How to answer questions on Linked In

I’m working on a future post about how to optimize a video on YouTube and posted a question on Linked In Answers. I got half a dozen responses, and from looking through them, I had a few thoughts on how to better “answer” a question.

First, I think it’s important to at least look at the profile of the person asking the question, and familiarize yourself with his/her background, knowledge and experience. Remember – you never know where your answers may take you!

When replying, the subject line on your response is the same as the subject line of the question. Here’s a chance to stand out by customizing the response. My question was “How do you optimize a video for YouTube?” A response with a subject line like “5 ways to optimize YouTube videos” would have jumped out at me, and I probably would have awarded that person’s answer as best.

I also think it’s important to keep your answers short and to the point. During the past 5 years or so, we’ve gone from reading full length articles in newspapers and magazines to 140 character responses on Twitter. So don’t stuff your answer full of fluff or promotional URLs. Quality and brevity, although challenging to combine, are the key. Of course, if you have more to say, offer your phone number or open a one-way discussion via a Linked In message.

But, before you type up your response or think through a subject line, open up Word and draft it there. No need to prematurely send a response through the Linked In system. Using an offline tool gives you a chance to review, edit, and make sure reference links work.

Finally, if you know a person who’s capable of answering a question better than you can, forward it! Making connections and conversations more valuable is vital to professional networking, and this is a surefire way to get noticed.

Photo credit by cobrasoft.