by Rebekah Jones
One of the first uses of the Internet was the Bulletin Board, or online forum. Back in the early days, people would log in to the Internet and post questions or comments and others would answer or reply. This way of conducting conversations caught on fairly quickly and forums are an integral part of our online usage today.
Finding the Right Forum
To get started in using online forums, you must first find the right forum or two for your area of expertise. Using your favorite search engine, try searching for "your target market" plus the word "forum" or "discussion board". Chances are, you'll receive a myriad of results. Take some time to visit a few of these forums to judge the activity and see if there are enough people actually communicating to make this a worthwhile investment of your time and resources.
Creating Forums
If you have an established website, you may want to consider creating a forum yourself. This forum can speak directly to those in your target market. For instance, you could create a forum for First Time Homebuyers. Give it a catchy name based on keywords that folks use when searching for first time home buying information, and start posting valuable information. Allow others to join and ask questions or leave comments. And then reply to them, creating a relationship.
How to Respond on Forums
Once you've found the perfect forum to begin to use, make sure that you are careful about self-promoting. Be sure to read the rules and regulations for the forum, as each one is different. Some have special days where you are free to post advertisements or promote your services. Others only allow you to put one active link in your signature, while still others have a requirement that you post X number of times before being allowed to have a signature or send an advertisement.
Bonus Tip: By constantly providing good, quality information and answers for other people, you are establishing your expert status and will build client-generating relationships! Forums are a great way to begin to market yourself online.
And now I would like to invite you to claim your Free Instant Access to my e-course, "Your First Social Network" when you visit http://www.YourFirstSocialNetwork.com. This beginners guide to Social Networking will help you take that next step in marketing Real Estate online!
From Rebekah Jones, Real Estate Virtual Assistant and the MyRealtySuccess.com network.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebekah_Jones
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