Ask-Me-Anythings (or AMAs) have evolved far beyond their origin on Reddit and are now popping up on social platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. But, many brands haven’t taken advantage of the social-first power of AMAs to connect with audiences and build brand awareness and trust.

If you, like many, aren’t sure where to start or want to go into your next AMA better informed, you’ve come to the right place.

Here are our pro tips.

Step 1: Iron Out the Logistics

Start by getting the important details pinned down — like who your audience is, what format you’ll use (i.e. text, video, etc), where and when you’ll host the AMA, and which experts you’ll lean on to lead.

The research and planning you do beforehand can help prepare you for anything and everything… it’s called an Ask-Me-Anything for a reason!

Our best advice? Deep dive into social listening ahead of your AMA and use our AMA Planning Worksheet to make sure you’ve thought of everything.

Step 2: Planning & Practice Makes Perfect

Hosting events – IRL or virtually – includes many moving parts that often change at the last minute. Here are our tips to ensure your AMA goes as smoothly as possible:

Tip 1: Jump on at least one prep call with everyone involved. This includes your moderator, guest participants, and your social media team. Make sure they know the who, what, where, when, how, so there are no surprises.

Tip 2: Create a list of potential questions and answers and get buy-in from stakeholders. Ensure all parties know the format and how questions should be answered. For example, according to Twitter, “Quote Tweeting (aka Retweeting with Comment) is a more visible tactic than replying.”

Tip 3: Compile a shared day-of plan document to keep track of all the details of your upcoming event – that way, all pertinent information is easily accessible and in one place.

Step 3: Promote, Promote, Promote

Regardless of which platform you choose to host the event, make sure you promote it across multiple marketing channels.

This may include:

• Including the details on your website, chatbot, or in-app banner
• Cross-promoting across your other social channels
• Mentioning in an email or newsletter
• Adding it to your customer or employee engagement platform
• Exploring paid promotion

If you’re inviting industry experts and/or influencers to participate in your event, provide them with assets and social copy to promote on their channels.

Give yourself enough time to promote your AMA – the sweet spot is at least three to four weeks of promotion, with more frequent promotion 24-48 hours before the event.

Step 4: Execution!

We’ve done a lot of these. Here are two day-of-event pointers from our experts:

• Block off 30 minutes before and after the event on each participant’s calendar. This provides a buffer in case meetings run over or emergencies pop up.
• Keep everyone connected in real-time for last-minute updates or answers that require discussion. Using tools like Slack and a “war room” video call are easy ways to stay connected and quickly put out any fires that may arise.

Step 5: Debrief

Make sure you schedule a time to debrief post-AMA to optimize this experience for future events.

Consider:

1. What went well?
2. What can be improved?
3. Did the format work?
4. Did the moderators/participants keep the event moving smoothly?
5. Was the promotion period sufficient?
6. Did the discussion spark any ideas for additional initiatives or content?
7. List any other considerations/learnings, so you can refer back next time

Have questions or tips you’d like to share from your own AMA experiences? Check out our FAQ below, and drop your thoughts in the comments!

FAQ

What are effective strategies for engaging a wider audience during the AMA?

• Encourage sharing and tagging. Ask participants to tag friends or share the AMA session on their profiles to draw in a broader audience. This can turn passive viewers into active participants.
• Use interactive elements like polls, quizzes, or live reactions if the platform supports them. These features can make bystanders feel like part of the conversation, even if they're not asking questions themselves.

How can brands measure the success of their AMA on social media?

• Look at metrics such as comments, shares, likes, and views to help gauge interactions and engagement.
• Analyze reach and growth in followers to see if the AMA helped you tap into new audiences. A spike in followers post-AMA suggests you captured the attention of new potential fans.
• Post-event surveys or feedback forms can provide qualitative insights into how your audience perceived the AMA and what they’d like to see in the future.

How can brands leverage the content generated from an AMA after the event is over?

• Repurpose AMA highlights into bite-sized pieces like quotes, Q&A recaps, or infographics. These can live on your social feeds, blog, or newsletters, extending the life of the great content you’ve generated.
• Consider compiling insights or common questions into a themed blog post or white paper. This not only serves your existing audience but also attracts new followers interested in the topic.
• Use feedback and questions from the AMA to inform future content strategy. If certain themes or questions kept popping up, they're likely areas your audience wants to hear more about.