The Importance of Forum Signatures

[RFL1986]

I'm a big advocate for using forums as both a traffic generating tool and a manner to just keep up on whatever your area of work is anyway. While I wouldn't suggest spamming forums with advertisements it's a great idea to start posting and discussing topics within your field and also keep a forum signature as well so those interested in your thoughts can find your page.

Anyone else use forum signatures as a traffic creation method?

[muchtolearn]

It's definitely not something that should be overlooked. However I think you need to find a balance there too. Be a valuable member of the community! Don't just be someone that's there to utilize it for your own purposes. Find forums that you have a genuine interest in participating in and do so. That way you'll build respect, trust and a reputation of being a good contributor. Your forum signature traffic will come from that.

[RFL1986]

For sure. Forum members will be pretty quick to recognize someone who comes onto the boards, posts one word replies then leaves with their signature left behind. I really think that spending even half an hour on a relevant forum with a signature link is the best way to go. Even leave it off while you first start chatting so people know you're not there just to exploit them.

[SamIam]

I use too but my forum is so busy it keeps me way to busy to do much posting on other forums. I am not sure it helped much because there are not a lot of forums in my niche and they all have rules against putting common forums in your siggy.

[liowkc]

My gut feeling is that signature posting is a low cost way of creating awareness and perhaps generate marginal traffic.  It is kind of the by the way form of marketing rather than the pillar.

[admin]

Very good discussion guys and the perfect place for it...Forum Marketing Traffic!

Yes, the forum signature is vitally important in the way that it is crafted.

Just as important also is the content provided leading up to it.

Just as a salespage in a salesletter online or offline must immediately grab attention from the headline

and guide the reader through the process building value, agitating the problem, providing the solution,

presenting benefits of the product being offered, creating scarcity, building urgency, using fear of loss

and desire for gain all while focusing on the consummation of the order,

 the forum post from the title of the thread (I like to call it a "threadline" which is a mix between thread title and headline)

 to the closing leads up to the link as a system designed to accomplish the mission of getting the clickthrough.

  The more anticipation and alluding to value waiting on the other side of the offer,

   the more will take you up on that offer.

   One vital aspect of forum marketing signatures whether using well researched keywords in your anchor text or not...

   is the positioning.

   For instance,

   here is a short list of forums with page rank in Google with a value over at least 3 that DO alllow *dofollow* comment links!

   This means, as long as you are adding value which is your "give" part of the relationship,

   by ALL means, make full use of your classified ad for selling yourself to the members of the forum with a

   nice strong call to action such as...

   Get Your Free One Year Ecourse On How to Drive Massive Amounts of Targeted Traffic to Any Website...
   Just Click Here Now==>http://IncreaseYourOnlineTraffic.com

    Of course, there could be anchor text with your keyword there too.

   Here is the list to use:

   SitePoint Forums PR7
Digitalpoint PR6
Harmony-Central Forums PR6
Search Engine Round Table PR6
Submit Express Forums PR6
Start Ups PR6
v7n PR6
Webmaster Talk PR6
Comic Book Resources Forums PR5
Web Design Forum PR5
Marketing Chat PR5
Earners Forum PR4
TriPHP Forums PR4
360 Gamerscore PR4
Acorn Domain Name Forums PR4
Book and Reading Forum PR4
Ableton Forums PR3
The In Place PR3
6Pins PR3
IQ69 PR3
Hot4's Forums PR3

[liowkc]

Thanks for the list of sites with their respective PageRanks.  I couldn't really believe that Sitepoint has a higher PR than
Digitalpoint (PR6) and Webmaster (Talk PR6)!

[Dantes Peak]

The traffics that you would be getting from them depend on how well you interact in the forums.  Those people who hang out in forums like to visit the sites of people who uses forum signature if you got them interested on what you are saying.

[coderzone]

Anyone else use forum signatures as a traffic creation method?

I do get lot of traffic from forum and I hope the same from here

[RFL1986]

I agree that it really shouldn't be the 'pillar' of a marketing strategy but I've also thought forum signatures are a great way to kill two birds with one stone in a sense. I'm glad that I wasn't off in left field always thinking it was a good plan.

[harmony]

I use too but my forum is so busy it keeps me way to busy to do much posting on other forums. I am not sure it helped much because there are not a lot of forums in my niche and they all have rules against putting common forums in your siggy.

If there are not a lot of forums in your niche, man, you've just found a gold mine.  You can start your own forum and hopefully people will come.  What's more you can invite the people who are in the forums you're in, and may be invite others in related forums.

Good luck