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Discussion & News Groups: Do unto others…The beauty of the World Wide Web is that it can help bring together people with similar interests. There are many discussion or news groups where those who are interested in a topic can discuss it with people around the world. When you find a group that discusses topics related to your business, you may think that you have struck gold. After all, the people in the group are your "exact" target audience. What more could an Internet marketer hope for? All you have to do is present your message to these people, and sales will skyrocket! As with most things that seem too good to be true, there is more to news and discussion groups that meet the eye. First, most groups do not allow blatant commercial messages to be posted. Violators run the risk of getting flamed and being banned from the group for life. Second, bad news spreads quickly, especially on the Internet. There are discussion groups that discuss how bad some companies are. Remember the saying "Any publicity is good publicity"? That is definitely not true! This is not the kind of publicity you are looking for. There is a simple rule to follow when posting to discussion and news groups. Try to be helpful with your posts. People are interested in valuable information, not commercials. For example, if your company sells natural health products that help certain physical conditions, look for opportunities to help other members of your group with useful information. The key to getting people to visit your Web site through these methods is to add a signature to the end of your post that directs people to your site. An effective signature provides a compelling reason for people to visit your Web site. Most people just put their name and company name after a post, like this. Fred Penticton This does not give a reader an opportunity to find out more about your company. Instead, provide a link and a reason to visit it. Compare the first signature to this one. Fred Penticton, Lifestyle Herbs The second signature is only one line longer, but clearly indicates the benefits of dealing with your company and provides a link to your Web site so that people can find out more with one click. By the way, you should use the full URL of your Web site including the http:// in front. Some e-mail programs do not make a hyperlink to an address without the full URL. Discussion and news groups can be an important way to increase your profile and revenue. Being helpful and playing by the rules helps build credibility and a good reputation. An effective signature will allow people to visit your Web site where they can purchase your products or services. As Dr. Tony Alessandra says, follow the Platinum Rule: "Do unto others as they'd like done unto them". The results will follow. Internet
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