Small Business Marketing and Networking

As a business owner, you know that your interactions with others are a reflection not only yourself but also your business and following proper etiquette is important whenever conversing with others. It is equally important to use proper etiquette when networking and making connections online. One excellent way to give and receive valuable business information and make important business connections is to be actively involved in online forums. Here are some simple rules practices to help leave a positive impression when visiting forums.

• When you visit a forum in order to seek advice, make sure you are not being redundant with the questions that you are asking. Take a few minutes to perform a search to make certain your question has not been answered previously. You do not want to enter a forum and ask questions that have been asked and answered a dozen times before. The same holds true for starting a new thread. Make certain the topic you wish to discuss has not been discussed recently.
  

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• Take the time to make sure you are posting something new, a new twist to a previously discussed topic or a topic that has not been covered in a while. When you are ready to post, check to be sure that your post is well written, concise, and to the point. Give as much information as necessary to spark an interesting discussion, without including details that aren’t really necessary. Avoid making short posts with little or no value. You want to make connections in forums and to learn new ideas for your business. In order to do so you must make helpful contributions to the forum and start some intelligent conversations.
  

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• Use spell check when making a post. Take the time to reread what you have written. Create a post that is easy to understand but also professional. Try not to use slang or abbreviations for words and phrases. People from all over the world may be frequenting the forum and their understanding of common forum terms may be limited.
  

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• Avoid using all capital letters when posting because they signify shouting. You do not want to be perceived as yelling at the other members of the forum.
  

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• When typing a subject for your thread, think of a title that reflects the topic to be discussed. Try to avoid using headings such as, “Urgent! Help! Or Please Read!” These titles do not give other forum members any idea as to the content of your thread. In addition, these titles do not reflect professionalism. Remember one of the reasons you are posting in the forum is to meet potential business associates, customers and important business connections for your network. Your interactions in the forum can be fun and laid back, but you must always maintain a certain level of professionalism.
  

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• Never join a forum with only the intention of expanding your business and make more contacts. Although this is an important reason to frequent forums, it should not be your only reason. In order for forum marketing and networking to truly work, you must make valuable contributions to the forum. When viewing other posts, look for questions to which you have some experience or useful input. Try to help other members of the forum by sharing your knowledge and experiences. People are more likely to get to know you and listen to what you have to say if you do the same for them.
  

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• As you participate in forums, be certain to always be polite and considerate of others. Treat everyone with the highest level of respect. If someone asks a question for which you think the answer is obvious, do not say so! Remember there are no dumb questions.
  

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• Never hijack another person’s post by starting a completely new topic within their thread. If someone says something you do not like, ignore his or her statements rather than starting a conflict. Your interactions with people online should be the same as if you were in a room speaking to them in person.
  

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• As a member of a forum or discussion group, you must follow the forum rules and policies. You may want to add a link to your website in your signature, but before doing so you should check to make sure it is permitted in the rules. The same is true for adding links within your posts. Do not advertise your services directly unless you are allowed to do so in the forum. Many forums have a marketplace for these posts and promoting your business should only take place in those categories. Make yourself aware of any and all rules pertaining to the forum.
  

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  Forums provide an excellent opportunity to make contacts and promote your business online. Following these guidelines will help you to become an active and respected member of the group and will ultimately lead to an expanded online business network,