Back to the Basics - Conducting a Successful Readership Survey, by Lewis Copulsky, Lewis&Clark
A version of this article appeared in Signature magazine, March 2010

4. Ask and tell. Conducting a successful reader survey involves two parts: (1) asking the right questions, and (2) communicating your findings throughout your department and organization. Don't avoid asking a question because you're afraid of the answer; but, at the same time, don't waste your readers' time asking questions if you're not going to use the information gathered.

Typically, a reader survey will generate a thick stack of charts and tables, which you will no doubt eagerly devour. However, there will be others in your organization that will need to have the information boiled down to a few pages. Take some time to review your results and identify a handful of important findings. Simple charts work best; frequently, a visual representation will help clarify relationships not evident in a data table.

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