A Publishing Revolution
Calling all journalists and freelance writers, editors and publishers. It’s time to breathe more life into your copy. Turn your articles into living pieces that spark measurable debate and that allows you to engage with your readers 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is an unrewarding medium in terms of effort required and response received, just think of the number of letters that go unpublished and unread.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
With the Internet traditional methods of communications can be challenged and replaced or complemented 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. Newspapers, trade journals, periodicals and ezines now have the opportunity to change the mental process.
When people read an article they often would like to comment, and historically this has required them to feel strongly enough to put pen to paper; or with the creation of the Internet send an email or write 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 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 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 the readership is providing the readership with an effective channel to communicate with you; one where they know it will count.
Do you want to deliver a snapshot of opinion? Did they like what they read? Did your readers agree with what was said or do they take the opposite view?
Now it is easy
In the past surveys would have taken considerable effort to design and publish and altogether was a process too long winded and therefore reserved for the niche and bigger topics.
However, using a hosted survey site 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 complement to articles that prompt opinion and debate.
The advantage online surveys have over letters, e-mails and comments are that feedback can be properly managed and measured and online survey websites can allow you to establish real time polls giving you results that you can either keep to yourself or share with the readership.
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.
You think people will still want to send an email? – not a problem – just include the facility within the survey and get the best of both worlds.
It’s low cost, fast and easy to do; it will not only empower and engage the reader but will establish a valuable communication channel that will provide you with measurable feedback and give you the opportunity to promote other related articles.
Try it for yourself and record your view of this article here:- Readership Feedback Survey
