Print Buying Direct

The best way to survey how effective your newsletter is…part 2 – 14th October 2009

Electronic newsletters let you easily collect feedback from readers. Readers like responding this way, because they don’t have to go through any hassle. They simply select their choice and click “Okay” or “send”.
In addition, depending on how your newsletter is set up, you can also track which articles people read- all without ever asking the reader. This data is automatically provided to the publisher and reader will result in much improved content and design. For the first time in the history of publishing, editors know what people actually look at and how long they look at it.

Tips for increasing response rates to your newsletter

Surveys often suffer from low response rates. Here are five ways to increase your response rates:
Keep the survey short and non-intrusive

• Leave room for people to write and make sure the design of the survey is clean and professional-looking
• Choose your questions carefully; avoid offending or demanding too much
• Provide incentives to reply
• Conduct a follow-up by phone, e-ail or mail to non-respondents

Keep the length to one page or two screens. State within the instructions how long it will take to complete the survey.

Begin the questionnaire with easy questions, such as title and company information. Write as many questions as possible with close answers, and give the reader boxes to check or click on. This encourages respondents to continue, because they see how quickly they’re moving through the questionnaire. Save open questions, such as,” Why are you a member of the professional association?” for the end of the survey.

Incentives also increase response rates. When each respondent wins something, the response will usually be higher than with promised incentives, such as prize draws. Drawings are only effective if the prize is substantial and respondents feel they have a good chance of winning. In one survey, for example, the incentive was a drawing for a product worth £500. In a second example, each person who returned the survey received a flashlight worth about £1. The first survey had an initial response rate of 3%, while the second enjoyed a 14% response.

Follow-up techniques can also help your response rate. About 10 days after the initial mailing, mail all non-respondents a reminder postcard that emphasises the importance of the study and of a high response rate.
Keep track of those who have replied to the survey, and send a second copy of the survey to non-respondents. Usually, between 75% and 85% of the eventual return will be back within three weeks. From this, you can predict the final response rate from the first mailing.

To get a 100% response rate, call the reaming non-respondents and conduct the survey over the telephone.

Look – Check out our NEW Christmas and New Year Promos – promote your business with our offers on Wall Calendars, Desk Calendars, Xmas Cards, Promotional Wall Calendars and CD Calendars. We’ve recently redesigned all of our Print Buying Direct website and cut our prices on all promotional print.

For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;

• The best way to survey how effective your newsletter is…
• Every question has a goal (Newsletter printing)
• How to Conduct Your Survey about your Newsletter
• Newsletter Print and Design – Why the Pros Survey Fewer People
• Newsletters – Pinpointing Reader’s Interests – part 2
• Newsletters – Pinpointing Reader’s Interests – part 1
• Printing – Paper and board – Certified and recycled
• Printing – Paper and board – Pricing and availability
• Printing – Paper and Board
• Print Finishing
• Digital Presses
• Digital Printing
• Offset Printing
• Print Production Management
• How to create a marketing plan incorporating promotional newsletters
• All you need to know about Digital Printing
• The Future of Printing
• Print Finishing
• Variable Data Printing
• ISO 12647 and Colour Management in Printing
• Pre-press – In Flight, Pre-Flight and Post-Flight
• Print, Paper and Recycling
• Design of the times – (Article reproduced from Printing World February 2009)
• Pre-press – 20 years of change
• Transactional and Direct Mail
• 7 Guidelines For Good Newsletter Printing
• Graphic Design
• Printing – Where in the world are we?
• Improving Your Response Rates to Leaflets, Flyers and Brochures
• HINTS & TIPS…The sales letter
• The History of Printing
• 10 Tips for Creatives in a Digital World
• Eight Easy Ways to Improve Digital Print Sales to Creative and Design Agencies
• Transactional and Variable data printing
• PUR or EVA? That is the question
• What you need to know about…… Perfect Binding
• What’s the point of Recycling Paper and Board?

Print Buying Direct is a Trading Name of The Printing House Ltd. One of the UK’s leading quality printing companies for short run, long run and large format colour printing. Based in Crewe, Cheshire and delivering to customers across the UK and Ireland.

Also see our other websites

Main Site: www.theprintinghouseltd.co.uk

Buy Print Online: www.printbuyingdirect.co.uk

Prospectus Print: www.schoolprospectus.info

Sports Book Print: www.golfclubcentenarybooks.co.uk

Tags: Buy Print Online, mailing, Newsletter printing, postcard printing, prospectus printing, questionnaire

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at 7:23 am and is filed under Banners, Business Stationery, Calendars, Christmas Cards, Leaflets and Brochures, News, Newsletters, Postcards. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.