Why More Businesses Should Be Using Quora
November 22, 2018
Quora is often overlooked as a source of online marketing, particularly as a form of social media, but in truth it can be just as useful as Facebook, Twitter, and the like. Quora is a question and answer site, where internet users can go to have queries answered by just about anybody. Of course, you could just Google something you want to know, but on this knowledge sharing platform, users can gain access to information from those who have personally experienced products, activities, locations, and businesses.
Quora isn’t necessarily a review site, where you could spark interest in a product by writing about it, but it has other pros to it. Building a presence on Quora might take longer than building a presence on Instagram, but once you’ve become something of an expert, you’ll see authority grow in your own industry as well.
You Build Views Quicker Than Followers
One of the things to understand about Quora vs. Twitter, and other social media platforms which build a following base, is that you’ll see more views than followers to start. For example, a new user with only 10-20 followers might still have 8-10k views. Not everyone wants to add other Quora users, in fact, some actually only use the site to gather information.
For example, answering a question like, “Where’s the best place to eat vegan in Southern California”, could draw attention from locals who are curious about your answer to visitors who are genuinely looking for a place to eat. They might not all follow you based on your expert knowledge of Californian cuisine, but they’ll all come to look at your post, and this makes your user cred go up.
Your Profile is Your Company Ad
Quora users who find your additions to the site interesting might check your user profile. They could be interested to know how you’re such an expert on the subject, where you’re from, and what you do. This is the perfect opportunity to show users your business and the benefit it could provide them. A backlink to your official website should be nestled in your user profile somewhere for sure, but keep it professional.
One of the problems some Quora users encounter quickly when trying to build an online presence is coming off as a spammer. When you crowd your answers to questions with backlinks, it looks fake and spammy. It doesn’t matter if the question is, “Who’s the best plumber in Halifax, Nova Scotia”, and you’re in the plumbing business. Putting a backlink in your answer will definitely be misconstrued as pushy or the work of a bot.
Stay Relevant by Following Topics Liked by Others
Once you get going, who should you follow, which topics should you take part in, and should you answer on subjects outside of your expertise? If any post is relevant, having hundreds of thousands of views, you can benefit from being part of that. When you answer questions posted by those with hundreds of followers, your answer is likely to be seen by many of them. This increases the chances of you obtaining more followers, but also of your answer receiving views.
It’s not just which questions you answer that’s important, but how many. The more posts you make the more your name gets out there. This increases views to your profile, which in turn increases views to your backlink and website. Of course, as with any content you put online, your answers must be genuine, articulate, and well thought-out. Posting quick answers which haven’t been researched, are misspelled, or could otherwise be misconstrued as spam is likely to get you pegged as a waste of a read by other users and could lose your views and credibility.
How to Make Your Answers More Noticeable
So many users post answers that it’s often difficult to stand out as a relevant source. If you’re wondering how to rise above the clutter of it all, you’re not alone. Don’t be put off by the thought of getting lost in the mix; it’s still more than worth your time to put in your two cents. Using graphics is one way to get noticed above others answering a question, because it draws the eyes. Even if your answer isn’t the best of the bunch, having an image will make it read-worthy.
Another way to make your answer more important than those around it, in the eyes of somebody asking questions on Quora, is to add your source. Sourcing all your answers gives them an air of authority and makes others want to see what you have to say on other posts you’ve provided feedback for. It doesn’t matter if your answering a question about which hard drive is best to install on a computer or which Dentist in Houston gives the best customer service, using some sort of proof to back up your answer is huge.
There are many question and answer sites online, but Quora has really begun building a presence for itself, putting it at the top of its game. This is the perfect place to begin building some web recognition even if your social media game is still rather new. Anybody can use Quora, and there’s no need for fancy social media tactics, live videos, or other marketing practices. This is simple, honest, and straightforward, and that’s what makes it such a surefire method of creating a follower base.