Even when it comes to forum marketing you should have a plan for how you want to take action. It will not be too difficult to accomplish what you want, but know what you want to do and how to leverage forums. Many of the online marketers who become successful do well because they think this way about business. First, they learn a lot about the various marketing techniques. Then they continue to study this information and find the best way to use it to their advantage.
Of course there are some pages that are vitally important to take note of before beginning your marketing. One of which is the TOS or 'terms of service' page. The longer you're able to remain an active member, the greater your profit potential will be. If you manage to violate the terms of service for a forum you run the risk of being banned from that site permanently. They generally aren't concerned with whether or not you actually read the TOS. They exist and you're responsible for knowing about them. There are generally deep feelings about it on behalf of site owners and moderators. Compliance is not an option.
Don't just comment on existing threads. Start your own threads as well. It's quite common to feel a little bit shy about going out there and starting threads of your own. Begin by thinking of information you have that can be valuable to the community and share it. Encourage readers to ask any questions they have too.
There are many ways to get people to comment, and one way is to say or imply something controversial. Just be wary of too much controversy or coming across in a negative light. Just make sure, above all else, that you start threads that fit with the theme of the forum.
Take a little time to watch and figure out who's considered important on the forums before you even think about starting to network. In general, there are a few people who carry a lot of sway on the boards. There is some influence to this based on the sheer number of forum members too. The longer a forum has been around and the more members it has, the larger the pool of influence on that forum is likely to be. It really will vary from one forum to the next-often the influence bringers are moderators. The 'leaders' are often the people that other members are her latest blog always trying to get acknowledgment from. Once you know who these people are, then you can work to build a rapport with them.
I've seen very many people become addicted to hanging out in forums. Don't forget the reason you're visiting the forum in the first place. Your time can be much better spent doing other things. It's important to spend your time where it will provide the best ROI.