One thing you can count on from Internet users—they have questions. In fact, Nielsen reports that about 500 million searches are performed on major search engines every day, and between 85% and 95% of all internet traffic is generated from search engines.
A lot of people are looking for answers, and they are starting their quests on the Internet.
The idea is to make your business the solution to their problems, the answer to their questions. So, how can you become the go-to authority, the one who satisfies their insatiable demand for information? Consider participating in Q & A sites. These sites are becoming a popular way for people to ask questions and get answers from experts—and, it’s a good opportunity for you to gain better visibility on the web.
How can you build your brand with Q & A sites? Quora is probably the most well-known site, so let’s use it as an example. Here’s how it works:
1. Sign up. The process is similar to starting and maintaining a social media account. Register with the site as an expert. Set up a profile that links to your website and other resources, so that people have easy access to more information about your company.
2. Be a follower. Start following people, questions and topics within your niche. Look daily, if possible, to see if anyone is asking a question you can answer or if you can ask a question yourself. Every time you participate in the conversation is another opportunity to lead people to your site and build your brand.
3. Become the expert. Jump in whenever a question is asked within your area of expertise. It’s a great way to showcase your knowledge and establish trust with consumers. Link to your site so that they can get further information and start to see you as the place to go for the information they need about that topic.
4. Check out what everyone else is saying. Q & A sites are a convenient place to gather information about what other experts—and even your competition—are saying. Use this information to get tips about how to grow your own business and to stay in the loop when it comes to hot topics. What is your market talking about? What are their concerns?
5. Monitor your status. Similar to LinkedIn answers (another handy Q & A site), Quora users have the ability to vote for their favorite answers. So regularly check to see how you’re doing with voters. This feature ensures that the best and most accurate answers rise to the top, and you want to make sure that you (and the link to your site) end up there.
Q & A sites are an effective marketing tool that you can use to get the word out about your brand and establish credibility with consumers. Participate in them regularly and they can become a source of traffic that grows over time, as more and more people looking for answers come to you for the information they need.
