Many sites talk about how commenting on various forums will generate lots of traffic for your site. Like everything online it sounds easy but making it happen for real is another thing entirely. What it takes is hard work, persistence and a willingness to wholeheartedly become a member of a community. Some sites tell you to just create a signature with a link to your site and then post comments on every thread you can find that is relevant to your topic. This is a terrible idea that will just get you banned from the forum in short order.
Where to Post
Forums are a community of members who all want to discuss the same niche or primary topic. Sure there are off topic forums and outgoing links to other sites, but where you want to focus are the most talked in and frequented areas of the forum in question. Find the hot spots with popular topics and voice your opinions on the subject matter. Be helpful, answer questions and most importantly avoid conflicts which are not beneficial to the forum's audience.
Become a Member and an Expert
Truly participating in the community means that you will have to become both a member and an expert. If you aren't answering questions and being a helpful member of the community then guess what: no one will click on your signature's links. You'll need to schedule time at least once a week to answer questions and read the forum. Keep in mind that you don't necessarily have to start topics, but you should try your best to finish them. When I say 'finish them' I don't mean win an argument; I am talking about giving the defining answer to whatever question prompted the topic. This will cement your position as one of the experts on your forum and as people start interacting with you and thanking you for answers, they will also click on your signature link either for additional help or out of sheer curiosity.
Inviting Signature Link
Your signature link should not be a url (if possible) but instead use anchor text that accurately describes what your site is about. Don't worry about SEO as much as getting readers to click the link. So if your topic is dog collars then you'll want a signature link that says something like: "Dog Collars for Dog Lovers." Make your link short, sweet and inviting. Do not write ten sentences or create a sales pitch. All you want is a single link and maybe a short description afterwards.
You Can Do This!
Over time you will succeed at becoming both a member of the community and an expert on the forum. Don't think it will happen overnight, this is an investment in your site's future. So don't go overboard and try to answer a thousand questions over night, go slow and do one or two per day at most.
