Partick O’Keefe, author Managing Online Forums #14 s

“Social media is more focused on the individual, whereas forums are focused on the community itself.“

“You can develop into an authority based on your contributions to an online community.“

“The Driving force behind a community has to be the people responsible for the forum…without the passion it will not be as good as it can be.“

“If there is a passion in a community, it can work in a forum setup.“

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“The medium itself, and the discussion through the forum, can translate into any topic.“

“Forums are part of the foundation of social media.“

“Most consumer product brands could benefit from a forum.“

“Never assume it’s OK to do something just because it sounds OK to you…it’s important to check the forum’s guidelines.“

“The interaction with people (in a forum) has to be managed.“

John Lawlor, host of SocialMedialogy™ Conversations, interviews forum expert Patrick O’Keefe, author of Managing Online Forums: Everything You Need to Know to Create and Run Successful Community Discussion Boards.” Mr. O’Keefe presents a very informative discussion of how online forums have evolved from the beginning days of the old Bulletin Board Systems (BBS), which pre-date the Internet, to today’s successful online communities.

Mr. O’Keefe believes that forums can be founded within any type of community. “The medium itself, and the discussion through the forum system, can translate into any topic,” he says. There are forums that are considered professional, personal, silly, serious, and everything in between. If there is a passion among a group a people and within a community, there is a basis for an online forum.

Forums are similar to social media in that they forge connections within a group of people and promote interaction, but there are differences as well. “Forums are the foundations of social media,” says Mr. O’Keefe. Some forums do not have the level of detailed profiling that social media sites like Facebook offer to its users. But, there is a growing trend among online forums to allow for expanded profiles, “friending,” and other functions typically associated with social media. Whereas social media is primarily focused on the individual, forums are centered on the community itself.

Both Mr. Lawlor and Mr. O’Keefe cited the importance of maintaining a forum in order for it to be an effective medium of communication for a community. “The driving force behind a community has to be the people responsible for the forum,” says Mr. O’Keefe. “Without the passion…it will not be as good as it can be.”

Many people today use business forums in order to gain exposure for themselves or their services and products. The show presents a very informative look at using these types of forums for marketing and promoting your business. “You need to want to be there – and to contribute,” says Mr. O’Keefe. “You can develop into an authority based on your contributions to an online community.” Mr. Lawlor considers forums an extension of the social media ecosystem, and they have evolved into a medium that is regularly used by millions of people on a daily basis to gather information, share thoughts, and form communities.