When it comes to your research surveys, getting the maximum number of responses is important to ensure the reliability of data collected. Not getting enough responses, on the other hand, doesn’t give you a representative sample of the population to accurately assess your data. You also risk drawing the wrong conclusions and making the wrong decisions based on a small and skewed data set.
If you struggle with poor survey response rates, you know the results you get aren’t as good as they could be with more responses. That’s where rewards come into play. They can solve your problem of having low response rates and ensure your data is reliable. Here are five ways rewards help you boost survey responses.
How Rewards Boost Survey Responses
If you’re looking for a little more evidence that investing in survey rewards will pay off, here are five ways they absolutely will.
1. They Create Motivation to Participate
If participants feel appreciated with a tangible reward they want, they’re more likely to complete your survey. Imagine two scenarios: in one, you send out a survey with no rewards. In the other, you not only offer rewards but also offer participants the opportunity to select the reward they prefer.
Which do you think will have a higher response rate?
2. They Help Address the Squeaky Wheel Syndrome
In the case of brands sending out surveys to get customer feedback, what often happens is that they only hear from unhappy customers who want to vent about a negative experience. But those respondents certainly aren’t indicative of all your customers! Getting all types of feedback is important to get an accurate and full picture. By offering rewards, you’ll ensure that customers with all types of experiences with your brand provide you with feedback.
3. They Minimize Incompletes for Long and Complex Surveys
If your survey is long or complex, your completion rate may be low... without the enticement of rewards. Your participants may need an extra nudge to get through your survey, and rewards do the job nicely. Because respondents are being compensated accordingly for a longer survey, it’s worth their time to complete and shows you value their time.
4. They Minimize Churn for Multi-Part or Longitudinal Studies
It’s a challenge to keep people participating through multi-part or longitudinal studies. After all, they have to log in multiple days to complete multiple surveys and activities or answer repeated questions. Churn can be high for these studies, as you know. But if the reward is enticing enough, participants will stay until the end of the study. Pro tip: Points-based rewards can be more suitable for multi-part and longitudinal studies.
5. Rewards Can Help Overcome Survey Fatigue
Consumers are sent surveys from tons of brands, and it’s all too easy to ignore them. This is frustrating because you want feedback on their experience with your brand! Offering rewards makes your survey stand out against a sea of other emails in their inbox. Yes, incorporating rewards into your market research or survey workflow may require a little extra budget, but if the payoff is a higher response rate, isn’t the investment worth it?