A Simple Way to Maximise the Impact of any Article

Calling all journalists and freelance writers, publishers and editors. Extend the life of your copy. Turn your articles into living pieces that spark measurable debate, get closer to your readers and engage their 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.

As well as being an overhead for the publisher, it can also be an unrewarding medium in terms of the amount of effort required and response that is received, just consider the number of letters that go unread and unpublished.

As it is now

The Internet has brought new channels of communication and has opened up opportunities that allow us to challenge traditional methods. The Internet has matured, no longer the preserve of computer geeks but an everyday technology that has been embraced globally, by the young and old, allowing the traditional way things were done to be re-evaluated. There is now the opportunity for newspapers, trade journals, magazines and ezines to change the mental process.

When people read an article that provokes thought they now expect the opportunity to comment either by writing a comment, sending an email or writing a letter. Emails make the process of communication easier but it still takes time to compose 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 feedback from your readers and in a form that can be easily measured. Communicating with your readers is one thing but having a channel that allows your readers to effectively communicate with you is just as important.

Want a 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’s easy

In the past it would have taken considerable effort to design, publish and collate, a process that was too long winded and justifiable only for the niche and important 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 questionnaires and surveys created in minutes make the perfect complement to articles that prompt opinion and debate.

The advantage over letters, e-mails and comments are that all the feedback is properly managed and measured and sites like Survey Galaxy will provide you with a real time poll that you can either keep to yourself or share with your readers.

It can even be complementary to sending an email

Linking articles to online surveys will extend the life of the article and involve your readers in the discussion in a way where they are confident that their opinion will be counted.

You think they would rather send an email? – no problem – 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