Creating a Q&A Chat: A Tutorial
By: Siena Romes
Tags: Virtual Events, QA, Questions Answers, Question And Answer, Chat

Messages and questions in virtual events come in continuously and this makes chatters get lost in the conversation. Arranging a Q&A chat session in your event may be the solution to that.

Especially in huge events, participants may be hundreds or thousands, so others might not get the chance to submit their questions. All they can do is watch the event attentively and hope that they can get something from the event.

You can solve this problem by giving everyone a chance for their question to be chosen. As long as you use a moderated chat for Q&As, admins can choose from the participants’ questions, not just what the speaker sees flashing on the live chat.

This article will touch on the following topics:

Setting up the moderated chat to Q&A mode

Q&A chat scenarios

Now, let’s start with the basics.

Setting up the moderated chat to act as a Q&A chat

In the RumbleTalk chat platform, there’s a chat type called moderated chat. This enables admins to pre-approve messages before they get sent to the audience. So, admins are moderators who look after the event chat.

To start using the moderated chat, go to General & Logins > Chat type.

Now that you’ve chosen it as your chat type, you need to appoint admins.

Select the Users tab on your admin panel and click Add a new user .

tab on your admin panel and click . Appoint global admins or admins with room access only. This depends on how many chat rooms you will have for your event.

Now that part’s done, you can start using the moderated chat.

The chat acts as Q&A mode when the speaker asks questions to the audience and letting admins choose the ones that will be answered.

Only approved questions will appear in the chat room. Also, only admins can approve or delete messages.

With this, everyone will have a chance for their question to be chosen rather than just the last one the speaker sees on the screen.

Different scenarios where you can use the Q&A mode

When you use the Q&A mode, you can use it in various scenarios. Here are some that you can mostly encounter.

Online events

This is the most common scenario where a Q&A chat is used. Online events are usually accompanied by live streams, so it’s best to have a chat next to it.

During the online event, the speakers can ask questions to the audience. Then, the admins are there to monitor and approve questions. If you want to know more, you can read this blog on how you can control the discussion with a Q&A chat.

Team meetings

Because of the things happening in the world, most employees are working from home. This leads to remote team meetings. When you introduce the Q&A mode to your team, you can hold sessions wherein employees can turn in their questions and an executive/HR representative can answer them. This is just one example.

You can read this guide on handling your remote teams in a virtual setting.

Webcasts

Are you familiar with webcasts? If yes, then you know it’s important for your audience to have a voice.

By giving them what they want, they’re interested in talking more about your topic, product, or whatever niche you’re discussing on your webcast.

Find more about it here: Interactive webcasting chat for live webcasts and events

Q&A sessions in a chat moderated by admins

When you have a large event, conversations may get lost. Q&As may not be easy to handle, but with the right platform, you can make it successful.

As long as you know how to use the platform and you have your admins with you, Q&As can be easy and fun. Holding events virtually is not as scary anymore. Even beginners can host one. Now that you’re confident with your chat platform, all you have to do is prepare for other things that you would need for your Q&A session.

Talk to RumbleTalk if you want to know more about their platform.