As we've previously discussed, event sponsorships come with a host of benefits. They provide community involvement opportunities, cultivate brand awareness, generate qualified leads, bring businesses up-close-and-personal with their target markets, and so much more. With all of these proven benefits, it's no wonder businesses want to make sure they're getting their fair share out of their event sponsorship opportunity!
But how is it possible to truly know your business' impact? By going to the sources themselves! (That is, the event attendees.) Collecting feedback from the attendees' point of view can help your business understand how you were perceived at the event, how memorable your branding was, what consumers are wanting from businesses in your industry, and more. Read on to discover our top tips on how your business can collect quality feedback following your event sponsorship.
How To Reach Out To Attendees
It is first worth mentioning that you can always ask for in-person feedback at the event itself should the opportunities present themselves. You can recruit members of your staff to head up this process, instructing them to directly ask attendees what they are enjoying (or disliking) about your involvement in the event. This method is beneficial if the market you are trying to reach is not overly tech-savvy.
We highly recommend keeping the majority of feedback in digital form, however, so that consumers feel the freedom to provide their honest opinions. Attendees may want to offer constructive criticism which could be crucial to improving your event strategies and they would be more comfortable doing this behind a computer or phone screen.
But how can you continue a digital conversation with attendees once an event is over? By collecting attendees' contact information! You can ask event attendees for their information in exchange for a prize giveaway or simply collect emails to add to a database. This strategy creates a digital line of communication for future use: One of those uses being a satisfaction survey following the event. We recommend utilizing an easy-to-use email database service, such as MailChimp, along with a survey service, such as Survey Monkey, to accomplish this.
Whether you choose to reach out to your customers in-person or digitally following the event, the trick is to do it quickly so the experience is still fresh in their minds. Send your survey within 24 hours of the end of the event. Keep it short and sweet, remembering that people don’t want to sit through a ten-minute questionnaire; Two to three minutes should be sufficient.
It is also wise to offer some kind of incentive to those who take your survey. Try extending a coupon for 10% off the person's next purchase or offer them a free item in your store or online if they can provide proof that they answered your questions. Offers like this will greatly increase the number of people who participate.
How To Format Survey Questions (And What To Ask)
There are several methods to asking survey questions, each of which can produce quality responses. These methods include: open-ended, multiple choice, and interval questions. These can all be used in combination to obtain a mixture of results. Below you'll find examples of each type of survey question. Determine which format(s) best fit the information your business is seeking concerning your event involvement.
Open-Ended Survey Questions
Open-ended questions ask people to respond freely in their own words. These questions can be more telling than simple multiple choice questions where responses are predetermined. However, it's important to keep in mind that these types of questions are more demanding on both the person taking the survey and the person reviewing the survey responses. Limit these types of questions to just one or two per survey.
Below you'll find a couple of examples of open-ended survey questions.
- List some specific products and/or services that you would like to see in our store.
- What was your favorite part of our booth at [event name] and why?
Multiple Choice Survey Questions
If you want a simplified way to measure data, multiple choice survey questions are a great option. With a more limited range of answers, attendees can answer your questions quickly (which also means they may be more likely to take your survey in the first place).
Below you'll find a couple of examples of multiple choice survey questions.
- What made you want to visit our booth at [event name]?
- Friendly staff
- Booth decorations
- Prize giveaway
- Interest in the products
- What was your favorite part of [event name]?
- The free swag
- The prize giveaways
- Opportunity to learn about local businesses
- Chance to smash a car
- The games and activities
Interval Scale Survey Questions
Interval scale questions ask your clients to respond to a question using a scale of one through ten, with one being extremely unlikely and ten being extremely likely. These types of questions can give you a clear answer on what you can improve upon before the next event. They can also provide a good basis for an overall satisfaction rate.
Below you'll find a couple of examples of interval scale survey questions.
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to purchase our product after attending [event name]?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to attend our next [event name]?
Understanding event attendees' wants and needs can be crucial to your business' future success! In order to maximize results at an event (and in your business in general), ask consumers for their opinions and commit to taking their responses seriously. Bill Gates said it best, “Even your most unhappy customers can be great sources of learning.”
