Forum is a place where you see many bloggers and build relationship with them. Though the main aim of forums is not building relationship, bloggers of today take it like that. I joined forums mainly to get more friends. With friends, you can do anything much better. The bloggers in the forums will be most probably of the same niche. Once they become your friend, you can exchange favors(and this might be anything).
Forums are there for almost every niche. Since this blog is about blogging and making money online, I frequent only money making and blogging forums. The two best forums I visit often are:
1. Authority Blogger Forum – Maintained By Chris Garrett(ChrisG)
2. Blogging Tips Forum – Maintained By Kevin(Blogging Tips)
Few reasons why I participate in forums and why you should are below:
1. I Get To Know Other Bloggers Of My Niche:
In the forums, if you participate actively, you can get new friends/bloggers of your niche. If they become your friend, you can talk with them in the IM and help each other. You can post links to his/her blog in the Links Round Up(if you have one) and in return the other blogger will also give you a link. You can help in many other ways.
2. I Learn Many Things:
In the forums, people talk about different things. They talk about Google’s Page Rank Update and they also talk about the upcoming events(like Blog Action Day). When you read all these things, you learn a lot. These might be of help to you any time in the future.
3. I Get My Questions Answered:
You always get questions if you start thinking about something. At these times, forums come to help you. There might be so many people in the forums who would have got the same question before and already know the answer for it. So when you make a post about it, you will be answered. I recently asked a question in the Authority Blogger’s Forum and these people came to help me: Michael Martin, Chris Garrett and Glen Allsopp.(I will blog about this in two or three days after I get a reply from MyBlogLog with whom I had the problem. Not serious one though.)
4. I answer Other People’s Question:
The joy you get by helping others cannot be explained. Surely most of us would love to help others. Forums is a best place where you can help others. By helping you will be liked by others in the forum. This will result in more friends and hence more help to you when you need it.
5. I Get Readers And Subscribers Too:
Forums allow the members to use Signature which is the link to your blog/site or whatever you want(non-adult links). When you answer a person, he/she might visit your blog and if he/she feels your blog has good content, then they become your subscribers. Not only does the person whom you answer visit your blog, but also other bloggers.
6. I Earn Money:
Now how will participating in forums help you make money? Here’s how it will. You get friends in the forum, so when you recommend a good program using your affiliate then more people will tend to join. This will make you money. Though I don’t recommend you to spam the forum. If there is a topic already existing about the affiliate program you use, then use kind words and tell them it your referral link. Don’t worry. People will join through your referral. As I said, people love to help others and also they like to see others earn money. One more thing is that, many people say,
“Money Is In The List”
So if the visitors from the forums subscribe to your blog, they join your list. And as the list grows, you make more money.
As you see there are so many reasons to participate in forums. If you have any other reason, you can tell me in the comment or even write a post about it(It would be great if you link back here). You can also share the links of other forums which you feel to be good(I know Site Point and Digital Point. Tell few other forums which need buzz).
