Want to Start a Publishing Revolution?
BY MARTIN DAY
EDITOR'S NOTE: Obviously a sales piece,
read through it anyway; it may spark an idea or two for current and
future publishing projects.
Calling all publishers, editors,
journalists and freelance writers. It's time to breathe more life into
your copy. Turn your articles into living pieces that spark measurable
debate, get closer to your readers and engage their mind and soul -
we're talking revolution.
As it was in the beginning
Publishers have for many years relied
on letters to get feedback from their readers and although email has
opened up this method of communication it is still time consuming and
difficult to process with only a fraction of the received correspondence
ever being used.
Let's face it, as well as being an
overhead for the publisher, to most people it is an unrewarding medium
in terms of effort required and response received, just think of the
number of letters that go unpublished and unread.
As it is now
The Internet has brought new channels
of communication and has opened up opportunities that allow us to
challenge traditional methods. The Internet is now a mature technology,
no longer the preserve of the new fad brigade but a technology that has
been embraced by a global population, young and old alike and it allows
us now to re-evaluate the way things are done. Newspapers, trade
journals, magazines and ezines now have the opportunity to change the
mental process.
When people read an article they often
would like to comment, and historically this has required them to feel
strongly enough to put pen to paper; or with the creation of the
Internet send an email. Sure emails are easier but it still takes time
to craft an email and time for the majority, is what they haven't got.
The letters page although interesting are at best a snapshot of
comments; a well crafted and well written letter on any given subject
may hold the view of the majority, or the minority, as it is a free text
medium and difficult to measure.
As it should be
Now consider the advantages of linking
articles to online surveys where as a publisher you will have the
ability to obtain valuable feedback from your readers and in a form that
can be easily measured. Just as important as you communicating with your
readers is giving your readers a way to communicate with you where they
know it will count.
Want a snapshot of opinion? Did they
like that article? Did your readers agree with what was said or do they
take the opposite view?
Now it's easy
In the past surveys would have taken
considerable effort to design and publish and altogether was a process
too long winded and therefore reserved for the niche and bigger topics.
However, using sites like
Survey Galaxy surveys and questionnaires can be created and
published via the Internet by anyone who has a pulse. Professional
looking surveys and questionnaires created in minutes that make the
perfect compliment to articles that prompt opinion and debate.
The advantage overletters and e-mails
are that all the feedback is managed and measured and sites like Survey
Galaxy will provide you with a real time poll that you can either keep
to yourself or share with your readers.
It's not even one or the other now.
Link each article to an online survey
and not only extend the life of the article as people have a channel to
express their views, but involve your readers in the discussion where
they now know their opinion will be counted.
You think they would rather send an
email? - no problem - include the facility within the survey and get the
best of both worlds.
It's fast, low cost, and easy to do; it
will engage and empower the reader, provide excellent feedback and
having established a dialogue you then have the opportunity to link to
other related articles.
Try it now and register your opinion of this article.
Martin Day is a Director of
Survey Galaxy Ltd.
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