Most people do not open every email they receive. A message on their phone, on the other hand, is almost always read, usually within minutes. So for short surveys, especially when there is a list of customers, employees or members, a text message or WhatsApp is often the most effective channel.
When the channel fits
- Short, focused surveys, such as feedback after a service or an event.
- Employee surveys, when not every employee has a work email or a computer.
- Lists of customers or members who have agreed to be contacted.
- Audiences that are hard to reach through panels or by email.
When it fits less
A long questionnaire full of grids does not become short because the link was sent on WhatsApp. And some audiences the channel does not reach, such as people who use basic phones without internet access. In those cases a phone survey is usually the right solution.
Working rules
- A recognizable sender. A sender name respondents know, not a random number.
- A short, clear message. Who is asking, what it is about, how long it takes, and until when answers are accepted.
- A personal, trustworthy link. A separate link for each recipient, on an address that earns trust. More on this in our article on planning the way into a survey.
- Timing. Reasonable hours and a single reminder.
- Consent and opt-out. Contact only lists that have agreed to it, with a simple way to stop receiving messages.
- A questionnaire built for the phone. One question per screen, no wide grids. More in our article on designing questionnaires for mobile.
In this channel the first message is part of the survey: it determines who opens the link and who does not.
Next: research as a conversation
WhatsApp is more than a channel for sending a link. People write in it freely, at a time that suits them, in their own words. That is the idea behind QualiTalk, a platform launching soon that runs a research interview as a chat, with qualitative and quantitative questions in the same conversation.