Forums are a great way to drive targeted traffic to your site, but you must tread lightly when you’re using forums as a traffic source. Make sure that the forum is on the same topic as the site/product you want to drive traffic to. If it’s not, you won’t get anywhere.

Once you find a targeted forum, you can’t just go in and spam the forum without posting any content first, because nobody will trust you. They have to know that you’re a real person, that you know what you’re talking about, and that you are taking the time to contribute to their forum.

Forum Signature

You’ll want to join the forum and introduce yourself, set up your signature with relevant sites, and start answering questions and making worthwhile posts. If you do this, and offer genuinely good content, you’ll generate quite a reputation, and people will visit the links in your signature.

Don’t just copy and past the cookie cutter advertisements from the affiliate program you’re marketing, or the opportunity you just joined. Be creative; spend a little time developing some catchy link text, and then people will click to your site to check it out. If it’s boring, or they’ve seen it over and over and over, they’ll ignore it.

In-Post Advertising

Then, when a topic comes up where you can mention your website as a resource, do it. But make sure you say that it’s your website, because there’s nothing worse than hearing someone talk all about this website that they found, and how good it is, and then claim to have nothing to do with it when they actually do. Same with if you’re listing your affiliate link, tell them it’s your affiliate link, and list the regular URL too. This will add to your credibility, because now you’re not just pitching the product to make money, you’re giving them a valuable resource. Most people will follow your affiliate link and give you credit for the sale. If you’re honest and genuine, people will reward you for it.

DO NOT only post in topics where you can advertise, though, because then you won’t build any kind of relationship with the forum; you won’t have their trust. Post your thoughts, your answers, your questions, everything. Help them, work with them, and seek help from them. This relationship will prove invaluable time and time again.