HOW YAHOO! ANSWER WORKS FOR MARKETING

Users of Yahoo! Answers can submit a question or response on a variety of subjects. After a question is submitted, it is indexed within the appropriate category section and made available to the community. Any community member can view it, flag it, or provide a response. Instead of counting on an automated process to retrieve information, Yahoo! Answers counts solely on the users in the community.

Yahoo! Answers works on a basic point system to encourage user participation. Questions are opened up for four days only, at which point the asker can extend their question if a sufficient answer is not found. To ask a question, you simply need a Yahoo! account that has a positive score balance. A positive score is assigned each time your respond to another user.

Each new user is given 100 points when opening the account, then assigned two points for every answer given, and one point for every vote on an unresolved question. Ten points are assigned if the user’s answer is chosen; it is up to the asker to confirm if the answer was helpful to them or not. Other users can give thumbs up or thumbs down rating based on what was chosen, and this can further bump up the point factors. The point system is also weighted so that users can answer questions appropriately, and limit the amount of spam comments that are prevalent across the network. The levels and points assigned are as follows:

Level & Points

1. 1-249
2. 250-999
3. 1,000-2,499
4. 2,500-4,999
5. 5,000-9,999
6. 10,000-24,999
7. 25,000+