An Introduction

Newsgroups are the equivalent of a massive notice board of which consists of a list of addresses which relate to specific interest groups. Within each listed name contains a layer of thousands of e-mail messages or notices related to the interest group. Currently there are well over 300,000 interest groups and this figure increases daily. Messages received by the newsgroup service sit on the “notice board” waiting to be read. Any replies to the messages are threaded or attached to the original message. 

As the newsgroups are split into interest areas, this makes this service of particular interest when marketing products and services.   For example, if you were trying to market pet food, you are likely to find several hundred newsgroups related to care of pets.  Associated with each newsgroup with be thousands of people all over the world who regularly visit these these areas to discuss pet health.  You needn't pay thousands of pounds for mailing lists, they are already there waiting for you!!

Here is a database holding thousands of newsgroups from around the world.  Search the database for a subject area which matches your product or service area. 

Dejanews - http://www.dejanews.com

Proceed with Caution

If you intend to market your products and services using this facility then you should proceed with caution.  Newsgroups tend to be ran by either academic servers, and although anyone can join in, the newsgroup community take exception to any kind of commercial activity.  If you storm into these groups with a pre-prepare promotional campaign, then you are in for quite a rude awakening.  Open advertising is deeply frowned upon, and should be avoided at all costs. Depending of who you have upset, the consequences could lead to you spending several unnerving hours downloading thousands of nasty email messages.

What can you do, and how should you approach these groups?

Well, although blatant commercial selling is not acceptable, discussions about selling and other commercial discussions is quite acceptable.  Free exchange of informative materials is also quite acceptable.  So the rule is is to cloak your campaign in the exchange of information and advise.  If we revert to the Pet Food company again, they might exchange information on pet nutrition with an invitation to visit their web site for more information.  One of these posting might reach thousands of readers interested in that very subject.

But the advise does not stop there.  If you are serious about using newsgroups to drum up custom then consider the following:

• Only use the newsgroups which are relevant to your own product areas.   Don't try to discuss pet food nutrition in a child care forum! This type of behaviour is known as SPAMMING and is the easiest way to disgruntle potential customers - word does get around!!
• Spend some time reading the messages being posted within the newsgroups to get a feel for how people communicate and the style they are using.  Never post and leave. 
• Get involved with the newsgroup community and build their confidence. Gain a reputation for offering good advice.  Once you have won your audience you can then try the selling approach.  Never force the issue, nurture the crowd and it will reward you.

Understanding the Jargon

Below is a list of common junk mail jargon you will come across when using newsgroups.  It is advisable not be branded as one of them!

Spam

Spam is unsolicited e-mail (or news postings). If you haven’t asked for the information sent to you, then it is Spam. In America, spammers are liable for a $500 fine if caught spamming. In some states, it falls under the definition of illegal faxing without the recipient's permission. In the UK, it falls under the Criminal Statutes regarding unauthorised alteration of computer data or theft of computer resources. (Theft of access time and disk space.)

The unwanted message sent to multiple Newsgroups at once. Using this method to broadcast your products and services can only lead to loss of any credibility you hoped to achieve on the Internet. WORD SPREADS.

Unsolicited Commercial E-mail. This is by far the most common form of e-mail Spam. There are much better ways of conducting business on the Internet than this. Don't do it, it will make you unpopular.

MAKE MONEY FAST! You can make $50 000 if you send this message to five people..... you know the deal. This scam, despite what it says, DOESN'T add up. MMF is illegal in many countries - including the USA where a lot of it seems to originate. MMF is most often seen on newsgroups.

Flame

As in normal society there are conflicts and wars, so on the Internet there are FLAME WARS. Flame or Flame Wars is literally a argument or out-and-out battle between two or more people on the Internet. It is normally via e-mail, and if more than two people are engaged in a battle it can become very serious and even cause traffic jams. The consequences can be as severe as being thrown off the Internet if the argument becomes unresolverble. To avoid this situation it is wise to abide by the laws of Internet etiquette particularly if engaging in newsgroup activities.