Looking for a way to boost your survey response rates? Compensating respondents for their time with a Visa e-gift card or other digital incentive could be the answer.
With the sheer number of marketing surveys that consumers get these days, it can be challenging for your business to stand out and get them to answer yours. There are a number of tried-and-true tactics you can incorporate into your survey invitation email. But offering an incentive will singlehandedly give you the best results to increase response rates.
Evidence shows that response rates grow by up to 15% if you offer an appropriate incentive for survey completion. What constitutes a compelling, appropriate reward may change based on your target audience and the type of survey. Something that is widely redeemable and offers choices for recipients, like a Visa e-gift card, is usually a safe bet.
Depending on the type of survey program you run, though, there are a few different ways you can harness the potential of Visa e-gift cards and other digital incentives to increase participation.
One way of using incentives, including Visa digital gift cards, to encourage survey responses is to offer them as instant rewards. When a respondent completes a survey, the e-gift card is sent to them immediately by email. This type of instant gratification is a powerful motivator for your audience to complete the survey quickly. Whether you’re using a Visa e-gift card or another type of reward, the value should be appropriate for the type and length of the survey — the longer or more involved it is, the higher the reward value.
Another option is to implement a points program. This idea works very well for longitudinal studies, long-term projects, and insights communities. You can award respondents a certain number of points for every survey they complete. Again, the number of points can vary depending on the type and length of the questionnaire. Those points accumulate over time, and when a respondent reaches a certain threshold, they can redeem points for a Visa e-gift card or another reward of their choice. This also means that participants can wait and continue to collect points so they can later redeem a higher-value reward.
Using incentives is a very effective way to boost survey response rates, either with instant rewards or an ongoing points program. If you have a wide range of recipients — or they’re located in multiple countries — a Visa e-gift card may be the best reward option, since it can be redeemed in over 150 countries and is accepted wherever Visa credit cards are. When you’re targeting a more specific audience, tailoring the selection of digital rewards can help personalize the experience. Either way, you’ll be able to delight your survey respondents and get the data you need.
Not sure whether to use instant rewards or points? Check out our Cheat Sheet to compare three reward program structures and see which one is best for your program!
Hannah is a reformed journalist who has more than 15 years of experience and now focuses on content marketing for innovative tech companies.
Hannah is a reformed journalist who has more than 15 years of experience and now focuses on content marketing for innovative tech companies.
