Inviting Participants

After publishing your study, you need to invite participants to complete it. Generate unique links and distribute them through your preferred channels.

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Invitation Methods

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Survey Links

Generate links that participants can click to access your study:

• General links: Shared broadly
• Unique links: One per participant for tracking

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Email Invitations

Send invitations directly via email:

• Personalized messages
• Tracking who received invitations
• Follow-up reminders

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Panel Integration

Use integrated panel providers:

• Automatic participant sourcing
• Built-in qualification verification
• Streamlined recruitment

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Generating Links

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Link Types

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General Links

A single link that can be used by multiple participants:

• Easy to share broadly
• Works for social media, websites, QR codes
• Less individual tracking

Best for:

• Open recruitment
• Large-scale distribution
• Social sharing

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Unique Links

Individual links for each participant:

• Track exactly who completed
• Prevent duplicate responses
• Link responses to participant identity

Best for:

• Customer lists
• Panel recruitment
• When tracking matters

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Distributing Invitations

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Email Distribution

Send invitation emails with:

• Clear subject line
• Brief study description
• Estimated completion time
• Direct link to participate

Example email:

Subject: Share Your Opinion - 10-Minute Survey Hi [Name], We’d love to hear your thoughts about [topic]. This short survey takes about 10 minutes. [LINK TO SURVEY] Your feedback helps us improve. Thank you for your time!

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Social Media

Share your general link on:

• LinkedIn (for professional audiences)
• Facebook groups (for consumer audiences)
• Twitter/X
• Relevant online communities

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Website Embedding

Place links on:

• Your website
• Customer portals
• Thank you pages
• Pop-ups or banners

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QR Codes

Generate QR codes from your links for:

• In-store recruitment
• Event recruitment
• Physical materials

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Writing Effective Invitations

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Key Elements

Include:

1. What: Brief description of the study
2. Why: Why their input matters
3. How long: Expected completion time
4. Incentive: If applicable
5. Link: Clear call to action

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Keep It Short

People skim. Get to the point: Too long:

“We are conducting a comprehensive research initiative to better understand consumer preferences in the beverage category. Your participation would be greatly valued as we seek to gather insights from a diverse range of consumers who regularly purchase beverages for household consumption…”

Better:

“Help shape the future of beverages! Take this 10-minute survey to share your drink preferences. Your input directly influences what we create next.”

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Create Urgency (Carefully)

Mild urgency can improve response rates:

• “Survey closes Friday”
• “Limited spots available”
• “Be one of the first to share your opinion”

Don’t be misleading about urgency.

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Tracking Responses

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Monitoring Progress

After sending invitations:

• Check response counts regularly
• Compare to invitation volume
• Track completion rates

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Response Rate Benchmarks

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Following Up

If response is slow:

• Send reminder emails (1-2 reminders max)
• Try different channels
• Review invitation messaging
• Check for technical issues

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Managing Invitations

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Tracking Sent Invitations

Keep records of:

• When invitations were sent
• How many were sent
• Which channels were used
• Response rates by channel

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Avoiding Over-Invitation

Don’t spam:

• Limit reminders to 1-2
• Space reminders appropriately (3-5 days apart)
• Respect unsubscribe requests

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Closing Recruitment

When you’ve reached your target:

• Stop sending new invitations
• Consider closing the study
• Thank participants who completed

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Common Issues

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Best Practices

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Next Steps