I love surveys. And I bet you never thought you’d hear me say that!
I love them because they bring so much to the party. They help you understand your ideal customers, develop products, build relationships and speak your audience’s language.
Here are 5 reasons you need to run a survey – and how they can help you make more money.
1. Find Out What Your Audience Actually Wants
The more you give your audience what they’re looking for, the more effective your marketing becomes and the more you sell. Simple.
How to do it: Create a quick survey using Google Forms (free) or Typeform (beautiful and easy to use). Keep it to 5-8 questions max. Ask things like “What’s your biggest challenge right now?” and “If you could wave a magic wand in your business, what would you ask for?”
2. Speak Their Language
Smart marketing means using words your customers actually use, not industry jargon.
In one of my surveys, I expected people to talk about “work-life balance” – but that phrase barely came up. Instead, they kept saying “juggling my business and my family.” Same meaning, different language. When I started using THEIR words in my Instagram captions, emails and website copy, my engagement shot up.
Pro tip: Copy and paste exact phrases from survey responses into a Google Doc. Use these exact words in your social media captions, website headlines and email subject lines. It’s like having a cheat sheet for marketing that converts.
3. Develop Products People Actually Want To Buy
Who better to ask what they need than the people in your network? Survey responses are a goldmine for new product and service ideas.
The things you create will sell – because you’re literally giving people what they asked for.
4. Build Stronger Relationships
Surveys show you care about what people think. They feel heard. And that’s powerful for building trust.
Quick win: Use Instagram Stories polls and question stickers for mini-surveys. “What would you love me to teach next?” or “Which of these topics would help you most?” It takes 30 seconds to set up and gives you instant feedback.
5. Use The Results For Content And PR
Once you’ve got your results, you’re sitting on a content goldmine:
- Turn key findings into Instagram carousel posts
- Create a blog post sharing what you discovered
- Pitch interesting stats to local media or podcasts
- Use the data in your email newsletters
- Create TikToks or Reels discussing the results
This positions you as an expert AND gives you weeks of content from one survey.
Give It A Try
Run a survey at least once or twice a year. Use Google Forms (free) or Typeform, share the link on your Instagram Stories, in your newsletter, and in any Facebook groups. Offer a small incentive – a £10 Amazon voucher or a free resource – to encourage responses.
You don’t need thousands of responses. Even 30-50 will give you incredibly useful insights that most of your competitors will never have.