Calling all publishers, editors, writers and freelance journalists. Now is the time to breathe more life into your articles. 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.
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is an unrewarding medium in terms of effort required and response received, just think of the number of letters that go unpublished and unread.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
With the Internet traditional methods of communications can be challenged and replaced or complimented with new methods of doing things. 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. There is now the opportunity for newspapers, trade journals, magazines and ezines 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 the process of communication easier but it still takes time to compose an email and time for the majority, is what they haven't got.
Although of interest a letters page is at best a snapshot of views or if comments have been allowed an unmanaged and often never ending list of comments; they may be well crafted and well written but due to the free text form, collectively they are views that are notoriously difficult 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 easily measured. Communicating with your readers is one thing but having a channel that allows your readers to effectively communicate with you is just as important.
Want a snapshot of opinion? Did they like the article? Did the sentiments expressed in the article have the support of the audience or do the readers have a different view?
Now it's easy
Historically surveys would have taken considerable effort to design and publish and altogether was a process too long winded and often reserved only for the niche and bigger 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 compliment to articles that prompt opinion and debate.
The advantage over letters, e-mails and comments are that all the feedback is managed and measured and sites like Survey Galaxy will provide you with a real time poll that you can either keep to yourself or share with your readers.
It can even be complimentary to sending an email
By linking each article to an online survey it will not only extend the life of the article, as people have a channel to express their views, but it will involve your readers in the discussion and in a way where they know their opinion will be counted.
If you think they would rather send an email? - no problem - 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 having 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
