Blogging Tips

Spend little time in forums and still get every single benefit out of it.

Wondering how some people almost always get great results using forum for a short amount of time while you are spending hours replying to forum topics and yet not seeing any good result?

If you said yes to the above question, you should read this post. I used to spend 3-4 hours everyday, sometimes even 7 hours a day in forums, and get nothing out of it. But I have changed since then. I don’t spend more than 3 hours in forums every week (3 hours a day to 3 hours a week). And above all, I enjoy every single benefit of using it.

In the last week’s post on the secrets to building relationship with forum members, Patti Stafford commented the following:

The worst part about using forums is spending too much time in them. If you find one that is current and active, you can lose hours just poking around and replying to topics.

Thanks Patti Stafford for making that point. It is something almost every forum users find hard to overcome.

Here are 3 tips for you to use forums effectively

1. Don’t reply to a topic if you have nothing to say

I used to reply to almost all the posts in a forum. It used most of my time. But if you want to use forums effectively, reply to topics that you can provide value to. Don’t post with one line answers. When you post a single line reply, it will not be read by most people and therefore it is like a reply that was never made. Choose the topics that you can answer very well and reply only to those. Don’t make it too big either. Few paragraphs would do. Make sure you answer a topic clearly.

2. Have a specific time allocated everyday for forums

Don’t stay for hours in forums spending 98% of the time refreshing the forum, waiting for a new thread to be created for you to reply. I can tell you that most people don’t even reply to one post in every 10 posts they read. I was like that. I used to read, read and read without replying to anything. You should read only the headline of a topic and decide whether you have anything of value to contribute.

3. Offer Freebies

I have already pointed out offering freebie as way to build relationship with forum members. One another advantage of offering freebies is that you will be remembered for a long time because you offered something valuable to the community. This way you can significantly reduce the time you spend in forums. Give a freebie and visit the forum only one hour every week. The members will still remember you.

If you are convinced that forums are a great way to establish yourself as an expert and also build relationship with people in your niche, start using forums now. And don’t forget the above three tips to use forums effectively.

Do you use forums? Do you spend a lot of time in forums? Were these tips helpful to you? Please share your views in the comments.