8 survey incentive ideas to boost participation and improve results
Survey incentives are a game-changer. Whether you're polling customers, analyzing a new market, or conducting vital research, the use of incentives can dramatically impact survey participation rates and results.
Set your company up for success with one of these eight creative survey incentive ideas. The following suggestions are designed to motivate respondents, increase engagement and completion, and, ultimately, improve the value of your survey outcomes.
Survey incentives play a vital role in any well-designed research program.
Incentives have been proven to increase response rates for online, mail, and phone surveys. This is important because increased participation boosts your survey sample size without impacting data quality. Generally, the larger the sample size, the more reliable the results.
Incentives are especially important given the increase in surveys over recent years—and so-called "survey fatigue"— that has led to declining response rates. Grabbing participants' attention is challenging, and thoughtful incentives can make your survey stand out.
This is especially true for companies trying to reach a younger audience. According to a 2024 report by Blackhawk Network (BHN) and Qualtrics, Millennials and Gen Z are less likely to participate in surveys than Gen X and Boomers. Only 54% of younger participants fill them out daily, compared with 73% of those in older generations.
Across age groups, the top reason individuals will choose to participate in any research project is the lure of an incentive. In fact, 98% of respondents to the survey above report being compensated for participation.
Survey incentives can be designed to suit a variety of audiences and goals. Let's explore eight types of incentives your company can use to make surveys more appealing and impactful.
Among incentive types for research participation, monetary rewards are highly desirable. When asked what kind of compensation research participants would prefer to receive, the most chosen options in a 2024 report by BHN were prepaid cards, such as Mastercard® and Visa®, and gift cards. Monetary incentives are effective because they have universal appeal.
Common cash payout examples include:
Monetary incentives are versatile and well-suited for a range of survey types. They are particularly effective for longer or more demanding surveys, where participants expect ample compensation for their time.
Gift cards are a great choice for survey participants, with physical and digital options for convenience. They offer flexibility and appeal to a wide range of participants.
Popular types of gift card incentives include:
With gift cards, participants can choose their own incentives, adding a layer of personalization.
For even greater flexibility, Tango offers Reward Link, so businesses can easily send survey participants a digital link to choose from 100+ popular digital gift cards. The recipient can split the balance as they choose, and the link never expires.
Discounts and coupons can serve as effective survey incentives because they encourage participation while driving future sales and customer loyalty. These incentives work well for companies that want to engage existing customers in surveys.
Forms of discounts include:
With discounts, your team can incentivize survey completion while promoting your brand's products or services—a short-term win that fuels longer-term success.
Prize, lottery, and raffle draws add excitement to surveys. They incentivize participants with the lure of a potential big win, increasing response rates.
Common prize options include:
Not everyone can win but the chance can be alluring enough to encourage participation. Prize draws are particularly effective for wide-reaching surveys with diverse audiences—they've also been shown to discourage bots.
Non-monetary options cater to a participant's intrinsic motivations. These survey incentive ideas can be just as effective as monetary ones, particularly when aligned with a target audience's interests.
Examples of non-monetary incentives include:
These incentives often cost less but will require more insight into which non-tangible rewards will entice participants.
Experience-based incentives offer survey participants unique and memorable opportunities. Experiential rewards can include:
These incentives create positive emotional bonds, enhancing participants’ perception of your brand. From a SpaFinder gift card to lessons with GuitarCenter, Tango offers an incredible range of experience-based rewards that can help recipients create lasting memories.
Charitable donations attract participants committed to social impact. These incentives also work well for employees who cannot receive compensation for participating in research on behalf of their company.
Possible donation types include:
This approach boosts participation and also enhances the organizer’s reputation by showcasing social responsibility.
Offering exclusive content can be a powerful motivator. This incentive taps into participants' desire for information or resources not readily available to the public.
Examples of exclusive content include:
This type of survey incentive suits professional or academic audiences who appreciate access to premium insights.
Subscription services offer survey participants more than a one-off reward, enhancing longer-term satisfaction and loyalty.
Popular subscriptions offered include:
With Tango, your survey respondents could enjoy streaming music on Spotify, entertainment from Hulu, meal kit delivery via HelloFresh, or a Sam's Club membership. Our reward catalog includes over 1,000 gift cards—plus a wide range of global incentives.
Selecting the right survey incentive ideas is crucial for achieving meaningful engagement. More important still is choosing the right partners for your research, especially for enterprises distributing rewards and incentives at scale.
If you work in marketing, customer engagement, academia, or any role that demands a robust survey program, Tango can help you succeed. Our global reward catalog includes 1,500+ digital gift cards, prepaid cards, and charitable donations to drive survey responses. Tango also helps large companies automate and integrate research incentive and payout processes, with top-notch security and unparalleled support, so you can focus on the data.
Ready to explore how Tango can take your survey participation and outcomes to the next level? Talk with our team.
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