To say that Quora the questions and answers site is off to a good year is an understatement. Launched in June 2009 in private beta Quora has seen a massive growth in page views and user registration with many speculating how and why. Some give credit to Robert Scoble and the Scoble affect. Others to MG and the TechCrunch gang for consistently referencing Quora in blog post. All makes me wonder who has shares into Quora but that’s another post.
Regardless if you think Quora is valuable or not, bloggers, social media enthusiast, main stream media and brands are flocking to Quora trying to get a jump on what could be the next big thing. The keyword here is “could be” especially since Quora is not the only questions and answers startup to gain some traction and when you think about Quora is really one big message board/forum with new social integration.
If you’re new to Quora, wondering if you should invest time into Quora and/or wondering what’s all the hype about here’s my questions and answers guide to Quora.
What is my Quora history?
I signed up for Quora shortly after it was lunched in June 2009 via a beta invite from Jolie O’Dell (Thanks Jolie)
How to get the best value of out Quora?
If you’re on Quora, I would suggest not to follow everyone who follows you and only follow topics and people that relate to your industry profession or topics you’re really interested in. Quora is not twitter!
What type of questions should you ask on Quora?
Any type of question you want! For instance my last question was “What are some good tips for first time fathers?” but if you want to be considered as an industry expert on certain topics it’s a common practice to ask, follow and answer questions on those topics.
What are the ways you can look smart and as a thought leader on Quora?
Write the best answers and get people to vote up your answers. Simple.
What are some simple getting started Quora tips?
1. Have an updated Quora bio and profile picture.
2. Decide how you’re going to use Quora as tool for personal or professional reasons
3. Create a list of topics that you would like to follow
4. Search for topics and people on Quora you want to follow.
5. Understand how Quora notifications work when you follow topics
6. You can ask a question and recommend people to answer the question
7. Decide if you want to connect your twitter, Facebook, WordPress.com and/or tumblr accounts to Quora
8. Start following a few topics/people and ask your first question.
How do I search for topics and people on Quora?
You search for topics and people in Quora via the same box where you ask question.
How can brands use Quora?
Currently Quora does not allow branded profiles although you may find a few but brands can use Quora as customer service channel.
Example: The Comcast topic on Quora.
What is a bad example of how not to use Quora?
Read: How Not To Be Influential? Quora Spam On Mechanical Turk
Was Quora better when it was in private beta?
Some would say yes, especially since all the new users have joined. Quora’s goal is to provide quality answers from smart people, not to create another Twitter where users try to get a lot of followers and just look smart to say he look how cool I am by answering questions on Quora.
What should you be doing instead of answering questions on Quora?
1. Email
2. Blogging
3. measuring
4. looking for leads
5. customer service
6. Exercising
7. Reading
Can I use Quora without answering questions?
Yes, by creating an account and following topics in general or by RSS Feeds.
When is it Quora day on Twitter?
I had tweeted a month ago and told Jason Keath @Jakrose it was Friday.
David Armano tweeted last week “I declare Tuesday to be “Quora Tuesdays”. David has more Klout than I do, so I guess David wins.
I declare Tuesday to be “Quora Tuesdays”. Why Quora will thrive long after buzz http://bit.ly/f1OfnO #quoratuesday
David Armano
armano
What is it called when you answer questions on Quora?
“Quora-ing” I made that up for this post. #joke
Do you have to be on Quora?
No and hear’s a great twitter quote from @ConversationAge
@waynesutton I’m not on Quora and wouldn’t hold that against me… people outlast tools.
ConversationAge
ConversationAge
What does Quora remind you of?
A big online community forum.
What is an example of a really good Quora Answer?
See, Patrick O’Keefe aka @iFroggy. Answer to the question What are some tips for moderating a panel?
What is a good example of a Quora Question starting a debate/discussion.
See, Jason Keath @Jakrose question: Who are the best female speakers on the topic of social media?
How can I game Quora to look smart?
After you have answered a question on Quora DM your Twitter friends or email them asking them to vote up your answer so it shows up at the top. Read: Is the upvote bias towards more popular answerers a threat to quality on Quora? (It’s happening already but not recommended)
Who are the Quora experts?
No one, please don’t even go there.
Is there such thing as a Quora Ninja?
Yes, Robert Scoble, Sorry Robert. I look up to Robert a lot but Scoble will answer a Quora question with a link to his website or twitter list that may or may not even answer the question faster than a pubhubsubbub feed update. (geek joke). Only Robert can get away with that, = Quora Ninja.
What is the one Quora question/post you should read?
Welcome to Quora. Do Yourself a Favor & Slow Down by Lucretia M Pruitt
Is Quora like Twitter?
Yes, there are some similar features but very different at the same time. Don’t treat Quora like Twitter.
Is Quora like LinkedIn Answers?
Yes, but a different community at this time depending on who/what topics you are following.
Is it ok to leave links to your blog post in Quora?
Yes, but I don’t recommend it all the time. Only if your blog post answers the question or adds value to it.
Is there a Quora button for your website or blog?
Yes, see the Unofficial Quora button
Is there a Quora Google Chrome extension?
Yes, see the Quora Google Chrome extension
Is there a Quora Firefox plugin/extension?
Yes, see QuoraFox
Is there a way to embed Quora topics on your blog/ website?
1. Copy and paste (duh)
2. Quora topics have RSS feeds. Note I said topics and not actual questions:
a. Subscribe to the topics RSS feed
b. emebed feed into a RSS widget or subscribe to the topic RSS feed in a google reader folder
c. copy the widget code and embed or embed the google reader folder into blog/website
Example:
Is Quora the next big thing?
Maybe, NO ONE KNOWS, if they say they do then have them answer the following questions on Quora and email you back when they have completed.
Is Quora the next big thing after Twitter?
What will be the next big thing in social media (besides Quora)?
What are the next big things?
Will Quora be the next big thing?
What are some other blog post to learn more about Quora?
How Quora Works
Everyone’s talking about Quora
API of the Week: Quora Extension API
Ultimate Guide to using Quora for SEO Ranking on Google
How Small Businesses Can Use Quora
Can Quora drive traffic?
Frequently Asked Questions About Quora
How is Quora Able to Auto-Like Posts on Facebook?
How Quora could get interesting
6 ways journalists can use Quora as a tool for reporting, sharing ideas
Why Consumers Love Q&A Sites
How do you hyperlocalise Quora?
An SEO’s Introduction to Quora, a New Social Site
All the Quora post on TechCrunch: http://techcrunch.com/tag/quora/
All the Quora post on Mashable: http://mashable.com/tag/quora/
All the Quora post on RWW: http://www.readwriteweb.com/tag/quora
Is there a dedicated blog all about Quora?
Yes, it’s called Quora Town
Is there a mock site about unanswered questions on Quora?
Yes, it’s called Cwora.
What are other question and answer sites like Quora?
http://stackoverflow.com
http://yoomoot.com
http://www.chacha.com
http://www.mahalo.com
http://answers.onstartups.com
http://news.ycombinator.com
What WordPress themes can you use to create your own Quora / questions and answers site?
AskIt WordPress Theme
Answers WordPress Theme
Instant Q&A WordPress Theme
Themeflicks WordPress Theme
What to be cautious about using Quora?
Bubble talk! The tech/social media bubble telling you why and how you should use Quora.
Is Wayne Sutton on Quora?
Yes at: http://www.quora.com/Wayne-Sutton
Why my Quora profile url is Wayne-Sutton and not WayneSutton?
Because I created my Quora profile with Facebook when Quora was still in private beta and Quora won’t change it.
Source: Quora.
Any questions?
