SoMe questions

Why do you think social media like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook use a question to nudge you to share a post?

And have you ever thought about the impact it has on your content - and the way people engage with your content?

This is what I'm thinking:

When SoMe ask you a question, they make it easy for you to:

• Share an answer to their question
• Share what you already know or believe
• Invite people to agree or disagree with you

At the same time, they make it difficult for you to:

• Share your own questions (e.g. the ones in this post)
• Share what you wish you knew (uncertainty, doubt, curiosity)
• Invite people to explore and co-create new answers with you

I spend all my time on LinkedIn trying to hack this SoMe behaviour, because I neither want to share nor read other people's pre-designed answers.

I want to discuss the questions everybody asks before they decide on a yes- or no-response. Before they like or dislike.

I want two-way conversations rather than one-way communication. And I believe I'm not the only one.

So, why do you think social media nudge us to share our ANSWERS rather than our QUESTIONS?

Is it because their designers do not know better?

Or is it because they get paid for something different than helping us engage in important conversations?