Calling all publishers, editors, journalists and freelance
writers. It's time to breathe more life into your copy. Turn
your articles into living pieces that spark measurable
debate, get closer to your readers and engage their mind and
soul - we're talking revolution.

As it was in the beginning

Publishers have for many years relied on letters to get
feedback from their readers and although email has opened
up this method of communication it is still time consuming
and difficult to process with only a fraction of the
received correspondence ever being used.

Let's face it, as well as being an overhead for the
publisher, to most people it is an unrewarding medium in
terms of effort required and response received, just think
of the number of letters that go unpublished and unread.

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As it is now

The Internet has brought new channels of communication and
has opened up opportunities that allow us to challenge
traditional methods. The Internet is now a mature
technology, no longer the preserve of the new fad brigade
but a technology that has been embraced by a global
population, young and old alike and it allows us now to
re-evaluate the way things are done. Newspapers, trade
journals, magazines and ezines now have the opportunity to
change the mental process.

When people read an article they often would like to
comment, and historically this has required them to feel
strongly enough to put pen to paper; or with the creation
of the Internet send an email. Sure emails are easier but
it still takes time to craft an email and time for the
majority, is what they haven't got. The letters page
although interesting are at best a snapshot of comments; a
well crafted and well written letter on any given subject
may hold the view of the majority, or the minority, as it
is a free text medium and difficult to measure.

As it should be

Now consider the advantages of linking articles to online
surveys where as a publisher you will have the ability to
obtain valuable feedback from your readers and in a form
that can be easily measured. Just as important as you
communicating with your readers is giving your readers a
way to communicate with you where they know it will count.

Want a snapshot of opinion? Did they like that article?
Did your readers agree with what was said or do they take
the opposite view?

Now it's easy

In the past surveys would have taken considerable effort
to design and publish and altogether was a process too
long winded and therefore reserved for the niche and
bigger topics.

However, using sites like http://www.SurveyGalaxy.com
surveys and questionnaires can be created and published via
the internet by anyone who has a pulse. Professional
looking surveys and questionnaires created in minutes that
make the perfect compliment to articles that prompt opinion
and debate.

The advantage over letters and e-mails are that all the
feedback is managed and measured and sites like Survey
Galaxy will provide you with a real time poll that you can
either keep to yourself or share with your readers.

It's not even one or the other now

Link each article to an online survey and not only extend
the life of the article as people have a channel to express
their views, but involve your readers in the discussion
where they now know their opinion will be counted.

You think they would rather send an email? - no problem -
include the facility within the survey and get the best
of both worlds.

It's fast, low cost, and easy to do; it will engage and
empower the reader, provide excellent feedback and having
established a dialogue you then have the opportunity to
link to other related articles.

Try it now and register your opinion of this article here:-

http://www.surveygalaxy.com/surPublishes.asp?survey_id=1065

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About the Author: Martin Day is a Director of Survey Galaxy Ltd. For more
information please visit http://www.SurveyGalaxy.com