There are thousands of newsgroups and forums online.
They provide a fascinating and useful insight into the
minds and methods of others who share our interests.
They also act as an amazing resource for finding out
almost anything you absolutely need to understand .

Want your site critiqued? Ask at a forum.
Want to know how to salvage Outlook? Ask at a forum.
Want to understand if a particular book is assessment of value buying? Ask
at a forum.

Almost anything is fair game - providing it is
reasonably on topic. And dropping in to forums is a
nice way for newcomers to a field to rub shoulders
with the old hands.

This openness leads to a temptation that is repeated
over and over again. "Ah," many people think, "a highly
distingguished market! I must post an ad for my site and
watch them beat my door down to buy my wares."

Wrong. That is the fastest way to oblivion.

Forums are not selling notice boards. They are not
like the pin board in the kitchen that anyone might put
up a for sale ad on.

Forums are much more like the coffee machine or the
water cooler. People hang out, swap ideas, chat for a
while. They do not want someone popping up every five
minutes trying to sell them something. They are trying
to chill out.

That is the warning. But like all warnings, it has a
caveat: there are ways to get your branding communication
across - if you follow the unwritten rules.

So I figured Id write those unwritten rules down.

The key to branding on forums and newsgroups is
not to.

As soon as you put up a post that even looks remotely
like an advertisement , you will usually either be removed by a
moderator or flamed by incensed members. Quite right.
They didnt inquire of for your commercial break and they
certainly do not appreciate your intrusion.

Then, the worst thing of all happens: your reputation
is shot. Anyone in business should have a mind to the
long term. It is pointless to try to earn alot of cash from
one promotion - the real worth of promoting is repeat
business. Spam the boards and forums and you will
quickly find that the word spreads. Nobody will want to
do business with you.

It isnt just buyers you will put off. The most
successful all the people online harness the power of joint
ventures - doing a deal with another marketer to sell
your product for a commission. If you become known as a
spammer, joint ventures will be a closed avenue for
you. Nobody will touch you.

But dont despair. There is a solution. It is to take a
softly, softly approach.

First, read every post on your target boards. Look out
for recurring themes as they will often guide you to
areas you might research. Many an info merchandise has been
born from questions raised on forums.

Next, whenever there is a question or comment that you
may add to - do so. Answer questions generously and
without trying to push any product or accomadation .

If the board allows it (and it is vital to check the
rules), put a very short hyperlink to your web site in your
signature line. But on no account mention it in your
communication .

For example, I might sign myself off like this:

Martin Avis
www.BizE-zine.com - Free Business Insights Every Friday

Every once in a while inquire of a relevant question. And
always graciously thank anyone who answers you, even if
you dont agree with them. That way you are not just
being polite, but you are also doubling your postings.
Never, ever enter into an argument over someones reply
to you - however rude they may seem.

Over time, you will become a known member of the board.
People will appreciate your input and you will become
an accepted member.

When that time comes, you can begin to occasionally
mention your accomadation or merchandise in posts, furnishing the
relevancy is definately clear. But only those.

This way, the boards will become an excellent advertising
medium for you.

Any other way and you will get nowhere.

If this all sounds in any way cynical, I guess it is.
But it is based on the real, hard reality of Internet
etiquette: People do business with all the people they like.
Add trust to that and you see the whole photo .