Online surveys are an excellent tool for collecting feedback about your chapter and its events. Chapter leaders can strategically plan for future meetings when they gain insight into what attendees think about a chapter event or what kind of topics members are interested in.
Example of a Chapter Survey used by the Denver Chapter Payroll Association
Utilize online surveys for your chapter by following these four steps:
1. Determine the Survey Purpose and Questions
First, determine what you want to accomplish with the survey and what kind of questions to ask. For example, are you looking for feedback on a specific chapter meeting, chapter operations as a whole, or wanting input on future meeting topics? Once the purpose is decided, title the survey and write the questions accordingly. Remember, most people are more inclined to take a survey if it is easy and not time-consuming. Limit your questions to the most important data and provide survey takers with a majority of multiple choice questions, with only a few open-ended questions.
2. Create the Survey
There are a number of websites that offer free survey tools, including Survey Monkey, Typeform, and Google Forms. The WordStream Blog offers the 7 Best Survey Tools to create free surveys. It is a great place to start choosing a survey tool that will work best for your chapter.
Each service differs in how its surveys are specifically created but most follow a basic pattern of question creation, answer designation, and customization options. When it comes to setting customization, you may be able to make certain questions required, change the survey theme, or display certain questions to the survey taker depending on how they selected previous answers.
3. Distribute and Promote the Survey
Once the survey is created, distribute it to your group of choice. Potential survey audiences include: current chapter members, chapter event attendees, chapter leaders, and past chapter members. Online surveys are typically distributed via email, but you may also choose to add a link to the survey on your chapter website or social media pages. Promote survey participation by sending out a follow-up email reminder or providing an incentive for survey-takers, such as being entered into a prize drawing.
4. Review Feedback
The most important step to conducting any survey is to review the feedback. Many online survey tools can organize data into graphs and exportable spreadsheets. Find a format that works best for you and go over the results with your fellow chapter leaders. When reviewing feedback, make a note of anything that could affect future chapter planning, and save the information in a place that is easy to find.
Have any more advice for utilizing chapter surveys? Share your best practices in the comments below.
