How can you optimize survey reminder timing and frequency?

Some of the best advice I can give is when you speak to a survey company - ask them for a detailed timeline. A key component of this timeline is securing responses. You will be surprised to hear some companies tell you 4 weeks while others say 12 hours. This all comes down to survey reminders. If you don’t send reminders to potential participants you will see a very slow response rate. The reminders need to reflect the exact survey participants you plan to interview. Often companies “remind” everyone on their panel and it turns people away and they won’t come back. If your survey is focused on CISOs - don’t send reminders to audiences other than CISOs. The reminders need to be sent prior to the actual survey questions are sent.

Why Send Survey Reminders? Overview: Understand the importance of survey reminders in improving response rates. How to Consider: -Acknowledge that respondents may overlook or forget the initial survey request. -Emphasize the significance of their feedback for the research. Benefits: Increased respondent engagement and a higher likelihood of obtaining valuable data.

Rule of thumb for me is to send a reminder 3-4 days prior to the questionnaire arriving via email link. The reminder should include how long the survey will take as well as what time of day it will arrive. This will drive more and faster interaction with the respondents. Avoiding Fridays & Saturdays is a policy for me. I’ve always believed this annoys people more than anything else. Avoid holidays - but not just Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years - but look at a detailed list of other holidays/events and make sure you aren’t sending it to them on a day it might offend them. We try to send the reminders from Monday-Thursday at 10AM local time. The open rate of those reminders is higher than other days/times we learned over the years.

When to Send Survey Reminders? Overview: Determine the optimal timing for sending survey reminders. How to Consider: -Choose times when respondents are likely to be available and responsive. -Consider different time zones if your audience is diverse. Benefits: Enhancing the chances of surveys being noticed and completed.

An example for a challenging audience - send 2-3 reminders over the over 2 week timeframe. After that, stop. If the respondents don’t answer after a 3rd reminder then they likely won’t participate at all. Once you reach your target sample size stop sending any/all reminders. If your sample size is not being reached send an additional reminder but keep in mind it might be better to find additional survey respondents instead of spamming someone 4+ times. That is a big negative. Finally, a major factor in the reminder is developing and very clear description about the survey itself. It needs to be short 2-3 sentences maximum explaining the topic and how long it will take to complete. Brevity is key in the reminders.

How Often to Send Survey Reminders? Overview: Strike a balance between gentle reminders and avoiding respondent annoyance. How to Consider: -Start with a gentle reminder after the initial survey invitation. -Adjust frequency based on the urgency of responses and the survey's importance. Benefits: Increased response rates without causing survey fatigue.

Survey reminders have the potential to annoy your potential respondents leading to lower participation rate. They need to be sent after 9AM local time and prior to dinner. This is to make sure you aren't bothering the respondents at bad times. Keep the language very short 2-3 sentences with 4-5 words per sentence. Always thank them at the end of the reminder.

How to Craft Survey Reminders? Overview: Develop compelling and concise survey reminders. How to Consider: -Clearly state the purpose and importance of the survey. -Provide a brief overview of the questions and estimated completion time. -Include a direct call-to-action. Benefits: Encouraging respondents to participate by highlighting the survey's relevance.

How to Test Survey Reminders? Overview: Test different approaches to optimize the effectiveness of survey reminders. How to Consider: -Conduct A/B testing with variations in message content and tone. -Monitor response rates and adjust strategies based on results. Benefits: Identifying the most effective reminder strategies for your audience.

Test your reminders on a small group of respondents - usually about 5%. Review the open rate, see how long they are engaged and more. Adjust the language if needed after reviewing the feedback. This is common procedure in our field.

Be patient. Be kind. Be patient. Don't overdue survey reminders. There is an art to reminders - I always advise starting in advance and informing respondents the study is going to arrive soon. This helps. If there is a lag, stop the reminders after you reach 2-3 more attempts. It's best to stop and reach out to new potential respondents.