I have spoken with so many chambers in the last few months. Every one of them has changed the way it operates. Whether it’s a pivot, a shift, or just plain survival mode, chambers are trying to keep up with the ever-changing conditions and needs of their members.
Many chambers started out by calling each and every member and just checking in with them. Many also took the opportunity do some informal polling on the biggest issues the members were facing.
Now, as we begin to transition back into the working world and more and more members are able to open back up, it’s just as important to stay in the know about the needs of the business community.
So with that in mind, I thought I would take an opportunity to touch on the many options of survey software out there that chambers should be looking into if they don’t have any survey software already.
SurveyMonkey
Probably one of the most prolific survey software choices on the market, SurveyMonkey is a great option. The basic plan starts at just $25 per month and provides a rather robust survey platform with the ability to handle pretty much every survey need. W.A.C.E. members should be very familiar with the format, as it’s the one we use.
I would say the biggest knock on SurveyMonkey is the blacklist issue. I’ve noticed that when I run surveys for local chambers, some of the members on the lists provided to me have opted out of receiving emails from SurveyMonkey. That means they unsubscribed from SurveyMonkey for another company’s list and are permanently removed from future emails, even if it wasn’t your list they opted out of.
If you just post the survey link in your other email marketing software or on your website though, this isn’t a problem.
SurveyGizmo
SurveyGizmo is another solid platform that embraces a variety of launching options. According to the software’s website, surveys can be emailed, added to social media, embedded in iframes, and used with QR codes.
The nice thing about SurveyGizmo is you can create a basic survey with limited question types using one of the company’s free accounts. Otherwise, you can bump up to their Collaborator level for $25 per month.
MailChimp and Constant Contact
Yes, that’s right, that email marketing software you are using also has some surveying or polling features which you may or may not know about. The advantage of this is you don’t have to subscribe to yet another software program. The downside is the software is not quite as robust as other platforms, but if you need only the basics, this might be a great option.
Google Forms
For the budget conscious (and these days who doesn’t fall into this category), you might look into Google Forms. This free tool is a great way to collect some basic information. The templates are limited, but it can easily serve the purpose of a basic survey.
There are many other options out there too, but these are a few that will help you get started collecting precious data to ensure you are meeting the needs of your members—and that’s a lifesaver.