Every experience with the brand should be considered an important customer touchpoint, even market research. Rather than treating client sample like panel sample, use it to create a special experience for your customers. A great customer-focused survey will yield high-quality data in addition to making customers more enthusiastic about supporting your brand in the future. For tips on building loyalty through survey research, check out our five tips listed below.

1. Showcase your brand.

Brand the email invitation and survey wherever possible. In some cases, it's best to leave the survey blind, but if it won't interfere with the analysis, it's a good idea to let the customers know who is asking them for information. Use your logo and showcase your products where appropriate. Highlight spaces where your brand is innovating its product and ask for customer feedback to help make it customized to their needs.

2. Tell customers why you're talking to them.

Let them know how the information gathered ultimately benefits them in the end. Thank them throughout the survey for their honest feedback. Better yet, include a special message from a VIP associated with the brand as a personal touch for survey respondents.

3. The look and feel of the survey should match the personality of the brand.

Make sure the visuals in the survey match the look and feel of the brand as best as possible. Language used the survey should also be consistent with the brand and make sense within the category. It's also important to optimize the survey for mobile devices and use a variety of question types to make the survey appear more up-to-date, thus making the brand appear more current.

4. Be prepared for higher ratings from brand enthusiasts.

There's a lot to be learned from talking to your customers; however, they do tend to rate their preferred brands higher than average category consumers. If you're looking for a good read on the market, make sure to include representative sample in addition to your customer sample.

5. Encourage communication through the appropriate channels.

Offer an email address for them to ask questions so they don't try to post questions about the survey via social media where questions about the survey might go unnoticed. Include additional ways to stay in touch with the brand such as social media links or an opportunity to sign up for your brand's email list.

Stay tuned for more market research tips in the following weeks!