How to Maximize the Life of Your Articles – Turn Them into Surveys
Calling all publishers, editors, writers, and freelance journalists. It is 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 monitor and process, and for the more popular articles, it is either a case of only a fraction of the received correspondence ever being used or where online comments have been allowed, well written and good comments can be buried under poorly written and abusive comments.
As well as being an overhead for the publisher, to most people it is an unrewarding medium in terms of the amount of effort required and response received, just consider the number of letters that go unpublished and unread.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. Now a mature technology, the Internet is no longer the preserve of geeks and nerds but a technology that has been embraced by the global population, the young and the old, that invites new ways of doing things. Newspapers, trade journals, periodicals, and ezines now have the opportunity to change the mental process.
When people read an article that provokes thought they appreciate the opportunity to comment either by writing a letter, sending an email or writing 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 snapshot of views or an endless unmanaged list of comments; a well crafted and well-written letter on any given subject may hold the view of the minority, or the majority 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 whereas a publisher you will have the ability to obtain valuable readership feedback in a form that can be easily measured. Just as important as you communicate with the readership is providing the readership with an effective channel to communicate with you; one where they know it will count.
Want a snapshot of opinion? Did they like what they read? Did the readership agree with what was said or do they have a different view?
Now it is 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 questionnaires and surveys created in minutes make the perfect complement to articles that prompt opinion and debate.
The advantage over letters, e-mails, and comments is 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 can even be complementary to sending an email
Linking articles to online surveys will extend the life of the article and involve your readers in the discussion in a way where they are confident 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 fast, low cost, and easy to do; it will engage and empower the reader, provide excellent feedback and has established a dialogue you then have the opportunity to link to other related articles.
There is an opportunity to register your view of this article here:- Readership Feedback Survey
