Proper Etiquette for Socializing on Business Message Boards

I see new members of business message boards every day conveniently forgetting to make an introduction post and immediately finding their way over to the "post your ad" section, posting their ads and disappearing. And these people call this socializing and networking with others?

Of course they do. They explicitly fall short of knowing the first thing about business networking. They think if you say "hi, how are you?" to a few people on the forums, that it's forum networking. It takes a lot more than a few times of saying "hi, how are you?" to properly socialize and get to know others on a public business forum.

To truly network with other work at home professionals, you need to genuinely get to know them, exchange ideas, marketing strategies, tips, and advice with them on a regular basis, (if possible, daily.) It's substantially competitive in the work at home industry, therefore, you need to stand out above all the other marketers online. Be unique, but be yourself, and consistently try new venues and strategies.

Then, as you are traveling through the work at home forums, take your time and be helpful to the other members. Show them you know the ropes and you definitely know what you're talking about. And at the same time, you will be building on business relationships and friendships.

Below are the proper steps for networking and socializing on message boards

Step 1) Find and join message forums in your niche - It's a good idea to take the time and read what the boards are all about before hastily signing up. Look for the ones that will benefit you the most and are relevant to your interests and profession.

Step 2) Fill out your profile - Take the time to fill out your profile on each board using your real name. Include your location, your website, and also a little bit about yourself.

Step 3) Forum rules and guidelines - This is the most important step of all if it is your desire to establish a good reputation. Most forums today have made it a rule to make an introduction post and sometimes a specific amount of quality posts BEFORE being able to post in the ad sections. Some board owners don't even have a "post your ad" section, and there's nothing wrong with that. The majority of the members are there to gain information and knowledge in a certain area or niche.

Step 4) Your signature and rules - It's important to take the time to determine if the community allows a signature, and if so, read the rules and tweak your signature accordingly. Most forums do allow signatures. However, refrain from having a long list of links, a brief signature with two, (three at the most) links is key. Most members will shy away from people that have a ton of web links to click on, as they are distracting.

Step 5) Introduction post - Make sure that your very first post is your introduction post, no ads or links, just a nice introduction and share a few things about yourself. Most people enjoy reading about what the other members are all about.

Step 6) Proper Networking - Business networking online is showing a genuine interest in others and what they can teach you, along with tips and advice. You then, share the same with other professionals. Share your best tips, strategies, and techniques on marketing, networking, and making money. You will be properly branding yourself. By doing this, others will see you as a professional in your field and be more inclined to purchase from you or try out your product. This is vital to your home business and your success. You need to continuously build on that trust and credibility. And spamming ads all over the boards will not accomplish this.

If you are going to market yourself on forum boards, at least learn to do it in the proper way. By taking the time to learn the correct way to socialize with other home business entrepreneurs, you are doing yourself an enormous favor, and thus, you are sure to reap a vast array of benefits.

Here's to your Success!