{"id":702,"date":"2013-05-21T16:42:40","date_gmt":"2013-05-21T16:42:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/?p=702"},"modified":"2013-05-21T16:42:40","modified_gmt":"2013-05-21T16:42:40","slug":"make-the-most-of-online-forums-for-your-small-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/make-the-most-of-online-forums-for-your-small-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Make the most of online forums for your small business"},"content":{"rendered":"
Marketing your business is another area where online forums can help. They provide a great \u2018meeting place\u2019 to engage with customers and prospects to find out about their needs to help you better position and market your products and services. Many small business owners find opportunities for partnership and collaboration among forum participants.<\/p>\n Spending time each week to participate in forums may be challenging, but the upside is worth it. Make the most of your time by identifying forums that are in line with your small business. In addition to the communities listed above, you can find forums through a number of search engines, such as Boardreader<\/a>, Omgili,<\/a> and BoardTracker<\/a> (currently under reconstruction).<\/p>\n Once you find forums that align with your business and your needs, here are some things to keep in mind:<\/p>\n Be clear about who you are:<\/strong> You get the most value when it\u2019s clear to other participants who you are and what your small business provides. This is important whether you are seeking information quickly to deal with a crisis or asking a question about an emerging industry issue. \u00a0Use your real name and consider adding your business information, including your website address, into your signature. Also use your own photo and not an avatar. People want to see who they are having a conversation with.<\/p>\n<\/a>If you aren\u2019t actively participating in online forums you might want to carve out some time. Participating in online forums, such as those offered by LinkedIn<\/a>, can help answer questions about running your small business and keep you up to date on industry trends<\/a>. You also can get support and suggestions for the right tech products to buy for your specific business needs in vendor forums such as our Plantronics Sounding Board<\/a> or connect with IT pros, as thousands of small business owners do, in small business tech communities such as Spiceworks.<\/a><\/p>\n