How to Write a Survey Introduction: Tips & Free Template

Do you know what the last step of composing an article is? Writing the introduction!

Many editors do this at the end because, by the time they get there, they know what the article is about, what it contains, and who exactly it’s for.

That’s precisely the kind of information you should put in an article introduction. And the same goes for surveys.

A survey introduction is a place where you can let respondents know who you are, why you want their responses, and what you will do with them. Adding an introduction to a survey is one of the best ways to boost your response rate.

In this article, I’ll guide you through how to write a good introduction that will make respondents more eager to answer your questions. I’ll give you a survey introduction example and a template ready to fill out as well. Let’s begin.

What Is a Survey Introduction?

A survey introduction is a short text that outlines what a survey respondent can expect from the people/company running the survey. A survey introduction is also known as a survey disclaimer.

A good survey introduction teaches the respondents everything they need to know about your company and why you’re looking to gather information. It acts as a guiding reference and will put you at the front of all other companies looking to gain customer feedback.

No matter the content, each survey should begin with a survey introduction. You have spent your time creating a survey and now, you need answers. Having the right survey introduction will set you on track to catch your customers at ‘hello.’

For a more academic take on the subject, you might also like a breakdown by Dartmouth College of what a survey introduction should look like.

You should aim to add an introduction to each survey type you run, whether it's the universal and globally recognized Net Promoter Score (see the template below) or a customized survey created to suit your individual needs.

How to Introduce a Survey

The following five pieces of information are great places to start when writing a survey introduction. If you are unsure how to welcome your respondents, simply answer these five questions.

#1. Who are you?

If you’re running a survey outside your web page or social media, remember that your respondents might not know who you are.

Even if it’s quick, make sure you give your target audience an introduction to yourself and your company.

#2. Why are you asking for input?

Let’s face it, we’ve all filled out surveys and wondered if anyone was going to look at them. Make sure your respondents feel like their input is valued.

Explain why you collect data on this topic and why your respondents should care.

It probably isn’t a good enough reason that the survey will satisfy your curiosity. It needs to really have an impact on your company’s products and services.

#3. How will you use the gathered data?

It’s one thing to tell your potential respondents why you need to know this information but another thing to tell them how their personal information and insights will be handled.

Highlighting that your goal is not to gather responses for responses’ sake, but to take them into consideration and improve your product or service.

You may also want to mention your privacy policy. In the day and age of data leaks and the illegal use and purchase of data, keep in mind that you should be compliant with GDPR and other local policies.

Always use your clients’ information responsibly. You’ll benefit from the insights they give you and they can receive a better quality of products and services.

#4. How long will it take to complete the survey?

Have you ever started a survey, couldn’t see how long it would take to finish, got 20 questions in, and clicked out of it?

This is pretty common. If you don’t know how long a survey will take, it’s hard to commit to it. Taking an hour-long survey isn’t that rewarding for a client unless they’re invested in the outcome.

Tell your clients how long the survey will take, how many and what type of questions they can expect, and the average length of time it takes to complete. Remember, 10 closed-ended survey questions versus open-ended questions can take quite a different amount of time.

Adding a progress bar is another similar tactic that can help fight survey fatigue.

#5. Any other insights?

Conclude your intro with something that makes the respondents remember you are important. 

Don’t forget to say goodbye and thank you as well! Make your respondents see that you’re reflecting on their insights and will include them in your future interactions.

Survey Introduction Example

Still wondering what your survey introduction might look like? Here’s a survey introduction sample. It helps to introduce clients to the company, explain the goal of the survey, and get your customers on board.

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Hi there!

We’re [your company name] and we just launched a survey to find out how you feel about [your survey topic]. 

Once you submit your responses, we’ll make sure the data reaches the right teams. Our goal is to [improve our product/service, smooth out struggles, find out more about you, etc]. 

We are fully GDPR-compliant and will not share your sensitive data with anyone else.

There are [number of questions] [open-ended, closed-ended] questions in this survey and it shouldn’t take you more than [number of minutes] minutes to complete the survey. 

There’s also room for your insights at the end if you’d like to let us know about anything not covered by the questions. We can even reach out to you and let you know when your issue issolved.

We greatly appreciate the time you take to let us know how we can do better!

Thanks,

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If you are having trouble getting inspired, use this survey introduction template. You can send it within the email where you invite potential participants to complete a survey such as the one below:

Or, some survey tools allow you to embed the introduction right inside the survey.

How to Add an Introduction to Your Survicate Surveys

If you are using a good customer feedback tool like Survicate, you don’t have to worry about including introductions in emails, pop-ups, or anywhere outside of the platform itself.

Once you begin making a survey, you can add an introduction with a single click.

Click “welcome message” at any point during your survey creation and simply type it in. You can even add a separate introduction for each question.

And don’t forget to include a thank-you screen as well!

Automate your surveys with Survicate

A good survey starts with a solid and clear introduction. Get your consumers at hello with a survey introduction that tells them exactly what’s coming.

• Who are you? 
• Why are they taking this survey? 
• How long will it take them? 
• How will you protect their privacy?

These are all crucial questions and answering them all can improve your response rate in no time.

Stay ahead of your competition and begin crafting your survey introduction!

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