Forum signatures: a good way to advertise?

[Wrong]

Forum signatures crowded with links, banners and all kinds of things linking to external pages seem to be very popular now. If you're active on a forum that has a lot of members and add a link to your site in your signature, chances are you will get a few new visitors. As long as it's not forbidden by the site's rules (some admins do not want members placing external links on their sigs), it is a very easy way to get people clicking on your site's link. The more you post, the more hits you'll get!

Have you ever linked to your site through a signature in a site you're active on? Have you ever paid someone else to do it for you (by "renting" his signature space)? Or perhaps rented your own signature?

 

[Dreek Lass]

Forum signatures crowded with links, banners and all kinds of things linking to external pages seem to be very popular now. If you're active on a forum that has a lot of members and add a link to your site in your signature, chances are you will get a few new visitors. As long as it's not forbidden by the site's rules (some admins do not want members placing external links on their sigs), it is a very easy way to get people clicking on your site's link. The more you post, the more hits you'll get!

Have you ever linked to your site through a signature in a site you're active on? Have you ever paid someone else to do it for you (by "renting" his signature space)? Or perhaps rented your own signature?

I don't link to my sites through forum signatures, because different forums have different rules and I can't be bothered to keep up with all of them - with who allows signatures and who doesn't. So, I just don't post them in my signatures at all. You are correct about getting other members to have your website link in their signatures. There are certain forums that I know of, and a lot of members who want traffic, or if they want to sell a product, they will pay another member for their signature space, and then the paid member will advertise whatever the other member wants for a certain period of time.

Your signature link or image has got to be attractive, I find. You can't just have anything in your sig and expect to get lots of traffic.

 

[squibs]

My take on this is that it can be worth it, but you need to be selective. First you need to pick a forum with enough traffic to justify your efforts. Next you need to understand the signature functionality. Signature links may be hidden from users who are not signed in. These users will most likely represent the majority of the traffic to the forum, and the search engines will probably see the site as guest users too. Finally, as already mentioned, you do need to pay close attention to the forum rules. many forums do not allow advertising, or have strict rules on the nature of the advertising that is alloed.

 

[Wrong]

I don't link to my sites through forum signatures, because different forums have different rules and I can't be bothered to keep up with all of them - with who allows signatures and who doesn't. So, I just don't post them in my signatures at all. You are correct about getting other members to have your website link in their signatures. There are certain forums that I know of, and a lot of members who want traffic, or if they want to sell a product, they will pay another member for their signature space, and then the paid member will advertise whatever the other member wants for a certain period of time.

It's true that some forums allow links in signatures and some others don't, but either PMing the admin or going over the forum rules can't take that long - and it can be worth it, especially in sites you're active or sites you no longer are active on, but have made lots of posts on.

In my case, I sold a few signature spaces to a guy who wanted to promote 3 websites. I was active in about 6 forums back then, and he paid me a considerable amount of money to just place 3 links. I got money, he got visitors, win-win!

Your signature link or image has got to be attractive, I find. You can't just have anything in your sig and expect to get lots of traffic.

I'm with you on that one. I find animated banners to be the most appealing of them all. But you always have to check the rules beforehand to make sure they're allowed.

 

[Dreek Lass]

It's true that some forums allow links in signatures and some others don't, but either PMing the admin or going over the forum rules can't take that long - and it can be worth it, especially in sites you're active or sites you no longer are active on, but have made lots of posts on.

In my case, I sold a few signature spaces to a guy who wanted to promote 3 websites. I was active in about 6 forums back then, and he paid me a considerable amount of money to just place 3 links. I got money, he got visitors, win-win!



I'm with you on that one. I find animated banners to be the most appealing of them all. But you always have to check the rules beforehand to make sure they're allowed.

Yes, moving gif images tend to get the most traffic or clicks. There are a few forums that will have you upgrade and buy a membership with them if you would like to start having images or gifs in your signatures, which is a bit annoying but other features and perks come with the upgrade too, not just being able to put pictures in your signature. The rules are different for every forum, and I can't be bothered to go and search every forum that I have joined for their specific rules lol. I guess it depends on how badly you want that traffic.

 

[fermlour]

I think not, I think people do not care much about it, I mean, if an image or so thoughtful and giving curious to the people, it's good!

 

[djarum1]

Never got paid to do it, but if someone has an interesting enough banner or clever enough slogan to get me to visit a link, I'll click it.

 

[bradman1313]

Seems like an active way to spread the word on your site/channel/etc. without spamming links on forums. Without getting the word out somehow, no one will ever find it, right?

 

[apriapism]

Sounds strategic, but I'd also look around and see if the forum owners were okay with it. I know several forum owners don't like for other sites to be advertised, so I like to respect that.

 

[Victor Leigh]

Once I had been paid by someone to set up a forum account and put his signature on my link. Then after I have built up the account to the number of posts he wanted, he paid me and took over. I am not sure what he's doing with it now. That's the only one time that I did such a thing. I felt rather bad about being a fake. So now I only use my own signature in my link. Yes, it has led some traffic to my site. I noticed that if I had been rather useful to someone, they tend to click on my link to find out more about me.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

The more you post, the more hits you'll get!

Be sure to provide quality posts though! It you post one liners, people are going to recognize it. I for one would and that would be bad because I would know their tactic right away. There are many starting to see these things. So counter it by providing something of great quality to a post. Maybe engage with further questions or comments that would initiate further discussion, or provide something that someone is looking for. A lot of times, I will look for questions and try to give accurate answers for them to assist members. The more members who get to enjoy your company more, the more they will want to associate with you and therefore likely click your signature link.

 

[markede]

Definitely this is a good way of advertising via forum signature. Thanks to all here for nice stuff.

 

[Thrix]

Yup. I have advertised on numerous forums already by linking my link in the signature.
Get a catchy image there, some catchy text and clicks will start to pour in.
At least that's how it was, but I believe it still is.

 

[Ash]

Yeah, I advertise my website on as many forums as I can if they allow me to do so in my signature. Most of the forums I am on actually are totally fine with it and also allow graphics in the signature which makes it easier for us to advertise our sites. But I know a few don't like sites being advertised in the signature space, which is fair but a bit annoying for us I guess .

Whether or not it works, depends on quite a few different factors really. Firstly, you have to actually be active on the forum for it to be effective and then the forum also needs to be active enough for people to see your signature and then visit your site.

 

[Jasonn]

Depending on the site, the traffic could vary - but that's true without about any good traffic source. Anyway, even if the traffic is scant, it's still better than with many forms (pop-under ads etc..) because there's no chance of a scam. I mean, the people coming in are real and not forced.

 

[Barida]

My take on this is that it can be worth it, but you need to be selective. First you need to pick a forum with enough traffic to justify your efforts. Next you need to understand the signature functionality. Signature links may be hidden from users who are not signed in. These users will most likely represent the majority of the traffic to the forum, and the search engines will probably see the site as guest users too. Finally, as already mentioned, you do need to pay close attention to the forum rules. many forums do not allow advertising, or have strict rules on the nature of the advertising that is alloed.

You just said all that is on my mind in the sense that once the forums are active, you can get the best out of it at the end of the day.

 

[yulicame]

De hecho, si no hay mucho dinero para hacer promoción, hacerlo a través de los foros es lo mejor, ya que de esta manera puede llegar a muchas personas, que están interesadas en lo que usted está promoviendo, hay muchos foros donde puede suscribirse gratis. contactar gente de diferentes países, esta es una buena forma de hacer marketing.

 

[Porus]

Forums can be a great tool for promoting your website's link to a ... One of the most popular ways of inserting a link is within a forum signature.

 

[Heatman]

Forum signatures crowded with links, banners and all kinds of things linking to external pages seem to be very popular now. If you're active on a forum that has a lot of members and add a link to your site in your signature, chances are you will get a few new visitors. As long as it's not forbidden by the site's rules (some admins do not want members placing external links on their sigs), it is a very easy way to get people clicking on your site's link. The more you post, the more hits you'll get!

Have you ever linked to your site through a signature in a site you're active on? Have you ever paid someone else to do it for you (by "renting" his signature space)? Or perhaps rented your own signature?

Yes of course, I believe that those signatures is a very good way for you to advertise because whenever you make a comment, it is going to highlight your website which gives those interested an opportunity for them to go through your website and register.

 

[Tony]

The problem with making use of forum signatures is that some forums where you're going to post on doesn't allow the use of signatures. They usually believe that it's going to take their members away to a prospective rival.