Calling all publishers, editors, journalists and freelance writers. 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 process with only a fraction of the received correspondence ever being used.

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of the amount of effort required and response that is received, just consider the number of letters that go unread and unpublished.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

With the Internet traditional methods of communications can be challenged and replaced or complemented with new methods of doing things. The Internet is now a mature technology, no longer the preserve of technical geeks but a technology that has been embraced by a global population, young and old allowing us now to re-evaluate the way things are done. There is now the opportunity for newspapers, trade journals, magazines and ezines to change the mental process.

Readers of any article often would like to comment, traditionally this has required them to feel strongly enough to write a letter, or now, with the convenience of the Internet, send an email or write a comment. Emails make communication easier but they still take time to compose 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. Just as important as you communicating with the readership is providing the readership with an effective channel to communicate with you; one where they know it will count.

Do you want to deliver a snapshot of opinion? How much did they like the article? Did the readership agree with what was said or do they have a different view?

Now it is easy

In the past surveys would have taken considerable effort to design and publish and altogether was a process too long winded and therefore reserved for the niche and bigger topics.

However, using sites like www.surveygalaxy.com 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 over letters, e-mails and comments are that all the feedback gathered through a survey is managed and measured and sites like Survey Galaxy will provide you with a real time poll and charts that you can either keep to yourself or share with your readers.

It’s not even one or the other now

By linking each article to an online survey it will not only extend the life of the article, as people have a channel to express their views, but it will involve your readers in the discussion and in a way where they know their opinion will be counted.

You think people will still want to 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.

See it in action and record your own opinion about this article here:- Readership Feedback Survey