How can you create better customer satisfaction surveys on social media?

1 Choose the right platform

Not all social media platforms are equally suited for conducting customer satisfaction surveys. Some factors to consider are the size and engagement of your audience, the type of questions you want to ask, and the format and length of your survey. For example, Twitter polls are great for quick and simple questions, but they limit your options to four choices and 280 characters. On the other hand, Facebook and Instagram stories allow you to use more creative and interactive features, such as emojis, sliders, and quizzes, but they disappear after 24 hours. You can also use third-party tools, such as SurveyMonkey or Typeform, to create more comprehensive and customized surveys, and share them on your social media channels with a link or a QR code.

2 Define your objectives and metrics

Before you create your survey, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. What aspects of your social media performance do you want to evaluate? How do you define customer satisfaction? What are the key indicators that reflect your goals? For example, you might want to measure your customer satisfaction score (CSAT), which is the percentage of customers who rate their experience with your brand positively, or your net promoter score (NPS), which is the percentage of customers who would recommend your brand to others. You might also want to measure other metrics, such as customer loyalty, retention, advocacy, or feedback.

3 Craft your questions carefully

The quality of your questions will determine the quality of your responses. You want to ask questions that are relevant, clear, concise, and unbiased. Avoid asking leading, vague, or double-barreled questions that might confuse or influence your respondents. For example, instead of asking "How satisfied are you with our awesome product?", ask "How satisfied are you with our product?" Also, avoid asking too many or too few questions that might affect your response rate and accuracy. A good rule of thumb is to keep your survey between 5 and 10 questions, and to use a mix of closed-ended and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions are easier to answer and analyze, but they limit the range of possible answers. Open-ended questions allow more flexibility and insight, but they require more effort and time from your respondents.

4 Segment and personalize your survey

Not all customers are the same, and neither are their expectations and preferences. To increase the relevance and effectiveness of your survey, you should segment and personalize it according to different criteria, such as demographics, behavior, or feedback history. For example, you might want to ask different questions to new customers and repeat customers, or to customers who have left positive or negative reviews. You can also use personalization techniques, such as addressing your respondents by name, using their preferred language, or offering incentives or rewards, to make your survey more engaging and appealing.

5 Test and optimize your survey

Before you launch your survey, you should test it thoroughly to make sure it works properly and delivers the results you want. You can use tools, such as Google Forms or SurveyGizmo, to create and test your survey, or you can ask a sample of your audience or colleagues to take it and give you feedback. You should check for any errors, glitches, or inconsistencies in your survey, such as broken links, typos, or formatting issues. You should also analyze the data and insights you get from your test, and use them to optimize your survey. For example, you might want to change the order, wording, or format of your questions, or adjust the length or frequency of your survey.

6 Share and analyze your results

Once you have launched your survey, you need to share and analyze your results to understand and improve your customer satisfaction. You can use tools, such as Google Analytics or Hootsuite, to track and measure your survey performance, such as response rate, completion rate, or average time spent. You can also use tools, such as Qualtrics or Tableau, to visualize and interpret your data, such as CSAT, NPS, or sentiment analysis. You should also communicate your results with your audience, and thank them for their participation and feedback. You should also use your results to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and to implement changes and improvements in your social media strategy.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?