Millions of subscribers, thousands of newsgroups that discuss anything from knitting to cosmic rays, make Usenet a highly fertile soil for any marketing activities. Each Newsgroup represents a specific segment of the industry. It means, this is a convergence point of birds of a feather and is the most efficient platform to reach the targeted audience in that vertical.
By design, the newsgroups are a free platform for information sharing and data exchange within the members. Typically, any commercial activities such as product promotions, advertisements etc. are strictly banned in newsgroups, except a few.
It creates a perplexing situation for startups with limited marketing budgets. They don’t have the money to spend on the brand building and are afraid about being kicked out from the best alternative, Newsgroups, for promoting their product.
However, well-orchestrated newsgroup activities can derive excellent results without any violations or financial expenditure.
Below are some of the best ways to make Newsgroup marketing a reality:
Identify Right Newsgroups:
Identify the most appropriate newsgroup with the audience for your business is the most crucial element in Newsgroup marketing. Instead of hitting the post button from day one, observe the group activities and analyze the behavior of top contributors for a while. It gives you great insights about the forum etiquettes and saves you from embarrassing situations such as warning or suspension at later stages.
Profile speaks a lot
Your profile is your identity on the platform. Instead of using fancy names or your name, use your brand name as your profile name and company logo as your avatar. Ensure that your profile description explains your brand activities and your signature carries your contact information or website address. Such a well-crafted profile is a sure shot for improving brand penetration levels.
Be a contributor:
Only lurking the forum won’t make any good. You should give answers to the questions to prove your authority in the domain. Such a positive approach will establish you as a competent personality in your segment and will trigger positive changes in your business growth.
Avoid disputes, arguments and violations
Newsgroups are a potential market place not just for you, for your competitors too. Each one tries hard to get their share of the pie by different tactics.
Avoid provocations, arguments and stay away from controversial discussions. It gives you brownie points in the form of improved business as people prefer to work with gentle, mature and emotionally stable business owners.
Competitor Analysis
Quality competitors are your best pals in sharpening your competitive edge. Newsgroups provide you with an excellent avenue to evaluate your competitor strategies in a vertical and develop solutions to outshine it. It helps you to move abreast with the industry and garner customers with irresistible product offerings.
Even though Newsgroup marketing is the best option to reach your targeted market globally with minimal efforts, the subscription fees for Usenet is a distraction for some. There are some free Usenet providers, and the majority of the seasoned Usenet providers offer free trial options. As a marketer, you can use the features to learn the ropes before moving with the expensive option.
Indeed, Newsgroup marketing is the best cost-effective way to expand your client base to the entire world.