5 Types of Surveys your Members Will Actually Want to Take

Ever received a survey from a company after doing business? Of course you have. It’s no secret that surveys are the backbone of all member feedback. They’re an easy way to get the answers your association needs in order to improve. Not only that- they’re also highly effective.

‍According to Folio Magazine, surveying is important for associations today because it is the “most reliable” source for feedback from your members. And that’s not all. This infographic by Zendesk claims that in 2012, it was estimated that American adults are asked to take a survey around 7 billion times each year. That’s right, your audience is no stranger to the typical survey in their email inbox.

While it seems like surveys can do no wrong, there is a downside to all of the hype. Since surveys are so commonly used, people can start to become uninterested in them. This means that your association’s surveys could go unnoticed, and therefore become null and void.

‍You don’t want to let your surveys become stale. But what can you do to make sure members are engaging with your surveys? Like any good content plan, all it takes is strategy and change.

‍We’re going to examine some of the best surveys to send out to your members. These types of surveys are so dynamic and engaging that members will have a hard time ignoring them. Let’s get started.

1. The short survey

Starting off with something short, sweet, and to the point is the short survey.

Why go shorter? Well, a shorter survey saves your members time. In fact, 21% of survey respondents claim they are too busy to take time-consuming surveys. On the other hand, 18% of respondents stated they would be more willing to complete a survey if it was short. That’s right, you can actually attract more survey respondents by cutting down on length. Who would’ve thought!

While the phrase “short survey” is ambiguous, it gives your association room to get creative with this type of survey. You can create a shorthand version of any survey you’re looking to send out to members. One way to do this is to take your original survey and extract just the highlights. That means creating a strategy to choose only the top questions to include in your short survey. You can give yourself a question limit or even choosing just one question from each survey section.

You should also consider the topic of your survey when creating a short survey. Make sure that although your survey is concise, it gets to the root of what your association wants to know from its members. While a short survey may not be for every association, it’s something to consider as a guaranteed way to get responses.

2. The interactive survey

When your members are interacting with your content, they’re engaging with your association. So, why not bring that interaction into your surveys?

‍According to Question Pro’s survey analytics, interactive surveying has a 30%-40% greater success rate than traditional surveying. But what does an interactive survey entail? Typically, an interactive survey adds a new element of engagement into its format. Whether that’s through images, audio, or even video- it’s an advanced format that will engage respondents.

Think about the format of a typical Buzzfeed survey or quiz. Buzzfeed brings in a large amount of images into its format. Respondents can answer survey questions by clicking on and interacting with a certain image. Your association can use this strategy in its own survey. Incorporate branded images into each question to keep things interesting.

‍You can even create a survey that is paired with a video.Create a video based around your survey. You can have one of your association’s team members read off each survey question. This way, members can follow along with your video while they take the survey- staying engaged every step of the way.An interactive survey could be what your association is missing.

3. The post-event survey

Yes, the post-event survey. Without it, associations and event marketers everywhere would be lost.A post-event survey is a great way to analyze your member’s satisfaction in your association’s events. They’re an outlet for honest answers on where your events are a success, and where they could use some work. Sending out post-event surveys is a must for any association’s event strategy. Without survey results, your association won’t know where to go with its next event.

When it comes to creating post-event surveys, there are a few things to consider.

‍To start, you want to make sure your survey is member inclusive- and that means for every single member who attends. You don’t want to send out a survey that applies to only your exclusive event perks or to certain activities that not every member could attend.

Keep your survey questions generic. You can ask about overall satisfaction of the event as a whole, or what your event can improve on. You can also ask open-ended questions, like “Which part of our event did you find most enjoyable?” This gives members the option to write in a completely original and honest answer that can deal with any part of your event. Consider incorporating a post-event survey into your association’s event planning strategy.

4. The mobile survey

Does your association have mobile-friendly surveys? If not, it should.

‍According to SmartInsights, 80% of internet users own a smartphone. That means well over half of online content consumers can view content on a mobile device- and this includes your surveys. Coming up with a mobile strategy for your association’s survey is crucial to appeal to every single member you have. If your survey isn’t mobile-friendly, it can seriously affect your survey’s engagement rates.

‍When it comes to a mobile survey, the key is convenience. If members cannot access your emailed survey on their phone, they could get frustrated and give up altogether. Make sure your mobile survey has a short loading time. This means you want a survey that doesn’t take long to load on your user’s mobile device.

However, this also means you don’t want to spread your survey content out. Having a survey format that loads one page per question can lead to longer loading times. Make sure your mobile format allows for multiple questions loading at once.

‍You also want your mobile survey to be as aesthetically appealing as your traditional survey. 10% of survey respondents claim that surveys need to be interesting in order to get high engagement rates. Make sure to brand your survey, even in its mobile format. A well-branded survey can come across as more professional and appealing for members.

5. The membership survey

And finally, we have one of the most important surveys for all associations: The membership satisfaction survey.

‍In order to create a stronger membership, you need to know where your members stand with your association and its benefits. Remember, your association is only as strong as its members.

Be sure to use this survey as an overall judge of your association’s performance. You should include questions on benefits, events, membership renewal, and any other important factor your association deals with.

Again, honesty is the best policy. Be sure to create a membership satisfaction survey that members will feel comfortable sharing their opinions on. One great way to do this is to include questions with number scales. Here’s an example: “On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate our association’s events?” This type of question gives members a wide variety of options to choose from, while still being honest.

‍With the help of these 5 surveys, your association will find a way to get your members excited about giving you the feedback you’re looking for. Try out one (or all!) of these surveys and see how it can affect your member engagement rates in the near future.