Hi! I just checked my email and the incoming messages inspired this post. In my inbox, I received a half a dozen "invitations" to member forums. They were all things like "join this program... earn $250 day... my new digibiz... earn real profits..." Whoa, whoa, whoa. El stoppo. Cease. Listen for a minute, okay? Imagine, for a minute, that you're a single guy walking into a bar. You don't holler out to the crowd "Hey, who wants it hot and heavy?" Do you? No. If you're a single woman, you don't walk into a bar and say "Hey, who wants to get married?" Do you? No. Somehow, you instinctively KNOW that wouldn't work. And if it did, it wouldn't get you the kind of person you're hoping for anyway. Same thing. How about starting a forum about a topic related to what you sell? Sell makeup? How about a forum with skincare tips or makeup tips or beauty trivia. Sell crafts? Put up some craft tips. Sell domains? Post the most bizarre domain names and the most expensive ones and the funniest ones. Become the person that people "remember" by what you do. For that matter, if you can't think of something related to what you sell - tell jokes, or share recipes, or do a nostalgia schtick. Do something interesting. People buy from people they like. Become that. Talk about something that interests people. You have a whole "sig" file under your posts to advertise your stuff. Interest people and they'll look at what you do. Bore them to death with yet more ads and they won't buy or join and pretty soon, you become invisible. If you don't interest people with the title of your forum, all they're going to do is [a] Delete it... or [b] Come say "thanks for the info, my plate is full" : ) Linda P.S. Comments and questions are welcome, as always.

I really like the Forum idea Linda.

HOPES Linda thanks for your imput! Are cozy look at the santa bears dreamy ! dreamthough http://www.dreamthoughts.net

Generalizing, people like to be entertained or informed. Your statement, "How about starting a forum about a topic related to what you sell?" has been my M.O. but it presents some challenges along with some positive components. People selectively listen or hear what they want to hear, not what they should be paying attention to. If I would post in my forum about reducing automotive maintenance and operation expenses with a certain product option, do you think people would flock to that forum? If I could show you that your car will start and run better in sub zero temperature with my product option, do you think my monitor will start smoking with emails? I doubt it. If I showed how girls will mob your car if you use this product, it would get more attention. I'll be going to church in the morning so I'll stick with the straight & narrow.

Hi Linda, Good of you to put this out there. You are so right. With all of us getting 50 or 60 or 80 emails a day, we do have to choose who we visit. My criteria is; 1) Who is the forum owner, is it somebody I respect and value, have I had interesting or valuable interaction from this person in the past. 2) The thread title, does it intrigue me enough to click on the link, is it a subject that I have interest in or knowledge about. 3) How much time do I have versus how many emails remain unchecked. 4) Obvious spam... goodbye. Anybody in here hot and heavy? lol Bob