The feature, which Facebook rolled out to all users March 24, functions as a recommendation engine. It also presents a major opportunity for businesses to conduct market research and crowdsource in a far more elegant way than was previously possible, according to Ben Grossman, communication strategist for marketing agency Oxford Communications.
“We know from Nielsen that recommendations from friends and family and the opinions of online strangers are the top two most trusted forms of advertising,” Grossman told Mashable. “Facebook Questions offers the perfect opportunity for brands to tap into exactly that.”
Businesses, groups and organizations can us e Questions in several ways. For example, Grossman said:
- Ice cream parlors can find out what the flavor of the week should be.
- A gym can find out what time is best for its new hip-hop yoga class.
- Radio stations can determine the hottest concerts for the summer.
- Manufacturers can do a pulse check on fans’ holiday shopping plans.
“The best part about this is that it's in a trusting, social and real-time setting,” he said. “The opportunity to gain instant feedback from a brand's biggest fans is amazing.”
Fittingly, we had some more questions about Questions. Below, Grossman weighs in on the feature to help brands better understand the tool.
Mashable: How is Facebook Questions different than the Q&A tools already online?
Grossman: Though Questions certainly falls into a similar category as Yahoo Answers and Quora, there is are two very major. ..
