People may be wondering why anyone would want to get to 50 posts on a particular forum - the answer is simple!
After 50 posts, on some forums you can personal/private message (PM) anyone on the forum and this gives you an easy and discrete method of asking for ad swaps or other private arrangements so that people can promote ideas, items, or goods that might benefit both of you. This communication takes place in private so that the unwashed masses are not able to comment or criticize.
My method to getting 50 posts has three parts:
Part 1: Get familiar with the forum
* Lurk for at least 1 hour over at least 3 days - get familiar with the issues that people are having and the solutions being provided
* Look to see who the most common posters are, and figure out whether or not they are worth listening to. Remember the people who are posting helpful answers and remember the answers to common questions.
* Get familiar with the topics - are there terms that people are using that you don't understand? You can't communicate with people until you understand their language. Get the lingo down.
Part 2: Help people with problems that can be solved with a quick Google search
* Look for posts that have zero responses - figure out what they need, or a possible solution by Googling for their keywords or symptoms or problem. Posts with few answers are often silly questions by new people. Those are the kinds of questions that long time forum members get tired of answering. But that is just the kind of question you want to answer!
* Find the answer by looking through forum posts on the forum that you are on. * People ask the same question over and over and don't think to search the forum they're on! * Learn to use the search function. Most people don't and it can give you a leg up on both learning and helping others to learn.
Part 3: Respond to questions that don't require any special expertise, and also do respond to questions where you do have some knowledge
* If people want website criticism - give it to them!
* Sometimes people want feedback on an article or a personal situation - give it to them!
* If you've ever used a software product that is being asked about, and you have an opinion - give it to them!
What NOT to do!
One word responses - Don't Do This!
One word answers don't help anyone, and if there is a yes/no question - then just like you had to do in school - you have to also answer the question of why you think yes or no - a paragraph response should be no problem.
Don't be rude! You are the intruder into their group. Even if someone insults your mother, there is nothing to be gained by posting an unprofessional response. Suck it up and ask them why they feel that way ( plus you get another post!) Keep your eye on the prize.
If you ask a question - make sure that it is a good question that can't be answered by a Google search and hasn't already been asked and answered a million times before.
Some forums have a posting limit per day and it can be easy to get flagged as a spammer or as someone who isn't providing valuable content. In the beginning I suggest no more than 5 to 7 quality posts per day. This means that you will get to 50 posts in less than 10 days - even with 3 days of lurking.
Follow those simple rules and not only will you reach your desired number of posts in record time, but the long time forum members will recognize that you provide value and insight and are a valuable addition to their world, rather than a burden. They will be more likely to help YOU out in the future when you have questions.
Good Luck!
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