walk your way through the installation process too. As with any software it is vulnerable to outside attacks, so take care to make sure you regularly back up your forums and familiarize yourself with the security procedures.In all, PHP message boards really do rock and at a price that cannot possibly be beat!Matt runs two PHPBB2 sites at http://www.aviationemploymentboard.net and http://www.corporateflyer.net

Forum is a gathering of people normally have a common
interest on certain topic like investing, health etc.
People in forum can share ideas, ask questions, socialize
get help and give advice.However, you cannot post your advertising or any other
promotional material in the forum as this is considered as
SPAM! Unless, this forum is specially mentioned that allow
you to post such promotional material.So, how to use forum as a free way to get traffic?In most of the forums, you are allowed to create a signature
file which you can place your description, attractive words
and the link to your website or subscribe your newsletter.Every time, when you post your sharing in the forum, at the
end of your post will be automatically followed by your
signature file which allow people to click the link to
your site if they are interested to your description.People go to the forum normally who are seeking solution to
solve their problems. You can share your experience to help
them. Let's share some of my experience to help get to know
how to use forum to get free traffic.I personally promote affiliate programs and member sites.
All the products I promote basically are how to make money
online and start internet business. So, I will look for
forums which discuss about money topic, internet business,
internet marketing etc.I view the posts, read their questions and try my best by
answering their questions. As mentioned above, my website
link will be posted in the forum also. People read my post
will normally click my link also.This is how I get started to build up my subscriber base.
I use this method everyday and get free subscriber.Of course, there are some techniques in answering. For
example, the most popular question is, "How to start
internet business?" It is highly recommended that not
answering like selling a product, e.g. "Oh, you can join
xxx program, click my link will show you how .."How's about this?"Hi Mr. xxx, there are many ways that you can build your
internet business, basically start an internet business
by building websites. However, if you find it difficult
to build a website, you can join certain affiliate program
If you need further helps, you are welcome to email me or
post your question here. I will be ready to help you."Which do you feel better?The 1st one, people would think that you just want them to
join the program and make money from their pocket. However,
the 2nd one, you are trying to build a relationship & trust
with people, people will feel that you are sincere that
you want to help them. See the difference?Not only you can get free traffic, by sharing your ideas,
helping people to solve their problems, you are also
building your reputation. People will trust you and people
normally buy something from whom they trust!In conclusion, if your budget is limited and you want to
get targeted prospects, go to the related forums, setup your
attractive description in signature file, and post as many
sharings as you like but please don't SPAM. People won't
trust spammer. Of course, if you have question to ask, you
are welcome to post your questions and you will get help!John Liew Tze YungHelping people to start internet business.
Free report showing how to avoid mistakes
and build a profitable internet business
http://www.unlimitedprofitsite.com

Are they really free? Are they actually helpful?
Why do writers subscribe to these lists?
Why do people start lists for writers?
While there's no definite answers to any of those questions, I can share some opinions of other writers, who have participated in discussion lists, and links to websites with more information so you can make your own decision!
First let's start with the basics. An email discussion list is not the same as an ezine, an email newsletter or an announcement list.
A discussion list is different because it allows you as a subscriber to post your own messages, as well as read and reply to messages from other subscribers. The ability to interact with other people is the defining feature of email discussion lists.
Many such lists exist - some with as few as 5 subscribers and others with more than 500 subscribers. The number of posts each day varies just as much depending upon the list.
For example, Childrens-Writers List which is dedicated to the discussion of writing (and illustrating) for children, including such topics as creativity, work styles and techniques, marketing and promotion, dealing with rejection, etc. - has more than 500 members and had more than 1,200 postings last month.
While the Romance Writers Support Group, which was created to discuss romance writing and offer encouragement and advice to romance writers, had less than 100 messages posted between its 34 members in the year 2000.
This is one of the reasons that most email discussion list hosts offer subscribers the option to receive individual emails or a daily digest of all messages. Some hosts also allow subscribers to read the list only on the web (by logging into the list archives at the host site, subscribers can choose how often they read the postings).
You never know what you may learn from others, who share your interests and goals. By communicating with other writers via discussion lists, you can potentially find support, advice, ideas and new resources.
Just as list size and posting frequency varies, the content and quality of messages are equally diverse depending upon the other participants and list owners. But the only way you'll find out if discussion lists can be beneficial to you, is by giving them a shot! You have nothing to lose - most are free! And you're usually not required to post messages or respond to others' messages, if you choose not to.
You can just sign up, read postings at your leisure and then decide whether you want to contribute or cancel your subscription!
Selecting a discussion list that will deliver what you want is obviously a subjective process. However, you may want to read some opinions of other writers, who have participated in various lists.
So why do writers subscribe to discussion lists?
"Subscribing to a writers list is the same as shopping for new shoes,'' says "Shydove." "It takes trial and error, but then you find the right group, the 'write' answers of which you can pick and choose at will."
"I chose a diverse group of writers in A Writing Parent as I am a stay at home grandmother.'' Shydove added. "New to online writing, and still seeking my muse and genre, there are varied questions I ask that someone is ready to answer. They have been more than willing to share their experience with me.''
"I generally subscribe because I want to be kept in touch but will not remember to visit as a favourite as mine are so many,'' says Jennifer Francis, who is currently subscribed to a few lists. "I am a member of two or three good ones covering public relations, sponsorship and sometimes the others present interesting articles and/or links. But convenience is the main issue for me to be kept in touch. I think it is an efficient way of being informed of a variety of thing that would take days of scanning newspapers, magazines and the fabulous opportunity of getting another take from likeminded people around the world."
"I'm a debut historical romance author, or at least I was when I joined the Tobeez email loop," says Cher

If you are a songwriter looking to get "plugged-in" to where the action is, consider joining a songwriting forum. This is a great way to meet other songwriters, share your ideas, promote your songs and/or lyrics, find resources and much more! As the Good Book says:"iron sharpens iron," which simply means that we grow and learn from the exchange of new ideas with others. A songwriting forum is a great place for this kind of exchange to take place and will also provide you with an opportunity to get some feedback on your material. Because songwriting is often a very personal experience, the idea of being vulnerable and exposing yourself may seem a bit scary at first. Many would rather keep their songs to themselves than face the possibility of rejection. But there will be little reward without some level of risk. In other words- "nothing ventured, nothing gained." So, don't allow yourself to be short-changed. Make a move to get involved and conquer your fear!When you do decide to join a songwriting forum, think of yourself as a student and be willing to learn. Also be willing to accept constructive criticism and try not to take it too personally. When reading someone's critique of your lyric, you should always strive to be objective. It can be very beneficial to look at your song through someone else's eyes, but don't feel you have to agree with everything they say! You are the only one who really knows your song and the history behind it. Don't feel that you have to compromise anything unless you see the benefit of doing so. But do carefully consider what others have to say because they might notice something that you have overlooked. It's important for you to be prepared to rewrite you lyric if necessary!If you have advice to offer to someone else in the songwriting forum, be gracious, but honest. No one will profit from your comments if you are not willing to share what you think. But having said that, you can do it tactfully. Always try to look for something good about a song in order to balance out anything negative you might have to say. Critiquing someone else's song can be another great way to hone your skills because you will learn to be more observant. Through the process of analyzing and then explaining your thoughts, you are bound to gain new insights for yourself. It's also likely that you will recognize different styles of writing and perhaps even learn to use words and phrases in ways that you never thought of.As you probably know, anyone who has a desire to be a professional recording artist should seriously consider developing this skill. Songwriting can "make or break" a career, so the more your learn about it, the better off you'll be. Songwriting can be another means to enhance your guitar playing too. So, whether you currently write your own songs, or just want to learn how, a songwriting forum may be the key to getting you started. Why not break out your pad and pencil and join one today!FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish this article in your e-zine or on your web site as long as you include the following information:Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years. For free guitar lessons, plus tips and resources on songwriting, recording and creating a music career, please visit: http://www.abclearnguitar.com

Getting people to post in your forum is probably the hardest thing to do. First, not all of your readers will post messages. In fact, only a small percentage will post regularly, and most will never post at all. Second, nobody want to be the first person to post a message. In fact, topic starters (people that start new topic of discussion) will be a small percentage of your posters; the rest will simply reply to topics that have been started.In order to get the forum to a point where it is self-sustaining, you will have to do a lot of work. Here are some tips that you can use to get your forum rolling:If nobody will start a post, start it yourself
Register yourself as several members (you with multiple identities) and talk to yourself. (Note that this will not work in forum with logged IP). This will create enough "seed" posts to get people to read and perhaps add replies of their own.Find topics that interest people
If you get a mental block and cannot find anything interesting to talk to yourself about, then go to other web sites and see what people in those communities are talking about in their forums. You can also look at usenet newsgroups. Digest these ideas and regurgitate them using your various identities.Advertise your forums relentlessly
Make sure your forum is accessible from every page of your site, particularly the index page. Make the link highly visible, or outright talk about it on the home page. Add a link to your web site and forum as part of your email, usenet and forum signature. Frequent other forums and mention your site and forum from time to time (be careful to comply to their rules and not to spam).Use your forums to support your web site
You can ask your visitors "What do you think about this article?" (or tool, tutorial, etc.) and ask them to post their comments in the forums. Additionally, use it as part of your customer support program. For instance, I use our web site forums to support our free PHP scripts.Use your forums to annouce new changes to your site
This is a great way to make announcement because people can write their thoughts about the new feature (or article) you've just added.Find allies
There are many webmasters that have the exact same delimas as yours. Look for sites with empty or low traffic forums and email these webmasters. Offers to join their forums and post a few messages, then ask them if they can return you the same favor. If they want to know why you are bothering them, ask them to read this article.Barter
Even if they don't have a forum, offer to write about their web site or add a link to their site in exchange for some posts.Recruit moderators
As your member population grows, find a few good posters (the ones that post high-quality messages and replies) and ask them if they want to help you moderate the forum. Give them more rights than other users so that they can edit and/or delete other people posts at their descretion. They will help you keep the forum in order, make sure all the rules are followed and help you answers questions. Many people are happy to take on this challenge.Do email follow up with your members
Send email to members that registered, but have not returned in a long time. Tell them what has change since their last visit and why it may be worthwhile for them to return to your site. Try to do this about once every quarter, but do not do this more than once a month. Be sure to respect their rights by including appropriate unsubscribe information and take their name off the mailing list at their request.Offer incentives
Some forums like this one offers incentives for forum members to make posts. For instance, we offers free advertising in exchange for posts.Hire a Professional
This would be my last option, but it may work for you. There are professional message posters out there that will participate in your forums by starting threads and posting replies. This is a good solution if you are really stuck and need someone else to help you get the forums going.Some other things to keep in mind is that you should start your forums small with perhaps 3-4 categories, then slowly expand and create more categories. This way, the forums does not look so empty. Additionally, some forums software has polling features. Use these to your advantage. Controversial polls and topics can create flurries of activity.Pinyo Bhulipongsanon is the owner of GreatNexus.com Webmaster Resources offering visitors with features such as webmaster forums, webmaster directory, webmaster dictionary, programming scripts, and webmaster articles.

If you have a website about a topic you enjoy, you can make money from discussion forums. Talk, post links to your site, get traffic. Traffic means money, right? If not, try different affiliate programs or Google Adwords. The worst sites should get a couple cents per visitor. Now here's how to talk and make money.Search "forum" plus the topic of your site on Google or Alta Vista. For my first site, I searched "backpacking + forum" and in the pages of results I found several good forums. I also searched related topics like "hiking" too. You can also check about.com, and other sites that have forums on many topics.Registration is usually giving your email address and choosing a password. Some forums allow guests to post without registering. Once registered, browse the forum topics, and post a response to anything, just to "learn the ropes".Income From Discussion ForumsThe point of posting in forums is to get readers to come to your web site. Sure it's fun to give advice and discuss things of interest to you, but that's secondary. With that in mind, do the following:1. Always link to your site. If they don't allow any links, find another forum.2. Don't "spam." Sales pitches will be removed. Offer honest advice, or express an opinion, then sign off with your name and the link to your site.3. Ask for help from others. This is an effective and acceptable way to "advertise." Enter a topic like "Can I get some advice?" and post something like, "I just started a meditation site. If some of you would visit and tell me what you think, I'd really appreciate it." Have a link to the site. People love to help, and to give opinions, and they'll click on those ads while they're at your site.4. Look at total "views." Many forums show the total times each "thread" has been viewed. When you see some with many more than others, get in on those, or start a new thread on the same topic. Go where the traffic is, and get some of it.I didn't like the idea of forums until I made a few posts, and saw my traffic and revenue climb for days afterwards. That convinced me. Just be polite, offer some value to others, and always have a link to your site. Many other secrets of using forums are covered in my newsletter, but this should be get you started. Talk and make money today.Steve Gillman writes on many money-related topics. To learn more, and to subscribe for FREE to "Web Site Optimization Secrets," go to: http://www.TheMoneyMakerSite.com

There are many business benefits to be realized by including a forum on your website. A forum is an area where individuals can converse on a regular basis about different topics and ideas as well as discuss your services and products. Of course, you can have different threads and decide more or less what topics are in your forum, but you will need to have people posting in your forum to keep interest and people returning.You know by now that the more repeat traffic you have the more likely you are to make sales to these individuals. A forum will have repeat traffic because individuals must return to your site to take part in the forum, and thus will look around your site at their leisure and ultimately buy something. However, you must be sure your forum is something worthwhile to return to and this is the reason to hire forum posters.Hiring forum posters simply means you pay certain individuals to write about specific topics in your forum to keep the conversation interesting and people returning to your website. This has been proven to work by many web pages and will most likely work for you as well. The only way this will not work is if the forum posters you hire do not post to the forum or else post threads that are completely off topic and not of any interest to your forum members. As long as the forum posters are doing their jobs you will realize an increased interest in the forum, your traffic and ultimately your sales.Of course, forums are not just for bonuses. Many people start forums to discuss topics which interest them. Even if your forum is run as a hobby, you could still benefit from using paid forum posters to increase your content and build interest for your guests.The bottom line is, no one will join an empty forum. This has been proven many times. In order for your forum to become successful, you need to have members posting. So why not spend a few bucks and hire someone to help build your community?Ron is the CTO for Dice Ventures Inc an internet holdings and development company.For more information on directory submission services check out Ron's website promotion service site or our visit our hosting forum to discuss forum hosting and other issues.

1) Gain an idea/keep in touch of what is happening in the Internet Marketing scene (strategies, product, news).2) Help others as well as yourself to solve a 'how to' problem whenever it crops up. This applies to the universal law of "Give before you can receive". Zig Ziglar once said, "To get what you want, help enough people to get what they want." The long-term implication is when you can show yourself as a consistent expert by continually contributing good answers whenever you can, people will remember you sooner or later. In fact, that is all some forum participants would only do as their focus.3) Promote your product or other products with your affiliate links when you recommend solutions.4) Create a sense of trust and bonding among fellow marketers in which real friendship can be establish over time (a sense of belonging).5) Share and learn from others through a mutual exchange of experience.6) Get a word-of-mouth recommendation to a proven product or service from people who have tried it instead of spending time to analyze various products on the Internet.7) Give and receive encouragement and motivation to/from fellow marketers.8) Participate in Joint Ventures to expand your business.9) Give special offers (discounts, giveaways etc.) that are only available in the forum.10) Give free products only to members of the forum.Justin Koh & Nelson Tan are the architects behind Internet Mastery Center (http://www.internetmasterycenter.com) and Fresh Resources (http://www.freshresources.com).You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.