| It’s September, and the perfect time to send those survey invitations! |
 In your haste for insight and information, do not neglect the crafting of your invitation.
Invitations make the essential first impression; if people judge a book by its cover, then respondents judge an organization by its invitation.
Increase response rates, and be the most authentic-looking cover—er, invitation—in their inbox by following these important tips.
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| 1. Your invitation message is the first impression. |
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| Be sure you sound crisp and professional, or you might find yourself sitting in the SPAM folder.
- Personalize the message. Be certain you use the name of the respondent.
- Customize the invitation by adding images and logos.
- Refrain from using SPAM language either in the body or the subject line. Do not, for example, include too many exclamation marks!!, money $ymbol$, or CAPS.
- Be certain that you provide contact information, such as how you got the email address, the survey intention, what you will do with the data, whether it is anonymous, etc.
- Assure them that the information will remain confidential and be certain to highlight the survey deadline.
- Include an accurate estimation of time needed to complete the survey.
- Send the survey invitation from the organization’s email address to reflect credibility and professionalism.
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| 2. Do not send unsolicited emails. |
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Avoid purchasing lists.
- To receive survey invitations, respondents must opt-in.
- Make sure you provide a clear means to opt-out.
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| 3. Carefully schedule the timing of the delivery of survey invitations. |
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Know your audience: are you sending it to students or professionals? Each group has a certain time to optimize response rates.
- Students: Send the survey invitation earlier in the week, rather than later. Do not schedule an invitation during or around student holidays like Fall Break and activities like football and basketball games.
- Professionals: Avoid sending surveys on the weekend. Take note of the calendar of the respondents’ organization. Be aware that Mondays can be a busy day for professionals who are catching up with emails and getting started on projects and tasks for the week.
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| 4. Provide incentives to avoid survey abandonment. |
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Offer relevant incentives that you can easily deliver, whether that means a Kindle for students, or a gift certificate for professionals.
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| 5. Send intelligent reminders. |
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| Follow up with SoGoSurvey’s reminder emails a few days apart to stimulate the response rate. Do not annoy the non-respondents by sending more than two reminders. |
