Tips on Survey Writing
If you have a question about who you’re marketing to why don’t you just ask them. The simple genius of surveys accomplishes that. Surveys are a dynamic tool that work across marketing channels…but there’s a catch…they take some effort to write.
Below are some quiz tips that might spark some tips if you are thinking of writing a survey (or quiz). Writing a survey isn’t the same as a quiz…but there are some similarities. I think these tips will help:
Pick the right topic
Before you get started writing a quiz, you’ve got to come up with an idea. For some companies, the answer is obvious, such as “What kind of dog are you?” for a dog blog, but for others the best subject is not so clear. Here are some tips on picking a topic:
- Know your audience. Create your quiz for a specific group of people. Trying to reach the whole world is both impossible and a recipe for failure. If your quiz addresses a group of people that is very interested in the quiz, it will be much more likely to succeed, even if that group is not large.
- Write to one person. Think of one person who would really enjoy your quiz and write to him. This will help you develop a friendly tone and comfortable writing style. Also, if you can’t think of one person who would like your quiz, you may want to rethink the idea.
Write irresistible titles
The title of your quiz is its pickup line. Without a good one, you’ll repel potential quiz takers and fall into the oblivion where bad quizzes go to die. The good news is that there are title templates that consistently perform well and encourage clicks:
- The “actually” title: “How much do you actually know about world cup soccer?” The “actually” title is just a knowledge test, but once you add the word “actually” or “really,” it becomes a challenge, and no one wants to back down from a challenge.
- The “Which (blank) are you?” title: “Which cake are you?” These quizzes are based off of the traditional Meyers-Briggs personality quiz; just replace the personality types with the appropriate results for your quiz topic.
- The celebrity comparison title: “Which celebrity hairstyle should you get?” This template is similar to the personality quiz, but you can place different results into the quiz that relate to your business.
Craft the questions
The questions of a quiz are where you get the chance to create a conversation with quiz takers and build rapport. This is where quizzes really start to show their magic. Unlike many other forms of content, quizzes are a one-to-one medium where you can speak directly to each person who takes your quiz.
Here are a few tips on building that conversation:
- Let your personality shine. Or use an alternate personality and let that shine. The best quizzes create a connection with people by injecting some personality — whether it’s your own or a character you create.
- Follow the pub rule. Ask questions as if you were sitting in a pub with friends. This rule is named after the Irish Post , a UK newspaper that effectively reached Irish people living in London with a clever quiz that had a conversational question style.
- Don’t be afraid to get personal. Encourage people to tell you about themselves through their answers to your quiz questions.
(via Copyblogger)