There is a lot of discussion about the Promotions section of the forums lately. Some people complain that it isn't very useful. I beg to differ. You have to approach promotions not just as an advertisement — in which you put up your billboard and you get exposure — but also as a form of social networking. For a newcomer to the promotions forum, I recommend posting in someone else's thread rather than starting a new one. There are several different types of threads, and knowing what is what is a good way to determine how to post.

1) The themed thread — The subject lines are usually 'show me your x' or 'newest items here.' A thread asking to buy a certain type of item is also a themed thread. My tip for these threads is get in when the thread is young. Unless the original poster is coming back and chatting with all participants, after fifty pages of blue earrings, most people are exhausted. Another tip is to only post relevant items. If you don't have any, only comment on the items of others. If you post irrelevant items, that may leave a bad impression on the other people in the thread, and that's not what you want when you are networking.

2) Team Threads — These include anything from ‘comment on what you love from my shop’ to promotions thrown by street teams. The point of these threads is to commune with your fellow sellers. Have fun in these threads — chat, compliment, and party. You'll get a lot of hearts if you just go with the flow.

3) Play Threads — buy and replaces, secret shoppers, and other trading threads. Some swear by these as low cost advertising, but some don't like these at all. Experiment a little to see if they’re your thing: chat and compliment, and always play by the rules.

4) Billboard threads — These are the types of threads that newbies to the promotions forums often post first. "Sale on BeebleDoobles" "Check Out My Shop."  These can work if deployed carefully, but they are tough for newbies to use effectively.

Ready to start your first post? Well, there are several considerations for a good post. First, the title has to be solid. If you've spent some time posting in many other people's threads, you’ve done a little “research” and you know what titles made you want to click. I usually want to click a title with a hint of mystery or humor in it.  A straight forward title can also be effective if it describes what will be going on in the thread, such as "new items- post and run” (meaning post your new items and don't feel obligated to stay) or "happy promoters! Stay and chat!" (meaning that upbeat people should chat about their items).

The second consideration is the content of the thread. Don't just post a link to your shop with “check out my shop.” People may click, but they are more likely to click on a link with a description, such as “pink earrings!" than just a plain link.
 
Third, what to do when others post in your thread? Look at their items, compliment, and chat.

Make sure to check out the Community Team's post in their Forum Decorum series: The Commotion in Promotions.