Edison Research is used to asking questions about podcasting. It has, after all, been producing Infinite Dial studies for the past 15 years. It is now offering its advice to podcasters who want to ask some questions of their listeners. The company has created a template that it is sharing with producers who want to craft their own survey.
“We’ve put together the best practices and most common questions both producers and advertisers have into a questionnaire template that you can use to get consistent, regular feedback from the people that matter the most–your audience,” said Edison in the announcement. “The goal of this template is to give you a starting point to survey your own podcast listeners.”
Among the suggestions Edison gives podcasters is to above all make the survey easy to take with an easy to remember URL. It says there should also be a benefit offered to those who complete the survey, such as exclusive content, podcast swag, donations to a cause, or a copy of the results.
And while radio stations have traditionally been punished for talking about ratings diaries on-air, that is not the case for podcasts. In fact, Edison suggests the hosts talk up the survey for at least three episodes in order to drive the response rate higher. And once the survey is completed, it thinks the hosts should discuss the results – especially when they lead to a change.
Edison SVP Tom Webster says in a blog post that one of the questions he receives the most from podcasters is about conducting a survey of their listeners, which led to the creation of the nine-page guide. “If you are looking to cover off the basics of learning who your audience is, what their preferences are, and even some information that a potential sponsor might find valuable, this template will give you an excellent start,” he said.
Download Edison’s Listener Survey Template HERE.