Feedback from your subscribers is invaluable. You can look at your email metrics all you want, but unless you hear it straight from the horse’s mouth you won’t know what they think of your company and email campaigns. That feedback can make or break the success of your email marketing.

Polls and surveys are a great tool to gain feedback from your subscribers. The trick is finding a way to inspire your subscribers to answer your questions. Some companies opt to offer benefits in exchange for a completed poll and survey. Not every company can afford to offer free goods or services in exchange for customer feedback.

There’s one day a year when you may not have to offer free goods or discounts in trade for responses. September 28 is Ask a Stupid Question Day (also known in my world as EVERYDAY). Make it fun. Ask some stupid questions in your next email or online survey, right along with the valid ones. The more creative you can be with the stupid questions, the more likely your subscribers will be to participate in the survey or poll. So...WHAT is your name? WHAT is your quest? WHAT is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?