How To Increase Email Survey Response Rates

7 tips for email content

Let’s look at some survey content that you can refine to influence the email survey response rates. 

1. Refine your subject lines

Beyond excluding any kind of spam words in your subject lines, there is so much room for creativity here!

You can test the effectiveness of your subject lines by checking the metrics of your past emails. Which one got the highest open rate? Can you expand on the tactics used there?

Personalized subject lines in email surveys can increase open rates by 29.3%.

Here are a few quick tips to consider.

• Try incorporating emojis! Here is a complete emoji directory.
• Do not use ALL CAPS.
• Do not clickbait or mislead recipients.
• Give recipients a sense of urgency (but avoid spam words).
• Shorter subject lines often perform better.

Remember: you must constantly test your emails – more on that in tip #4 below!

2. Speak the respondent’s language

Translate your surveys into the preferred languages of your target population. To gather diverse yet meaningful data, you need to speak the language of the participants. Leverage online survey tools offering automated survey translation to translate the survey content. 

Keep your questions simple and survey consistent across all geographies. 

3. Use effective call-to-actions

Once a recipient opens your email invitation for your survey, you need to use creative copy to get them to follow through on the prompt within the email.

You must provide clear, direct language that asks the recipient to do something. You can use action-oriented words – which often means using a verb, depending on the context.

Like the subject line, shorter email content tends to work better. However, in the world of survey distribution, you should also make sure to contextualize your study, so the potential respondent/email recipient is incentivized to click.

4. Test what works

When we discuss email content, whether that be the subject line, the body text, or the call-to-action, testing is king.

You can test and optimize your emails by looking at the metrics of previous emails sent, and checking for things like open rate and clickthrough rate.

A better open rate often indicates that the subject line was successful. A higher clickthrough rate means the copy or CTA was enticing for recipients.

In order to get the best results with your survey distribution, keep a close eye on these metrics and continually improve on what you’ve sent in the past.

Good email distribution practices are an essential component of driving survey responses for your online surveys.

5. Timing is key

With constant digital distraction, your target audience will pay fleeting attention to your email communication. This means timing is pivotal in determining the success of email survey response rates. 

Carefully consider the time and days when your target population is most likely to be receptive to your email survey. Additionally, use “warm-up” emails that give your respondents a heads-up about the survey topic a day or two before the main survey is sent. 

6. Build trust and credibility

When data privacy and concerns are of utmost importance, you should focus on establishing trust and credibility. When sending your email survey, start by explaining the purpose of the survey in clear language and how the respondent’s feedback will contribute. 

Make sure to assure the participants that their responses will be kept confidential and only used for the research. Design a survey with the white-label capability to add brand elements to your survey that incorporate trust. 

7. Express gratitude for participation

Gratitude influences a powerful sentiment that can help you nurture a strong relationship with the target audience. Express genuine appreciation as respondents are investing their time to share their insights with you. 

Post-survey, send a thank-you message or add a thank-you page at the end of the survey that acknowledges their contribution and highlights the impact of their feedback.