Surveys are a great way to collect quantitative data through questionnaires sent to an audience.
For example, a clothing brand wants to hear from its customers about a new product they recently launched. In this case, as the emails are already registered in the organization’s system, they could send an email survey to all consumers who purchased the product.
By sending surveys by email, you can collect relevant and reliable information from your audience, as this remains one of the most effective methods for collecting data. It is estimated that about 72% of people prefer to receive commercial messages by email.
· Types of surveys
You have two options for sending an email survey.
Include it in the email body
Online surveys are one of the most effective methods of data collection.
The survey can be embedded into the body of the email, and your subscribers can answer the questions directly. These types of surveys are usually short, so it is recommended to use easy-to-answer questions.
Some of the most commonly used question types in an email survey are demographic questions, Net Promoter Score questions, or Matrix questions.
Send a link with an online survey.
You could send an invitation to your subscribers asking them to access an online survey. In this case, you would only add a link to the page where they will find your survey. This is an interesting option because you can track users who visit this page directly from your email marketing software.
This method is often used for longer surveys, as it allows you to include open questions, closed questions, and various standard and advanced question types.
· Recommendations for creating email surveys
Here are some tips for creating an effective email survey to get good response rates.
· Simple and clear subject line: Your respondents are more likely to open the message if the subject line is simple and clear. In other words, you must indicate what the purpose of the search is.
For example, a person is more likely to open an email with the subject line “Help us with your feedback.” This subject line shows that the purpose of the email is to collect comments about customer service and ask for the opinion of users who trusted the company.
· Mention your audience: In the email content, you should also mention that the subscriber has been chosen to participate in the survey because their opinion is important. Creating a sense of importance will help you get a higher response rate on your email surveys.
For example, “Due to your loyalty, you have been specially selected to participate in our customer satisfaction survey.”
Before sending the email, you will need to understand how to write the message content: Basics, techniques, and sources of inspiration.
· Explain the purpose of the survey: It is important to explain what you will do with the data you are collecting. Points such as how answers will help make better decisions or provide better service should be included in the email content.
For example, “your feedback will help us serve you better.” Including such a statement ensures the respondent that their comments are important and valuable, which leads to a high response rate from your subscribers.
· Create a sense of urgency: When emailing your survey, use phrases such as “Help us to decide the best solution for X today.” Creating a sense of urgency will avoid delays in your schedule. You should also give the option to answer the survey later, as some users will prefer to answer it when they have more free time.
· Mention how long it will take to complete the survey: It is important to mention how long it will take to complete the survey as it is a valuable factor for everyone. In general, you should not send too many questions at once, as this will affect the response rate.
· Offer incentives: When you can motivate your subscribers with various types of incentives, the response rate increases.
For example, if a restaurant owner wants his customers to answer some questions about the food they have just eaten, he could offer a discount coupon to customers who are willing to answer the survey.
· This will be vital for creating reliable email surveys.
Use the right tool to create surveys: Choosing the right tool for what you want to analyze is the first step in working with this type of strategy.
If you don’t select the right software, you could end up with a severe problem. Real-time data collection, automated distribution, and report analysis can provide valuable insights.
· Respect CAN-SPAM: When sending a survey by email, it is important to comply with CAN-SPAM law. Keep in mind some points to avoid being flagged as a spammer.
You should include information such as a valid “sender” name, send from an active email, and add contact information such as phone number, address, and other institutional information.
· Thank users who answered your questions: It is very important to acknowledge the interviewee for taking the time to complete the survey. The email should also mention that the feedback provided or information obtained from this survey will be valuable in improving the quality of the products or services offered by the company.
You should demonstrate that your subscribers can trust you, or they will not take the time to answer your questions.
However, you will also need to consider other aspects before sending a survey. Create an email with an attractive design.
You should ask smart and easy-to-answer questions, but email design will also help improve engagement with your subscribers.
· Information and examples
· Customer Surveys: Customer surveys are the most commonly used. This strategy allows organizations to collect data about their customers. With this information, you can measure important business parameters such as customer satisfaction, customer experience, or NPS.
Some of the most commonly used customer surveys are business surveys and customer satisfaction surveys.
· Human Resources Surveys: Human resources surveys are widely used in organizations to measure employee satisfaction, culture assessment, feedback gathering, and many other reasons.
These surveys are important and are conducted regularly at companies as they can help retain employees, design strategic Human Resources policies, and create a healthy work environment for all.
You could also create surveys for employees who are leaving the company.
·Marketing Research: Marketing research is useful for conducting complete market research. These surveys allow you to evaluate the market, collect information about competitors, products and public opinion about a brand.
For example, consumer surveys or surveys to identify a site’s visitor profile are some examples of marketing surveys.
· Industry Surveys: These surveys span multiple industries, such as hospitality, retail, healthcare, banking, etc. These surveys are created especially by industry experts, to meet industry needs.
International tourism assessment surveys or climate change awareness surveys are some examples used to conduct exhaustive surveys on specific topics in various sectors.
· Community surveys: Community surveys aim to collect information from a specific community. This allows data to be collected from one particular group of people interested in the same subject.
· Academic assessment surveys: These surveys are related to the education sector. They are used by schools, colleges, government institutions and universities. In addition, they are relevant for collecting data from students, university or school staff, public opinion about the education sector and facilities offered, and many other topics.
This guest post was written by Questionpro LATAM