Interact on Forums and Blogs to Establish Expert Status

It only stands to reason that people prefer to shop from people they know and trust. Maybe you don't have a big family, but the good news is you don't have to be their uncle to gain people's trust.

Gaining Customers Trust

Aside from giving top-notch customer service and vowing to go the extra mile, develop a plan to gain customer's trust. Those are the things that impress potential clients though. Anyone can give a gimmicky spiel or provide a long-winded sales pitch. What customers want is substance.

So what do customers look for? They look for the experts. You wouldn't go to a pharmacist for advice on article marketing, for example. You would want an Internet marketing expert. You would look for the best in the field. Why take advice from someone who is still learning, just like you? Customers want an expert on the topic who can answer their questions and provide useful information.

Participate in Forums and Blogs

One way to develop expert status on your niche topic is to follow up in forums and blogs. You've written articles and published them on targeted forums of blogs. Now what? Is it enough?

You could stop there, but you are leaving money on the table. Please don't do this. You'd be missing out on an opportunity to connect on a more personal level with potential customers. Though you may attract a few visitors by posting random articles and forgetting about them, this is frowned upon within online communities. Participants are more likely to click on your link if you are a frequent poster.

The biggest thing to avoid is coming across as a spammer. If your post is labeled as spam, it may be deleted and you may could be banned from participating in that particular forum again.

Aside from breaking the unspoken rules of forums and blogs, random posts don't provide any real lasting benefits for your business anyway. People need to see your name again and again until it becomes familiar to them.

Participate in communities that are targeted around your niche topic to establish yourself as a knowledgeable source. Make yourself the "go-to" person for any questions that arise in your field of expertise. Offer advice when asked and provide new information whenever you can. Write your comments in a professional and friendly way.

I always bookmark sites I publish my articles on. Every other week I return to the sites and check in to see if there are any questions I can answer in the forums. I look for comments to respond to that will help people understand article marketing better. More importantly, I connect with readers and show them that I am a real person who is willing to help them. I become a trusted source. Eventually they feel comfortable clicking on the link in my signature to find out more about what I have to offer. Because they are already feel like they know me, they're more likely to trust the information I offer and the services I provide.