It isn't just buyers you will put off. The most successful people online harness power of joint ventures - doing a deal with another marketer to sell your product for a commission. If you become known as a spammer, joint ventures will be a closed avenue for you. Nobody will touch you.

But don't despair. There is a solution. It is to take a softly, softly approach.

First, read every post on your target boards. Look out for recurring themes as they will often guide you to areas you can research. Many an info product has been born from questions raised on forums.

Next, whenever there is a question or comment that you can add to - do so. Answer questions generously and without trying to push any product or service.

If board allows it (and it is vital to check 'rules'), put a very short link to your site in your signature line. But on no account mention it in your message.

For example, I might sign myself off like this:

Martin Avis www.BizE-zine.com - Free Business Insights Every Friday

Every once in a while ask a relevant question. And always graciously thank anyone who answers you, even if you don't agree with them. That way you are not just being polite, but you are also doubling your postings. Never, ever enter into an argument over someone's reply to you - however rude they may seem.

Over time, you will become a known member of board. People will appreciate your input and you will become an accepted member.

When that time comes, you can begin to occasionally mention your service or product in posts, providing relevancy is absolutely clear. But only those.

This way, boards will become an excellent marketing medium for you.

Any other way and you will get nowhere.

If this all sounds in any way cynical, I guess it is. But it is based on real, hard reality of Internet etiquette: 'People do business with people they like'. Add 'trust' to that and you see whole picture.

Let's say you're writing a letter to your bank, whining about latest foul-up with your account.

"Unfortunately I was climbing my front steps when I opened my card statement, and I was so surprised I tripped. The bruise on my shin's blossomed from red to blue to dark-blue, and I'm gulping painkillers every four hours. You need to put warning labels on your envelopes."

Not hard to write, and not boring either. You're just telling what happened.

4. Get enthusiastic

What you're feeling comes through in your words, always. So, to liven up your words, you have to be interested in what you're writing about.

This can be hard, but luckily enthusiasm is transferable. For example, let's say that you're writing a presentation for your latest product. You don't like product, you can't imagine that anyone will ever like it, much less pay money for it. In that frame of mind, guess how presentation will sound?

OK, close your eyes and imagine your favourite pastime, let's say it's swimming. You're doing lazy laps in pool, sun is shining, you've got whole day to yourself, maybe a movie later...

Hold that feeling! Keep feeling, and dive into writing presentation. (Try this, I swear it works.)

5. Tell reader what to do

Always tell reader what you want him to do.

If you're writing an ad, don't forget to give address of store, or give a phone number. You'd be amazed at how much advertising is happily inserted into everything from newspapers and Web sites to Yellow Pages without giving basic contact information.

If you're writing a letter, or an e-mail message, do same thing. You may think that what you want reader to do is obvious, and it may be, but give instruction anyway.

Try these five techniques, and please send me a message (sun818_98@yahoo.com) to tell me about your results. If you've got other techniques that work for you, tell me about those too. I'm always looking for ways to make writing easier. If I use your technique in a future article, I'll happily give you credit.

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