By participating actively in these interactive online mediums, you have the opportunity to 'brand' yourself, creating an 'image' when people see your name or company name.

Of course you can have a 'negative' as well as 'positive' brand image based on how you present yourself, how often, where and why.

* How can branding help you and why should you do it?
People are more likely to buy from people they know, even if they only know them from online discussions. Whether you have a product or service to sell, you're looking for a job, or you just want to increase your online network of contacts, you will benefit from personal branding.

* Where to start. First, you will need to find appropriate lists and forums to participate in. These should be related to your business or other personal interests that either you are knowledgeable about or that you want to be. These resources will get you started:

• http://www.webcom.com/impulse/list.html#Search
• http://www.forumone.com/
• http://www.onelist.com/
• http://www.egroup.com/
• http://www.delphi.com/

* Lurk and learn.
Before you jump in and start posting, take the time to get to know the culture of the group you are about to join. This is like checking to see if smoking is allowed or if you should remove your shoes before you enter someone's home.

See if the email discussion list has an archive and or FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) read them to get a sense of what types of posts are allowed, formats and any other rules. Most discussion lists will have a welcome letter when you subscribe... read it.

If none of these are available read a few posts and then contact the list owner if you have any questions.

For web forums take the time to read a number of posts to see what type of culture is operating and how group members respond to one another.

Each list or forum will have its own personality. Again, think about it as if you were going to a house party. You want to know whether this is a beer bash, wine tasting, or tea party. All parties aren't the same, and neither are lists or forums.

* Your self introduction.
Coming in on a discussion without a proper introduction, no matter how small, is like crashing a party. It is a critical first step that should never be overlooked. Your introduction should put other list members at ease, that you are there to participate, not just 'use' them. That should be the genuine purpose of your being there anyway, if it isn't, find a list that you can and will participate in. Without an introduction, in many cases you may find that your posts will be mostly ignored by existing members.

Be yourself. Be short and direct. Write like you talk. (These are good ideas for every post you make) *Don't* try to sell yourself, your products or your service in your introduction. You can mention what you do, but quick and subtle is best. Your introduction should express a little about who you are, what you would like to get from the list and what you can offer in return. Expose some of your style and personality.

If you can tie your introduction into a current topic, or ask a question to the group, that is better yet. Remember this is part of your long-term strategy to build your brand.

Your introduction is less critical in a web forum because posters are more transient. Pick a current thread or start a new one with a quick, "I'm new to this forum..." statement.

*Joining the discussion.
There are two methods of getting involved with a discussion; starting a new thread (topic) or responding to a previous post or topic.

* Start a new topic.
The goal is to begin a discussion on your suggested topic. The topic should be one that you think will be of interest to the group and members will have experience or specific knowledge to apply to the topic.

The topic could be a question you have, or perhaps an idea that you would like to share and discuss. You can also take a current news item or industry development that effects the group and offer your opinion.

Choose your title carefully, because many members just scan the titles to see if they are interested in reading it. Your title line should indicate what the topic is about, not just "Question", "Help", or "An Idea".

The first paragraph should be an introduction into the topic. An overview. Then you can go on to explain background, circumstances, and other details. At the end, you may ask for comments or suggestions as a way to solicit responses and encourage participation.

* Responding to other posts and topics.
If you are responding to an existing topic, keep the subject the same so people following that topic will know that this is part of the continuing discussion. The first paragraph should still be a general overview of the point of your post, followed by more details, ending with solicitation for additional comments.

When responding to specific posts the important thing is to quote only the part that is relevant to your reply, rather than the whole post. Be sure to set apart what you are quoting and who you are quoting. For instance, if were to reply to the above paragraph I could use this format:

Bob Cortez wrote:

The first paragraph should still be a general overview of the point of your post...

Then I would type my comments here.

Notice the ... at the end of the sentence. This is to indicate that there was additional text included in the original sentence that I am not quoting. You can use the same thing at the beginning of a quote to indicate that you are responding to the last part of a sentence.

*Do's, don'ts, tips, tricks and traps.
Do keep the whole post interesting. Don't write rambling long posts. (You want the whole post read and responded to) Do be a consistent contributor. Don't be a hit and run poster. (Be sure to check back for responses.) Do be gracious, say thank you and admit if you are wrong. Don't expect others to do the same. Do be helpful and informative. (Even if you have to do some research to provide a URL) Don't use posts to promote yourself (or products) directly. (Unless in response to someone's question) Do identify any connection you have with products or services you discuss in your posts. (Either your own or a competitors) Don't make it personal. Avoid criticizing individuals.

**TRAP- You can disagree with a post, but be careful to focus on the topic not the individual. Attacking an individual is a surefire way to create a negative brand.

**TIP- To see an example of how to disagree without making it personal go to     http://www.profitalk.com/talk/talk.cgi?read=316 and read the exchange between professionals.

Do stay "on topic".Don't fabricate numbers or statistics to support your position.
Do be honest.

**TRAP - Many, if not most email lists are archived somewhere, even if it is only on list members' hard drives. You never know who will have access to what you post to a public forum and how that may come back to haunt you. Watch what you write.

**TIP- Read Adam Boettiger's article on email management at: http://wwww.tqm-online.com/adam.htm

**TIP- Many lists will not even accept HTML or posts with attachments. Also, attachments (even VB cards)slow down the process of retrieving email and are an irritant to many.
Don't annoy your potential audience
Do give credit where credit is due (when quoting others)
Do use a signature for all posts (if allowed by list)
Don't make your signature file more than six lines (general rule of thumb)

**TIP- Your Signature should include these basics: Name, Company Name, Web Address. Develope a catch phrase. Make a special offer or call to action. This is your business card and they are effective to create traffic to your site or solicit responses to your offer. Here is one signature that has been effective for me. (You should have several targeted to different audiences.)

***Acknowledgements:

John Gerits, Moderator of Markethink Digest provided valuable feedback in my preparation of this article. To subscribe to Markethink, bob.cortez@dakine.demon.nl?subject=Markethink

Joint Venture Consultant, Frederick Pearce also contributed. Visit his Business Start Page at http://www.bspage.com which also includes the Joint Venture Home Page.

BOB CORTEZ has 20 years of sales and marketing experience and moderates the Homebiz Discussion List (http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/homebiz). Through Total Quality Marketing he is providing consulting services to small and home based entrepreneurs looking to expand their business online and capitalize on the tremendous opportunities available.

Copyright 1998 Total Quality Marketing and
bobcortez@tqm-online.com
http//www.tqm-online.com/tqm.htm
Total Quality Marketing
PO Box 338
Homer Alaska 99603

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