There are many different types of forums, beyond the obvious topical types, of “marketing” or “special interest”, etc. “Marketing” and “special interest” are two types of what are generally referred to as “open forums”.
There are, nonetheless, business and professional forums, which do not operate under the same rules and, more often than not, prohibit any and all types of advertising or self-promotion. Forums that have been created to support the membership of a specific program are especially adamant on this topic and often require that all members refrain from all types of advertising on their sites.
However, even with all these hurdles, it is still possible to successfully advertise in forums. In all cases a pre-requisite for success is developing a good reputation and a good relationship and sustaining both. So, whilst it is true that this a form of free advertising, it does demand a certain amount of investment as far as time and energy are concerned, let alone subtly and finesse.
To successfully market on any forum, the first prerequisite is to take a personal interest in the main topic of the forum. That means visiting it on a frequent basis and building up a good relationship with both the members and the moderators. It, also, means assuming an active roll in the conversations and being willing to help others. Naturally, it goes without saying that this means that you must comply with any and all rules that exist. In this way, you can develop a reputation, and business will simply develop naturally because humans are inclined to work with people they trust.
Since the primary function of a forum is the exchange of information and/or ideas, marketers must respect that objective and abide by it. Marketing forums, where everybody there has something to advertise and sell, usually have even more stringent rules.
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Totally agree with you, because some newbies think that “forums are place to drive traffic via signature file. I think all of them should read your article