Dan’s Writing Blog

Calling all journalists and freelance writers, publishers and editors. Now’s the time to breathe more life into your copy. Turn your articles into living pieces that spark measurable debate, get closer to your readers and engage their mind and soul – we’re talking revolution.

As it was in the beginning

Publishers have for many years relied on letters to get feedback from their readers and although email has opened up this method of communication it is still time consuming and difficult to process with only a fraction of the received correspondence ever being used.

Let’s face it, as well as being an overhead for the publisher, to most people it is an unrewarding medium in terms of effort required and response received, just think of the number of letters that go unpublished and unread.

As it is now

The Internet has brought new channels of communication and created opportunities that allow us to challenge traditional methods. The Internet is now a mature technology, no longer the preserve of the new fad brigade but a technology that has been embraced by a global population, young and old alike and it allows us now to re-evaluate the way things are done. There is now the opportunity for trade journals, newspapers, magazines and ezines to change the mental process.

Readers like to have the opportunity to comment and traditionally they may have composed a letter or send an email or write a comment. Emails make communication easier but they still take time to craft and time for the majority, is what they haven’t got.

Although interesting a letters page or a list of comments are at best a sample of views or an endless unmanaged list of comments; a letter may be well crafted and well written letter but due to the free text form it is difficult, or near impossible, to measure.

As it should be

Now consider the advantages of linking articles to online surveys where as a publisher you will have the ability to obtain valuable readership feedback in a form that can be properly measured. Just as important as you communicating with your readers is providing your readers with a channel to communicate with you; a method where they know it will count.

Do you want to deliver a snapshot of opinion? Did they like the article? Did your readers agree with what was said or do they take the opposite view?

Now it’s easy

Traditional printed surveys would have taken considerable effort to design, publish and collate, a process that was too long winded and justifiable only for the niche and important topics.

However, using sites like www.surveygalaxy.com surveys and questionnaires can be created and published via the Internet by anyone who has a pulse. Professional looking surveys and questionnaires created in minutes that make the perfect compliment to articles that prompt opinion and debate.

The advantage over letters, e-mails and comments are that all the feedback gathered through a survey is managed and measured and sites like Survey Galaxy will provide you with a real time poll and charts that you can either keep to yourself or share with your readers.

It’s not even one or the other now

Linking articles to online surveys will not only extend the life of the article but will involve your readers in the discussion and in a way where that they know that their opinion will be counted.

If you think they would rather send an email? – not a problem – just include the facility within the survey and get the best of both worlds.

It’s quick, low cost, and easy to do; it will empower and engage the reader, provide first class feedback and having established a communication channel you then have the opportunity to promote other related articles.

Take the opportunity to register your view of this article here:- Readership Feedback Survey