A Simple Way to Maximise the Impact of any Article
Calling all writers and freelance journalists, editors and publishers. Extend the life of 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 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is an unrewarding medium in terms of effort required and response received, just think of the number of letters that go unpublished and unread.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
The Internet has brought new channels of communication and has opened up opportunities that allow us to challenge traditional methods. 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, magazines and ezines now have the opportunity to change the mental process.
Readers like to have the opportunity to comment and traditionally they may have composed a letter or send an email or write a comment. Emails make communication easier but it still takes time to craft 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 sample of views or an endless unmanaged list of comments; a letter may be well crafted and well written letter 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 your readers is giving your readers a way to communicate with you where they know it will count.
Want an instant 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
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 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 with surveys all the feedback is managed and measured and online survey websites furnish you with polls and real time charts that you can either keep private or share.
Linking articles to online surveys will not only extend the life of the article but will involve your readers in the discussion and in a way where that they know that their opinion will be counted.
If you think they would rather 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 now and register your opinion of this article here:- Readership Feedback Survey
