LinkedIn is a great platform for distributing surveys and collecting responses. With over 740 million members worldwide, it provides access to a large, professional audience. However, there are specific steps you need to follow to successfully share a survey on LinkedIn. In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to share surveys on LinkedIn along with tips to maximize your survey distribution and response collection.
Why Share Surveys on LinkedIn?
Here are some key reasons why LinkedIn is an effective platform for survey distribution:
- Large audience – With 740+ million members, LinkedIn provides access to a massive professional network. You can target specific audiences based on job role, industry, location etc.
- Engaged users – LinkedIn members tend to be more engaged than general social media audiences. The open and click-through rates for content on LinkedIn is higher.
- Trust and credibility – Users see LinkedIn as a professional network and may be more inclined to open messages and links shared here versus other platforms.
- Targeted distribution – You can share your survey with your 1st degree connections, groups, or company followers allowing for tailored targeting.
- Demographic data – LinkedIn provides user demographic data like job title, industry, seniority level, location etc. allowing for more targeted survey distribution.
In summary, LinkedIn provides access to a large professional audience that is more inclined to respond to surveys versus other social platforms. The targeting and demographic data also allows for more precise survey targeting.
Step 1 – Create Your LinkedIn Survey
The first step is to create your survey and have it hosted on a survey platform. Here are some top survey platforms to consider:
- SurveyMonkey – Easy to use survey builder with customizable templates, logic, and branding. Analyze results with filters and cross tabs.
- Typeform – Build engaging, interactive surveys with conversational flows. Mobile optimized surveys.
- Google Forms – Free and simple survey builder by Google. Connect form directly to Google Sheets for analysis.
- SurveyPlanet – Create surveys with skip logic, multiple choice, rating scales etc. Export results to Excel, PDF etc.
- Qualtrics – Advanced enterprise survey software with distribution, analysis, and text analytics features.
Key things to keep in mind when creating your survey:
- Mobile optimization – Majority of LinkedIn usage is on mobile so optimize survey for mobile screens.
- Survey length – Keep survey concise at under 10 minutes to avoid drop-offs.
- Question types – Use a mix of multiple choice, rating scale, open-ended etc. Add logic to skip irrelevant questions.
- Branding – Match survey branding with your LinkedIn/company branding for familiarity.
Once your survey is created, test it out thoroughly before distributing. You will also need to generate a survey link to share on LinkedIn.
Step 2 – Write an Engaging LinkedIn Post
To share your survey, you will need to create a LinkedIn post that provides context and entices people to take the survey. Here are some tips for writing an effective post:
- Catchy headline – Use emotional triggers like “We need your help!” or urgency “Last chance to take our survey!”
- Personal appeal – Write in first person and appeal directly to your connections.
- Benefits – Explain why taking the survey will benefit the respondents and community.
- Images – Include engaging, relevant images to catch attention.
- Call to Action – Use CTAs like “Take the survey now” with linked text.
The post should provide some background on the purpose of the survey and why participation is important. Being transparent and explaining how survey data will be used can boost response rates.
Step 3 – Share Survey Link
There are several ways to share your survey link on LinkedIn:
Share in LinkedIn post
Embed the survey link in your LinkedIn post. Hyperlink key text like “Take our survey here” so users can click straight into the survey.
Share in LinkedIn groups
Join relevant LinkedIn groups and post your survey in the group feed. Target groups related to your survey topic and audience for higher response rates.
Send via LinkedIn messages
Leverage your LinkedIn network by sending personalized LinkedIn messages with a call to action to take your survey. Messages have high open rates.
Share with company followers
If you have a LinkedIn Company Page, post the survey link and ask your followers to participate. Followers are subscribed to your content.
Mention in LinkedIn comments
Engage your network by mentioning your survey in LinkedIn comments on relevant posts and discussions.
Step 4 – Follow Up with Reminders
To maximize survey responses, send periodic reminders to encourage participation. Here are some tips for effective reminders:
- Thank early participants – Show appreciation to those who already took the survey and ask others to participate.
- Countdown to deadline – Create urgency by mentioning time left and deadline to take the survey.
- Highlight benefits – Reiterate the benefits of taking the survey for the participant and community.
- Change messaging – Try different headlines, images, and text to re-engage audience.
- Expanded distribution – Share survey with new groups, connections, company followers you haven’t reached out to already.
Time reminders around when people are most active on LinkedIn. Leading up to and after work hours tend to have higher engagement.
Step 5 – Analyze LinkedIn Survey Results
Once your survey is closed, analyze the collected responses and data. LinkedIn provides some demographic data you can use:
- Job title and function
- Industry
- Seniority level
- Location
Review key metrics like:
- Total respondents
- Drop-off rate
- Completion rate
- Average time spent
- Satisfaction scores
- Demographic filters
Visualize key data points in charts and graphs. Segment data by demographic filters like job role, industry etc. to uncover insights.
Many survey platforms also allow you to export results to Excel, PDF, PowerPoint slides, and more. Share relevant insights with stakeholders.
Key Tips for LinkedIn Survey Success
Here are some additional tips to boost your LinkedIn survey distribution and response rate:
- Test survey before launch – Fix issues, improve flow, check mobile optimization.
- Personalize outreach – Customize messages and ask contacts directly for help.
- Time appropriately – Avoid holiday periods or days with competing content.
- Follow up consistently – Space out reminder messages to sustain interest.
- Incentivize – Offer small incentives like gift cards, ebooks, discounts for participating.
- Thank respondents – Show appreciation to boost response rates for future surveys.
- Monitor in real-time – Check response metrics as you distribute and pivot approach if needed.
Conclusion
Distributing surveys on LinkedIn requires a strategic approach but can provide access to rich insights from a professional audience. The key steps include:
- Creating an optimized, mobile-friendly survey on a dedicated platform
- Writing an engaging LinkedIn post that provides context and a clear call to action
- Sharing the survey link via LinkedIn posts, groups, messages, Company Pages, and comments
- Following up with periodic reminders to boost participation
- Analyzing results using LinkedIn demographic data and survey metrics
With the right targeting, messaging, and follow-up you can maximize survey responses from your LinkedIn network. The insights collected can inform important business decisions, product enhancements, marketing campaigns, and more based on your audience’s needs.
Step | Description |
---|---|
1 | Create survey using a dedicated platform like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms |
2 | Write engaging LinkedIn post with context, images, and clear call-to-action |
3 | Share survey link via LinkedIn posts, groups, messages, company followers |
4 | Follow up with periodic reminders to boost participation |
5 | Analyze results using LinkedIn demographic data and key survey metrics |
Additional Tips
- Test survey thoroughly before distributing
- Personalize outreach messages
- Time survey distribution appropriately
- Incentivize participation
- Monitor response metrics in real-time
We hope this guide provides a clear overview of how to effectively leverage LinkedIn for distributing surveys and collecting feedback. Let us know if you have any other questions!