Every niche has many forums dedicated to its discussion. If these forums also manage to garner a fair share of traffic, it's a simple matter to capitalize on that traffic in a really big way. The entire plan doesn't have to take nearly as long as you might imagine. Of course, if you want to get the greatest amount of benefit from your marketing efforts you will need to dedicate a fair amount of time and attention to this endeavor. Only you can decide what works best for you.
The majority of people will not change their usual personality when joining a forum. There will be many who will be either introverted or extroverted. So, just act normally, unless you are very aggressive and obnoxious. If you are the shy type, you don't have to start contributing right away. This behavior is called lurking and lots of people do it all the time. Making a first post can seem little scary in the beginning. Once you settle into it, then simply start replying in threads and always be courteous and offer value.
Your first step in forum marketing involves building relationships with the members of the forum. Think of it as solidifying your network. But it's helpful to think in terms of relationships because that puts it in a better frame. Let them get to know you; they'll prefer doing business with someone they feel they have a relationship with. Plan all your actions according to this. If you're serious about building forum relationships you'll want to keep familiarity in mind. You have to keep coming back day after day and week after week in order to build those relationships.
So you want link to join a forum? That's great! But before you do, understanding the difference between business, and nonbusiness related forums, is absolutely essential. Looking at the forums, make sure you can market your products there. If not, don't bother joining. Discerning what a forum will allow, in regard to marketing, is something you need to know before you spend the time to join it. This is not the only consideration that you should make. There are many specific guidelines that must be followed, and absolutely no rocket science is necessary! You can help or hinder your results with forum marketing depending on various factors. Like any other marketing method out there, by doing your due diligence, you will have better success once you start to use it for marketing. Even though forum marketing can be productive and fruitful, it's not anything that will bring you overnight success. But you might experience quick sales if you are on the right forum and have a good product. Many forums do not mind its members advertising their products, which will lead to many new cash opportunities.