5 Ineffective Tactics on Work At Home Forums

There are still many people who join work at home forums and have no idea when it comes to forum etiquette. It’s so important to read the forum rules before doing anything as that will tell you what’s expected from you.

Here are five tactics to avoid when you’re participating on a work at home forum.

1. Don’t pretend and don’t post you have found a cool site when the site is yours.
“I found this really cool site with tons of great information. I couldn’t believe how well-thought out this website is. It’s truly amazing and you should check it out. http://www.iownthissite.com”. Credibility and trust is what you want to earn, not lose. There is a place for links and they belong in your signature.

2. Posting for the sake of posting.
Experienced members can tell if you’re just a spammer. Show your intelligence, not your ignorance.

3. Copying snippets of other people’s articles.
It’s obvious to people when you post a snippet of someone’s article because it’s not “conversational”. It reads as an introduction to an article. What would be more impressive is if you interpreted in your own words. What would be super impressive is if you brought something to the table from what you actually know and practice.

4. Know your audience.
If you sell cuban cigars, you don’t join a health and wellness forum. That doesn’t make sense and if you do, once again you will be frowned upon. Know who’s your target market and then cater to their wants and needs.

5. Say what you mean and do what you say.
If you say you’re looking forward to networking, then make the effort of visiting the forum at least once a week. I’m sure you have lots to share and people want to know what you know.

Keep it real and be yourself. Honesty really goes far and it’s expected. There are a lot of great and smart business people on work at home forums that may help bring you and your business to another level.

~Sophia

Social Networking – How To Handle Topic Conflicts

The popularity of online business networking on various social networking sites such as twitter, facebook, ning, linked-in and the popular wahm (work at home mom) forums is growing in popularity with home business owners…especially with those who are in Direct Sales.

Often times when networking online, you will find a group of individuals discussing a hot-button topic and you wonder to yourself, should you voice your opinion. My answer to that is…if you feel strongly about the topic, yes…but do so in a professional and respectful manner.

I recently visiting a social networking site and saw a handful of people bashing and discussing a couple of DS companies…discussing is one thing, bashing is another. I will not participate in ‘bashing’ discussions as it makes everyone involved look catty and unprofessional. If the discussion is heated and turning into a bash-fest, you are better to leave it alone and walk away.

If the discussion is a heated topic on business such as how to properly network or advertise online…you can participate and voice your opinion. The thing to remember is to be respectful and diplomatic in your approach. If you are going to ‘correct’ something that someone has posted and you feel it was the ‘incorrect’ information, your best bet is to back it up with some facts…like a reference or link to the correct information.

You don’t have to sit back and keep your opinions to yourself…there is nothing wrong with participating in business hot topics as long as you remember to keep your professionalism in check.

To your networking success,

Shelly

Introducing You Without The Spam

There is a right way and wrong way to introduce yourself especially on community forums.

Don’t fall into these two categories.

Empty Introduction
I think many of us are familiar with this one. They are usually one-liner, generic “Hi. I’m new to this forum. Thanks for having me.” or something close to that.

Spam Introduction
Again many have seen this because it’s an ad talking you instead of a introduction about who they are. Keep the links out of your introduction post. Many forums encourage signature links, so make sure you utilize this option.

First impressions count so use it to your advantage. You can inform without spamming or promoting.

One last thing if you’re in business and you want to make an online presence, please tell us your first name. You’re not obligated to tell us your age, your marital status or your first born’s birth weight.

What would you rather be called…by your first name or spammer?

Working Your Work At Home Forums

Quality work at home forums require a lot of work from the forum owner. Being visible and engaging with your members is of the utmost importance. Last week I asked to be removed as a moderator as I felt I couldn’t support the forum owner if s/he wasn’t going to be present. After all, it doesn’t seem fair to me when I’m making the effort to visit the forum daily, deleting spam, interacting with other members and the forum owner doesn’t. It’s also unfair to hold a moderator title and do nothing on the forum either.

I’ve seen too many good work at home forums go to waste. The math is very simple. If a forum owner can’t commit to maintaining and building their forums daily and/or being present, then it’s time to close its doors.

Here are two articles I think you will find helpful if you’re looking to build a work at home forum.

Three Key Elements You Should Know Before Starting A Forum
3 Key Components In Running A Successful Forum

To your success,
Sophia