There are lots of social networking sites out there that can increase your personal brand. From Twitter to Facebook, these social platforms allow their users to display their expertise, network with others, and even connect with powerful contacts.

One of those sites is Quora, a social forum that allows users to ask and answer questions varying in topics from style, to food, to branding. What makes Quora so special is that it lets users to gain and promote knowledge that may not have been readily available. Similarly as to how Twitter can bridge the gap between a powerful company and a consumer, Quora allows people to ask questions to some influential people or regarding some interesting topics, which may not have been possible in the past.

So, how can you use it to increase your personal brand? Here are three suggestions:

Follow topics in your industry. Facebook allows you to “Like” company pages. Twitter lets users follow friends, organizations, and influencers. LinkedIn gives users the power to promote themselves professionally. And Quora? Quora stands out on it’s own since it’s a question and answer hub that caters to whatever you’re interested in. Further, like the other social networks, you can follow things you are interested in, namely topics in your industry.

So, say you are in advertising. You decide to follow topics that range from copywriting to popular advertisements. After some research, you come across someone who wants to know the best software for a design novice. Since you are schooled on this topic, you answer and receive praise for your knowledge. Suddenly, the more questions you answer, the more popular you become. Additionally, since you’ve linked to your blog, website, and company homepage, you gain a new surge of traffic, which can only benefit your brand positively.

Show off your thought leadership. Whether you’re an entry-level job seeker or a senior vice president at a prestigious firm, showing off your skills is important. After all, it could be the difference between landing your dream job or client and gaining nothing.

For example, why not ask insightful questions that pertain to recent industry events, like company shake-ups or new products? You’ll not only show your knowledge of the industry, you’ll show that you can actually think deductively and ask a thought-provoking question. Additionally, you’ll probably start a discussion between other thought leaders, which if you play your cards right, can improve your brand based on how you interact.

Help others. Sometimes, it’s more important to help other people in your industry (and outside of it) than it is to benefit yourself. Think about aiding those who need help, especially if it seems like they need an answer quickly. You’ll not only do them a favor, you’ll improve your personal brand. How? By answering a question for a user, which should probably be backed up by data, articles, or personal experience, you lend a hand to someone who needs it, pressing or not.

If you’re a job seeker and being researched by an influencer or employer, they may notice that you’ve used Quora to help someone else by using your expertise. And it looks even more impressive if you’re answering questions about your industry. After all, if they had to pick between someone who goes out of their way to answer niche-related questions and someone who has no presence at all, the choice is rather simple… right?

Do you use Quora to increase your personal brand? How?