Newsgroup Marketing

The Proper Approach to Newsgroup Marketing

The most effective way to increase your presence in the newsgroups is the indirect approach.

It entails looking through the newsgroups and responding to existing discussion threads. I'm not proposing that you break into a thread and throw in your ad. This is highly unadvisable. I am proposing something far less obtrusive and far more effective.

There are several techniques you can use to make contacts, but essentially they can be divided into two categories: signature ads and prospect seeking.

Signature Ads This is a simple and effective technique. Here you respond to off topic threads with pertinent information. At the bottom of your post, include a little blurb about your business. Be sure to include URL, email, and short description. Don't make this signature too long, this is considered bad Netiquette. Also, don't just break into a thread to say something like "yeah, me too". If you don't have any genuine pertinent input, go find a thread that you can contribute to. Just getting involved in various threads will help build your name and build contacts online. You never know when one of these people will need your services. And as more people see your name, the larger brand presence you have.

Prospect Seeking This is an extremely powerful technique. Basically, it entails searching the newsgroups for people who would be interested in your product. For instance, you sell silver widgets. You do a search on DejaNews for "silver widgets" and you find a post from someone who is "dying to find a silver widget, but can't find one." In comes you to the rescue! "I sell silver widgets and some mighty fine ones." You simply give them a URL, a number, and an email address. Chances are, you probably just made a sale. Little light bulbs are probably popping up around your head right now.

There are many ways you can apply this powerful technique. The "Indirect Approach" listed above is by far the most powerful. Not only does it target your audience (if done properly, if you post an ad for a sink it surfing group it probably won't be received too well), but it also breaks the "Internet Marketing Barrier". That is, anything that "smells like marketing" on the net is far less likely to be well received.

If you use the indirect approach wisely, you can market your products "in disguise". Just remember to always use prudence. Never post to groups that don't accept it. Contrary to what many will have you believe, you *can* market on the Internet without Spamming or offending masses of people. Someone out there is always going to take issue with what you do, even if you are doing things properly. However, this can be largely avoided by following a little Netiquette.

Exerpted form an article by:
Mark Joyner CEO, Aesop Marketing Corporation

WebMaster Tip:  A common mistake I see is for a marketer to include their site's address within the message in the following format: WWW.THEIRSITE.COM   This is NOT the correct way. When including your link in any post or email, always put an "http://" in front of the www. In almost every case, this will cause your link to be displayed as "active" (in other words, it can be clicked on).
HTTP://WWW.THEIRSITE.COM is correct! Your click-through will be many many times greater if your link is active. Also, (believe it or not!) I have seen people type up fantastic ads and forget to include their site's url... DOH! "What a maroon!"

Newsgroup Golden Rule

Remember the golden rule. Before posting to a newsgroup, it's a good idea to "lurk" for a while. By this, I mean read other posts for a while before actually posting to a newsgroup.
Many newsgroups do not allow blatant advertising.

A more tactful approach is to answer others posts with helpful information, including your "marketing signature". An effective marketing signature will tell others what you have to offer and how to contact you for more information.

Newsgroup strategies:

If you want results, participate!

I don't think I could put it in simpler terms.

Join discussion groups, sign up for bulletin boards, incorporate your interests/hobbies/lifestyle/or what have you into your business marketing.

Let me give you an example. My hobby is on line sim racing and I frequent a number of hobby websites and participate in community discussions as well as offer help for players adding the different mods to the host games.

For those of you not familiar with this type of community, it is basically a group of players which includes those that like to design add on "modules" for a commercial game.

In my case it is "sim" racing. Sim standing for simulation, as opposed to arcade racers. The closer the physics come to real world vehicles, the better.

Mods come in all flavors and there is no real standardization for installing or configuring. A lot of players have problems and to help them I designed www.VirtualRacersEdge.com (www.o-f-r.com for those that hate to type.) www.MCORA.com was another of my fan help sites.

I also often help players in one on one text chats.

While I do not expect remuneration from my hobby efforts, it has lead to income from ads on my hobby sites as well as signing on new clients interested in developing a web presence.

I can generally see over 1000 visitors a day when I am active in the newsgroups/bbs and 300 or so when I am not.