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Sometimes metrics don’t tell the whole story. While report data can give you a good idea of how your email newsletters are being received, it doesn’t always help you identify the specific components that your subscribers are missing. Even if you feel confident that you’ve covered every base, there may be something your readers would like to see that you’d never even considered.

To help create a clear picture of exactly what your subscribers want from your email campaign, try adding a survey to one (or several) of your upcoming newsletters. Use these tips to make sure you’re getting the most from your questionnaire.

Keep it short. Remember that your subscribers are doing you a favor by helping you make your marketing campaign better. Try to keep the estimated completion time to five minutes or less.

Offer a mix. Use both multiple choice and open (text answer) questions. Splitting your survey with both specific and open-ended questions will encourage readers to pay closer attention to their answers. It also lets them know that you have real interest in what they have to say (rather than forcing them to only select from a list of your suggestions).

Incentivize. Nothing will help increase results more than offering an exclusive benefit for those that complete the survey. Be it a small gift with their next purchase, a coupon or a secret sale, a little something special to show them you appreciate their time will help boost participation and build customer loyalty.

When you launch your first survey, don’t be surprised if you see a much smaller return than you were hoping for right away. Surveys (even with benefits) are often ignored at first glance. However, given time and a few repeat links, your readers will start to recognize your interest in their needs, and then start getting involved.