Tag: survey design

Featured

Boost Response Rates with Clear, Concise Mailer Designs

On By MSG BloggerIn Research Assist

In a world flooded with advertising and marketing messages, getting your mailer noticed and read is a challenge. A well-designed, concise mailer can significantly improve response rates, ensuring your message resonates with recipients.

Here’s how you can craft compelling mailers that capture attention and drive engagement:
1. Prioritize Clarity and Brevity

The key to an effective mailer is delivering your message quickly and clearly. Avoid excessive text and complex language. Use simple, direct statements that immediately convey the value proposition. A good rule of thumb is to keep key messages within a few short sentences and use bullet points for easy readability.

  • Appeal to the desire of respondents to feel important by explaining how their feedback will change the status quo and why it is important to have their feedback.
  • Clearly and concisely explain who is conducting the study, how their address was chosen, and assurance of privacy and security regarding their data.
  • Include a website or contact information for recipients who have questions or need assistance.
2. Use Eye-Catching Visuals

Visual appeal plays a critical role in engagement. High-quality images, bold typography, and strategic use of colors can draw attention to your mailer. However, don’t overload it with too many design elements — maintain a balance between text and visuals to ensure readability.

3. Use Incentives

Rewards and incentives have been proven time and again to increase survey participation – boosting the likelihood of response and completion. Offering even a small incentive can significantly improve engagement rates.

4. Include a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA)

Your mailer should have a clear purpose, whether it’s joining a panel, signing up for an event, or completing a survey. Use a strong, action-oriented CTA like “Claim Your Reward Now” or “Scan the QR Code to take the Survey” to guide recipients toward the desired action.

5. Optimize Layout and White Space While Maintaining Professionalism

A cluttered design can be overwhelming and reduce readability. Utilize white space effectively to create a clean and organized look. Ensure that the most important information is prominent, official, and that the layout naturally guides the reader’s eye from one element to the next while maintaining a professional appearance.

6. Personalization for Greater Impact

Personalized mailers that address recipients by ‘Dear “Town/County” resident’ on letter and “Town” resident on envelope, can make a significant difference in response rates. Tailor your content to specific audience segments to create a more meaningful connection. When you haven’t heard from a recipient, send between one and three reminders, using refreshed language but remaining consistent with original messaging. Being consistent helps instill trust and legitimacy in your message.

7. Create a Great Design while Portraying Credibility

The design of your mailer is the visual gateway to success. It’s the first thing recipients see and sets the tone for your message. Larger postcards and envelopes are more likely to grab attention and avoid immediate disposal. Use high-quality images that are relevant to your message. Incorporating the branding of well-known institutions will enhance the credibility and legitimacy of your project.

Final Thoughts

A well-designed and concise survey invite packet can significantly boost response rates. Prioritize clarity, consistency, and brevity to create mailers that are visually appealing and easy to read. With countless bills, marketing messages and flyers competing for attention in mailboxes, making your mailer stand out is essential. Use high-quality images and logos to instill a sense of professionalism and trust. 

A compelling and thoughtfully crafted design can grab attention, encourage participation, and effectively convey your message. And remember, too much clutter can be overwhelming, making your mailer difficult to read and reducing engagement. A clean, streamlined design ensures your message is clear and effective. Sometimes, less is more! For inquiries or a quote on our Research Assist Services, feel free to contact us here.

Featured

Sample Stratification: Key Benefits and Challenges to Stratifying Your Sample

On By MSG BloggerIn Genesys, MSG

One of the most important tools in survey sampling is stratification, whereby the sample selection process takes place separately within different subgroups (strata). In practice, surveys rarely adopt simple random sampling and instead often rely on some form of stratification for sample selection. Just like any other tool, however, stratification must be employed for the right reasons and implemented properly for its dividends to be realized. Briefly, there are three instances when a stratified sampling design would be preferred over simpler options:

  1. When simple random sampling may fail to provide adequate representation and diversity.
  2. When for analytical reasons, certain small subgroups need to have boosted representations.
  3. When for cost optimizations, units that are “cheaper-to-survey” need to be oversampled.

For any of the above three reasons, instead of selecting a random sample across the entire sampling frame, stratification enables researchers to manage the sample selection process while maintaining the probabilistic nature of the resulting sample. When applied effectively, stratification can also increase the efficiency of a sample by localizing the selection process within subgroups comprised of similar units. In contrast, simple random samples can require a larger size to achieve a comparable level of precision. Effective sample stratification requires three basic elements:

  1. Availability of reliable frame data for all units for creation of sampling strata.
  2. Optimal allocation of the total sample across all strata.
  3. Efficient selection of sampling units within each stratum.

Despite the above attractive features of stratification, it is important to be cognizant of the potential drawbacks of this sampling methodology when it is applied ineffectively or for the wrong reasons. As such, the following cautionary points are noteworthy when considering the pros and cons of stratification:

Effective Stratification

Critical to the creation of effective strata, for any of the three reasons numerated earlier, is the availability of reliable data for all units on the sampling frame. Construction of poor strata, those comprised of heterogenous (dissimilar) units, due to poor frame data can backfire and obliterate all benefits of stratification. Effective sampling strata must include homogeneous (similar) units that are mutually exclusive (have no overlap) and collectively exhaustive (cover the entire frame).

Design Effect

When by design certain units of the population are selected at higher or lower rates, such departures from equal probability of selection method (EPSEM) must be corrected by application of design weighs that reflect selection probabilities. Since unequal weights reduce the effective sample size of a survey, as measured by the following statistic, it is important for stratification to be employed judiciously and for the right reasons. This means excessive departure from an EPSEM design via superfluous stratification can severely reduce the efficiency of a sample.

Departure from an EPSEM design requires design weighting as seen in the image above.

Optimal Sample Allocation

In addition to construction of effective sampling strata, the total sample must be optimally allocated across the resulting strata. While proportional allocation is statistically most optimal, disproportional allocation should be justified by the analytical and cost saving needs of a survey. Again, it is important to remember that any departure from a proportional allocation of the sample across strata will have precision costs vis-à-vis the incurred design effect.

Selection of Sampling Units

The final stage of sample selection occurs within each stratum. While an EPSEM option can minimize the sampling error margins associated with the resulting survey estimates, intentional departure from this option should have valid reasons. Unequal selection probabilities, which can have perfectly justifiable reasons, will further decrease the effective sample size of a survey. Lastly, it is imperative to ensure that all eligible units would have known and nonzero (not necessarily equal) chance of selection to preserve the probabilistic nature of the employed sample.

Conclusion

For a more in-depth look on sample stratification, check out MSG’s latest Coffee Quip episode below or contact one of our friendly experts!

Featured

The Enduring Power of Mail Surveys in Modern Research

On By MSG BloggerIn Address Based Sample, Genesys

In the realm of quantitative research, where unraveling the intricacies of human thoughts and behaviors is paramount, mail surveys stand as stalwart companions. Embedded within fields like political and social sciences, social work, and education research, mail surveys offer an essential avenue to explore the “why” and “how” behind human actions. Contrary to the digital age’s sway, these surveys continue to wield unparalleled effectiveness and significance.

The Resilience of Mail Surveys

Amid the proliferation of research methodologies, mail surveys remain a steadfast choice, consistently outshining online, email, phone, and in-app methods. The statistics gleaned from April 2018 data by Pew Research and industry experts reaffirm this preference. Response rates demonstrate the following order of performance:

The Factors Fueling Mail Survey Excellence

Mail surveys’ superiority finds its roots in various factors, each contributing to their continued success:

  1. Trust: Well designed mail pieces with geographic specific salutations instill trust, shunning the skepticism often associated with online communications deemed as spam. The credibility of receiving a tangible incentive gift stands firm against the virtual maze of conditions often attached to online offers.
  2. Deliverability: Physical addresses offer reliability in comparison to email addresses prone to frequent changes without forwarding information.
  3. Noticeability: Amidst the clutter of emails and online platforms, physical mail emerges as a beacon of attention in a less congested environment.
  4. Convenience: Respondents can engage with the survey at their convenience, with the physical presence of the hard copy serving as a gentle reminder to participate.

Upholding Data Integrity

The bedrock of any research endeavor is the integrity of the collected data. Inaccuracies and respondent bias pose significant challenges. However, the revered status of mail survey methodology as a vanguard against these issues prevails, even in the era of digitization. Phone surveys are marred by ‘sample selection’ bias due to the dwindling landline use. Email and online surveys encounter ‘social desirability’ bias, as respondents tailor responses to fit a crafted image. Even in-person surveys sometimes fall victim to guarded responses. While method selection hinges on factors like time, cost, and respondent information, the quest for unbiased data reigns supreme.

Cost-Effective Efficacy

In the landscape of costs, mail surveys shine as beacons of cost-effectiveness. Medium-scale surveys (with 5,000 to 50,000 respondents) in 2018 incurred an approximate cost of $5,000. Comparable phone and in-person surveys incurred costs ranging from 50% to 150% more, respectively. Email and online surveys tout the lowest price tags, beginning at $20 to $500 monthly, albeit subject to additional costs for custom programming. Yet, factoring in data quality, survey mailing services reign as the prudent cost-effective choice.

When to Choose a Mail Survey

The decision to embark on a mail survey journey holds merit under several conditions:

  1. Data Quality: When impeccable data quality is non-negotiable.
  2. Accessible Population Data: When equipped with a comprehensive list of names and addresses or planning to acquire a sample.
  3. Audience Relevance: When the survey content resonates deeply with your target audience.
  4. Time Flexibility: When immediate results aren’t a pressing concern.

The Way Forward: Balance and Integration

While the digital realm promises a radiant future for research, challenges remain. Biases, data integrity, and cost-efficiency cast a shadow on the exclusive embrace of digital surveys. Embracing a multi-modal approach, synergizing both print and digital components, seems to hold the key to harnessing the best of both worlds.

Conclusion: Enveloped in Excellence

In a world undergoing rapid transformation, the enduring prowess of mail surveys stands tall. Their resilience in yielding quality data, overcoming biases, and delivering cost-effective solutions continues to resonate across the landscape of research. As technology and methodologies evolve, the measured and purposeful integration of mail surveys in research endeavors promises to illuminate the path forward with both wisdom and innovation.

For more information on MSG’s suite of sampling solutions, or mail surveys in general, contact one of our experts here.

Hybrid Sampling: Why a Blended Sampling Approach Is a Sensible Option

On By MSG BloggerIn Hybrid Sampling, PreVisionLeave a comment

In an ideal survey research world, it is preferable to work with a single probability-based sample as it provides the best representation of the target population. In the real world, however, cost and feasibility often prohibit the luxury of using purely probability-based samples. This is where different sampling methods come into play to reduce cost and improve feasibility, especially those that rely on online panels. All in all, online sampling isn’t ideal, since such samples are void of “organic” representation. If you can’t get generalizable results from your surveys, then what’s the point?

A blended (hybrid) sampling approach can offer an effective and practical alternative, through which multiple frames are used for sample selection—oftentimes a combination of probability-based and convenience samples from online (opt-in) panels. Further, we might start with a fully probability-based sample from a telephone or address frame, but then tap into online panels to supplement what we get from the main probability sample.

Taking a hybrid sampling approach sounds well and good, but just because you’ve gone hybrid doesn’t necessarily equate to unbiased survey results. Sampling from online panels is always a little tricky because if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can end up taking a seemingly inexpensive sample component, mix it with your precious probability-based sample and end up with a poor combination.

Sure, theoretically it’s preferable to have all or most of the samples be probability-based, but they are expensive. At the same time, you don’t want samples from opt-in panels dwarfing your precious probability-based sample. As a general rule of thumb, something on the order of no more than 50% of your sample should be coming from opt-in panels. Keep in mind that budget and other factors may dictate a higher or lower contribution.

The selection of samples from opt-in panels needs to be carried out sensibly. Equally important is the way you blend the probability and nonprobability-based sample components to produce a single database capable of producing reliable conclusions. It’s a little bit like chemistry when different materials are tossed into the mix to produce an alloy with higher-level properties; you have to be measured about it and get the ratios down just right using correct weighting and calibration adjustments.

As response rates continue to decline into single digit territory, even with fully probability-based samples, geodemographic weighting of survey data becomes essential. This is proven true since nonresponses are always different in nature. However, this issue will magnify with hybrid sampling when part of the sample may come from opt-in panels. Hence, in addition to basic weighting, additional calibration adjustments become necessary as well. This means going beyond geodemographics and applying corrections based on attitudinal and behavioral characteristics to ensure respondent representation for their population.

If you are looking to enhance your phone or address-based surveys and supplement them with samples from online panels, survey research scientists at MSG have decades of knowhow and hands-on experience to support your hybrid sampling methods. Our experts can assist you with sample selection, survey administration and questionnaire design, as well as state-of-the-art weighting and calibration procedures. Additionally, we can support you with reporting and analysis of data from complex surveys.

To learn more about our hybrid sampling products and services, click here, or contact one of our specialists.

For a deeper dive, watch Episode 06 of our Coffee Quip YouTube series, wherein the panelists discuss the intricacies and benefits of Hybrid Sampling!

Quality Starts with Survey Design: Tips for Better Surveys

On By MSG BloggerIn ARCS, Genesys, MSGLeave a comment

Marketing researchers are all facing two important challenges to data quality. First is the question of representativeness: with response rates plummeting, we need to make surveys shorter, more engaging, and easier for respondents to complete. Second is the issue of data accuracy: we must make sure that survey questions measure what we think they measure. Continue reading “Quality Starts with Survey Design: Tips for Better Surveys” →

Smart Survey Design: 3 Forgotten Pain Points to Avoid

On By MSG BloggerIn ARCS, Genesys, MSGLeave a comment

“Smart Survey Design” is a loose term (bordering on a catch-all) that you’ve probably heard pitched to you.  Maybe you have used it yourself when piecing together a study.

It’s not a hollow term, by any means. Smart design has advantages for both designers and respondents. Designing “smart” simply means maintaining data integrity, both in terms of capturing statistically relevant data as well as reducing the amount of bad data caused by poor survey takers (straight liners, short responders for OE’s, speeders, cheaters, etc.). Continue reading “Smart Survey Design: 3 Forgotten Pain Points to Avoid” →