Consumer data is essential to any successful business. That’s especially true when preparing a new product launch or redeveloping your portfolio to meet changing needs. What’s the best way to learn what your customers are thinking? A marketing survey!
Today’s digital technology makes it possible to distribute surveys to thousands of people in one click and start receiving responses immediately. Still, it’s important to make sure you keep best practices in mind:
Keep Surveys Short
Even motivated customers who love your company still suffer from limited attention when they go online, especially for a potentially tedious task like answering a survey. The briefer your marketing survey, the more likely you’ll get focused, high-quality responses. How much can you learn about your users in just five questions? Challenge yourself!
Attach an Offer to Your Survey
Any time you ask someone to complete a survey, you’re really asking them to volunteer time. Do the same thing you would when asking a prospect for an email address – offer something of value in return. That could be a whitepaper, an instant “grade,” or a gift card. When respondents see an immediate payoff, they’re more likely to help in the future.
Choose a Topic Relevant to the Audience
When you design Web content, you keep the audience’s goals and needs in mind. You should do the same with surveys. Surveys that help prospects see where they stand in relation to colleagues create compelling online experiences. Respondents should feel like they learned something or have contributed something valuable.
Make Your Survey Enjoyable
A dash of humor, a little visual flair, and copy that communicates a personal connection – these are the elements that can make a survey interesting. A more interactive survey invites greater engagement and can help you motivate your respondents to share through social media. If you need a survey to go viral, don’t be afraid to play with expectations and do something a little different.
Make the Most of Your Survey Data
Once you have the survey data, you have a tremendous opportunity. Not only can you pull all the respondents back to your site to see the results, but you can connect to a wider market segment. Look for creative ways to integrate your data into your content strategy by using it in articles, webinars, podcasts, whitepapers, videos, and more. A well-constructed survey will enhance your content strategy and social media efforts for a good twelve months.
A marketing survey can enlighten your customers, inform your strategy, and energize unique content. It may take a few tries to develop a survey with a strong response rate, but don’t give up: The new and unique data you collect can put you on the path to becoming a thought leader.