Using Yahoo! Answers for Article Ideas and Promotion

When I had trouble thinking of article ideas and searched the Internet to generate them, I headed over to Yahoo! Answers. Not only did I get ideas, I have also promoted my relevant articles over here.

For those that have never used this feature, Yahoo! Answers allows users to ask questions about a variety of topics. Everything from business and finance, education, dining out, and etiquette are covered. The topics are similar to what is already covered on Associated Content and each main heading is indexed with many sub headings.

When someone asks a question, it is open for members to answer questions and provide sources to back up their response. The asker then chooses a best answer based on what he or she feels was the most helpful answer provided.

You don't have to ask or answer questions to use Yahoo! Answers for your article ideas. It is a great tool to research article topics, and then answer with your knowledge; along with linking back to your article. You will gain a new reader base and know a new way of promoting yourself.

When you visit the site, you should look at the categories and head over to the ones that you have the most knowledge and experience with. Read over the list of open and closed questions. Is there anything that peaks your interest, anything that you have a strong opinion about, or is someone asking about something you have personally experienced? Is someone asking about a subject you have done plenty of research in? These are all great ways to generate ideas.

Also take note of any frequently asked questions. This is a great way to tell what will get an audience from Answers users. I browsed the careers and employment section and found several teenagers who asked questions about what they should do when getting a job and good places for them to work at.

The result was my story on tips for teenagers looking for their first job. Your article can help several people answer their question, and maybe they will pass it on to others in a similar predicament.

After writing your article, you can go back to Answers with a reference in hand. Yahoo! Answers does not put up with users who spam, so promote yourself cautiously. If you answer a question, make sure to provide a somewhat substantial answer instead of just including your link.

You can summarize your experience and a point in your article, and then link to it in the source section. It may also help to add a note such as "personal experience" or "two years in such and such industry".

As you can see, Yahoo! Answers is a good place to generate article ideas and promote your work. Many people will have similar questions about many topics and with so many categories, you are bound to help someone and reach a large audience.