True or False? All About Online Survey Incentives

  • author

    BHN Rewards

  • posted

    Mar 28, 2024

  • topic

    Academic Research, Market Research

True or False? All About Online Survey Incentives

The right motivation can be the key to getting high response rates and, in turn, accurate, actionable insights from your survey participants, no matter what topic you’re researching.

While surveys are a tried-and-true research method, online survey incentives are making it easier than ever to reward and engage participants.

Looking to improve the quantity and quality of your responses? Look no further than online survey incentives. Here’s what you need to know.

READ MORE: 4 Organizations That Found Success Using Survey Incentives in Different Ways

Survey Incentives Take So Much Time to Manage, It’s a Full-Time Job

False. Gone are the days of tracking incentives with a spreadsheet and fulfilling rewards in the mail. With the right digital gift card platform, you can quickly and easily streamline and, yes, even automate online survey incentives. Not only does your team save valuable time and resources, your respondents also get their reward immediately upon survey completion.

Respondents Would Prefer to Receive Cash or a Check

False. Times have changed. With most surveys completed online, it makes little sense to send participants a check in the mail when you can send them digital rewards as soon as they submit their responses. The same holds true for cash. Even if you’re conducting surveys in person, it’s far more secure to offer virtual prepaid cards as a cash equivalent.

Plus, they’re what your recipients want. BHN research shows that two-thirds of U.S. consumers — and more than three-quarters of millennials and Gen Z — say digital prepaid cards are the payment option that most excites them.

Incentives Are Also Effective for Other Types of Research, Like Focus Groups and Interviews

True. The same incentives you offer for surveys can also help you recruit and retain participants for other research that uses online qualitative methods. You need only to make sure that the incentive value matches the level of the effort involved.

A $10 digital gift card for Starbucks or Burger King may be enough to incentivize someone to take a short survey, but for more time-intensive research — like a phone interview or in-person focus group — you’ll likely need to offer higher amount.

Online Survey Incentives Are Ideal for International Research

True. The beauty of offering digital gift cards and prepaid cards as incentives? You can send them just about anywhere in the world — for free — via email, making it easier for your team to increase your global sample size. A virtual Visa or Mastercard prepaid card, for example, is a great option, since it works in over 150 countries.

E-donations Are Not Effective Online Survey Incentives

False. Research shows that 77% of consumers are motivated to purchase from companies committed to making the world a better place. Making a difference by taking a survey holds the same appeal, especially with younger generations who value companies making a social impact.

Want more help implementing or optimizing your online survey incentives? Check out our top 7 tips for market research and effective rewards

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BHN Rewards

BHN Rewards puts the power of digital rewards to work for marketers, researchers, and HR managers. Don't forget to check out all the great content in our Resources section!

BHN Rewards puts the power of digital rewards to work for marketers, researchers, and HR managers. Don't forget to check out all the great content in our Resources section!