Forums
Online Discussions Groups
Message Boards

Online forums are an excellent way to network, to learn, and also to very possibly find partnerships. Most web communities have them, also called message boards or discussions groups. Select a few that resonate with your own passions and begin to visit them regularly. You can attract and maintain contacts within one of these online networking groups MUCH more so than you could ever accomplish with straight advertizing.

Most online networks allow you a free membership, and some will also have some sort of fee-based membership which will allow a much higher level of access to members and perks. You may find that the fee-based membership is worth it to you after some experience with the community. RYZE is an example of an excellent online networking community with many free options, and even more with an upgraded membership at $10/month.

Key to networking in this way is to brand yourself as one who offers good information and advice. Refrain from the obvious fatal error of just posting links hoping to get quick sales. Not only will that never work, but more important - doing this would destroy your reputation immediately. If you don't have valuable information to offer, then maybe you might post a genuine burning question you have based on what you have read there. Best to log in and read on a regular basis for awhile, getting the feel of the group and how the forum works.

Build a basic profile about yourself with links for folks to learn more or contact you should they desire to do so. Focus on ways you can offer quality content for other members. This earns respect when done well on a regular basis. In general, hard sell ads are frowned upon, and quality networks often don't allow it at all or only within strict guidelines.

You might want to join only as many online networks as you have the time to visit regularly, since there isn't much benefit to an inactive membership. As any program, it is how well you USE it that gets the best results.

Favorite Forums

RYZE
RYZE is very highly recommended for online networking. It is where people make connections and grow their networks. You can network to get and give advice, grow your business, build your career, or just keep in touch with friends.Members get a basic networking-oriented home page at no fee and can send messages to other members. You can also join networks related to their industry and/or interests. More than 1,000 organizations host Networks on Ryze to help their members interact with each other and grow their organizations.
You can message other members, join networks, view member home pages and much more for free. The upgraded membership allows you to do things have like have permanent link signatures on all forums posts and start your own networks for $10/month.
It is called RYZE because it's about people helping each other 'rise up' through quality networking. A Ryze icon available to you that you may post on a site or blog like the one below. Click it to visit the Ryze Community.


Powerful Intentions
If you have watched the movie 'the Secret' and are familiar with Abraham Hicks and the 'law of attraction' then you will find friends and many 'like minds' here. The various groups at PI are lively and active. Enlightened folks participate regularly from all over the world. Groups can be joined with a quick click on a wide variety of topics. This site was recently moved to a new platform as a social networking site with dozens of free gadgets and widgets.
Powerful Intentions Community

WAHM - Work at Home Moms
This is a great resource for anyone who works from a home office, whether a mom or dad or even if one does not have children. Reliable info and a lively message board/forum with many categories of interest. WAHM.com started in 1994 by a lady named Cheryl Demas, who started working from home at that time with two daughters. She had started out in web site design ... now publishing WAHM.com is her full-time home business. Maybe like yourself, Cheryl was both frustrated and even offended by all of the work at home schemes and scams aimed at moms at home. She started talking with other work at home moms and writing about her experiences. She 'soon discovered that there are thousands (millions?) of intelligent, well-educated women who would like to leave the traditional workplace to stay home with their children. They are bringing their careers home, and starting businesses in record numbers.' This website has good resources for both work from home jobs and for home-based businesses.
WAHM - Work At Home Moms forum