Forums - Marketing Tool or Not?

From time to time I will offer an opinion about a subject or area of marketing. This is one of those times.

Earlier today I was looking through some training material I received awhile back. One of the areas suggested for marketing purposes was forums. There were several carefully laid out strategies as to how many non-sales posts you need to make before hitting them with the sales pitch. Depending on the forum it ranged from 10 to 50.

I started to think about this and the more I thought about it, the more it started to bother me. Perhaps I am somewhat of a purest, but I feel that a forum should be a free exchange of ideas and advice. It seems somewhat disingenuous to me to submit posts while counting down the ticker to when you can present your sales opportunity.

There are plenty of places you can and should use for sales. I feel that a forum is not one of them. If you want to provide a link to your blog in your profile, that's fine. That way it is as a result of your contributions that someone else wants to find out more about you. This is a legitimate use of a forum. I guess I feel that there should be some place to go where you are not constantly bombarded with a sales pitch.

The unfortunate reality of the situation is that there ar those that will try to push the envelope to the extreme. They have no regard for the intention of the instrument or regard for others. They are only there for their own selfish interests. They only provide input as a means to an end. There is no genuine desire to be helpful or share anything of value. It is just another vehicle to gain prospects.

I would discourage you from using forums for this purpose. Do not participate unless you are genuinely interested in the subject being discussed. If you do get involved in the discussion, provide valuable input and ask questions because you are really looking for an answer. Leave the selling for another area. Let forums be a place for sharing of information and camaraderie.

To your success,
Bruce A. Bennett