Take Notice: Q&A Sites have the Power to Build Your Business
Jan 15th, 2010 by admin
An often overlooked channel for marketing your business and building your online (and offline) reputation are question and answer (Q&A) Web sites such as Answers.com. If you are not familiar with these properties, Q&A Web sites tap the collective knowledge of participants from every corner of the glove to answer everything from “If your home owners insurance is part of your mortgage payment and you stop paying your mortgage what happens to your insurance coverage?” to “How do you make the delayed audio of a video match the visual of the video?” Inquiring minds are learning they can get instant information from answer engines rather than wading through oceans of search results. In fact, according to a great post by Gil Reich on YoumozBlog:
In a recent Business.com study, 49% of companies that use social media said they ask questions on Q&A sites. Only 29% said they use Twitter to find business-related information. The 49% doesn’t even include the many who get info from Q&A sites by Googling or Binging.
But what’s in it for me you ask? Not only can these sites help build your credibility and establish you as a topic expert, they can also help existing and potential customers obtain accurate information about your products and services, generate leads and provide back links in some instances.
Keep in mind that when participating on these sites, it is important to follow any posted Terms of Use and whatever site and etiquette guidelines they have established so that you are not penalized for spamming or inappropriate activity. Also, be sure to fill out your profile or bio page and provide quality answers.
As a final note, the two questions referenced above were answered by experts on Answers.com. Thanks to Insurance Plus and GreenlightAV for sharing their knowledge with others and already recognizing the potential opportunity in participating on Q&A Web sites. Well done!
Thanks Crystal! Very well written.
[...] more on the topic, see a similar post on BabeofBusiness, a blog by Crystal Williams, who is one of the Community Coordinators on [...]
very much familiar in answers.com and I’ve visited some Q and A sites as well. I have to agree with you, it helps build your business.
Thanks for the post, it seems that only recently are people seeing that Q&A is a great way to build reputation, garner links, and get better SEO.
I would point out to other things:
1. Niche Q&A sites that are most relevant to your area of interest or business will often provide even better results than the biggest Q&A sites because they have such high relevancy.
2. If you can’t find a Q&A site on your topic then there probably should be one - and you might as well jump on that opportunity. It’s easy to start your own Q&A site.
I’m the co-founder of YouSaidIt (http://www.yousaidit.com) and we provide social Q&A for niche sites. So if you don’t see the one you like get in touch with me and we can set one up for you.
Barack Obama used this in linkedin.
I think it’s quite a good idea, create some through provoking questions and it has the double effect of your prospective customers giving you information you need to hear.
The Q&A is a great tip. I’m going to work on one this afternoon for an attorney client. I’m also looking to drive some traffic to his site. The web is full of such good information; the problem is enough time to sort through it all! I have a suggestion for anyone who’s looking to start a business who’s over 50, “Ultimate Boomer Business Launch Workbook,” by Jeff Williams. It’s a great planning guide to get you up and running and successful. The author regularly talks with prospective and existing 50+ business owners to find out what kind of help they need most and to share their insider tips through podcast interviews with them. Great info, great guide.
By the way, I love this web site. Lots of great info, here, too! Thanks.