As I have repeatedly said, “It’s called Social media for a reason.” How do you gain traction with people on social media? Not by telling them things, but by asking them questions.

When you make a post, go ahead and end it with an open-ended question, something like “What are your thoughts on the topic? Post your thoughts below.” By the way, an open-ended question is one that does not automatically respond to a short answer of one or two words like “Yes” or “No”, “red” or “blue”. Ask people to express their internal views on a topic, to respond broadly.

Of course, the other part of the social media equation is interacting on other people’s posts. To get seen, you need to do more than write your own posts. Of course, other people are asking questions in your social media posts. Some of them are asking closed questions, to be sure. “Am I right, yes or no?” Some people will ask open questions. Either way, when you reply, your voice is added to the conversation. More importantly, your name or online identifier adds to the stream of information that flows past the eyes of others.

If you’re looking for advice on marketing, a metric ton of people will yell at you for one-word advice: “Content!” What they mean is that you should be creating unique information to put in front of others to get their attention.

But here’s a bit of content that so-called experts tend to miss: asking your own questions about other people’s social media posts.

Let’s say someone makes a post about cleaning carpets. Yes, I use that industry in many examples. So, let’s say a person posts that he should steam clean his carpets at least every six months. Go ahead and ask your own question! As with your own posts, it’s best to keep it open. “In addition to the 6-month cleanings, should I also clean before a holiday gathering?” You could change that to a closed question: “Which is better, cleaning up before or after a holiday gathering?”

If you can’t think of a relevant question, it’s okay to ask for examples and clarification. I can guarantee there are plenty of other people who would like additional examples or a different explanation. “Is there a different time you would recommend for a rug in the reception area of ​​a business?” “Can you give an example of a carpet cleaning process in a hotel lobby?”

Asking relevant questions, those that dig deeper into the topic of the post, are often almost as good, and sometimes better, than the original informative posts, and will get your name out there as someone who knows what they’re talking about.