How to Find Forum Posting Jobs

This article discusses what forum posting jobs are, why they're only going to grow in popularity, why you should add them to your freelance writing repertoire and how to go about finding them.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer
• Internet connection

1. Target Market
   
   
   
   Ten years go, blogging was not a job. It was a hobby for most. Now, blogging jobs are practically mainstream. A close cousin to blogging jobs is forum posting jobs.
   
   
   
   Before you start to look for forum posting jobs, the first thing you need to do is decide on a target market. Are you going to target web designers, internet marketing firms, web design firms, etc.
   
   
   
   Having a defined market to zero in on will make the next step much easier.
2. Research
   
   
   What should you be researching? Two things: (i) research on online marketing and how effective social media is in reaching new clients; and (ii) rates for forum posting.
   
   
   
   Sell your clients on the idea of using social media as an advertising outlet.
   
   Relay to them how effective it is in reaching new clients. To do this, list forum posting, blogging and social media interaction via sites like StumbleUpon and Propeller as cost-effective, easy ways to reach a broad base of clients.
   
   
   
   As for what to charge, forum posting is a relatively new profession. Your research will reveal industry high and low rates, giving you some points from which to set your rates.
   
   
   
   Research will do two things for you: (i) peg you as a professional who knows your stuff; and (ii) show in black and white how effective forum posting can be.
   
   
   
   Even if you don’t get the job, your approach will be remembered, possibly landing you future gigs.
3. Compose a List of Forums
   
   
   Target forums that would be of interested to the target marketing you listed in Step 1. A good list should contain 10-20 top-ranked forums that get a lot of traffic.
   
   
   This may take a few days. The best way to find them is to simply start web surfing. Visit forums and ask the users which ones are best. Once you visit forums, you will also start to see the same names being listed over and over again.
   
   
   You’ll get a feel fairly quick for which ones are popular. The reason you want to do this before you proceed to Step 4 is if you pick up a client fairly quickly, you want to be able to get right to work.
4. Compose Query
   
   
   Now that you know who you’re going to target and you have some research in front of you, compose a simple, short query. Something along the lines of:
   
   
   Dear Mr. Jones:
   
   
   
   Did you know that 80% of web design firms find new business via online marketing methods? One of the most exciting online advertising outlets to come along in the last few years is forum posting.
   
   
   A simple post in three or four high-traffic forums can expose your company to as many as 10,000 potential new customers on a daily basis.
   
   
   As a freelance writer, one of my specialties is forum postings. I target high-traffic forums for web design companies, increasing their online exposure for a fraction of what other marketing methods cost. My rates are reasonable and we can get started right away.
   
   
   My contact information is below, which includes a link to my professional profile. I look forward to hearing from you regarding this correspondence.
   
   
   Sincerely,
   
   John Doe
   
   Freelance Writer & Online Marketing Expert
   
   JohnDoe.com
   
   PH: 111-111-3333
   
   [e-mail]
5. Create Prospect List
   
   
   Going back to step one, create a prospecting list. If you’ve decided to contact web design firms, then go online and create a database of, for example, 100 web design firms. In your database, include all contact information you can find.
   
   
   Try to find the name of a particular person to send your email query to. If you can’t find a name, personalize each email you send out by at least mentioning the company in your opening line. A great opening might go something like this:
   
   
   
   Dear Jones Web Design Hiring Executive:
   
   
   
   I recently visited your website, JonesWebDesign.com and was impressed by the array of services you provide.
   
   
   Then, continue on with the rest of the correspondence.
6. Send Out Correspondence
   
   
   Start sending out your email queries. Choose a set number to do each day. Depending on how busy you are, you might want to start slow.
   
   
   
   Why Forum Posting Jobs Are Only Going to Increase
   
   
   
   Forums are frequented by the most rabid users of a site. Think about it, unless you have a keen interest in something, you’re not going to spend time cruising forums. Forums are a kind of social media outlet. They are frequented by what marketing experts think of as pre-qualified customers.
   
   
   Whether they are fringe customers, eg, those who slip in and out to find the answer to a question; or raging fans, they are great ways to reach out to potential customers. For this reason, advertisers want to be in front of them.
   
   
   So, they hire writers to post in forums. Many forums have rules. The cardinal rule of most is no advertising. The way to “advertise” in forums in via a signature tag.
   
   
   The job of forum posters is to add to the discussion in a natural way. Sometimes that means chiming in on an existing topic. Other times it may be starting a discussion thread. Either way, the main goal is to leave a comment so that the signature tag is in front of the group.
   
   
   For many professionals like online content writers, blog designers, web designers and internet marketing firms, this is the only advertising they do.

Tips & Warnings

• Growing Freelance Writing Opportunities" Forum posting jobs are only going to grow in popularity. As a freelance writer, it can be a relatively lucrative service to add to your existing repertoire.

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