Bulletin boards and forums are great places to meet people of similar likes and dislikes. They are also great places to put to use to help promote your small business. The number of ways that your small business can benefit through bulletin boards and forums is many and diverse. All it takes is a little creativity and lateral thinking.

Millions of people visit bulletin boards and forums every day. They make posts, reply to questions, joke with each other, and generally have fun. But there's usually an undercurrent of seriousness on every bulletin board and forum too.

There are many definitions of networking, depending on the actual context, but for the purpose of this article, I think this definition sums it up networking best: "An extended group of people with similar interests or concerns who interact and remain in informal contact for mutual assistance or support."

A bulletin board or forum is exactly where this sort of interaction and informal contact can easily and naturally take place. It is where groups of people with similar interests hang out, and when they interact, mutual benefit or support is the likely outcome. But that is the process happening naturally. When it deliberately planned as a tool for advancement, that's when it can get much more interesting.

In order for a bulletin board or forum to become an effective networking tool for your small business, you will need to become an active member of the board or forum. By 'active' I mean that you should be making posts every day. Your posts should not be the 'me too' type of posts where you agree with someone's sensible statement. That can get you in as part of the group, but it will not get you noticed as a potential leader whose posts are read every time.

Don't rush in either. Lurk for a day or two until you understand the underlying cadence of the community. Agreeing with a statement, but expanding it further in ways the group may not have thought of is a gentle way of introduction. Later on you can become more authoritative as the group begin to trust you.

In a short time you will begin to notice the group leaders. Some might be hotheaded individuals who use the bulletin board or forum as a means of sound off. These individuals are usually a nuisance, but best ignored.

Seek out the individuals with the most apparent intelligence, skill and knowledge. They will also usually be the most successful, though that can sometimes be difficult to determine. Look at the signature box of anyone you feel might be potentially beneficial to you and your business. If he or she doesn't have one, then they are probably not serious enough for your needs. If they do have a signature box, they will usually also have web addresses. Visiting that address can tell you a lot about the individual concerned, and the probably success they are having online.

You can contact individuals through the bulletin board or forum usually by sending them a PM, or private message. If you feel that a joint venture could be mutually beneficial for both of you, tell them what's on your mind and let them consider it. Alternatively, you could make a post asking if anyone is seriously interested in forming a mastermind group for everyone's mutual benefit. Those who reply can then find their own forum or bulletin board, or stay in contact by email. If you are leading the group, you will need to have a plan of action well formed before taking this step.

Using bulletin boards and forums as networking tools for your small business can take many forms. It is only governed by your imagination and creativity.