Forums,
groups, boards, and loops; they’re all synonymous for online locations
facilitating online networking. Some are entirely public, where
everyone and anyone can click to the URL, read the messages and
if they have no interest in contributing, they can just lurk.
Some require active participation and others require registration
before members can participate. These online forums, groups, boards
or loops are different from paid membership sites in that there
is no cost to network at these websites.
Some are active, some are sleepy. Some are strictly for online
business related topics; some allow more OT (Off Topics) and social
interaction. There are forums for every imaginable topic: Entrepreneurs,
International online business, Health related fields, Technology,
Copywriters, Web Designers, Work at Home Moms, Programmers, Finance,
Ebay, Job Seekers, Internet Marketing, Writers, Inventors and
Virtual Assistants, just to barely scratch the surface of what’s
out there on the World Wide Web.
Time management skills need to be paramount when participating
in online forums. You can very easily get swallowed up and spend
hours and hours online networking with others who have online
businesses, yet you miss real opportunities to get some productive
work done!
From a online business standpoint, there are two areas you should
consider before participating in a loop. It’s always good to have
a network of like-minded online business people. If you’re a web
designer, hang out with other designers. You can help and support
each other. If you’re just starting out, you can learn from the
pros.
Don’t get stuck though, just hanging out with your own kind. You’re
not going to be very successful trying to promote your design
services to other designers. This is where balance comes in. Pop
into the boards, check new posts of interest, ask or answer questions,
then get out. Then move onto groups who need your services or
products. Who is your target market and where do they hang out?
Go there. Word of caution: Do not go to these forums with the
sole purpose of SPAMMING the group. You’ll be tossed out on your
ear quicker than you can blink if that is your sole purpose. People
like to do business with people they know and trust – or at the
very minimum have at least heard of.
If you’re trying to sell your curriculum to a group of home school
parents and you just pop in, spew your sales rap all over the
boards then expect any sort of return, you’re missing the point
of online networking. It’s networking – not advertising. You need
to build a rapport with your other “loopies”. Then if a need arises
and they know one of their own fellow networkers has that special
skill or product, guess who they’ll call first? You hope it’s
YOU.
For starters check MSN, Google, Yahoo, AOL, and Ryze. Inside there
are literally hundreds and thousands of groups just waiting for
you. Start networking your way to online business success today!
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