Choosing an Answer to Promote

On Quora, a good answer is one that is helpful to anyone who wants to know the answer to the question being asked. Promoted Answers must also comply with our Content Policies and Advertising Policies. To learn more about how to write a good answer on Quora, click here.

The following are additional factors to consider when choosing an answer to promote:

What questions should I answer?

Businesses using Promoted Answers should take their customer journey into account when choosing questions. Determine how much your customers already know, and use your answer to provide information they do not have.

The following is an example of different questions that align with varying stages of a customer funnel:

• Top of the funnel (Awareness): What is customer relationship management (CRM)?
• Middle of the funnel (Consideration): How can I increase sales with CRM?
• Bottom of the funnel (Purchase): Which CRM is better for a startup, A or B?

The middle of the funnel is the best place to influence and shape the buyer’s journey. This is why Quora is an attractive platform for marketers aiming to increase consideration for their brands.

Can I ask my own questions?

Yes, in fact, it is recommended if you cannot find a question that fits your answer. It is common for users to answer their own questions, and questions can be asked anonymously if needed.

Quorans respond best to authentic content, so it is important to answer the question being asked. If an answer is forced into a question, your credibility can be negatively impacted and users may flag your answer as spam.

Are short or long answers better?

We distilled insights from hundreds of businesses across verticals and found that short answers (<200 words) had the highest clickthrough rate on links within answers. Medium-length content (200-600 words) came in at a close second. 

These are recommendations based on in-answer-link CTRs. However, we still recommend testing various answer lengths to determine what works best for your audience. For example, brands promoting complex products or driving thought leadership can benefit longer answers. Whereas short answers may perform better for brands answering straightforward questions.

Should I use a Business Profile or individual profile?

Both types of profiles perform well with Promoted Answers, so it is recommended to test both to determine which appeals most to your audience.

Generally, Business Profiles are recommend if:

• Your goal is brand awareness
• You wish to build your brand’s authority as an industry thought leader
• You want to engage with Qurorans under your brand name
• You plan to use existing blog content that refers to your brand in third person (ex. “we”)

Individual profiles are recommended if:

• You have notable colleagues writing on Quora (ex. CEOs, directors, etc.)
• You wish to build an individual’s authority as a thought leader
• You plan to use a more casual, or personal, tone (ex. “I”)

Can I re-use blog content?

Yes. Sharing existing content on Quora gives it more mileage, and it can help teams get started with Promoted Answers faster. If you choose to repurpose blog content, here are a few tips to consider:

• Users should not have to leave Quora to find answers to their questions, so do not simply link to your external blog. 
• For longer blog posts, consider using the most relevant paragraphs to answer the question, and link your in-depth blog as a reference.
• Use block quotes for verbatim content to avoid having content flagged for plagiarism.
• Add UTMs to any hyperlinks that redirect back to your blog or website.
• If you cannot find a question that fits your blog post, consider asking your own question.

Should I include images in my answer?

Promoted Answers with and without images perform well on Quora. Brands can test answers with images, or edit their original answers to include or remove images. 

Generally, it is always recommended to include images or videos that are relevant to your answer. Promoted Answers appear on feeds with the first image or video thumbnail included in an answer. This can help content stand out on Quora, which may be ideal for brand awareness campaigns or marketers who found success with image ads. 

How much time should I spend on my answer?

Quorans value quality over quantity, so there is no “perfect” time for writing answers. As mentioned above, answers can be short or repurposed from existing blog content.

If you are a business writing on Quora for the first time, consider spending 10-15 minutes on a question related to your expertise. Ideally, new Promoted Answer campaigns should test 2+ answers to determine what performs best (ex. length, imagery, user profile, etc.). Answers can always be edited after they are posted. This allows you to focus on answering the question asked.