Online billboards. A collection of Internet discussion groups, known as "newsgroups," works like bulletin boards–people can post messages on certain topics. Anyone who visits the newsgroup can read all of the past messages and also post messages themselves.
There are more than 20,000 newsgroups, each focusing on a specific topic, such as pet health care, foreign car repair, Web-page development, computers for sale, or fan clubs for rock musicians. This area of the Internet is notoriously noncommercial, and users hate posted advertisements. Despite this, some companies do market to newsgroups successfully. Here are four basic approaches:
1. The first essential tactic is to focus only on newsgroups where your company's product or service is of interest.
It is very important to make sure that the majority of readers of a
newsgroup are in your target demographic.
2. The second tactic is to read the messages posted there for several weeks before posting your own. Perhaps that particular group is violently opposed to any marketing, no matter how soft-pedaled–it's better to find out before posting a message than after.
3. Post very brief messages, making clear in the subject line of the message what the topic is. For example, listing the subject as "Great opportunity to save!" marks that message clearly as an advertisement, begging for angry e-mail in response. But listing "Info on new nonstick cookware" makes the subject clear. Those who don't want to know about the cookware won't read the message, and therefore won't respond with vitriolic e-mail.
4. Be honest about who you are–someone from a company trying to sell a product or service. Writing "I work for a company that sells Ketchum Klean Soap, and here's how to reach us if you're interested" will be more respected in newsgroups than writing "I've used Ketchum Klean Soap and love it. E-mail me if you'd like to know more." Keep those messages short, avoiding hyperbole. Since many users are paying by the hour to access the Internet, they don't like to waste time online.
Some companies first post messages in the target newsgroups, asking if the participants would mind their messages. For example, in a sports newsgroup a company might post a message saying, "Would people here be interested in occasional information on new shoe technology?" Often, many users are, and they will respect a company for asking.
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