Get leads by posting in forums?

I can't understand that how forums could increase traffic to your website just from your signature unless the forum contents are relevant to your website.Also spending too much time in a forum means less time on your business.
Though highly ranked forums may work
But I am sure that it can help you to share your views and get others opinion about any topic.

I hate ads on forums and facebook for that matter. When I read a post it is to 1) learn something 2) see if YOU know what your talking about. If the writer is pulling off these two over and over I know who I will go to if I want involvement in that industry.

I wonder who buys into some of these things I read spewed all over. I guess it must me the same group buying for tele-marketers.

Jan

ive posted in forums but get little return on investment but it could be worth it.

Like lots of people already mentioned, when you know what you are talking about or are sharing knowledge, people tend to click on your signature. I haven't posted much here, but when I do its normally a question on how to, or my opinion on a certain topic. I do a bit of ppc but I must say, I get quite a few leads from my posts. its virtually no investment that involves money. More like a bit of my time to learn something new or share what I have learned. I believe that no matter how much of a "guru" or "master marketer" you may think you are, there's always something to be learned.

Jose Roman: I believe that no matter how much of a "guru" or "master marketer" you may think you are, there's always something to be learned.
Amen to that. How can you be a leader if you don't learn?

fireman5214: ive posted in forums but get little return on investment but it could be worth it.
A lot has to do with how enticing your signature is.
Showing your affiliate ID in your sig is a sure killer.
Create a sense of mystery and cloak your links.

rammi: Though highly ranked forums may work
There is no question this WAHF is very highly rated in searches.
Not just for Work-At-Home, almost any subject on this board comes up on page 1.
Thanks to Vishal's hard work and constant vigilance plus all the great contributors.

Nothing works aswell as PPC
Forums should be used to supplement what your doing.

He/she who is in a good forum, such as this one, who participates in forums effectively, with a signature link that will appeal to the target audience of the respective forum WILL generate leads.

5 years of marketing online..
4.5 years of forum posting/marketing...
4.2 years of successfully, and consistently, growing my networking businesses in forums
4.2 years of forum marketing serving as my best free marketing method that gets results, and my number one recommendation to anyone in my field of home business - network marketing.

I love forum marketing, it works and is powerful, and most of all proven to get results. I recommend and training all team members to participate in it (now what they decided to do, is up to them, can make the horse drink the water).

I've shared the way to be successful at it and make it work, hands down. Based on experience and backed up results.

Now is it for everyone? No, there isn't any one marketing source that is, but anyone discounting it, that is looking for viable free marketing that works and suggest that forums are not amongst the top 1-3 ways to obtain targeted quality leads simply does Not know and understand how to effectively succeed with lead generation in forums.

All to often, people say a lead source does not work that is proven and effective for many others, and this generally comes down to the person not learning and apply from those that actually know, and staying consistent with that source of for leads.

Or this type of free online marketing, not being for that individual. Which is generally because the individual does not do the things to make the forum marketing work. Such is the same for all marketing, in truth.

In conclusion, it's not a matter of can you get leads from forum participation/marketing, but will you learn how to get leads from your participation and be consistent and learn to effective so that it does happen.

People fail to succeed in the best of biz opportunities because they fail to consistently Effectively market their biz opportunity. Free or paid. Most people need to build momentum first. However, most quit when the momentum is ready to manifest the desired result.

Here's marketing your home business in a nutshell.

Free marketing - time commitment and consistency, assuming effectiveness in the marketing, equals a steady steam of quality leads. That will grow your business.

Paid marketing - less time commitment, consistency (and effectiveness), fast leads generation that will grow your business. Too often people don't have the money to do the necessary amount of just consistent paid marketing, in the beginning.

However neither will allow you to avoid the "numbers game" of any lead activity to succeed in your respective business. And that is where people fail in their understanding of how to make marketing their business payoff.

A mixture of both, can be very rewarding.

One's goal with free marketing must be to get initially to an average of one quality lead a day. If that is not happening then you are simply not putting in enough time to make free marketing BEGIN to work. Ultimately, an average of a minimum of 3 leads a day has to be the goal in order to consistently get results month in and month out. Yes, generally, you need a 100 quality leads a month to refer anywhere from 3-5, even up to 10 people a month, every month.

Paid marketing can and does speed the above up, but often paid marketing lacks a truly targeted lead for the rate in which the lead is acquired. Therefore you CAN end up needing many more leads.

Of course there can be, and are, variables such as the type of biz, product or service, cost to join, etc. but I have found the said statements to be a general rule of lead generation for a networking home business.

I can add more, but the gist of this is that if you are looking for effective free marketing, particularly for a networking home business opportunity, 3 good forums in which you participate can do wonders for the growth of your business.

The challenge...finding the 3 good ones. The good news, you've go one already, if you are reading this.

joyforever: It makes sense that some people come to these forums because their home business is not working for them.
At the end of the day you must know how to generate your own leads. There is a 95% failure rate with biz-ops from home. It's not the opportunity that's at fault - it's knowing how to market, drive prospects to your phone, and have meaningful conversations.

Alta: I am not sure if I am understanding what is being stated here? How in the world can posting to forums build one's business. In my case, I spend a bit of time explaining my business to folks. I have only been in an online business since July. All of my efforts have come from hard work promoting my business and building my organization. If there are some special tricks to this thing, I need an education. Best to all! Alta
My oh my! Posting to a forum started, built and propelled my business. The again, I am not really in the make money online niche. It takes time, you can't just pop in with one or two posts and an add and expect to get results.

I spent two years posting on a forum. I became mentor, then moderator. It paid me nothing. The only traffic I ever got was from the members viewing my profile which happened to be linked to a Squidoo lens. I have made a nice chunk of change with this avenue alone.

Fast forward, the forum closed, I opened a new one a few days ago and the posters are following me. Never underestimate the power of just being real, and interacting with people.

I never have to explain a thing. It all just flows. If you are spending a lot of time explaining, you may want to rethink a few things.

If you start a thread on a forum, it can be powerful as well. This lightbulb just went off in my head not too long ago, and it may be common knowledge.

The forum that I now have, when I start a topic, I do keyword research first and base the title of the thread around that. Low and behold a week or so later I google that keyword and the thread is on the first page of Google.

So many many possibilities.

Forums are great ways to get your ideas and programs higher in the google search rankings. I have effectively used this forum to promote myself and so many people that have looked at my opportunity have seen it because of post I have made here.

I find the leads in targeted forums better than article marketing. It really depends heavily on which forums you go to. If you are in health forum, and your business has to do with cars, then you are not going to get much out of it.

You can also acquire leads by attraction marketing. Rather than advertise your opportunity, you pretty much market and advertise yourself instead. People join people, not businesses. Period.

For every 50 no, I get about 1 yes from getting leads in forums. You can also try article marketing to get leads.