Quora is the mixing pot of any question you could ever imagine being asked. From fun and nonsensical to deep and personal, browsing through the variety of questions can keep you occupied for days. The best feature of Quora is the online community it creates where answers can be submitted and edited by anyone. Here is list of the ten most insightful questions asked on Quora – and their top answers. Be sure and visit the full answer thread to view the many other answers submitted to these thought provoking and possibly life changing inquiries.
1. What are your best tips for content strategy bloggers?
One of the top answers: There are lots of different options here, but I’ll just give you one: Answer the questions that are being asked in your target market. This way, you’ll be the more likely to offer advice that actually helps others as well as more likely that your content will be found and shared.
(From Jeffrey Trull, Content Strategist and Copywriter)
2. How do you get your users engaged in an online conversation?
One of the top answers: The first step is to make the conversation about your users, not about you. This is simple, but it’s probably the number one thing companies get wrong. What connects your users/fans/prospects is so much bigger than your brand. What do they love, and love to talk about? The second step is to connect them to each other. If you can go beyond starting and chiming into conversations, but play the role of a true connector and facilitator, conversations will naturally start between people that share interests, goals, proximity, etc.
(From Ian Greenleigh, Author, The Social Media Side Door)
3. What are the top 10 things that we should be informed about in life?
One of the top answers: Self-awareness is the lubricant to all social friction. If you can see yourself the way others truly see you, you are well on your way to getting along with others. In seeing yourself for what you are, you can laugh at yourself. If you can laugh at yourself, you will avoid so much anger or insult. You will bond, team up, work with, and get along so much better with others.
(From Christopher Graves, Global CEO at Ogilvy Public Relations)
4. How do you respond to foul language and angry customers on your social media channels?
One of the top answers: Upset customers can be a blessing in disguise if you understand how to handle the situation. Foul language should never be tolerated and you can always tell them you apologize for the misunderstanding and you will be willing to help if the language becomes appropriate again. The best thing to do is to take the conversation private, all these customers want is to be heard that is why they are blasting your channels with negativity. So let them be heard, then assure them that this is not the experience you want them to have and fix the issue. If handled correctly instead of cursing your company, they will be singing your praises on all the same channels, which is a very good thing.
(From Tony Ferreira)
5. What is the biggest misconception people have about life?
One of the top answers: The most widespread misconception is the notion that life has any meaning other the one you put into it yourself. People of all ages, religions and backgrounds look for it as if it were something external to their life, something that can be defined by external forces, be it God or evolution. But whatever meaning we decide to settle on, whether it’s a set of axioms prescribed by a religion, an outcome of years-long soul searching, a set of rules defined by a society, or simply “I don’t give a damn” position, at the end it is still a result of our own choice.
(From Ray N. Kuili, Author of Awakening)
6. What is the single greatest piece of career advice you’ve ever gotten?
One of the top answers: Fill out the application. Sometimes the best things in life are huge and terrifying, different and drenched with change, but they require you to take that step in the middle of one night. You click that button, fill out that form, make the call, send the email. Take the chance, take the risk and fail. Fail until you finally get the call back, which never comes to the very scared person who never filled out the application.
(From Jon Davis)
7. What is the essence of entrepreneurship?
One of the top answers: I believe that at the heart of every entrepreneur is a profound spirit of adventure. These dynamic men and women are bold visionaries that possess an inherent creativity that allows them to dream outside the box. They seem to have an intuitive awareness into the hearts and minds of the world around them. Entrepreneurs are the trailblazers into the ever-changing wilderness of the needs and desires of the global consumer. They adapt by continuing to lean against the edges of their comfort zone. They refuse to be encumbered by the status quo. They are the masters of their own destiny and see themselves as the authors of possibility. In a nutshell, this is the essence of entrepreneurship.
(From Christopher Schuhmacher, inmate San Quentin State Prison)
8. What is the biggest mistake in your 30s and what did you learn from it?
One of the top answers: I’m currently heading towards my mid-thirties. I believe one of my biggest mistakes is focusing so much on work and my career while letting everything else take second place. Especially my health, friends and family.
(From Michael Dorian Bach, Product Designer, Photographer, Cyclist)
9. What single insight most changed your life?
One of the top answers: “What’s the worst thing that can happen? They can say No.” Not “you’re stupid,” or “you’re not good enough,” or “you’re worthless,” or “you’re ugly,” or whatever other crazy ideas I come up with in the process of over-thinking every rejection. Just a simple “No.” That’s it. The prospect of rejection is much less daunting when you think of it as a simple “No” and move on, rather than dwelling on all the other hidden implications– which may or may not be real, but nevertheless get compounded by over-thinkers like me.
(From Lisa Lin)
10. How is chess similar to life?
One of the top answers: For me the similarity is simple, I have no idea how to play chess.
(From Anonymous)
~Stephanie
Other Posts:
What is Google Authorship and What Do Writers Need to Know About it?
How do I write content based on buyer personas?
Ten Tips for Starting a Social Media Conversation
My Web Writers - Website Content & Editing Ideas 