Marketing With Newsgroups
© Charlie Page

Today I'm going to share with you one of the most powerful free advertising methods I know. Surprise... it isn't ezines!

Back in the early days of the Internet there were three essential tools... FTP (file transferring), email, and newsgroups. While we all use email, and programs like FrontPage have made FTP all but a thing of the past, newsgroups are a forgotten resource. But it need not be so. In fact, newsgroups can be a powerful part of any marketing plan.

As the web has evolved newsgroups have evolved with it. The basics of newsgroup marketing are as old as the Web itself and as fresh as today's most advanced viral marketing techniques. And many of the people on newsgroups wouldn't be caught dead on Yahoo or Topica, so this could be an entire new market for you!

Let's take a close look at exactly how to use newsgroups to your advantage.

=====> What Is A Newsgroup?

First, a brief background. Newsgroups are simply groups of people with a common interest who discuss those interests in a 'discussion list' format. While many discussion list services have popped up over the years (Yahoo Groups and Topica, to name two), newsgroups still exist and are very active.

To access newsgroups used to require a special piece of software called a 'newsgroup reader'. Today you can access newsgroups over the web. One of the best places to start is Google, (who bought Deja News,) which can be found at http://www.google.com/grphp?hl=en

Google has done a fantastic job of archiving over 20 years of newsgroup messages in one easy-to-use web site. In fact, there are over 700 million newsgroup messages archived! One nice thing about newsgroups is that they are organized into logical categories, which makes it easy to focus on only those groups that meet your interests.

Now that you know a bit about what newsgroups are let's look at how to attack this hidden market.

=====> A Special Type of Marketing

The goal with newsgroup marketing is not some quick ad that gets seen by lots of people. Discussion forums like newsgroups offer you the chance to be seen as an expert in your field. Once you develop this reputation, which takes some time investment, you will find that clients will seek you out, wanting an expert to help them solve their problem. And when clients seek you out your marketing expense drops to zero. A definite boost to the bottom line.

Here are the four steps to successful newsgroup marketing.

Please note: These techniques work equally well on discussion groups. To find a list of discussion groups, start with either http://www.groups.yahoo.com  or http://www.topica.com

=====> How To Do It.

1. Find groups that have end users of your product or service as members. You are looking for prospects, not peers. If you design web sites for a living you might want to look in groups that discuss how to start your own online business, since new business owners may need web design.

2. Join a few groups and lurk for a while. Get a feel for the tone of the group's conversation. Select your groups carefully and only join a few at first. There will usually be a member or two who are ... opinionated. Ignore them. Look at the heart of the group for what you want.

3. Answer every question you can. This is the KEY STEP. Only answer questions you know the answers too, but answer all you can. Soon you will become known as helpful and professional. Once you develop that reputation, business will come TO you.

4. Don't advertise at first. A short sig line is okay but if you are too aggressive in the beginning people might get scared off. Just help people and use your sig line to let them know you are in business.

There's no doubt that newsgroups are an excellent marketing tool. Best of all, they are being overlooked by most new Internet marketers. Find a few newsgroups where your prospects hang out, develop a reputation as an expert in your field, and watch as the requests for your product or service begin to pour in!

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Charlie Page is a copywriter who owns the Directory of Ezines and the Directory of Marketing. If you want to sell more online, visit Charlie today at http://www.directoryofmarketing.com