Can I Ask You A Question?

Can I ask you a question? How often do you ask your followers questions on your #social media pages?

[bctt tweet=”People don’t want to be talked at any longer”]

You may have set up a really smart #Facebook page for you #business, and it has all the useful information listed that your followers could possibly need. You have created an attractive banner and profile photo that perfectly reflects your brand and logo, and there are even some really interesting photographs and useful links to other Facebook pages and websites to further help and assist your readers.

BUT…. do all your posts consist of outward facing broadcasts where you are talking at your readers rather than listening to them? Check back through your page history to see the last time you actually asked your readers a question. Has it been a while, or have you never really asked a question?

Why should I ask questions? I am the expert after all…

You may wonder why you need to ever ask your audience a question on your social media pages. After all, aren’t your audience there to learn something from you? Shouldn’t they all be listening instead to what you have to say? Why would they ever need to ask a questions?

Sorry to break it to you, but the heady days of MAD MEN advertising are over my friend. People don’t want to be talked at any longer.

Social media is all about engagement, and your readers are following you because they are curious, and want to know more, but they want to have their questions answered quickly and honestly instead of sitting around waiting for you to post something that eventually answers their questions.

Most importantly, you should make sure you answer any questions you are asked. This lets your audience know that you care about what they have to say, and by responding to their question you are potentially converting that person from a reader to a customer. If you leave your readers questions hanging in the air, how many of them are likely to go on to buy from you?

So, what questions should I be asking?

Give this a little thought. Not only should you think about what to ask, but how to ask it. You want to ask the sort of questions that your readers will be happy to respond to, and wherever possible questions that might start off a conversation or debate that engages readers, and encourages them to stick around to read what others have said too.

What you can take away from all this is a better insight into your audience, and their likes and dislikes. This can be useful when you want to create some conversation about your brand or products and services.

Here are some examples of questions you could use, depending on your business niche of course. Some may sit more naturally with your type of business, and some may not be so appropriate – depending on the nature of your business.

Fill in the blank

This is a great way to break the ice between you and your audience. Throw these sorts of questions in every now and then just for fun, and to engage with new followers to your pages. Fill the blank questions are great for finding out more about your readers. A great example would be: If I had £50 to spend in your online store, I would buy________ because ________

Feedback survey

You can ask your clients to complete your survey because you value their input and opinion, and want to hear about aspects of your product or service that could be improved.

Did you know that?

Hitting your audience with some surprising facts and information about things they are interested in can encourage your audience to comment and possibly ask deeper questions. For example, you could say, ‘Did you know that there is 5g of protein in each of our cheese sticks?’

Which do you like better?

This can be a great tool to find out your prospective customers preferences. Especially useful if you are developing a new product and what to end up with a finished item that your customers will actually buy. Also good when comparing services you provide – which do your customers prefer and why?

Yes or No Poll

Pose a question in your post that can be answered with either yes or no. A simple yes or no poll at the end of your post can encourage your audience to read the whole post, and digest the information you have provided before giving their honest yes/no opinion. It is a quick way to engage with your audience, and lets you know if there is anything they are not happy with, and that could be addressed.

Ask your audience for tips

This sort of question works especially well when you make or sell a product that has multiple uses. By asking your audience to share their uses with you and others, you are getting ideas for future posts, and will encourage others to buy more of your product so they can try some ideas out for themselves.

Celebrity association

Pop culture and celebrity media can work with many businesses, but not all. If you can work in a fun celebrity post, and it fits with your niche – then why not? A good one for a fancy dress retailer would be, ‘If I could invite a celebrity character to my Christmas party, I would invite: Hugh Jackman as Captain Hook, because….well, Hugh Jackman!’

As you can see, there are lots of opportunities to ask your audience a question, and you don’t always have to tie your questions in with your business. Just asking their opinions about the latest headlines, sporting events, or their thoughts on the last episode of Game of Thrones will show them that you are genuinely interested in them, and that you value their opinions.

Most importantly of all – keep it simple! Short, precise questions attract more response than long-winded or over complicated ones. So, go forth and question!