Forums: Get noticed and get more traffic

Getting noticed on forums, especially when you are new, always feels like a bit of a hit and miss affair. Some posters seem to have that X factor about them that gets their posts read, replied to and discussed far more than others. For some its simply because they've been around longer and people know they always turn out good content but until then you need something extra to get people to read your posts (and then click your sig links).

Step 1: Be active, not reactive

Most people who post in forums follow a herd mentality. They joined because they felt they had something in common with the group and they like it to stay that way. This simple fact has a big influence over how they read and respond to various threads. They'll only click on topics that appeal to them (more on that next) but more importantly they'll read the opening post, work out what they think and then look for other comments to back up their line of thinking. When they do this though, they're just skimming the replies to make sure that they're not drifting too far from the herd. This means they're not really paying attention and so they're not going to click your sig links.

So even if you respond to nearly every thread with really informative, well thought out replies people are not going to remember your screen name or take as much interest in you as they will if you start threads that make them feel comfortable. Don't take this as a suggestion to never reply to other people's threads, but if you want to get noticed and get people clicking your sig links then you need to be starting threads of your own.

2. Create interesting titles to get more clicks

Even forums that have a small number of threads on the front page still present people with between 10 and 20 titles that they can click on. Its human nature to start at the top and work your way down but most people will get distracted after only a couple of threads so you need to do the best you can to grab their attention. The more people read it, the more people will reply and the more it will stay at the top. Getting lots of forum exposure with minimum effort is all about creating this positive feedback loop that keeps people interested and involved.

So what can you do to grab attention and increase clicks -

1. Ask a question - Everyone has an opinion and they'll be dying to give you their's if you give them an opportunity.
2. Use an emotional trigger - "Useful tip" or "Useful tip that could double your sales" which would you click on?
3. State the obvious - "IM is harder than it looks", everyone knows its true and people will feel comfortable with the thread and more likely to read it.

Step 3: Get replies

Creating lots of threads isn't any good if they disappear fast (and they will on the kind of high traffic forums you want to target) but its a pain to have to reply to any slight comment people make in order to keep your thread visible. What you want is for the high volume of traffic to work for you rather than against you. So make sure your opening post leaves lots of hooks for people to reply to and guess what, they will.

Asking questions is an obvious way to do this but there are other options such as setting people up to write anecdotes, "I've found that x & y but would be interested to hear about other people's experiences" or make an obvious mistake that the more anal retentive members of the forum will feel compelled to comment on.

Conclusion

Following these simple steps will get you more interest in your threads, more discussion in your threads and make a better name for you in the forum. And what's more, even if you don't reply very often in your own threads, people will still associate all the discussion that goes on with your screen name resulting in you being a more valued forum member in their eyes. All of which results in more views in future and ultimately more clicks for your sig links.