Survey email templates

If you want to improve your marketing strategy to drive better results, getting customer feedback is a great way to go about it. Every business, from independent startups to international corporations, relies heavily on learning from its clients. As a business, you cannot afford to simply guess your customer’s wants and needs, instead, you need to get to know the client properly in order to exceed their expectations.

Surveys are perhaps the most effective tool for gaining customer feedback, though getting to users to actually complete them can be somewhat of a challenge. People generally aren’t too willing to give up their spare time on answering questions just because an email landed in their inbox. As such, it’s no surprise that the average survey response rate is about 10%, and even well-renowned brands may struggle to hit the 25% mark (source). So what can you do to encourage your customers to provide valuable feedback through a survey that you have created?

Best practices for survey emails

We’ve gathered some tips that will help you create the most effective emails that invite recipients to complete your surveys:

1. Offer incentives – people are more likely to provide feedback if there’s a reward waiting for them afterward, such as a voucher or discount coupon for their next purchase in your store.
2. Keep the survey short – the shorter a survey is the greater the response rate will be in general, so show your users that you respect their time by minimizing the number of questions.
3. State how long it will take to complete – being honest about how long a survey will take to complete also shows the respondents that you appreciate their time.
4. Explain the purpose of the survey – let the recipients of your email know why you want to hear their insights and how the feedback you gather will be used in a way that’s beneficial to them.
5. Be thankful – writing a simple “thank you” message after the completion of the survey is polite and shows your gratitude, as well as confirming that your users’ responses were submitted correctly.
6. Share the results – your customers will feel listened to and be more willing to give feedback in the future if they are informed about the findings of your survey and any resultant changes.

Survey email subject lines 

• Save [X]% off your next purchase by sharing your feedback
• More than a penny for your thoughts 
• Help us improve [product/service] by answering one simple question
• A minute of your time is all we need to learn your opinion
• Tell us what you really think about [product/service]
• We’d love your help! Please answer a few short questions
• Your feedback was truly appreciated, and here’s why
• The results are in…

Survey email templates

Survey email template 1 – offering an incentive

Survey email template 2 – single question embedded in the copy

Survey email template 3 – product/service review

Survey email template 4 – questionnaire results

Survey email templates – Frequently Asked Questions 

Should I link to a survey or use an embedded form?

Both options are possible, though it’s not really feasible to embed a survey with multiple questions in an email. If you’re sending a single-question micro survey, then it’s preferable to embed the feedback form in the email so that users can answer it in one click that directs to a confirmation page they can close immediately. It’s also a good idea to link to a full-length survey by embedding the first question in this way.

How many questions should a survey (email) contain?

If you’re embedding the survey into the email, it should only have one question.  If you are linking to a longer survey, there are no limitations to its length. The most important thing is to be upfront with your users about how long it will take to complete, otherwise, you risk annoying them and losing respondents.

Why should I send an email with a survey invitation?

Surveys allow you to gather valuable data from your existing customers or subscribers, and email is a cost-effective and quick method for receiving a large number of responses to them. You can get honest answers, as your customers will feel free to express their true feelings if the survey is anonymous. Email surveys also allow you to reach your audience on a channel that they already use and are engaged with.