The use of newsgroups or specific forums may have benefit to site promotion. While it may seem that you are wasting time by interacting with people who may never visit your website, the truth is the expertise you can provide is generally welcome by many forum owners and visitors.
By helping other forum members gain clarity on the use of a product or service you effectively become an ambassador for the product you carry.
I can almost hear you asking, How does this benefit me?
In most newsgroups or forums you are allowed to place a link to your website in the signature box in the profile section of your account.
This may not seem like much, but every time you post to a forum or newsgroup your link is placed on the site for all to see.
When others begin to see you as an authority they will likely click your link to see what you offer. Since there is already a level of trust, a sale may be just a few keystrokes away.
Another step that lends credibility to your authority on the subject you address is the use of free-to-use articles.
By developing a series of articles on a relevant subject you can develop a new level of trust....