A guide to creating a master Q&A list for your readers

When thinking about reader engagement, it’s easy to think in terms of clicks, time on site, or social media shares.

But at the crux of it, it’s all about being a resource to the community. Being originally from Colorado, when I moved to the South, I had *so* many questions.

What is okra? Why are there two Carolinas? What is Cheerwine? Why are biscuits a thing? What happened in the civil war? (Seriously, my Colorado education did not focus on this). 

So, when I wrote a newsletter asking AVLtoday readers what questions they have about their community, I was excited to learn that my fellow Ashevillians had just as many questions as I did.

In just 24 hours, AVLtoday had over 100 emails with questions to answer.

Here’s what I did:

1. I asked our readers what they wanted to know about Asheville by responding to our daily email.
2. I literally copied and pasted all the responses into a Google doc, and then organized them into six categories which we published online and reported back to our readers in our email.
3. I organize and plan our content calendars, and pull questions straight from the original list throughout the year. We answer about two a month and have answered about 30 so far over the last 7 months.
4. My team and I have had fun exploring the economic impact of tourism, popular wedding venues,, what affordable housing is considered, and more.
5. The last step is to keep asking readers what they want to know, keep adding to your master list, and checking off answers! Then, when a reader has a question you’ve already answered, you can send them the article as a resource.