In today's Internet marketplace, forum marketing is one of the most effective methods of marketing available. It's something that can be done in any niche by any one. Granted, some products and services may not have tons of forums for them but most will.
Also, some businesses prefer to avoid it in favor of what they consider higher value marketing methods. You'll be able to meet many of your marketing goals, however, if you apply these simple tactics to your forum marketing efforts.
Most people are going to behave based upon their own personality. Others will range from outgoing to shy. So, unless you are very good at turning people off with your personality, then act the way that you always do. If you are the shy type, you don't have to start contributing right away. Many people like to do this, which is known as lurking. It can feel a little daunting to make your first post, and it's a lot like being in a new city or town and going to a new school. Just post in other threads and add something to the conversation. There are several things that you need to consider when you go to a forum your very first time. You should look for some things before ever deciding to join. Since your primary purpose is to market your products and services, a few things need to be known. For instance, some forum owners and members despise online marketers. This is something that will probably not occur if the owner is not very fond of IMers like yourself. Simply read the forum rules. These will tell you what you can and can't do quickly and easily. The absence of links, and signatures, at the bottoms of posts is a clear sign online marketing is not allowed. The vast majority of forums, even if they allow signatures, don't allow you to directly market to the community anyway. If they did, then the entire place would be one giant billboard and people would not like it.
Some people in forums start threads all the time. Sometimes, excess can be a negative thing when it comes to starting new threads. So, even if you have a lot of great browse around here ideas for threads, spread them out over time.
Don't neglect the other threads on the board. Human nature is the rule of the day when it comes to using forums. But on the other hand, you cannot respond or live your life according to what everybody else thinks you should do. There are plenty of 'gray' areas to consider when using forum marketing. The best approach is to share your knowledge in as many ways as possible. In conclusion, if you have spent time doing online marketing on forums, this is probably old news. Other than specific rules for each forum, most of what you have to know is just social common sense. Your goal is to offer value, and to contribute to the community in any way that you can.