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EX_Team
Community Manager
Community Manager

How to Create Compelling Questions/Discussions

Whether you're new to online support communities or you've been a member of several, it always feels good when someone interacts with you. Let's face it, that's why you're here.  It's disappointing when you post something and no one responds.

 

To increase the attention your question or discussion post gets, keep these tips in mind:

 

Question vs Discussion vs Blog:

  • Simply put, questions are to ask questions that you want others to reply with answers. Discussions are for conversation, to post when you want others to participate in ongoing conversation. Blogs are for personal journaling or diary-style posting, where others can comment on your posts in a supportive way.

The Subject:

  • Questions should have a question (ending in a ?) in the subject line. The body of that question post can be providing more detail or context to your question.
  • Write a brief but descriptive subject line for your question or discussion. Something that…
    • Will spark interest
    • Will help other EX members determine if they have anything to add
    • Makes your post stand out from others
    • Summarizes your post
  • Make the subject unique. Learn more about participating in ongoing discussions.
  • Make the subject short, but not too short.
    • Too short: "Quitting!"
    • Too long: "I am frustrated I lost my quit and I don't know what to do on Saturday when we have a family party..."
    • Just right: “What have you done to stay quit during parties?” or “Staying quit over the holidays”

The Body/Main Post:

  • Keep it to one topic per post.
    • Questions and the answers will be found easier when searching.
    • More people will get involved if you stick to one topic.
    • Be direct on the action you want others to take.
    • Bolding a question or italicizing what you want feedback on will help others respond more effectively. Use the menu bar at the top of the posting area to make your text bold or italics.

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  • Use Spell Check and Formatting
    • Avoid using CAPS unless it helps add the appropriate emphasis. On the internet, using all caps just looks like yelling!
    • Spell check will help you avoid confusion among words. Our platform has spell check automatically (it will underline misspelled words in red).
  • Link to other places on the site
    • You can mention other helpful content (discussions, questions, groups, people, documents, blogs, etc.) by using the @ symbol and selecting who/where you want to mention. Whoever you mention will get notified.

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  • Upload Media
    • Sometimes something is better said in a video or picture. Use the menu bar at the top of the posting area to insert an image or video.

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               If you reference someone else's media, it’s ideal to note the source of that media somewhere in your post.

 

Related Reading:

Answering Questions

How to Start a Discussion

What is a Tag? How do I use Tags?

Marking Other Members’ Answers as Helpful

How to Put Pictures in Posts of All Kinds (Discussions, Questions, Blogs)

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