What is quora marketing

A few years ago, if you had asked me what a blog was, I’d have gestured vaguely at my laptop and shrugged.

Something is validating about explaining concepts in your own words rather than struggling through someone else’s explanation. This is why people are flocking to Quora. As the site’s user base has grown, so has its reputation for quora marketing with honest answers to help you do your job better. We’ve found that many of our customers rely on Quora when they need an expert opinion quickly or want confirmation from a third party (outside their company or network) that a particular idea might work or not. Quora marketing isn’t a new concept – marketers have been using the platform to promote their products and services for almost three years now. But there’s still confusion over how exactly they’re doing it, what’s working, and what isn’t. We know because we ask clients about it during our initial discovery calls all the time. So we decided to research quora marketing ourselves, talking with Quora experts from ten companies that are doing it successfully. We got some great information out of them, like: The best type of question to ask (and not just “how?”) How long those responses live before they get culled Multiple ways you can follow up after getting answers that will turn your followers into raving fans How to find answers to questions you’re dying to know How they’re using Quora to drive traffic and leads The most valuable keywords on the site (and their secrets)

We learned from our research that marketers have figured out how to use quora marketing, but it might be time for them to start optimizing their efforts. So here’s a guide on how quora marketing works – what does it take to get your answer featured in Google searches (crucial if you want free traffic). Plus: where and how marketers are doing this today.

#1: Get helpful answers, not just interesting or funny When we asked people why they answered questions on Quora, there were two reasons mentioned by almost everyone – a desire to help and be noticed. We’re glad to hear it: the first step to quora marketing success is answering questions that help others. But how can you tell what will work? Read for engagement: one company we interviewed started by reading existing answers to determine which ones were getting the most attention from the community. They read several answers a day, focusing on those with strong engagement until they found one or two asking very similar questions. Once they identified a topic they wanted to discuss, they answered it – but used different language than previous contributors and positioned their answer as definitive rather than an opinion piece. If you wish your question answered ASAP, word it like a news headline. Also, consider whether you might have exciting insight into a subject already covered in detail on the site. If so, add to the conversation. For example, an employee at a mobile payment company decided to answer another Quora user’s question about how people feel about using phones for transactions. Answering questions isn’t just about understanding other people’s needs and problems – it’s also about networking with those who can help you achieve your goals. When we asked one successful quora marketer what they look for when answering questions, they said that their priority is always helping someone out – even if it means potentially missing out on a potentially lucrative opportunity along the way. “I’m building my network,” this person told us. “It’s not greed or selfishness that motivates me; I know that if I can help others, they’re likely to return the favor.”

#2: Answering one question a day is not a sustainable number of responses, but you don’t need to answer hundreds either.

#3: The more high-quality answers you give, the more visibility you get. That’s where this company stands out from all the rest – at least two people in their marketing department have active accounts on Quora, answering questions every single day. The majority of companies we interviewed, however, were much less involved with the site. Without access to dedicated employees and resources (a luxury many smaller businesses do not have), it’s sometimes hard for someone in another department to regularly carve time out of their schedule. One solution is to create content that will complement the answers already on Quora – again, make sure your questions and answers are helpful rather than promotional. The second-best solution is to use automation tools like IFTTT (if this then that) or Zapier to post replies for you. Although this might not be a long-term solution, it can give you more visibility if you’re just getting started with Quora marketing. If your monthly budget includes a line item for quora marketing, you should be aiming to answer at least five questions every week. This still leaves plenty of time for other activities; five responses each week is only one four-hour commitment (equivalent in half-hour segments). No matter how many people are involved in answering questions on the site, it’s an excellent idea to adjust your expectations accordingly. If you pick one or two inquiries a week and spend twenty minutes on each answer – five hours total per month – you’re doing just fine. #4: Pick up followers by providing value in Quora answers, then encourage them to subscribe to your feed for more. The key to building an audience on social network sites like Quora is following the golden rule of engagement – start giving before asking for anything in return. For these purposes, that means answering questions with valuable responses. Anyone can post info about their product or service; what makes you stand out from all the other companies doing just that?

#5: Make sure that interactions between people and brands are mutually beneficial.