Back in October 2018, Quora Ads announced three new betas were introduced to the Quora platform: CPM bidding, Auction Insights, and Promoted Answers. The Promoted Answers feature particularly intrigued me due to its unique blend of organic and paid marketing. It provides an opportunity to showcase your well-crafted content to a larger audience on Quora, similar to a boosted post but within the Quora Ads framework. Additionally, you have the option to leverage the expertise of individuals outside your organization to create answers on your behalf (more on this later!).
This guide will delve into the concept of Promoted Answers and illustrate how they can be utilized to enhance brand visibility and establish authority within your industry.
What are Promoted Answers?
While Quora is more than just a Q&A platform, its core content revolves around questions and answers. The Promoted Answers ad format empowers advertisers to elevate a specific question to the top of the page, consequently positioning your answer prominently as well. Users can begin reading the answer directly and choose to click on a “more” link to access the complete response.
Image via Quora
During the announcement of this feature’s transition from beta to general availability, Quora recommended promoting high-quality answers that adhere to their content policy guidelines. This new format transforms answers into potential landing pages if the content is exceptional. To maximize the impact of your Promoted Answers, prioritize top-notch quality (more details to follow).
If you already possess compelling answers suitable for promotion, let’s proceed to the setup process, which is surprisingly straightforward.
How to set up your Promoted Answers campaign
Creating a campaign and ad set for Promoted Answers follows the standard procedure. You retain the flexibility to optimize campaigns for conversions, traffic, or awareness. (Note: App install objectives are not applicable due to the nature of the format.)
At the ad set level, the targeting options for Promoted Answers mirror those available for other ad set types. (Refer to this list of targeting options on Quora Ads for a comprehensive overview if you’re new to Quora Ads).
The only differentiating factor in this campaign type lies in the ad creative, which requires minimal effort from advertisers.
Once you’ve selected the “Promote an Answer” ad format and entered your business name, locate the URL of your answer. The crucial aspect here is the answer URL, not the question URL. Let’s clarify the distinction.
To retrieve the answer URL, navigate to the page containing your answer. The date your answer was posted, located beneath it, is clickable. Upon clicking, a new tab will open displaying your answer exclusively. The URL of this new tab is the one you need to input during ad creation.
Wasn’t there a recent update to Promoted Answers?
Indeed, there was! On March 21, 2019, Quora announced a more streamlined method for promoting answers directly within the Quora interface. While browsing your answers on Quora, you can now click the ellipsis icon “…” and select “Promote” to initiate the setup of a new Promoted Answers campaign.
You might be wondering, “Is this limited to promoting my own answers?” Excellent question! The answer is no. You have the freedom to promote any answer on Quora, regardless of authorship. This is particularly beneficial if your company manages the ad account while subject matter experts within your organization are actively answering questions. It allows you to amplify their contributions and enhance brand visibility.
Personally, I believe that answers hold greater credibility when originating from individuals rather than company accounts. While this is subjective, it’s worth testing within your own campaigns.
How to promote great answers
Promoting any answer won’t suffice; you need to showcase the most exceptional responses to effectively build brand awareness or drive conversions. This selection hinges on several key factors:
- The quality of the answer
- Current customer needs and pain points
- Traffic potential of the chosen questions
- Authority and credibility of the answer author
Let’s break down different scenarios where specific answer types warrant promotion.
Showcase authority
Imagine the CEO and Founder of DuckDuckGo directly addressing questions about their product—an ideal scenario for establishing authority.
If your brand has a dedicated topic on Quora and users are actively engaging with questions related to it, encourage participation from key figures within your company.
Alternatively, consider targeting competitors with greater brand recognition. Identify their Quora topics and promote answers that subtly highlight your brand’s strengths and position it as a compelling alternative. This can be an effective tactic to reach the right audience and acquire new customers.
Bring in the experts
As a PPC expert, my knowledge extends to various industries. However, I recognize that true expertise lies within those industries themselves. For instance, if a client operates in electronic engineering and a Quora question arises about a specific digital spike filter, I wouldn’t attempt to answer it. Instead, I’d defer to an engineer with specialized knowledge.
Leverage the diverse skillsets within your organization to provide comprehensive answers to technical or industry-specific questions. Product developers, sales teams, and other departments can contribute valuable insights that enhance your brand’s credibility and authority on Quora.
Let your fans speak for you
User-generated content often resonates more strongly with potential customers. Authentic testimonials from existing users can be highly influential in driving conversions.
If satisfied customers are already praising your products on Quora, consider promoting their organic answers to amplify their reach and impact.
The optimal approach for selecting answers to promote depends on your industry, campaign objectives, and target audience. Experiment with different strategies, gather data, and refine your approach based on the results.
Start promoting your great content
The content you share on Quora should be a collaborative effort, drawing upon the expertise of various teams and individuals within your company. If you possess valuable content capable of assisting potential customers, don’t hesitate to promote those answers. Maximize the reach of your efforts and boost your brand’s presence on Quora by strategically leveraging the Promoted Answers format.