Forums are a great advertising tool that many internet marketers will usually disregard. They are incredibly powerful and can actually generate more traffic than most advertising methods if used correctly. The key to this is making proper use of your profile's signature. Whenever you make a post on the forum, you have the option of leaving a "signature" -- a byline that allows you to include links, images and other forms of multimedia. The flexibility given for signatures all depends on the forum's restrictions, so make sure you read the rules and guidelines before making any modifications.

The most important thing to remember is that the more you post, the more traffic you'll receive. Quality posts with detailed information will generally receive more hits, as doing so will show to other users that you are a professional in your field and know what you're talking about. However, do not try to "oversell" your website/product in your signature (avoid "Click here!", "Buy Now!" etc.).

Posting on a popular forum with a link in your signature will result in quality backlinks, improving the popularity and overall search engine ranking of your website. If you post on a number of forums, it's likely to have a positive effect on your Google PageRank.

Signature advertising is a great way to advertise for those with a tight (or non-existing) budget. Not only will you instantly receive traffic from targeted users, it will have a lasting effect on your website's future and it's inbound traffic flow.