Getting the most mileage out of this or any forum...

That is so true Vishal, I think getting the most mileage out of forums is very important. Selling something doesn't get really get great results anymore anymore. I also think it's more about creating value for others and the amount of results you get for them through information, products or coaching or whatever is the amount you get back. But there are a lot of other things I believe people also need to have done a few other things to get a little better traffic that buys. It has to be profitable in my opinion or become profitable unless it's a charity and you can become profitable and donate to it but if it's from a forum, I really do believe it should be after you've taken a look on the search engines for a good traffic source for you and has potential. What opportunities are there? The problem is that most people go where all the traffic is but really dont think about what might work best for them. There are a lot of forums with less people and less competitors with way more profitable traffic for both, than top forums. More works better too but what works for some doesnt work for others and what may work for you may not work for anybody else on that forum.

There are many different types of traffic sources. You can find a profitable forum that works for you. You can find a profitable forum on a blog that works for you. You can help out some website owners and get involved by commenting on their blog and answering questions on the same site. You can write for them when they are away. The problem is that once people find the perfect forum they don't give it enough time and enough effort. People go from one to another over and over. If any traffic source, one that's moderated well, has great conversation going on you can get involved and digg into that source. Spend more time and effort than anybody else helping with great answers as well as other things.

I believe people have to think ahead and ask the question, can I compete? A lot of traffic sources are already dominated by people that knows what works for them in their niche. Then if you believe you can, make it one of your long term sources and master it as well as master what people are asking. Choose what you want to become an expert in. Mastering forums that have people that see you as helpful and a giving person will always want more. If you have a fully functional site and sell related products you can become the go to person in your niche for sure. You can always become a true expert. People don't believe that but anyway, people spend so much time on so many traffic sources that they don't have time to master or dominate their top 2 or 3 traffic sources, no matter if it's a blog, forum, website or whatever. I really like this forum though. Haven't spent much time on it in a while and haven't really looked around but I like the questions and answers people give here. This is a great conversation !

 

Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum. Thanks for having me. After reading this post, it make allot sense, Vishal thanks for sharing this.

 

If you don't learn the lesson of the OP early, you will in the end. The universal law - we give and then we receive. Not sure how it works but it always does!

 

Yes 100% true Sammy,

The universe is a weird beast. But like you said, don't worry about how you will receive or obtain your desired result.

. Share your knowledge, help people out and no matter how but you will get back what you give. Not immediately though and that's what people don't understand. The only thing a lot of people want is receiving without giving.

I like the way you think Sammy!

Kind Regards,

Bert Declercq
Young Motivated Entrepreneur

 

I agree with everything you just said Vishal. I think most people are just looking for lots of ways to get leads quickly. I think everybody went through this fase right? We all look for the magic shortcut when we are very unexperienced. After a while the hard reality gets to you anyway and that's where your post comes in perfectly. Be real and actaully be willing to help people out on this forum instead of getting a few bucks out of them.

I learn every single day from this forum, great topics, great people!

Kind Regards,

Bert Declercq
Young Motivated Entrepreneur

 

Interesting topic,

Having been on the internet even before it went commerical, back when it was used for educational entities, it was obvious that it would be a tremendous tool to learn from, and to earn from, and in each of these examples, it has become true.

Having seen it all, I believe forums are a great place to get to know others while you learn more and more each day. In addition, when you care enough to share your knowledge, then forums can be very helpful, but as we all know, spam now rules the internet and in time I see this as hurting the industry more than helping it. More and more private forums are popping up which is the future as I see it. Public forums are dying and I have seen more than a few go under over the years.

Just as this one is for sale, so too are others, and you have to ask yourself why? Just look at the activity levels of each forum, and I am on dozens on a regular basis, and each of them has dramatically dropped in posts, so is this the future of open forums, sadly, yes, they are all going to suffer in the end. Some of the most popular forums I have been on for over a decade are crumbling as less and less helpful caring sharing people are exploiting the forums with hit and run posts, short meaningless posts, garbage posts, or worse, pure spam. It is the sign of the times as the competition for leads and prospects grows and grows.

Will this or other forums for online or home based businesses survive, I doubt it, but I am hopeful some will for they are a great place to learn from, and eventually earn from the others who have been on forums for decades. For those who are on several forums, you see the same people for years, and these are the dedicated few who do make a forum successful or not. Again, as one who tracks posts and activity, it is dropping off quickly, so one has to wonder why, so just as we have all shared experiences here, it helps understand what is helpful and what isn't. After all, time is money, and money makes time, so I would hate to see all my posts helping others with their businesses go to waste when a forum dies.

Simply put, if you go back and check on old posts made by someone, and if they are all self serving, nothing helping all the newbies or those who want to learn, then you know who to believe and who not to believe. I have always been one who cares to share, pay it forward, people helping people works at building long term relationships online. Some of my best friends originated online, and many I have never met personally, so forums do build relationships, just ignore the one post wonders. What I have seen over the years is the legitimate home business forums have become cesspool for HYIP money scams, binary option scams, adclick and exchange scams, pure ponzi pyramid scams, simply amazing how much crap has come out and dominated these forums over the last few years which is main reason in my opinion forum posting is drying up on real legitimate home business forums. Time will tell, but the trend is not favorable for forums like this which happens to be one of my favorites.

Success to all,

 

loves this post i am a newbie, just wanted you to know that i feel this was well said. its so hard to find real nowadays.
the online marketing industry can be great but when there is nothing but content selling all the time. you never know who to trust.

Thanks for this post

 

Wise words! I've always said, Quality over Quantity. If you provide quality (products, information, services, whatever) then you will see results. Nothing in life is INSTANT. Be patient, enjoy the journey. With time comes wisdom

 

Agreed and that is so true when it comes to traffic as well.

I'd rather have 10 visitors that turn into 1 conversion than 1,000 visitors that turn into zero conversions lol.

 

In today scenario quality matter as compare to the quantity.

 

Just joined. My name is John.

Thanks for having me in your forum. Still have to look around, in the main time I have ¨liked¨ and shared the forum.

Looking forward to learn and share for a long time to come.

John

 

I am a newbie, this is my first forum and my first time trying to be sell online...Thanks for the pointer!! It makes a lot of sense to just be yourself and let people judge for themselves.

 

I sincerely agree to the commentary of Vishal. I, for myself also experienced this type of posts on facebook which is probably the same to some posts in some forums where they promote their own businesses and products. Everytime those kind of posts appear on my wall, it always come to my mind, why are they still posting those kind of information wherein no one cares to look at or maybe give a like or at least a comment. Thus, it bothers most of the people seeing that and thinking, when will this kind of posts stop. It makes them annoyed.

In my own experience, this kind of tactic or whatever you want to call it will not work now, but building relationships to your readers will actually make you likable and trusted because you are true and does not hype any kind of things. For me, this is the key to have long term partners and subscribers that will follow your truthfulness and leadership.

 

Vishal's post pointed me down a better path. I can definitely relate to the house analogy. My parents had a house built by a less than straight and narrow contractor. It was all about time in his eyes and also in their eyes. I don't like saying it but in my outer perspective they chose fast and cheap versus longer and maybe more expensive. Well corners were cut and all the different possibilities and even possible problems were not discussed. The house was built but after several years the problems that kept showing up just proved to my parents and myself that money was the only thing on the contractors mind instead of love and care for constructing a house that would be the home for their client for years to come. A motto with my own variation from One Piece that I just love. When you do what you love to do, do it with Gusto.

 

I must say, I am very glad that I read this before I just started randomly posting. Thanks so much for the insight. I appreciate it!!

 

thanks for the advice