Moms online

Moms online— building your business one
relationship at a time

by Jackie Ulmer

It truly is a world wide web and there is no better indicator of
that than visiting the many communities that make up the internet. These
communities are often referred to as "Discussion Boards, Message Boards" or
"Online Forums."

When "worked" correctly, this is a dynamic way to
locate your target market, begin the relationship building process and
ultimately sponsor people into your business.

I say "worked"
correctly, because there are some definite "do's and don'ts" if you want to be
successful with this activity.

A discussion or message forum is like a
bulletin board, online. It's the "water cooler" of the Internet.
It's where people go to research, express themselves, share ideas, share
needs, etc.

Typically, one just registers a user name, password and
email address to gain entry into the forum. There are online message boards and
forums for virtually anything you can think of, and some things you may not
want to think of!

I first stumbled upon message boards and online
forums when I was quite green to the internet and looking for tips and advice
on website building, autoresponders and more technical things. I used the
search engines to find these online communities and would ask questions and
learn from the "experts" out there, willing to share freely in the online
environment.

Before long, I discovered that people would include a link
to their personal websites at the end of messages that they would post. Often,
out of curiosity, I would click to follow the link and see what I could learn.

I realized that I could place links to my website at the end of my
questions and comments posted online. Pretty soon, people began showing up at
my website and signing up for my newsletter, and some even joined my
business.

Once I became a little more "web savvy" I began looking
for places to participate that would capture my target audience.

Truly,
some of my greatest successes online have come from participating in these
communities with like-minded people! I view it like joining a networking or
leads group in the offline world. I don't stand up and share my "30-second
commercial" though. My website link at the end of each message does that for
me.

One of my target markets is young mothers at home, or working
mothers looking for a way to be home. So, any message forum that involved
topics for discussion that would attract that group would be a great place to
develop a "presence" and promote myself.

It may take some
time and research to find the ones that are right for you. I always sign up for
the forum (if required) and lurk and listen for a few days to get a feel for
the participants and to get an idea of protocol.

Don't post until
you are sure of the rules! Your reputation is all you have online and you want
to keep that intact.

I only participate in forums that allow me to
at least post a signature line or URL with my message. I want people to be able
to find a way back to me!

Networking
Online

Now, the idea is NOT to blast onto a message board, wowing
everyone with your product and your opportunity. Just like offline, that's
a fast ticket to nowhere. Many people on these forums are turned off by network
marketing, because of unscrupulous "posters" who do nothing but blast
their opportunity. You could even be banned from certain forums for doing this.

The most effective way to use the forums is to provide something of
value. Share an article that you have read (such as from this magazine), or
answer questions that others have posted.

Here's my message
board strategy:
I visit the message boards where I will find my target
market and find people looking for answers or help and offer suggestions,
advice and experience.

Another thing I do is begin conversations on
these boards by posting tips for success, recruiting ideas, marketing ideas,
motivators, etc.

And, I ask questions, too!

I offer off-topic
ideas as well, such as quick and easy recipes for time starved parents; a
motivational quote, or share a success story of someone on my team and how they
got there.

Over time, my name begins to be known on the board and I
establish myself as credible and knowledgeable. People then begin visiting my
website, signing up for my newsletter and tapping into my autoresponders. This
is my goal.

Develop a signature line that is catchy and creates curiosity.
After all, you are looking for the "click" that gets them into your site and
into relationship with you.

Most forums and message boards have a place
to hyper link your web site, and that's where I put in the exact page of my
site that I want them to visit, and a title for the link, which varies.

I may put— "Is Your Internet Strategy Working?" designed to
target those who also want to build online.

Or, "Our team added
over 100 new business builders last month" for those who are excited about
Network Marketing, but aren't having the kind of success they desire.

On a parenting site, I might use something like— "How You can
Become a WAHM, too" targeting those who are working outside of the home
and do not want to be.

Play around a little and get creative. Have fun
and test things over and over. It's basic advertising and we know that
successful advertising takes time and fine-tuning. This is your "30-second
commercial" and you want to be careful to make your commercial powerful and
full of impact.

When you first join a board or community, hang out
lurking for a bit, and get to know the culture of the board. If there is a
place to create a profile, do so and be sure to include your own website link
in it. Here are some guidelines to follow:

• Always use your full, real name.
• Never bash or trash another company.
• Offer valuable ideas and suggestions.
• Don't advertise, be subtle.
• Be a consistent visitor, and establish yourself.
• Always be honest, ethical and have integrity.
• Give up your need to be "right" when a topic comes up that
  you disagree with.

Do NOT post a whole string of website links and
opportunities. That's a real turn-off and tends to make one look like a watch
salesman in a trench coat near Central Park!

The only secret to
mastering this form of recruiting is to "show up" regularly. This is one method
of getting people coming to YOU, and that's our goal, right?

Here are
some great resources to begin finding discussion and message forums:

http://www.greatestnetworker.com
http://www.ryze.com

http://www.powerfulintentions.com
http://www.tile.net

http://www.hotboards.com/
http://www.entrepreneur-web.com/index_1.shtml

http://www.businessnation.com/forums/
http://www.theworknet.com/forum/

Another way to find forums is to go to
http://www.google.com

… and type in "subject message forums" in the search box, replacing the
word "subject" with whatever type of board you are seeking. See what
comes up. Remember, it does NOT have to be a business based forum - Work at
home moms, parenting sites, and network marketing sites are a few of my
targets. Areas that interest you are a good starting place. And, it's something
you'll be inclined to do because you enjoy it.

Remember, have
integrity, don't get into cat fights, have fun and also come from a place of
contribution! Be real and authentic and watch people flock to you from all
across the "Net!"

About
the Author
Jackie Ulmer, a veteran Home Based Business Owner, has
coached and trained thousands of representatives both inside and outside of her
sales organization. One of her primary goals is to help others succeed. Jackie
and her husband Mark have two children, Justin, 13, and Lexi, 10. They live in
their dream house in Lake Arrowhead, California. She can be reached through her
web sites at StreetSmartWealth.com
You can sign up for her free
newsletter at: streetsmartwealth@quicktell.net