How to Use Quora to Build Your Brand (Part 2)
What are the most effective methods for answering questions on Quora? A good story, evidence to prove your point, and the single most popular method of persuasion. The Public Speaker shows how to use the elements of good storytelling and this powerful persuasive technique to build your brand on Quora.
Lisa B. Marshall
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How to Use Quora to Build Your Brand (Part 2)
In a previous episode, we talked about an amazing site called Quora. This week we continue on this topic by discussing the most effective ways to build your brand on Quora. We’ll talk about the elements of good storytelling, how to make your point stick, and an effective way to persuade your audience to comply with a request.
When New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor answered the Quora question “What is the single most illuminating question I can ask someone?” she didn’t really answer the question. Instead, she stated that there’s no single good question. Her main point was that instead of using generic hypotheticals, the best questions should be researched, specific, and brief.
Use the Elements of Good Storytelling
Jodi Kantor went on to prove her point with two very different examples. In her story about interviewing the First Family, she uses some basic elements of good storytelling to prove her point:
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The back story/setting: We learn how Jodi Kantor came up with the question she asked the Obamas.
“I had come to understand that equality was a serious issue in the Obama marriage, and that in the White House, the president and first lady are not treated in the same way at all.
So I summoned up my nerve and asked them, ‘How do you have an equal marriage when one person is president?’”
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The obstacle: This wasn’t a typical interview question. Getting the answer wasn’t easy. Kantor shows this with step-by-step action and dialogue
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Step-by-step action: The action keeps us reading.
“He tried. Barack Obama is normally so eloquent, but he botched his reply three times, stopping and starting over . . .
Then Michelle Obama stepped in to rescue him.”
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Dialogue: The dialogue makes this story more relatable and personal.
“The first lady immediately made a sound like ‘hah!’ as if she was glad someone was finally asking that question.
Finally on the fourth try he half-joked that his staff was more concerned with satisfying the first lady than satisfying him.”
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Details: The details help us feel like we’re in the room witnessing the interview.
Make Your Point Stick with Point Evidence Point (PEP)
An extremely effective way of getting your point across is the “Point, Evidence, Point” technique that I call PEP. You can’t simply make a point and expect it to stick with your target audience. You make your point, then give evidence to support your point, then summarize your point at the end.
In Jodi Kantor’s response, she gives two examples to support her point. (By the way, I call that PEEP!) She follows her story about the Obamas with a more personal example to drive her point home – interviewing a babysitter.
“For instance, when I hired a babysitter for my daughter, I used the same interviewing techniques I do in reporting and made the questions as concrete as possible: ‘Were you looking after a child on 9/11 and how did you react to the emergency?’ Also ‘What’s a good lunch for a toddler?’ The sitters who said nuggets and fries were out; the one who said she was a vegetarian who would be happy to cook healthy food is still working for us seven years later.”
That’s exactly how you use PEEP—with an example that many people, in this case parents, can relate to.
For more on PEP, check out my previous podcast How to Make Your Point Stick.
Persuade with the “But You Are Free” Technique
The introduction of your products/services is the most difficult part. If you attempt to hawk your products and services too directly, too often, or too early, your answer will feel like a sales pitch—even if your real intention is education. However, if you don’t mention your products and services at all, it seems like a lost opportunity. I recently saw a great Quora answer by a producer and blogger who didn’t include any information and I had to Google to find out what products and services his company offered. I suspect some people wouldn’t have bothered, even if they were interested in learning more. I think it’s reasonable to add a brief last line for those that might be interested.
One effective persuasive technique – that could also be used for introducing your products or services in a Quora answer – is known as the “but you are free” method. With this technique the listener is told they are free to refuse the request being made. According to meta-analysis published in Taylor & Francis Online, 42 studies show that this method is effective in persuading a group to act on a request when it’s used immediately after the request (Carpenter, 2013).
So what exactly is it? The idea is that you make it clear that the listener has a choice in the matter. The research shows that you double your chances of getting the results you want by using this no-pressure method. Jodi Kantor uses this technique in the last line of her response.
“Oh, and if you’re interested in the Obamas’ behind the scenes adjustment to the White House, my book has much more on the topic.”
Building your brand on Quora isn’t like engaging in social media platforms. This isn’t about motivational quotes, witty one-liners, funny videos, eye-grabbing photos, or infotainment. Instead, you use Quora to provide thoughtful answers (and questions) which resonate and connect with thoughtful readers. Using the techniques we talked about in this series, you can develop answers that rise to the top. This is a terrific way to build your brand by sharing your expertise.
This is Lisa B. Marshall, The Public Speaker. Helping you lead, influence, and inspire through better communication. Do you wish you got an email from me letting you know the new podcast is available? Join my newsletter to get weekly updates and get a free bonus.
Do you struggle with difficult conversations? Do you procrastinate when it comes to delivering feedback? Do you know how to effectively persuade and influence others? Learn this and more in my book Smart Talk. Radio personality, Maureen Anderson called it “The owner’s manual for your mouth!” Visit www.smarttalksuccess.com to get your personally signed copy.
Question Mark image from Shutterstock. Quora Image from Quora Press Kit.
About the Author
Lisa B. Marshall Lisa holds masters with duel degrees in interpersonal/intercultural communication and organizational communication. She’s the author of Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation, as well as Ace Your Interview, Powerful Presenter, and Expert Presenter. Her work has been featured in CBS Money Watch, Ragan.com, Woman’s Day, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and many others. Her institutional clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard University, NY Academy of Science, University of Pennsylvania, Genentech, and Roche.