After putting time and effort into creating a great survey, we find surveyors asking, “where do I find people to take my survey?”
Today, there are multiple ways to reach your respondents, however, this doesn’t mean they’re all applicable to your survey. For example, your customer service feedback survey should be sent to customers that interact with your customer support. Therefore, the best way to reach them will most likely be sending a follow-up email after customer support has solved their query. That’s why you should start by identifying your target audience and then figuring out the best collection method(s) to reach them.
But don’t worry, we’re not leaving you alone on this one. Here are some collection methods we recommend:
| If you have an existing list of contacts that have agreed to receive emails from you, e.g. newsletter list, then you can send your survey to them. Email as a collection method is often used for employee and customer surveys and it’s a great way to add existing background variables, such as department and industry, for a better report. |  |
| Social media | |
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You can share your survey to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, or any other social platform that your audience uses. As a bonus, Enalyzer allows you to add social media icons to your survey so your respondents can share your survey with their networks. To weed out respondents outside of your targeting audience, add screening questions to your survey. For example, if your survey seeks to find out attitudes about trust in politicians among voters, make sure that your respondents are 18 years old by adding a question: “How old are you?” If the respondent is 17 or younger, set up a condition so that the respondent is directed to an end page thanking them for their willingness to participate in your survey but unfortunately, they don’t fit the adequate target group. |
| In-Person | |
| Sometimes you have to go to where your respondents are, for example, if you’re conducting a survey about your hair salon and its facilities, it might be a good idea to ask people as they’re leaving. Set up a tablet in your store to make it easier for your respondents. |  |
| Panel | |
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Panel companies can match your survey with online respondents for a fee. There are plenty of online survey panel companies out there, all you have to do is find one that specializes in what you’re looking for, describe your project to them and they’ll find a solution that fits your needs. If you’re interested in this, you’re welcome to contact one of our consultants and hear more. They can do the whole survey for you or you can create your own survey and they will match you with the right panel. |
Collection methods are not mutually exclusive, which means you can, and should, combine the necessary methods that will help you reach your target audience. Whatever you decide, remember that it all starts with your target audience.