They’re still as popular as they always were and in some cases, they can be a fantastic way to learn and also earn rewards for giving your opinions and views on certain topics. Companies still use them as a viable way to get valuable knowledge from their customer base and they can be a quick and easy way to get your thoughts and opinions out there. Let’s now take a look at just a few of the reasons why people fill in surveys online.
People want to gain a better understanding of themselves
Our first reason is that people fill in surveys so they can understand themselves better. Answering set questions and gauging people’s opinions can help respondents look at their own behavior and challenge it, or further understand their thoughts and perceptions on different topics.
Here’s an example. Someone is filling in a survey on diet culture – the company sending out the survey might advise the participant how their answers might help provide better solutions to offering sensible weight loss and diet advice that can help people who need to make sensible lifestyle changes and that they’ll get a copy of the end result when it is published – that can often help increase response rates.
It gives people a chance to voice personal opinions
They’re a chance to get a personal opinion aired and heard – and as most are anonymous people might feel more able to speak honestly and freely about what they think about a certain topic. The participants who are targeted may be more likely to answer the survey if there’s a really good reason for them to be asked to fill it in and they’ll also be keen to see the results if it will affect how they live their lives.
Here’s an example of how that might work. Say there’s an election coming up in the local community – local leaders might want to send out surveys to talk to people about what matters to them in their hometown and get them to voice their opinions anonymously. This way people can respond and give honest answers and also be included in any report findings once the results are in.
A sense of responsibility
Some people fill in online surveys because they have to – perhaps as part of work training or following up on customer service with a company and this stems from a feeling of responsibility – wanting to help or improve something that they have the power to change.
This could be filling in a survey that needs to be done at the end of a training course at work, the results of which can then be used to improve further training or let the people running it know that they did a great job!
People want to help a cause
Sometimes, it boils down to people wanting to help a good cause – and wanting to be seen to be doing something worthwhile from the comfort of their own home. Often this kind of survey comes from a charity or organization, and it can be something the person is involved with – or has made inquiries about. Perhaps it’s something they regularly donate to or have a close personal connection with.
A respondent might fill in a survey that’s come from a family member or friend, so they do it to help. It doesn’t then follow that the responses they give are irrelevant, but that they wanted to take some time out to help someone they care about and do some good at the same time. Often, survey respondents are more engaged when they feel a connection to the person or company asking for help.
Respondents want incentives and rewards
Of course, a financial reward or gift is one of the biggest motivators! Filling in surveys can take a lot of time and therefore people want to feel they’ve been compensated for that. Vouchers, money, merchandise, or even a charitable donation are great motivators to fill in surveys and often get better response rates.
Firstly, people will often choose a financial reward if possible. Payments via cash, check, or PayPal credit all work for most people – as do gift cards and coupons. Next are promo items or samples to try – but they’ve got to be a fit with the audience. No good sending samples of cat food to a house with no pets! Third are charity donations, which have a major appeal to social and environmental consciousness especially if it’s a cause the respondent supports. Lastly might be something like a raffle prize draw, which gives all respondents an equal chance to win a small or large prize – cash or otherwise, for their time and effort.
There are lots of reasons why people fill in surveys online and many of them are for altruistic reasons – people want to help and create change, but also need to know they’ll be rewarded for their time and opinions, too. They can be a great little side hustle if you’ve got the time and the motivation to do so!
