In Part I we discussed the beginning process of how to get members from MySpace. We talked about the importance of not targetting just any Joe on MySpace. It’s important to find a niche group of people. Converting them will be much easier. In Part II, I will go over several methods on how to reach out to the new friend’s you’ve added.
MySpace Messages
MySpace messages are one of the most effective methods of marketing on MySpace. Messages are sent to an individual’s inbox so they are sure to read it. If you’re goiong to be sending MySpace messages to your friends, it’s important for these messages to be more personal then say if you were sending a bulletin. Start out by introducing who you are and why you are sending the message. Be sure to explain the title and topic of your forum. List several reasons why they will like your forum, what you can offer them by signing up, and tell them you feel like they can be an excellent contributer (it never hurts to butter someone up). If you’re running any contests or promotions, don’t forget to include that. It’s important to keep MySpace Messages very clean and professional looking. Close the message with a ‘thank you for your time’, leave a link to your forum and remind them it’s free and easy to participate. I try not to use the words ‘register’ or ’sign-up’ because it might scare them off.
MySpace Comments
MySpace comments are the small posts that show up on a members profile. These are another excellent way for you to attract members to your forum. Not only will you get the attention of the person who’s profile you commented on, but all his friends who check the profile as well. Keep comments short and sweet. Don’t fill them with large graphics and big font. It will look spammy and could result in the profile owner deleting your comment. Just say “Hey thanks for the add. And don’t forget to check out my Zelda Forums.”If you’re going to leave a picture in the comment keep it something small (120×120) and related to your forum topic.
MySpace Bulletins
Bulletins are probably the least effective method of converting MySpace members to become members on your own forum. Bulletins are sent out all the time, and by everyone, so there’s a good chance your bulletin will be skipped over. I would still send out bulletins, but only if you’re promoting a specific new feature or contest you’re running on your forum.
Group Posts
All Groups have small forums on them. Most of them aren’t active, but group members still look at them. A good way to get visitors, and ultimately members, on your forum is to make posts in the group forums. Be sure to keep your post on topic and not spammy looking. Just before you end the post, include a link to your forum. Or you could make a post saying “Hey I found these cool Zelda cheats on xxxx forum. Go check it out.” It’s really simple and effective.
By following the above MySpace marketing tips, you will drive traffic to your forums. If you have something to offer members, they will sign up. I’ve used these friend building and promoting methods for every single one of my forums, and it has never failed me. Even if you only get 10 new members from MySpace, you never know if those members will be the few that end up with 3,000 posts on your forum. If you can find just one of those members on MySpace, all your work will be worth it.
