My stand out favourite was being able to watch the number of logins, hits, and completers within the first few seconds of sending out the invitation to participate. And in fact, because I could see moment by moment I am compelled to tell you what I saw...
...whatever number of participants respond in that first 10 minutes is all you are probably going to get! ...
Now here's the thing....the 'participant list' I had access to charged $250 for the privilege. For this $250 I was allowed one email to that list and then a link to my survey would be put on their main website for the remainder of the survey open time. If I wanted to send a reminder or a 'last chance' call, it would be another $250. I don't know about your research unit, but as a PhD student with limited to no funds for the study, $250 is a bit painful.
So I did some other stuff too. Free stuff. Lets call it 'support strategies' to optimise recruitment. But lets not embellish - it is, 'blatant self promotion'. I did my blatant self-promotion through... making colleagues put a link to the survey in their signature block, writing a comment on target group discussion groups and saying 'PS have you done my survey', and, social media. Of course whenever I was speaking publicly I'd give me a plug. Yes, I was beginning to bore myself.
Did these support strategies work? Well, I probably got three extra participants through these avenues. And it is possible the people I was engaging with in these forums had already done the survey (it is an anonymous survey). But then something happened....
It was the last day of the survey. And I couldn't remember the 'rules for the $250' and was sure it would include one reminder. So I did it. I sent out a 'Last day to contribute....' the hard-sell-guilt-ridden-propaganda email. And within minutes I had 20 people online filling in the survey! At the 10 minute mark, another 42 people had completed the survey.....This took total participants to 200! An estimated (by me) response rate of 20% (in a cohort known to get 15 to 25% response rate).
Epilogue
No, a 'last call' email was not allowed as part of the $250. Yes I got into trouble. Yes they did end up waving the additional $250 they wanted to hit me up for. Yes the whole episode was painful....
Tips du jour:
1. Reminders work; possibly best on the last day!
2. What you get in the first 10 minutes of sending out an electronic survey is it.
3. Don't charge students to send out surveys.
Epilogue
No, a 'last call' email was not allowed as part of the $250. Yes I got into trouble. Yes they did end up waving the additional $250 they wanted to hit me up for. Yes the whole episode was painful....
Tips du jour:
1. Reminders work; possibly best on the last day!
2. What you get in the first 10 minutes of sending out an electronic survey is it.
3. Don't charge students to send out surveys.
Other blogs by me
[Series] Are dietitians effective?
Heads up GPs, we can save $billions together
Heads up GPs, we can save $billions together
[Other stuff]
