Marketing a Forum Contest

[pates]

It's all well and good starting a contest up and posting on webmaster sites like these the details of your contest. However, I need my contest to appeal to people interested in discussing poker. I have tried posting on poker-related forums but I am not allowed to as I am in direct competition.

Blog commenting is the best I can think of but how can I do that in a non-spammy way?

[Colleen]

The simple answer is that you can't.

You'll probably have to pay for advertising to get the contest out there via link and banner advertising.

[Red Hot Mama]

It's all well and good starting a contest up and posting on webmaster sites like these the details of your contest. However, I need my contest to appeal to people interested in discussing poker. I have tried posting on poker-related forums but I am not allowed to as I am in direct competition.

Blog commenting is the best I can think of but how can I do that in a non-spammy way?

I'm glad you brought that up! That is exactly what I am trying to do right now too! mg:

[pates]

There's got to be a free a cheap way to do it?

[Red Hot Mama]

There's got to be a free a cheap way to do it?

So far I have just been adding it to my sigs and posting about it in the many, many forums that I am a member of...

When I am done with that, I will look for a different way, if I feel like I need it.

[LooseChange]

Have you tried using yahoo groups or newsgroups? They can be very active and there are generally no major rules posting to them as long as your not spamming.

[Red Hot Mama]

I was also thinking about yahoo chat rooms, but I am scared to go into those! mg:

[Colleen]

I was also thinking about yahoo chat rooms, but I am scared to go into those! mg:

Try it once and run away, lol! :P

[LooseChange]

Yeah, Yahoo groups can be a mixed bag. Some are over-moderated and others are just free for all spam zones. It might be worth your while to start your own poker discussion Yahoo group and use it as alead-in to your site.

Also, you can Google for "free advertising blog" and find some free ad blogs and post to them. The results aren't guaranteed but if you can even get a few new forum members, it might be worth it.

I have a poker/casino (but more poker techniques) related blog that gets a bit of traffic and it'd be no problem to post an article for you about your contest if you write the article.

[flamey]

if you contest will have prizes, tell the bloggers about it, they'll be happy to write about it for free as its a good content for their readers.

[WikicyloN]

if you contest will have prizes, tell the bloggers about it, they'll be happy to write about it for free as its a good content for their readers.

unless that lowers their chance of winning. then they might keep it to themselves.