Against Closed Eyes In Marketing

It’s possible thatlike the thought of marketing and salesthe thought of networking may make you cringe. When most service professionals hear the word “networking,” they think of the old school business mentality of promotional networking at meet-and-greet events where everyone is there to schmooze and manipulate one another in an attempt to gain some advantage for themselves or their business.

Who wouldn’t cringe at the thought of spending an hour or two exchanging banalities and sales pitches with a phony smile plastered on your face to hide your discomfort? If it feels uncomfortable, self-serving, and deceptive, chances are all those business cards you collected will end up in a drawer of your desk never to be seen again because you’ll so dread following up that you’ll procrastinate until they’re forgotten.

Take heart! There is good news! It doesn’t have to be that way! The Book Yourself Solid Small Business Networking Strategy operates from an entirely different perspective; it’s all about connecting and sharing with others. All that’s necessary is to shift your perspective from one of scarcity and fear to one of abundance and love. With the Book Yourself Solid Networking Strategy, the focus is on sincerely and freely giving and sharing, and by doing so, building and deepening mutually beneficial relationships with others. It’s all about making lasting connections.

Networking Events for Small Business OwnersWhat To DoIf You Want More Clients

Do arrive on timeThis is not the time to stage a grand entrance by being fashionably late or to tell any stories about why you’re late. Nobody cares. If you’re late and it’s noticed, apologize and leave it at that.

Do relax and be yourselfContrary to conventional wisdom, you don’t have to fit in. It may sound trite, but be yourself, unless when you’re being yourself you end the evening with your tie wrapped around your head doing a nose dive into the shrimp salad. But seriously, people want to meet the person who is out in front, who is writing the rules and taking the lead, not the one who is following the pack. So don’t be afraid to be fully self-expressed. If you are you’ll be more memorable.

Do smile and be friendlyBoth men and women may worry that smiling too big will be construed as some sort of a come-on or that they’re desperate for attention. This fear of being misunderstood will hold you back. Let it go! Better to err on the side of a big, friendly smile than to be considered unfriendly or standoffish.

Do focus on givingIf your focus is on giving of yourself, you’re going to get returns in spades. If you focus on what you can get, you will be much less successful.

Do prepare for the eventLearn the names of the organizers and some of the key players. Identify what and how you can share with others at the function: who you know (without being a name dropper), what you know (without being a know-it-all), and what you can share from your heart (without making assumptions) with the people who will be at this particular event. You never know what might change someone’s life.

Do introduce yourself to the person hosting the eventThis person may be a very valuable addition to your network. Never forget to say, “Thank you.”

Do introduce yourself to the big-wigIf there’s someone you want to meet at a big seminar or event, someone famous in your industry, do you go up to them and say, “Here’s what I do and here’s my business card”? No! You start by offering praise. You say, “I just want to tell you your work had a great effect on me,” or “Your work inspired me to do this or that.” Then the next time you are at the same event you might say, “I would just love to hold your coffee cup.” Meaning, “I would love to assist you in some way that would add value to your life or work.” She may say, “I don’t think so,” but what have you got to lose? Then again, she may respond by saying, “Yeah, you seem like a really genuine and considerate person. I’ve got some stuff you can do.” Don’t forget that successful and busy people always have more on their plate than they can reasonably handle. They’re always looking for talented people to help make their life easier. If you can help reduce someone’s stress level, you’ve made a friend for life.

Do offer something when first meeting someone, whenever possibleOffer praise (as in the above example), compassion, or a connection. When you can say, “I know someone you’ve got to meet,” or “There’s a great book I think may offer the solution to your problem,” they are going to see you very differently than the person who shoved a business card in their face and said, “Let’s stay in touch, dude.” If you can leave them feeling even better, more uplifted, and energized after their interaction with you, they’re going to remember you.

Do start conversations by asking questionsThis is a great approach, especially if you’re nervous. It takes the spotlight off of you and allows the other person to shine. It allows you to learn something new at the same time.

Do identify two or three things you’d like to learn from the people at the functionPeople are drawn to others who are curious and interested.

Do make eye contactIt expresses respect and interest in the person you’re speaking with. And stay focused on the person you’re speaking with. If you’re speaking with me, but you’re eyes are constantly scanning the room for someone more important or relevant to you, don’t you think it might make me feel unappreciated?

Do wear comfortable clothingIf you’re constantly fidgeting or worrying about how you look in clothes that aren’t comfortable or don’t fit properly, you’ll be self-conscious and others will sense it.

Do take the initiativeGo up to people and make friends. People love to be asked about themselves, their hobbies, or their family. This is the time to get to know a few personal tidbits that will give you the opportunity to find a common interest that makes connecting easier and more natural.

Do offer a firm handshakeHold your drink in your left hand. This eliminates the need to wipe your damp hand on your slacks before shaking hands. And, guys, don’t think you need to shake hands differently with a woman than you do with a man. A firm handshake (not a death grip) is always appropriate.

Do be inclusiveAsk others to join your conversations; this is very important. Don’t monopolize people, especially those who are in high demand, like the speaker from the event. It makes the speaker uncomfortable. Remember, they’re there to meet lots of people too. It also annoys others who want to meet the person you’re trying to keep to yourself. Tip: if you want to help, ask the speaker if there is anybody you can introduce her to, or simply be sure to keep including people in your conversations with her. This way, you’ll be seen as a very generous and open person by the others at the event, and the speaker will remember you as someone who helped them easily network and navigate the event.

Do ask for a business card and then keep in touchIt’s your responsibility to ask for a card if you want one, and it’s your responsibility to follow up. Quality not quantity counts when making genuine personal connections. If you race through an event passing out and collecting business cards from anyone and everyone as though there were a prize for the most cards gained at the end of the event, you’ll do yourself a huge disservice. And remember, just because someone gives you their business card does not mean you have permission to add them to your mailing list or e-zine list. You do not. You can certainly send a personal email as a follow up, and you should, but you should not and cannot add them to your list. You don’t have permission to do so. This is a pet peeve of mine. I feel that 25 percent of the time I’m asked for my business card at a conference, I end up on another newsletter list. Not cool.

Do have a pen with you alwaysWhen you receive a business card, write a little note about any commitment to follow up, what you talked about, any personal bits or unusual things that will help you to remember the person and to personalize future contact, and be sure to include the date and name of the function where you met.

Networking Events for Small Business OwnersWhat Not To DoIf You Want More Clients

Don’t try to be coolAnd don’t over compensate for your nervousness by bragging about your success; this is a major turn-off.

Don’t let “What do you do?” be the first question you askLet it come up naturally in conversation.

Don’t sit with people you know for the majority of the eventWhile it may be more comfortable to sit with the people you know, it becomes too easy to stay with them, and if you do, you’ll defeat the purpose of being there. Step out of your comfort zone and get to know new people.

Don’t juggle multiple itemsTravel light to eliminate the necessity of juggling your coat, purse, briefcase, drink, or buffet plate. Keep that right hand free for handshakes and for jotting down quick notes on any business cards.

Don’t complain about networking or the event you’re attendingDon’t complain about anythingperiod. The cycle of complaining is easy to get drawn into, especially at events where almost everyone is a bit uncomfortable. While complaining is an ice breaker, it’s not an attractive one. Change the subjectfor example, “Have you tried the shrimp?” or take the opportunity to recommend this great book, Book Yourself Solid, and how it’s transformed the way you think about networking events.

Don’t take yourself too seriouslyRemember to relax and have fun. We’re all just people.

You Are Always Networking and Marketing Your Small Business and Professional Services

Your profits will come from connections with people who can send you business. Whether that’s by way of a satisfied client who refers others to you; or another professional who has the ability to book you for speaking engagements, write about you, or partner with you; or the manager at the video store who appreciates your big, friendly smile each weekend and the recommendation for a great baby-sitter you made when he desperately needed one.

With the Book Yourself Solid Small Business Networking Strategy, the prospect of creating a phenomenal network of connections doesn’t have to be overwhelming or intimidating. We all network constantly, with everyone, every day. Now we just need to do it consciously, with greater awareness, until doing so becomes a natural and comfortable part of our daily lives.

Then follow-up. Keep in touch. It is imperative that you get every one of your connections into your database and act on each connection. If the contact isn’t in your database or you don’t take the action necessary to keep in touch, your networking is pointless. Have some form of this database with you at all timesPDA, planner, personal address bookso you can instantly connect others rather than having to get back to them.

Get more clients with Michael Port, expert marketing coach for small business owners and professional service providers. Free small business resources, networking opportunities, articles, advice and coaching on professional services marketing at http://www.michaelport.com . Receive a free chapter from “Book Yourself Solid” at http://www.bookyourselfsolid.com

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There’s a lot of information around about how to network effectively; which presupposes that it is an art to be learned. But there is also a case for laying down the guidelines for how NOT to network.

Successful networking is, in the end, another application of good people skills. You would not expect to endear yourself to someone if your eyes are constantly wandering off round the room while he/she was talking to you.

Still, at some point everyone will end up, cornered, at the networking event from hell. On such occasions it is as well to remember the old adage: “There is no failure, only feed-back”. While the event may be less than successful, you can at least derive some small benefit from it by registering all the pitfalls you personally have not fallen into.

Cardinal rules of how not to network include the following:

1) Do not attend a networking event with your mother if you are 45 or over. It tends not to project you in the most credible light.

2) Do not tell fellow networkers the precise calorie content of what they were just about to pitch into with gusto. It tends to make them feel bad about themselves, and therefore also about you also. It really is not the best way to make friends and influence people.

3) Do not launch into endless stories about obscure relatives or acquaintances of yours who your fellow networkers don’t know, are never likely to meet and most likely would not wish to know, now that you have divulged every detail of their personal and professional life.

4) If, for some inexplicable reason, you have brought your elderly mother and she shows signs of revealing that your business is struggling so badly that she is your book-keeper, company secretary, cleaner, salesman and banker, then GAG HER, forthwith. Better public suicide than public character assassination.

5) Do not visit a stream of consciousness narrative about your entire working life on those around you. It’s just possible that they may find it less fascinating than you do.

6) Do not whinge on about excessive portion size when other people are demolishing vast quantities with all the finesse of a famished Rottweiller. It may - just - embarrass them enough to get a 100g unchewed mouthful of meat stuck in their craw.

7) Do NOT start asking who wants a doggy bag and threaten to foist your left-overs on other people. (It’s strange, I know, but they might just not want to depart with your left-overs in a pocket of their business suit, or even wrapped in a paper napkin in their best handbag.)

Do consider that the purpose of the event is to circulate and find out a little about as many of your fellow networkers as possible. They will appreciate your interest in them, however transient.

9) Do bear in mind that a networking event doesn’t have to be an endurance test. He/she who stays longest in one place mesmerising a prey who has lost the will to live does not win.

Common sense should be enough to ensure universal adherence to the above rules. Unfortunately, as the old adage goes, common sense can be an uncommon quality.

(C) 2006 Annie Kaszina

Annie Kaszina Ph D, is a coach and writer with a passion for helping women to rebuild their confidence and get their life back on track after divorce, relationship breakdown or years spent out of the workplace raising a family. Annie is the author of “The Woman You Want To Be”. This ebook will teach you how you can love yourself first, so that you can create strong self-belief and build the fulfilling future you’re looking for on firm foundations.

To find out more and sign up to Annie’s free bi-monthly ezine visit http://www.joyfulcoaching.com You can email Annie at: annie@joyfulcoaching.com

Feel free to reprint this article on your website or in your ezine, just include the resource box.

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Have you heard of six degrees of separation? It is a theory that any two randomly-selected people in the world can connect with six or fewer intermediaries. That means there are only six people (or fewer) between you and anyone you want or need to meet.

Of course, the trick can be figuring out who those six people are. The key to making links is that each of us belongs to many communities and has friends and acquaintances who span a number of groups. Thus, it is possible to make random connections between people, but you can also use this idea to make a targeted connection.

Let’s say you wanted to reach the CEO of a major corporation. Do you know someone who works there? Someone who is a vendor or supplier? Where did the CEO go to school–do you know anyone else who went there? Do you know someone who lives in the same town? If not, who do you know who might know someone who fits any of these categories?

Let the people around you know that you are trying to reach this person. You probably don’t know everyone they do. Your friend or co-worker may have a connection you never would have imagined. I watched this work at a conference. The speaker got a few people to ask the group for help contacting someone they wanted to reach. Within moments, connections had been made to several people, including a former US president!

Perhaps you are hoping for a product endorsement, a chance to get someone involved in your cause, a blurb for your book, or an appointment to do a presentation. Whatever your need, if you are creative and persistent, you can reach the people you need to reach.

Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the IdeaLady, Cathy Stucker helps authors, entrepreneurs and professionals attract customers and make themselves famous. Get creative marketing ideas at http://www.IdeaLady.com/

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Is your business card just for handing out at business meetings, because everyone else does so? Or is it a real marketing tool for you?

Provided you’ve got the design and content right (see my article ‘Networking Your Way to Profit: Part 3: Your Hidden Marketing Opportunity’) it can be one of the hardest working marketing weapons in your arsenal.

But only if you use it properly to position yourself.

And that’s where the quality of the card you use counts. It speaks volumes about you and your business.

Start-up business people know they need business cards. But often they go for false economy by using the cheapest methods possible to get their cards organised. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying a fortune should be spent on cards. What I am saying is the card should look like a quality card – no matter where it came from.

Self-Print Cards

The entrepreneur, sole-trader and individual professional sometimes print their own business cards using the many ‘business card’ products available and an inkjet printer. Be careful…

* The cards are often flimsy in order to feed through the printer and consequently give the impression of ‘a business with no experience or history’. Handing these out at business meetings in particular can send out the wrong, damaging message.

* Inkjet printing smudges and runs if it gets wet – again giving a less than favourable impression to the people you want to engage with.

On-line Printed Cards

There are many websites offering free business cards. A selection of designs is available and you can add whatever details you want. The cards are often a good quality weight and feel good to hand out.

There’s just one thing that spoils these for you…

If you are only paying postage the company supplying the cards has to have some means of recompense. And they have… YOU are doing their marketing for them.

They print their website URL on the back of your cards, so every time you hand one out you are advertising their website and, by default, you are also implying you don’t consider your business cards important enough to pay for them.

If you don’t take your business cards seriously – why should anyone else?

By all means use these sites; they can be very cost effective. But, as a minimum, pay the small amount they ask to remove THEIR website details off the back of YOUR cards.

Of course if you’ve read my previous article: ‘Networking Your Way to Profit: Part 3: Your Hidden Marketing Opportunity’ you know what should really be on the back of your card, don’t you?

Test it for yourself: Close your eyes, and feel your business card. Does it honestly give the impression of quality, professionalism, trustworthiness and integrity?

If it doesn’t, you just might be throwing future sales away when new business contacts get the wrong impression about you.

©2005 Original Work by Carol Bentley

Learn more about Persuading People to Buy… Subscribe to your free reports, with no obligation, at http://www.CarolBentley.com.

Carol is the author of ‘I Want to Buy Your Product… Have You Sent Me a Letter Yet? (How to create powerful sales letters, advertisements, flyers, brochures, web pages and newsletters that persuade hundreds, or even thousands, of additional customers and clients to buy from you!) by Carol A E Bentley (Rated 5-star on Amazon.co.uk) This book is available at a special offer at http://www.CarolBentley.com/offer.

Carol is one of the highest paid direct response copywriters available. If you would like to talk to Carol’s office about having her work on your current or next sales project you can use the contact form on her website http://www.CarolBentley.com/contact.asp.

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So there you are at a social or business event. You are in line for appetizers (bet you can’t wait to get to those spicy wings) and you strike up a conversation with the person next to you in line. You introduce yourselves, shake hands, and quickly the question, “What do you do for a living” is asked.” It’s the moment of truth!

Ordinarily one’s response is a generic, dull, uninspired, noun stating, “what you are” instead of “what you do.” It is as if one were to say, “I sell a commodity” or even worse, “I AM a commodity.” Once that commodity statement is finished, the response is typically a tepid “uh huh” accompanied with glazed-over eyes. That’s not the response you want is it?

If you want to attract business, your tactic should be to engage the person you are speaking with so you can impress them with the benefits of being your client. In order to impress, you have to describe your product or services in terms the listener can relate to and to make them understand what makes you stand out from your competition.

Imagine if a banker said, “I help people maximize their ability to finance their business” or a florist saying, “I make brides feel so special on their wedding day” instead of “I’m a banker, “I’m a florist.” If you engage your listener the response you get is usually, “how do you do that?” It allows you to talk about your creativity, your passion for being of service, your level of quality, your commitment to making a difference in your clients’ lives. It allows you to tell a story that adds the very human emotions of pain, hope, trust, fear, and appreciation as well as resolution, commitment, and ultimately “happy endings.” Your listener can relate to that story, can imagine being in that situation, and will become emotionally attached to story’s people, situations, and outcomes. So create a story to describe, “what you do for a living.”

It was a dark and stormy night…

Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the long-running (every Sunday since November 2001) business column, “Front Lines with Larry Galler” Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.larrygaller.com Questions??? Send an email to larry@larrygaller.com

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As a single company, it is impossible to provide your customers with all the services they desire for every aspect of their life; but with guerilla marketing, you can come close. By partnering with companies that provide different, yet complimentary, services to your business, you can create a network of reliable resources for your customers. In turn, your company will gain credibility and strength from the size and stature of the group.

The goal of the guerilla network is to expand your customer base by being a part of a diverse web of companies that will appeal to a wide range of customers. Because your company will be the only one in this web to offer your unique product category, every customer who enters into the web will be referred to you for that specific service.

1. Brainstorm

To establish a guerilla network, you must first consider what other resources could be provided for your customer outside of the products and services that you have available at your company. Get to know your customers to discover what other services they generally need when considering your products.

Could they use a designer to help decorate a home gym for the new treadmill they just bought from you? Or how about pet supplies for the dog they walk when using their new pedometer? Whatever it is, think outside the box! More variety means more customers.

2. Make a list

After brainstorming potential additional services, it is time to narrow your search and prepare for the recruitment process. Make a list of the product and service categories that you think will be beneficial in the guerilla network that you wish to create. Then, list specific companies that fall under these categories. Naturally, you should start with companies that you have referred customers to in the past, and who have, in turn, referred customers to you.

Expand that list by thumbing through your local yellow pages or searching the internet. Choosing local companies will give you the flexibility of working with partners who are able to make marketing decisions at the local level, without the inconvenience of running it by their corporate office first. Add companies that you instinctively feel may be fitting for your network. Do not forget to continuously update this list, even after you have moved on to the next step. The longer your list, the better chance you have at building a large and powerful network.

3. Do your homework

Once you have a substantial list of companies in which you are interested, begin researching them. You will want to know if they are a high-end store and if you want their customers frequenting your business. Determine whether or not the company is one you would like to be associated with. Do they exemplify the values that are most important within your own company? Be selective and remember that you will be sending your best customers to their company. Their service will be a reflection of your company and its values.

Look for companies that have taken the time to create and maintain an impressive website. This will give you the opportunity to learn more about their business and will provide countless opportunities for marketing within your network in the future. You should also try to recruit companies with strong brands, so that your brand will strengthen when you co-brand with them.

4. Establish contact

After you have learned about the companies on your list, you should begin establishing contact with them. Your means of presentation will vary depending on what you are comfortable with and how you feel you will best be received.

A letter is obviously not the most effective means of initial contact. It can be impersonal and easily discarded. It does not demand their attention like a personal visit will. However, it is a simple way to cast a wide net and see what you catch. You should use this method if you simply do not have the time to visit these businesses individually, or if you have enough relationships already established in your community to recruit 3-5 companies into your guerilla network right from the start.

I recommend that you simply ask the owner for a few minutes of his or her time. You can initiate this meeting through a letter, by phone or by just walking in. Because you are not selling anything, this meeting should be relatively easy to set up.

These few minutes with the owner will allow you the chance to determine if they are the type of person with whom you can work. You will also explain who you are and what you will accomplish through this partnership with local companies. Impress the owner with a professionally designed and bound brief of your strategic plan. These professional packets include company logos on a few conceptual pieces that could be used in a guerilla marketing program.

It goes unsaid that this network will generate more traffic for your business, so focus their attention on the benefits THEY will receive from the network. Let them know that you have already noticed that some of your customers would be great referrals for their business. The promise of immediate results will be sure to catch their attention.

5. Follow through

After you have established a relationship with the company, be sure to follow through with your arrangement. Everything you and your guerilla partner agree to do needs to be thoroughly discussed and put into writing. You should set up parameters and expectations of the marketing program and agree on a specific date to begin and end each program. When the regulations of the agreement are clear, both parties will be more likely to follow through and benefit from the guerilla network.

The ideal partnership is one that remains balanced: each company putting in an equal amount of work and reaping an equal reward. By becoming a part of a strong guerilla network, you will be a major resource for each customer’s unique needs. Your company will gain ideas, support and loyal customers from partnering companies and your marketing audience will expand dramatically without the costly risk of traditional advertising.

Tom Richard is the author of Smart Sales People Don’t Advertise, which can be found at http://www.tomrichard.com, and founder of the online training university http://www.trainactive.com

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Cabling your home for computer network - still a requirement?

With proliferation of wireless networking and communication equipment it is oh-so-tempting to cut the cord and save a significant sum of money in the process. But is everything that a regular computer networking user needs can be done using just wireless network? Let’s take a look at some pros and contras:

1. One important advantage of having a cabled network is the available bandwidth or simply speed. At the present point in time the speed of connection via a simple and inexpensive CAT5E cable can be 1000Mbit/sec, whereas the best that IEEE802.11g (one of the many flavors of Wi-Fi) can offer is only 54Mbit/sec. It may not seem so significant if you think you are only browsing Internet, and the DSL speed available to you is 1.5Mbit/sec. However, if you need to print via your network connection on a remote printer, you should realize that the print jobs, depending on the amount of graphic data in them, can easily reach dozens and even hundreds megabytes. Since 1Byte=8bit one 100MByte print job will take 15 seconds (and in reality this time can be much longer) to transmit via a Wi-Fi wireless connection, and this time shrinks to mere 1 sec or less on wired 1000MBit/s Ethernet connection. Same principal applies to transferring files, backing up files on other computers in the network etc.
2. It is not possible today and with all probability will not be possible in the future to transmit power needed for your networking device via the wireless link. Unless, of course, you would be willing to be subjected to very high levels of microwave radiation. Thus a device that was marketed to you as “un-tethered” will in fact be very much tethered via the power cord or will have to be re-charged every so often. The power requirements are increasingly important for devices that are expected to be always online, such as phone sets. Therefore it is best to have it connected via a cable that can deliver both power and the communication signal at the same time.
3. Wireless communications are very much proprietary and require whole gamut of conversion equipment to transmit multi-media signals. The same CAT5E cable can without any modification support phone, computer network, balanced line level audio signal, baseband video signal as well as host of other, more specialized, control applications’ signals. With inexpensive adapters called “baluns” the same cable can carry significant number of channels of broadband television or carry a baseband video, such as security camera output, through great distances. All of those applications, except the computer network of course, will require specialized expensive conversion equipment if they needed to be transmitted via a Wi-Fi link.
4. The cost benefit of not running wires around the house is not as simple as issue as it seems. Having installed a wireless network at home you have only eliminated the need to wire for a single application – computer network. A modern home, however, requires all kinds of wiring to run even without regard to computers. The power and phones are obvious examples, as well as thermostats and security systems. Pre-wired speakers are common and most homes today have intercom systems as a desirable option, and those also require extensive wiring. It is very likely that the same contractor running the intercom or security cables is qualified to run computer cables – CAT5E or better. If you are building a home, you should definitely check if computer cabling option is available in your new home, and our advice is to go ahead and purchase it before the walls close. It is going to be a pretty involved and expensive procedure to install the cables later. As an added cost benefit of a wired computer network you will find that all modern computers ship with wired Ethernet network interface card included, and the latest models ship with 1000MBit/sec cards that are essentially free for the computer’s owner.

There are multiple sources of information available on proper planning and design of a residential cabling for voice, data, audio, video and other applications. One of the best sources is the TIA/EIA-570B standard, most resent release of which has been published in 2004. The standard outlines recommended types of the cables, principals of cable distribution in a single- and multi-dwelling units as well as recommended amount of cables to be installed based on the size of the house.

In conclusion, cutting the wire seems like a step forward, some sort of liberation of computer from the bonds of the infrastructure. I would caution the reader, however, to take a more balanced and informed approach before joining the wireless revolution. There are still (and will remain in foreseen future) sound reasons to include properly designed cabling system into the list of your dream home options.

Great source of information on the subject of wiring your home for voice, data, audio and video applications is Home Cabling Guide available from Cabling-Design.com The instantly downloadable e-book contains compilation of the most significant parts of the TIA/EIA-570-B standard as well as multiple recommendation and recommended practices that may be useful for both do-it-yourselfer and an informed buyer of a home cabling system.

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1. Create Fake Users


This effective, yet unscrupulous, strategy has been used by many webmasters to get their forum off the ground. The idea is to create fake users and post for them everyday while you are actively promoting your forum. When other visitors see that there is an active conversation going on, then they will become interested and wish to take part in the activity.

2. Keep The Forum Current


Nothing turns off visitors more than an empty forum. The first thing they will check is to see how many posts are on in the forum. Then they will check to see when the last post is. If you want to encourage new members to sign up and participate, then try your best to keep the forum updated by posting at least one new message everyday. Even if the post is by the Forum owner, it is encouraging to new visitors to know that someone is living there and the place hasn’t been abandoned.

3. Call Upon Your Friends


Let all of your friends know that you just started the forum. Most of the time, this is a short-lived solution, as your friends will quickly sign up, then eventually their enthusiasm over your forum will dwindle. Depending on the excitement of your friends over the forum and how much time they have on their hands, they can help to add hundreds of new posts.

4. Start A Scandalous Debate


The idea behind this technique is that if you create a post that is very biased, it is begging the visitor to register an account to express their opposition and get into a heated debate. The post should be one that is very opinionated and slightly annoying to those who would have a different viewpoint on the topic.

Example:

People who support Bush will register in a heartbeat to post their opposition to the statement, while people who do not support Bush will register to support the statement. One annoying post can spawn a 10-page thread of people debating. This will increase your members and post count in a matter of days.

Authored by: Eric Head
Email: chopcow@gmail.com

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Participating in message boards (forums) discussions is a great way of self promotion. It costs you nothing. Not even a penny. All you have to do is allot sometime for this type of promotion.

Before you getting started you need to know some must follow principles. You want your time to be profitable for you. Right? So what ever time you are gonna spend should bring you some profits.

What are those principles?

***1. Target your promotion:***

If you are search engine optimization expert, then you will be benefited by search engine forums. People coming to those forums need help in their web site optimization. If you are willing to share your knowledge with those people, you will gain their confidence and needless to say few customers too.

***2. Always follow the forum rules:***

In some forums or some areas of forums self promotion is not allowed. At the same time, some sub-forums are alloted to post your product advertisement. So read carefully before posting your product details anywhere on the forum.

***3. Use signature files:***

Almost all the forums allow signature files. These may be less than 4 lines or less than some 250 characters. This varies from forum to forum. So be concise with your wording.

Most IMPORATNT advice is always offer something free in your signature file. Free report on how to increase sales, free email course on how to design a web site that pulls orders or any topic that focuses on your web site theme. This always beats keeping your product price in your signature file. You can built your opt-in list too.

In signature files DON’T hide URL with ‘Click here’ as link text. Let people accustom to your web site name or your product name. If you just use as ‘Click here’ instead of ‘SEO tips and tricks’, it looks dull and less interesting.

***4. Change the heading while answering a question:***

If somebody ask a question like - ‘What are web site promotion methods?’.

In reply you can change the heading to what ever you want instead of ‘Re:What are web site promotion methods?’

You can keep an interesting heading to make your post prominent from others. Like ‘FOUR best methods to start with…’ or ‘Advertising with out spending a penny.’ etc. These type of headings certainly attracts people’s eyes.

***5. Give respect to others opinions:***

Don’t say harsh words even though you know what other person saying is wrong. Be polite. What you want to say tell it clearly and concisely.

If you don’t know a topic still you want to comment on that, add ‘in my opinion…, as far i know…’ etc. Point out to resources if you know any.

***6. Follow up the thread:***

If you start participating in a thread, then check the box that says ‘Email Notification’. When ever somebody replies your question, email will be sent to you. So you can post a reply or follow others answers and opinions.

What is the use of this? =You may end up with learning something from that discussion =It could be a topic for your next ezine article or ebook or a report =You can get to know of people of that thread

***7. Every day allot some time:***

Save the forum URLs in your favorites folder. Everyday try to visit them regularly. By this you can know the what is going on around you. You may know good resources and free information links that are useful to you. If you come across any information that is useful to you save them on your computer.

About The Author

Radhika Venkata - Subscribe to ‘EbookBiz Magazine’ which is completely focused on ebook business and Internet Marketing. Receive FREE Ebooks with Resale rights every month!

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If you are web designer, chances are you include forums on at least some of the sites you manage. If you haven’t explored PHPBB2 you are missing out as this type of message board offers to designers a forum that is well supported, easy to manage, and above all else: free! Let’s see why PHPBB2 is a hit with so many web designers.

Compared to some web designers, I am relatively new to the business. I created my first forum with MSN groups in 2002 then, six months later, I made the move over to EZBoard. Sure, it did not have all the bells and whistles of vBulletin and other corporate developed boards, but it did the trick for me. That is, until EZBoard was hacked and my livelihood nearly disappeared in moments some two years later!

In search of something different, I considered the move to vBulletin, but I was quite frankly not wanting to shell out license and upgrade fees on a regular basis. At the time of the EZBoard incident, I was running six forums, so I knew that I would eventually have about that many when I completed my transition away from EZBoard.

So, why PHPBB2? For three reasons:

1. It is free. Yes, absolutely! Since it is “open source” code, developed by the developers, it is offered as a free download to whosoever will. Believe me that is a big appeal and, apparently, many designers around the world feel the same way as over 200,000 people are members of their support forum.

2. It can be used across platforms. Whether you work in Windows or Linux, IIS or Apache PHPBB2 is usable and fully functionable.

3. Highly modifiable. Open Source extensibility is evident with the incorporation of PHP, HTML, CSS, and MySQL into the forum.

For the novice, PHPBB2 does take some getting used to especially since you are responsible for installing, maintaining, backing up, upgrading, and modifying your own forum. For your benefit you can access onsite Flash tutorials which are a great way to walk your way through the installation process too. As with any software it is vulnerable to outside attacks, so take care to make sure you regularly back up your forums and familiarize yourself with the security procedures.

In all, PHP message boards really do rock and at a price that cannot possibly be beat!

Matt runs two PHPBB2 sites at http://www.aviationemploymentboard.net and http://www.corporateflyer.net

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