I’m sure most of you have seen the Ask Me Anything Forum floating around blog world during the past few months. In case you haven’t, it’s a place where readers have the chance to anonymously ask the blogger pretty much anything!
The forum is a chance to get to know the blogger on a deeper level and maybe even learn some juicy facts that she wouldn’t normally share in her usual posts. The Ask Me Anything Forum may not be for everyone. There are a few things to consider when deciding how you want to go about answering your readers’ questions:
1. Are you willing to answer intimate and personal questions about yourself? Having this forum is giving your readers permission to ask ANYTHING they want to know. I’ve seen bloggers complain on Twitter about personal questions they were asked. Yes, some of the questions may have been a bit inappropriate (i.e. bra size) but the blogger essentially invited any question!
2. Are you going to decline certain questions? If you think you may not want to answer every question but still like the idea of the forum, it may be a good idea to post a disclaimer stating that you have the right to answer only what you feel is appropriate. If you do receive some questions that you do not feel comfortable answering, it’s okay to politely decline the question. It is not okay to just ignore the question and trash talk it all over Twitter or your blog.
3. How much is too much? This goes back to our TMI post. It is up to you to decide how much you want to share but be aware of your audience. You do not want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. I personally chose not to have an Ask Me Anything Forum because I knew I would receive questions that I would not feel comfortable answering on my blog. I considered my audience and decided it would be a better idea to just answer any questions I may receive through personal e-mail. But I do love reading the answers to the Ask Me Anything Forum on other blogs. I think it is a great way to get to know the blogger better and can be a nice change from the usual “food journal” posts.
If you do want to answer questions from readers and also make them public but don’t want to feel obligated to answer EVERY question, a great option is a Frequently Asked Questions page. You can pick and choose which questions you feel are asked most frequently and can even make up some of your own questions and answers. As soon as I click on a new blog, I immediately check our their FAQ page…if they have one. It’s a great way to learn more about the person in a short period of time. You can also do a few separate blog posts inviting questions so you can get an idea of what your readers want to know about you. A few months ago, I did a FAQ post and my readers seemed to really enjoy it. I plan to invite questions again so that I can choose the most relevant ones a make a complete FAQ page. This way I am not forced to answer questions I don’t want to and can still allow my audience to get to know me on a more personal level.
It is up to you to decide what kind of route you want to take in answering questions. Both the Ask Me Anything Forum and FAQ page are wonderful options to connect with your readers. Just remember who is reading your blog and what you want to share with those people. We really don’t need to know about your favorite sex position with your boyfriend (unless you are writing a sex blog of course).
Did you open an Ask Me Anything Forum? Did you receive any ridiculous questions?
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I love this idea. I think I am going to try to make a section like this for my blog. I feel comfortable answering most questions, so why not!
Nicole´s last post ..What’s In Season: June and July
I think it’s fun when the person does it and answers anything. It drives me nuts when people do it and complain that people asked them, well, anything. Hello?! What did you expect?
Yes, I really did not understand when this was a hot thing and then some bloggers were offended by the questions they got and flat-out refused to answer them. Like you said … then don’t post an “ask me anything” forum. Twitter trash talking is another post for another day. If your tweets a public, um, we don’t have to follow you to see them.
Ashley´s last post ..Wedding planning Friday: Engagements
I like the idea of the ask me anything posts but like other comments, hate when people say they won’t answer certain things afterwards. Personally, I’ve never posted the Ask Me Anything. I am a super interesting person but pretty much say what I think, believe, etc in my post but am always open to questions.
Tiffany @ Simply Shaka´s last post ..Home made
Ooh, I totally want one of these! There’s pretty much nothing I won’t discuss with people.
Kendra´s last post ..263.8lbs, 2.2lbs Lost this Week, 32.4lbs Lost Total
I always think it’s funny that a blogger gets all indignant when asked how much she weighs . Dude, you started blogging to share your (successful) weight loss journey. If your weight is an unmentionable topic, then why bring it up in the first place?