How to Leverage Forum Strategy in Your Social Media Strategy

Are forums dead or not?

The answer is a resounding no. Forums are not dead. In fact, forums are one of the most valuable methods of social interaction on the web.

The Internet was founded upon forums, and in spite of the domination and "virality" of social media, forums remain popular.

I want to explain why this is the case, and how to engage a forum strategy in your social media efforts.

Forums still work.

The first principle to keep in mind is that forums are still places of active engagement. But what do I mean by saying that they “work?”

Here is my argument:  Forums are an excellent place to increase your social visibility, add value, and engage with your target audience.

In its broad contours, this is not much different from the goals of traditional social media marketing. With forum interaction, however, there are significant tactical differences.

If you engage a forum strategy with the idea of promoting your content or selling your product, you’re going to fail.

Forums are, at their core, about communication.

Jeff Atwood wrote this in his 2013 ForumCon keynote:  “People typing paragraphs to each other is as fundamental and timeless as humanity.”

I think Jeff’s point is that communication is fundamental to humanity, not necessarily the rather modern invention of typing. It’s a valid point, though.

Forums are all about communication — a form, a method, a process, a focus, a structure, and a controlled setting for the interchange of ideas.

Take this example from Karateforums.com.

This could be a conversation taking place at a local dojo between a Sensei and student. However, this conversation is taking place online among dozens of participants.

The point to keep in mind is that it’s a conversation. No one is selling anything or pointing people to their homepage. They are helping someone.

This is the way that humans are wired to operate. We interact. We engage in community. We ask. We seek. We help.

With that general framework, it’s no surprise that forums are still quite popular and valuable.

Much “forum” activity now happens on social media platforms.

Any discussion of forums needs to address the rise of social media.

Many former forums are now social media groups.

Why is this the case? Forum users — mostly admins and developers — discovered that social media provided the same functionality as forums. Here was this forum-like platform, with users already plugged in and signed up.  

I’m a member of an entrepreneur’s Facebook group that functions just like a forum.

Instead of a forum focus, social required less technical upkeep, zero startup costs, and no new software.

Here’s another angle. Some discussion sites are a hybrid between a forums (discussion boards) and a social media platform.

Quora is one such example. In its method and style, it has a lot in common with forums.

Reddit is another quasi-social media platform with forumesque qualities.

There is admittedly a lot of overlap between some social media platforms and forums.

For the purposes of this article, I remain focused on true forums — the traditional community and message boards (that are not Quora, Reddit, or Facebook repurposed).

Forums are focused.

One feature that characterizes forums is that they have a tight focus.

For the most part, Forums aren’t general. Instead, they cater to a specific audience. This is exactly why they are so valuable.

Take this StackExchange forum as an example — https://serverfault.com/.

Where else on the Internet will you find a detailed conversation about ssh, tar, and pigz?

Some forum sites are extremely broad, but users voluntarily segment themselves into the niche groups.

One such example is The Straight Dope. If you’d like, you can go right to the BBQ pit conversation or talk about RPGs. Your call. Either way, you’re going to find a focused group that is extremely willing to talk about a very narrow subject.

Here’s where forums overcome one of the major shortcomings of social media. Social media has a general feel. Sometimes, you feel as if you’re simply spraying information and updates into the empty either of an uninterested audience.

With forums, you’re interacting with an audience who is knowledgeable and curious about your niche.

Forums have guidelines.

Forums are notorious for being warzones.

The term you’ll hear is flame war.

Reddit, a forum-style social platform is particularly conflict-plagued. In one study, researchers found that much of the action on Reddit centered on controversy.

If a flame war is a forum argument, then the guys on Reddit are using flamethrowers. There’s even a primary tab on Reddit called “controversy,” maybe an attempt to segment the arguments in a safe place.

Nearly every forum site has a detailed set of guidelines.

Here’s an example of such guidelines.

[We are] about showing humanity to one another: the word itself captures the spirit of being human...The Code of Conduct governs how we behave in public or in private whenever the project will be judged by our actions. We expect it to be honoured by everyone who represents the project officially or informally, claims affiliation with the project, or participates directly.

This sounds like a pledge for a humanitarian or religious organization, doesn’t it? It’s actually from an Ubuntu forum.

The Ask Ubuntu forum gets very technical:

Many forums request that you read and abide by the guidelines before you post anything.

It is extremely important that you abide by these guidelines. If you don’t, bad things will happen to you:

• You will lose your reputation.
• You will be disregarded.
• You will be downvoted.
• You will be publicly shamed on the forum.
• You may be banned from the forum site.

Active forum participants are committed to making sure that their forum is accomplishing its purpose. In their view, the guidelines are what help to preserve the spirit and order of the community.

Forums take some getting used to.

There’s a big reason why forums aren’t instantly appealing and insanely popular:  User interface.

Forums are notoriously web 1.0 in their design and functionality. Take a look at one of the popular forums on the web — Something Awful.

Complete with poorly-written copy and above-the-fold ads, Something Awful actually charges you money to join! And the user interface? Not exactly slick. Nonetheless, Something Awful remains surprisingly popular.

This goes to show that people don’t participate in forums for their interface beauty. They participate in forums for their value.

Since forums take some getting used to, you’ll need to give yourself some time to learn the forum. When you first sign in to a forum, you may be completely bewildered as to where to click next and what to do.

After a while, you’ll get the hang of it.

Forums are for individuals, not a business entity.

Most social media platforms allows brands to have pages, or even to interact like an individual. With forums, this is certainly not the case.

Although someone might sign up as a brand or business, they won’t get very far on a forum. Forums are for individual people to ask, answer, and interact.  

Forums are a good place to establish your personal brand and thought leadership. In so doing, they can vicariously enhance your business.

Forums aren’t for selling or promoting; they’re for helping.

The underlying strategy for forums is this:  Help other people.

And not just “help for the sake of getting noticed.” No. You have to help for the sake of helping That’s all. It is altruism at its finest.

Anything that has the slightest whiff of self-promotion will be spotted for what it is. Here are a few suggestions:

• Do not link to your own material unless it is absolutely necessary and valuable.
• Provide only accurate information.
• Do not ask people to upvote your answers or profile.
• Do not use affiliate links.

If you want a person to contact you personally, use the forum’s contact feature if it is available, not your personal email. Many forums allow users to click on a profile, to access a tool to send private messages.

Keeping your standards high and your ethic spotless is a sure way to enjoy the full usefulness of forums.

Sell with your reputation, not with your comments.

The only way to really gain value from a forum is when you give value to others. With every forum interaction, you build your reputation. Your reputation, in turn, is what improves your value to the group.

One legitimate way to “sell” on forums is simply by using a signature that contains a link to your website or business.

You can also fill out your profile to include a link to your business.

Conclusion

There are millions of forums on the web. Some live on social media platforms, and some still keep chugging away in their Web 1.0 manifestations.

These forums are valuable places to get exposure, to help people out, and to forge your personal brand.

How do you use forums in your marketing approach?