Discussion forums and Q&A forums have become popular spaces for researching, gathering information, and solving problems. Posting to a discussion forum is a quick, easy, and accessible way to ask questions, get answers, and retrieve information. They are like message boards, but they have rules and moderation and are usually more focused on a single topic. Forums are considered to be one of the oldest forms of online communication.
In the days of telephone access, online message boards were where people came to ask questions and get advice from other people. Nowadays, people use them to talk about almost anything. There are Internet forums for just about any topic you can think of, such as sports, hobbies, and even politics. With many employees considering email to be a major productivity killer, organizations need to find new ways to improve communication.
From the AOL chat rooms of the 1990s to today's immensely popular social networking sites, platforms that provide people with a way to connect with each other make up a large part of the Internet. Ben Betts explains why, despite repeated requests, HT2 Labs' Curatr platform would not benefit from the inclusion of a discussion forum. An online discussion forum brings a lot of value both to the people who participate in them and to the brands that choose to include them as part of their website. Many brands have created online support forums where customers can ask questions about using the product and get answers from other members of the community.
An enthusiastic birdwatcher whose family doesn't share her passion can feel less alone and get birdwatching tips by joining an online forum for birdwatchers. Creating a thriving forum requires work, so in the strategy phase, think about what tactics you'll use to attract members and keep them coming back. We will organize training sessions to help staff realize that their positions will directly impact a particular topic or provide some tangible benefit (for the organization or for other staff). Forums are often used in e-learning as a simple way to allow students to communicate with each other, discuss any questions they may have regarding the content, and interact with the teacher.
If your forum members often ask the same questions, then you know they're good topics to create content on. By developing the collaborative function of discussion forums, Universal Knowledge is expanding its functional capabilities and providing additional business value. I recently had an excellent conversation with Becky Barch, a performance consultant at the Bank, about her intelligent application of ElementK discussion forum software. These systems offer students and teachers the ability to interact with video conferences, chain discussions and forums.
If you think it's the right option for your organization or business, create a well-thought-out plan to launch your forum. Instead of searching through an inbox full of emails, you can simply ask a question in the discussion forums and see everyone's answers in a clear, chronological order. In short, the nature of collaboration through the use of discussion forums within Universal Knowledge has the power to enable collective innovation, reduce problems of bias, and allow for increased productivity and cost savings. And in the early days, those categories will also tell members what the forum is about and can help inspire the first questions and discussions that start.
A product forum can address questions about the best ways to use the product for specific uses and how to solve common problems that arise. It can also be used as an effective customer service tool by providing customers with quick answers to their questions or concerns.
