In a darkened room filled with the buttery notes of popcorn, people whisper and shuffle in their seats around you until piano strings fill the theater.
It’s eerie, echoing in your ears, gaining speed until strings join it, and a single, lit jack-o-lantern floats on a black screen with orange letters.
You may not recognize the exact movie, but if I say “Michael Myers”, I bet you can hum the tune now.
Or maybe you’re more familiar with the ch, ch, ch, ha, ha, ha that Jason Voorhees made iconic. (It’s actually ki, ki, ki, ma, ma, ma, according to the film’s composer, Harry Manfredini, but it’s more fun to argue the point sometimes!)
Either way, the thrill of scary movies is one most understand, even if you aren’t a purveyor of the genre themselves. Musical cues, camera angles, and the crazy things characters always do in the movies are so cliché that we can name them pretty easily.
But what if we told you that those clichés could turn you into a survey design master? A frightening prospect? It doesn’t have to be because we’ll explore just how scary movies can help you make better surveys!
1, 2 Freddie’s—er, Open the door!
We have a bit of a tradition at Sogolytics, and that’s our Better Surveys Through Scary Movies series using simple movie tips to give you better survey results quickly. It’s no different with our upcoming Skills, Chills, and Thrills: Better Surveys Through Scary Movies webinar coming this month—because it’s October, of course!—to give you scary good survey design tips.
When getting the data you need from your surveys, unlike in scary movies, you should “open the door” to the insights you can gain. Uncover surprising trends, gain understanding with Sentiment Analysis, or create data-driven strategies that work with survey data and analytics.
Why you should join us for a thrilling good time
Because it’ll be fun! No, truly, it’s because sometimes a relaxed, enjoyable learning experience can change how you retain information. The horror genre, by design, isn’t often something to laugh about, but it draws parallels to the crafting of the moviegoers’ experience and survey design.
Scary movies can provide valuable insights and inspiration for survey design as they engage the audience’s emotions and psychological responses.
A snapshot of spine-tingling survey design inspiration from scary movies:
1. Elicit emotional responses
Scary movies are designed to evoke a wide range of emotions, such as fear, anxiety, and suspense. Just like that, when you conduct a survey, you also want to evoke emotional responses or ask about the sentiment of your participants when you gain data!
2. Maintain participant engagement
The movies are all about maintaining audience engagement throughout. Similarly, surveys should keep respondents engaged from start to finish. You can borrow plot twists, unexpected revelations, and pacing techniques from horror films to design surveys that maintain interest and prevent drop-offs.
3. Use visual and multimedia elements
Modern horror movies often rely on visual effects, sound design, and multimedia elements to enhance the overall experience. Visual aids, videos, or interactive survey features can make them more engaging and effective. However, don’t frighten your participants! It’s important that these elements are used judiciously and ensure they support the survey’s purpose.
4. Test and reiterate
Just as filmmakers test their movies with test audiences and adjust based on feedback, survey designers should pilot-test their surveys with a small group of participants to identify potential issues or improvements. This iterative process can lead to more effective surveys.
Of course, that’s not all!
Enjoy our webinar where we share more:
- Quick, actionable tricks to improve your next survey
- Best practice treats to improve response rates
- A boost of confidence to scare away the fears of launching into the dark
Don’t miss out on this frightfully good time!
