Forums, Forum Bulletin Board Code & Signatures
Hi, I don't remember seeing you here before. If you're new here, welcome. If you despise the hype on the net as much as me & like a laugh, keep up to date with my latest posts by subscribing to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! The Anti Hype
Forums typically do not allow standard HTML code but instead allow the use of Bulletin Board Code - BBC - which is similar to HTML but safe!!
The page that opens up will provide you with the code you need to add some life to your forum posts and signatures. Not all forums allow all code so you will need to check each one. Most normally provide icons for actual posts but if you wish to spice up you signature for example you will need to use this code.
Adding a sensible link (by that I mean not a blatant attempt at selling) to your signature will result in curiosity clicks and traffic to your site BUT only if you are making sensible comments and are generally helpful to the forum.
I would change my signature and any links to focus on the main topic / niche of the forum since you are unlikely to get any worthwhile targeted traffic from a totally unrelated forum.
So how do you add a signature to a forum?
Most forums have a similar feel and you add your signature by editing your Profile.
Usually, there is a link within the Profile section called Forum Profile Information or Signature and it is a simple matter of adding your text. I would also set some of the other features such as Notify me of any new posts etc. This can get annoying if you have a very busy forum but it does serve as a reminder to visit often and keep your name in the frame.
A link to your site “How I trained my Bulldog in 3 weeks” from a Dog Lovers forum would be highly relevant but the same link in a forum about Ferraris or Porsches probably would be of no interest. Just think about the other members of the forum and whether what you have is likely to be of any interest. If it’s not don’t be surprised if the traffic from that source is non existent.
An exception to this is where you use your site as an example of something you’ve done that may be relevant to other users. For example I increased my traffic to my “How I trained my Bulldog in 3 weeks” site by using this strategy. Although any traffic is unlikely to be targeted and much use, you could generate some backlinks and page rank as a result.
My golden rule for forums is to get yourself known and make sensible and helpful comments. Ask questions and get involved. Don’t simply think I have been to XYZ for a while and post a single comment expecting results.
