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Image via WikipediaI belong to several forums.
Most are related to my work; most specifically to my profession of database adminstrator as it’s in forums that I find answers to many of my questions.
Forums that are for and about blogging are plentiful and as many other things about the internet, some are better than others when it comes to certain things.
Some, like the Batcave are more social in aspect; you vent your frustrations and tease your forum mates about different things. There are boards to list posts you would like to have stumbled or dug, but the main focus of it is the social aspect. Although the forum is pretty much as-it-comes, the stumble/digg boards are treated very seriously. The reciprocity of the requests in that board is pretty strictly monitored and adhered to by the participants as not reciprocationg will get you banned.
Others like Firestorm Forum and Shelter For a Rainy Day are more about blogging and getting readers, rankings, making the inner workings of your blog better and networking with other like-minded individuals. There’s a little bit of social stuff going on, but its pretty clear what the focus of those forums are.
EntreCard’s forum is a mixed bag of support for EntreCard, social gatherings and some promotion. The promotions aspect of it has lost some respect among those who attempted it because of a lack of honest participation on the part of those who worked the threads. While there isn’t much EntreCard admins can do to police that, it’s just a shame that human nature had to turn so soon and so thoroughly.
The $24,000 question is does forum participation help drive you traffic?
I’ve been the benificiary of some increase in traffic especially on Travelin’ Show, my photo blog. My new book review blog, My Reading Nook hasn’t gotten much, but it’s only two days old, so I really don’t expect it to take off like a private jet charter although I certainly won’t complain if it does 
It’s not enough to belong to a forum though, you have to participate and interact with the other forum members in order to get any benefit from a forum. Like everything else about driving traffic to your site, that takes time, work and thought. It is however a concentration of your efforts because you are addressing a wider audience than you are when you respond to a post on a blog for example. People visiting forums tend to read the entire thread if the subject is of interest to them. You really get a chance to put yourself in front of a wide and varied audience by participating in forum conversations. Of course this in no way should take the place of leaving comments as those tend to become breadcrumbs for the bots to track back to your website. Forums are not nearly so well indexed as are individual blogs.
Do you belong to any forums? Are they mostly work or social ones? If you belong to any blogging related forums, which ones and are they helping get traffic to your blog? How much traffic and what quality is it? If you don’t participate in a forum now, after reading this article, will you seek any out?
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Tags: Add new tag, Batcave, blog, Chats and Forums, Firestorm Forum, Internet forum, Movable Type, Nook, Threaded discussion
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July 12th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Forums can be a great way of bringing traffic to your website. The key is to join ones in your niche and not spam them but be helpful and respond to other peoples questions to build your reputation.
July 12th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Thanks for pointing that out, David — there are some people who just spam everything they engage in; forums, comments on blogs and Digg shouts. It’s annoying at the least. I’m not exactly sure what “niche” I would belong it, that’s why I’m in several
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July 13th, 2008 at 3:31 am
In my opinion many bloggers these days can be compared to spoilt children. If something does not hold some or other personal gain or advantage for them, they will not be interested. They want everything but they are not prepared to give something to anyone else. All over you can pick up on this ‘I want, I want’ kind of attitude.
It is this attitude that causes many of the problems being experienced on forums these days. If a spoilt child cannot have their way, they will throw tantrums, they will rant and rave and they will attack all who they perceive as a threat to their own little world. Many forums actually ceased existing because of this.
I love good forums, the problem is that there are not many of them around. It is so nice to know that if you experience a problem in a certain field, you can take that problem to the relevant forum and in most cases actually receive the assistance you need. It is also great being able to share your own knowledge on a forum and in so doing help to solve problems being experienced by others.
The day all bloggers accept the fact that as individuals we are all small fish in a very big pond, will be the day when forums can once again take their rightful place in the blogging world. Until that day I am afraid the selfish little egos, the arrogance, rudeness and blatant bad manners will continue to spoil the forums for everyone else.
Enough ranting and raving. Yes, forums (good forums) can drive a lot of traffic your way if (as you said) you partake fully in the relevant forum.
Nice article.
July 13th, 2008 at 4:34 am
Getting lots of traffic or not is the bonus for being active in a forum, but the point is being interactive and making friends. The more friends you get, the bigger chance you get the traffic, well…at least that’s my experience
July 13th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Yes, Sailor, as I pointed out regarding EntreCard’s forum, people there have ruined the give-and-take of forum-life especially when it comes to reciprocal stumble, digg or technorati favorites. I have participated in those and did my “duty” if I wanted something of mine done, but given the sometimes unworthy things asked to be stumbled, dug or favorited, I haven’t participated much lately. I see more and more people offering credits for these participation requests and kind of think those are at least a more honest way to obtain them. That way, if you don’t think the link is worthy, you just don’t — you don’t get the credits, but then again, you shouldn’t. I know that as I read other’s blogs, when I come across something worthy, I will hit one of those social media buttons (usually stumble) and all without being asked to. That’s the proper way to do it, but so many people don’t have a clue or just don’t think of it. I can remember one forum participant being very vocal about the number of people who *said* they stumbled his post, and who asked for a stumble on one of theirs, but they didn’t follow through. He understandably felt cheated and used and now doesn’t participate in the exchanges.
It’s frustrating to deal with human nature and when you throw in the extreme diversity of the worlds social mores, it makes it even more baffling and hard to understand. I believe in and try to act out the Golden Rule (treat others as you would want to be treated). So far, it’s worked pretty good.
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July 13th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Shearyadi — making new friends is a lot of what forum life is about. Especially making friends who have similar interests and passions.
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July 19th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
It sounds as if you might enjoy the AuthorityBlogger.com forum as well. That’s where I met Ben Barden, in fact, and ended up finding Shelter For a Rainy Day!