Why Bloggers Should Create a Reader Survey

So at the end of year I decided to do my first reader survey.

I was in the process of developing my first digital product and wanted to make sure it was something my audience would actually respond to because let’s be honest creating a digital product and a product launch can take a lot of time and you don’t want to spend the time if no one is interested in it.

It was very interesting to me and I want to thank everyone who took the time to fill it out.

YOU ROCK!

Step 1- Determine what you want to know

Before I go into the results I want to tell you a little bit about how I setup it up. First I thought about my blog and the target demographic I had in mind when I created it, I wanted to identify if this was in fact who my readers were.

One of the blogging courses I took via The Nectar Collective suggested creating an avatar of my ideal reader and I wanted to see if they match up so based on this description, I came up with a few demographic questions.

My avatar: Lisa is a 20 something associate at a small company. She doesn’t love her job but appreciates it as a stepping stone to gain experience and income while she figures out her ultimate goal of working for herself.

She hasn’t found her main passion because she has a lot of different interests.

Her friends would describe her as funny, motivated and sincere. She’s single, no kids. She spends her weekends with her friends or maneuvering the dating world. She values her friendships and considers friends her second family. She just wants to live a full and happy life but is having trouble navigating it all.

She needs guidance and someone to help put things in perspective.

Next I thought about the product I was creating and the different type of blog posts I’d done, as well as which posts had done well over the past year (My top ten blog posts of 2015 and how they helped me prepare for 2016). I knew which posts got a lot of views but I wanted to know what the people on my email list and the people who cared enough to take the survey wanted to see more of.

Step 2- Create the survey and promote it.

I compiled a list of 10 multiple choice questions and set up a survey on Survey Monkey. I went with multiple choice questions to make this was as easily as possibly and more likely for people to fill out. I didn’t want them to have to think about what they’d seen on my blog I wanted to remind them using titles of past blog posts and just try to make it as quick and painless as possible.

A lot of bloggers add a comment section at the end and that is a great idea but for the purpose of my survey I decided to just stick to 10 multiple choice questions.

After I created the survey I shared the link on social media, my email list and on multiple blog posts over the course of 6 weeks.

Step 3- Check the results and close the survey

I know there are other options out there to host your survey for free but I went with Survey Monkey because it’s easy to set up, the first 100 responses are free and they give you some pretty cool charts with the distribution of answers to clearly read.

So let’s review what exactly I learned from this survey.

Which blog post title are you more likely to click on and read?

5 Tips to Beat Writer’s Block + A Freebie!	40.00%
The 12 Men You Meet Online	20.00%
60 Second Meditation For Anxiety	20.00%
Pecan Pie From Scratch Recipe	20.00%

What issues do you struggle with? (Select all that apply)

Balancing it all	50.00%
Anxiety	20.00%
Organization	20.00%
Staying Focused	40.00%
Making positive choices	0%

What content would you like to see more of on my blog?

Self-Development Tips	20.00%
Career Development Tips	10.00%
Side Hustle Tips and Tricks	50.00%
Humor Pieces and Fun Ideas	20.00%

How did you discover Allthethingsido.com?

I know Dia or she reached out to me.	10.00%
Social Media	80.00%
From a Blog She Wrote on Another Site	10.00%

What is your relationship status?


Single and Over it	10.00%
Single and Ready to mingle	0.00%
Dating Casually	10.00%
In a Serious Relationship	20.00%
Living together	20.00%
Engaged	10.00%
Married	30.00%
Divorced	0.00%

Work Status

Employed	30.00%
Working For Yourself	30.00%
Unemployed/ Retired/ Student	30.00%
Working Full Time and Have a side Hustle	10.00%

Age

<27	50.00%
28-35	10.00%
35<	40.00%

Would You Be Interested in Content Upgrades Like Workbooks or Webinars?

Yes	60%
No	40%

Are you a blogger or aspiring online business owner?

Yes, I blog or run an online based business full-time.	70.00%
No, I don’t do either of those things.	10.00%
I want to start blogging or an online business.	20.00%

Are you happy?

Yes, sure things could always be better but overall life is great.	80.00%
Not really but I want to be.	0.00%
In some aspects but other areas of life are missing something.	20.00%

3 Reasons You Should Conduct a Reader Survey

You can re-evaluate where you are marketing your blog

While I didn’t specifically ask which social media platform readers found me on I can see that a large percent of readers are a result of social media. A whopping 80%. Based on that alone, I feel great about the fact that all my efforts on social media are going well and know that it is growing my blog audience.

You know if there is a demand for your product or services

Two things I really wanted to focus on was balancing the many demands of everyday life as an aspiring freelancer or blogger and how to get started without hitting all the bumps in the roads I did, or without wasting the time on things that I did.

While not everyone had an interest in webinars or content upgrade 60% of my readers are and that’s a good percentage. Based on the results there is a need for the product I’m designing and that is all that matters. You won’t have 100% interest in your product or your site. Not everyone will be a reader and not all readers will be customers.

You hear it from the source

I remember growing up and hearing if you want to know something go to the source. Basically don’t assume things or base it off of rumors, you ask the person it involves. If you directly ask them what they need, what problems they are facing or what they would like to see more of you know if you are targeting the right audience and if you can meet their needs.

Full disclosure if you are just blogging for fun or your love of writing then you can go ahead and write about what you love. I always say, Do it for love.

But if you want to really grow your brand, sell e-course or build your blog as a business or whatever ultimate goal you may have, you need to be sure you are reaching the right people with the right tools. The purpose of a reader’s survey isn’t to change your blog’s focus or make you abandon your passion (if that was the case you can just keep working for other people) it’s to let you know if you are going about it the right way. Is your marketing on point? Is your content appropriate for your audience? Do people need what you’re “Selling?”

So what are you waiting for? Have you ever done a reader survey for your blog or a customer survey for your business? What’s holding you back, if not? What did you learn, if so? Tell me below.

Special Announcement:

This Thursday, February 11th I will be cohosting a Blab on how to grow your Twitter following. You can subscribe to the broadcast here.

86 comments

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linda spiker

Interesting. I never thought of doing that. Thanks for the tip!
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Morgan

Great idea! xx
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Shannon

Doing a reader survey is something I have considered, but never really made any effort to do. Your survey seems to have produced good information and definitely some things that can be used to better your blog! I may need to pull the trigger and just do it. I would love to get some more insight from my readers.

Shannon
Clothes & Quotes
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Kim

Great idea…never thought of doing this, but it can give you such great information to inform your writing…thanks
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Cait

YES! I couldn’t agree more – reader surveys offer such valuable feedback that can only help you improve as a blogger.
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CAROL CASSARA

This is especially good advice for those bloggers who make a living or income from their blogs. It’s good to know what the market needs and wants!
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Meredith {MarthaChartreuse}

I currently have a survey and giveaway going on the blog. I have been blown away by the responses and ideas.
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Dia

I hope you consider it Linda!
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Dia

Thanks Morgan
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Dia

It seriously takes no time if you know what you want to ask. It took me longer to put together this post than the actually survey lol
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Shamira Anastasia West

This is such a great idea!! I must do this, because sometimes I struggle to find what will peak my readers interests.
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Frugal Mom of 8

I have been meaning to do a survey. Thanks for the tips!
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Shelly

This is super interesting!! Glad you got your survey done
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kristen

you just totally encouraged me to do a reader survey!
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Tiffany

I’m fairly new to blogging so I had never heard of a reader survey but it seem like a smart thing to do if you want to grow your blog and create content that’s truly gearsd towards your audience. The question really made we think.
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tina

I love this idea. I important to know your readers and what better people to get suggestions from.
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Lucy

I keep thinking that we need to create a reader’s survey, but we’ve just never done it!
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Jenny

I did a reader survey back in November and it was nice to get some beneficial results from people.

xoxo, Jenny
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Angie

Yesss! It’s so useful and good to know what you’re doing right, and what your readers want to know more about.
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Zainab

Thank you for this post. My blog is still very new and has a low readership but I’m thinking of launching a service on my site sometime before summer and wanted to put out a survey but didn’t really know where to start. I’ll have to save this for later!
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Dia

I hope this helped! Thanks for stopping by Zainab!
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Dia

Exactly! If you aren’t talking about things they care about they won’t keep reading
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Dia

It really does help you figure out if you are in the right direction or not.
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Dia

You totally should Lucy it doesn’t take a lot of time at all. 🙂
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Dia

Right! Just go to the source!
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Dia

You should consider doing one when you feel ready. It really does open your eyes
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Dia

Yes! I really enjoy your blog so I’ll be sure to participate 🙂
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Dia

Thanks Shelly
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Dia

I hope you found it useful 🙂
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Dia

This is a great way to address that problem 🙂
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Dia

Exactly! Thanks for stopping by Carol
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Dia

Thats really smart to tie the two in together!
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Dia

Thanks Cait 🙂
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Dia

Glad you liked it Kim!
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Molly Kumar

This is such a cool idea. It’s always good to know what your readers really want to read and how you can help.
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MS and Living Life

Interesting read, thank you.
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laci

Very very good idea and definitely something I will do very soon 🙂
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Brittany

Interesting idea! I never considered doing a survey but if I ever do I will follow your advice.
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Marette @ Floradise

This makes a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing!
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Becky @ Project Domestication

I like how one of your questions was an exact title that they could choose from. That’s cool. Good tips.
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Tish

I’ve never thought about doing this. Great suggestion!
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Dawn

Great tips girl! I am thinking about doing one next year. Thanks for the info!
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Logan

This is so interesting! I love seeing how other people do their surveys and the information they ask for. I really like the way you did yours. When I did mine in January, I asked questions like age, where they live and what they want to see more of on my blog. The crazy thing was, they said the opposite of what I thought they would say. So, I was very happy I did it!
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Cori

I’ve been thinking about doing a reader survey and/or a YouTube video survey and see what I get. I need to get some questions written out, but I’m also thinking about leaving it open ended.
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Chrisy @ Homemade Hooplah

I had another blogger friend who did a survey like this and said the information was invaluable. Plus, some of her readers felt more engaged with her site after taking it. Apparently I just need to get motivated and create one of these 😀
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Mistle

I have not done a reader survey yet but I know that it’s such a great source of information on improving the content of your blog. All of these tips were really helpful in helping me conduct my future reader survey!
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Denita

I never thought of doing a reader survey. Great idea to hone the content that most appeals to your readers.
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Bread

I definitely want to give this go and see what people think.
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Jessica

It’s like you read my mind on this! I was thinking about creating a survey, but had no idea what to ask. Thanks for this.
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Dia

I’m so glad. I really hope this help make the process clearer. 🙂
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Dia

You should it really helped me a lot
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Dia

Yes. People like consistency, I don’t want to have to hunt for posts I’ll like on a blog, I like to know where to go.
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Dia

I’m s glad! Good luck with your survey 🙂
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Dia

It’s true, you do get some idea what people like from analytics and from comments but you get even clearer answers when you just ask.
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Dia

The open-ended is great! I just wanted it to be quick for them and me this time around. I think I’ll add a comment section next time
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Dia

Yeah I was off on the age demographics but I’m glad a wider range is reading the blog. It’s so helpful.
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Dia

I hope it helps, let me know if you have any questions 🙂
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Dia

Thanks Tish!
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Dia

Yeah it also helped me correlate my results with my analytics 🙂
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Dia

Thanks Marette!
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Dia

I hope you do Brittany 🙂
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Dia

I hope you find it helpful
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Dia

🙂
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Dia

Exactly! Hope it helped 🙂
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Victoria

I’m glad you got a lot out of your survey! This is a great idea 🙂 Do you think it’s best at the beginning/end of the year?
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Keating

I love reader surveys! I try to do them a few times a year. It’s a great way to check in with my readers and see what they’re liking and not liking on my blog as well as getting to know them a bit more. It makes it easier to connect with them and create better content when I know my audience.
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Amanda Shuman

This a really good idea I hadn’t thought of. I’ve only done the polls on twitter.
– Amanda Shuman | http://www.carrylovedesigns.com/blog
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Chelsea

This is such a great guide of why to do it, and how to do it right! A reader survey is definitely on my list of blog to dos this year.
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Sara

This is so fascinating! I love the idea of doing a reader survey and have been thinking about doing one myself. Thanks for the tips and advice! I love the questions you asked too. I think you may have inspired me to actually put one of these together.
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Becki S

I love your intentionality with the entire process from start to finish! You’re a great researcher!
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Rachel

I 100% believe in reader surveys – they really allow you to get instant feedback from your readers and customize your blog to them more! And not to mention, help you out when you’re out of blog post ideas! Great post.

XO, Rachel
http://www.seashellsandsparkles.com
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Kimberly

This is a very good and something I’ve been considering. I think I might wait until my blog has been around a little longer though. We’re only about a month old. So, my reach isn’t very far right now. I feel like I’d only get a couple of responses at this point! Will share this though!
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Summer @ Coffee With Summer

Reader surveys are so important to do once in awhile, but they’re not for the faint of heart. There are always some people that use anonymity to harass, troll, and degrade on reader surveys. I always say to remember to take everything with a grain of salt. Some readers have been around since the being and others for only a week.
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Dia

So true. That’s part of the reason I decided not to have a comment section this time. I just wanted to focus on choice content. 🙂 Thanks Summer
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Dia

Yeah, maybe after 6 months or the first year? Either way good luck with your new blog and welcome to this awesome community.
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Dia

Yes! Thanks Rachel!
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Dia

Haha it’s so funny you say that Becki because I research stuff almost to a fault. I’m always price checking and reading reviews. Asking for feedback on everything lol
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Dia

That’s awesome Sara. It’s worht a try!
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Dia

Hey you, Youtube rock star, you could do a viewer survey too 🙂
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Dia

I do twitter polls for fun aand engagment but it’s only open for so long and you arent’ sure who all will see it. I hope you give it a try when you’re ready 🙂
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Dia

I think it’s really just about what you want to do. I went with the end/beginning of the year just because I was refocusing my blog in 2016 but also becasue I was working on developing my new course. Also anytime you have good momentum 🙂 Hope that helped
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Dia

Yes! That is so true and isn’t that the point to connect with your audience 🙂
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Alicia

I’ve never even considered a reader survey before but it’s such a good idea & makes so much sense! Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Dia

Thanks Alicia. I hope this gave you some ideas
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Jasmine

I’ve done polls before but never thought of surveys this is awesome!!! I’m gonna be doing this soon!!

Jasmine 🙂
colorubold.com
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Dia

I hope it was useful Jasmine!