How To Use Quora For Affiliate Marketing

A popular belief online, especially within content creation world, is that Quora is a gold mine for affiliate marketers. This isn't always correct, and there are many pitfalls. 

Today I am going to walk through how to use Quora for affiliate marketing, correctly. With nearly 500k views from my Quora answers, I have learnt how to use the platform for my own gain. While earning commissions, traffic and without being kicked off. 

Before we go any further, it's worth keeping in mind, if you mess up on Quora, you run the risk of being banned, permanently. 

Setting Up Your Quora Account

Before doing anything else, you are going to need a Quora account. Luckily, it's quite easy to do and takes about 2 minutes. 

Go to Quora.com and decide how you want to sign up. Either using a standard email and password, or social media authentication to get started. 

When it comes to choosing a name, I would usually just use your real name. You can use a pen name, if you really want. 

Setting Up Your Profile

Now you are signed up, it's time to optimise your profile. Popular to contrary belief, you can use your profile for promotions. Much like social media, this profile can become a shop window for you. 

I have always enjoyed making my profiles fun, as you can see for my main one above. Throwing in a mix of humour, with links and information about myself. 

Always explain what you do, or why people should care about your answers. Tailor it to the niche you are in. For example, when I write about fitness, I will have a profile explaining my hobbies, passions and websites. 

When people see your answers, they will naturally come and read your profile. Providing you with a passive, lead generating or commission generating profile. 

Be sure to add credentials as well. These 1 line headliners can really grab peoples attention, and show why you are an authority. You can have a number of different credentials. It allows you to tailor it to a particular niche. Very useful if you are answering questions for different sub niches.

You can also add links, to your own products, affiliate products or website. 

Joining Spaces & Adding Interests

Quora will ask you about the types of areas you are interested in as part of the sign up process. They will slowly start to send you questions within those niches and areas. 

You can also go-out and find new areas of interests and spaces. 

As you will see, for this account I have 300+ answers within the Affiliate Marketing & DropShipping niches. These areas work well for this account, and of course this website. 

You will notice the pencil/pen icon at the top, you can update the 'Knows About' section to get questions from other areas. 

There are so many niches and sub niches, try to go for ones with a decent following though. The more people who follow a niche, the more likely they will follow questions and see your answers. 

Answering Questions - The Right Way 

Answering questions, go hand in hand with building up your authority and profile. The more questions you answer, the more likely people are going to take the time to read your profile. They also become more likely to click links in profiles, or perhaps even within an answer, if you are sensible. 

A lot of people try to answer questions and end up have them removed. So it's worth keeping in mind the following;

• Always try to answer the question being answered directly, don't waffle
• Try to give yourself some personality and fun
• Don't try and lead people off Quora to other websites (unless it can offer an enhanced answer)
• Don't throw blatant links or affiliate products into answers 

The aim of using Quora is to get yourself noticed, respected and increase your authority. It's not there to try and directly throw links in peoples faces. 

Take the above question as an example. With 25,000 views and 35 up votes, the answer did better than the other answers given. It also generated conversations and comments. 

The answer pokes a little fun at some one who simply pasted their blog article. As well as pointing out that there where fake accounts 'recommending' a product. 

But, I did also answer their question in 2 points. You will notice I did include a link in my answer. The link goes to a Shopify review found on this website. It's not an affiliate link, and it doesn't force someone to click the link. It simply enhances the answer. 

I would always try to ensure the answer you provide is as complete as possible. Don't be afraid to write a lengthy answer, it will happen. You will also get comments from the original person. If you do, Quora will notify you, be sure to answer them, as once again it increase your standing.

How To Add Links To Quora Questions - Without Being Banned

Spamming is one of the most common reasons that a user is banned, or have answers removed. The problem is that the term spam can cover lots of different possibilities. 

So here are a few tips on avoiding the deletion or ban hammers. 

• Don't use affiliate links within your answers - Use PrettyLinks or Genius if you are going to add them (I would try to 
• Don't add a link in ever answer - Use sparingly 
• Try not to add links for the first 10 - 20 answers 
• Don't use 1 sentence answers with a link - Moderators usually see these are simply too short, and don't answer the question. Resulting in those answers being removed

It can be a balancing act with answering questions, especially the last point. Some questions only need a single word or sentence, but mods can get a little trigger happy and remove them for 'Spam'. 

A big mistake that many people make, is they will simply add a sentence with a link. This builds your whole answer around a link, and can be seen as trying to get people towards your link. 

If you believe a product can provide the answer, then talk about the product, the benefits and then link to a review. Don't just throw the link in and hope for the best. 

Another trick, which can help with new users, is not adding links for a while. When you start, try to simply answer questions. Don't add links, or try to steer people off. Just provide good, in-depth answers. You will build up a reputation and a following, without getting banned. 

How To Use Quora For Affiliate Marketing - Extra Ideas

Quora can be difficult to master, I won't lie. But if you are sensible, stick to some basic rules, you should be fine. 

There are a number of ways to increase your chances of staying on the platform longer, or building up your authority. 

• Look at joining like-minded spaces. It can increase your views from smaller groups of people and increase followers
• Add images to your answers - Especially when it helps with your answer
• Use tools such as HemingWayApp & Grammarly to improve your answer structure. 
• Answer a variety of questions - Try not to simply answer the same question over and over
• If you feel someone has answered a question, upvote them and even add a comment. 

As time goes on, you will start to increase your followers, viewers and upvotes. As these increase, you will also start to see leads or commissions come through from your profile and on occasion your answers. 

Have you got any other ideas on how to use Quora for affiliate marketing?