We’ve been in the online survey business for a long time now. We’ve seen the industry grow and flourish over the years, adapting with the times and welcoming more and more users. For those who have completed many surveys, you’ve probably encountered some key questions that you want answers on, especially if they’ve been causing frustration or concern.
We want to be as transparent as possible with our users, whether you’re a loyal Opinion Outpost regular or just starting out, as we have done in our previous Debunking the Myths of Online Surveys blog. The Q&A content below reflects our commitment to providing honest answers to your common questions, just as you provide your honest opinions in our online surveys.
What is a demographic?
A demographic is defined as a specific section of a population – meaning it brings together a group of individuals who share a common characteristic within a wider range of people. Demographic categories can include:
- Race
- Sex
- Age
- Location
There are many more types of demographics out there, including some very niche ones, but these examples should give you an idea of the most common demographic questions you will encounter.
What is demographic data?
This is what you get at the end of a survey where you have gathered demographic information on participants. It helps you to understand who has completed the different questions, and allows you to discover patterns within answers.
To provide a demographic data example, you might find that female respondents within the age demographics of 18-24 and 25-34 all provided the same answer for a certain question. This gives the people who commissioned the survey useful results that can then be used to inform their future decisions or actions.
What is demographic data used for?
There are many ways that demographic data gathered from surveys can be used. It can reveal how different groups within a population think and give insights into how you can better relate to those groups.
If a business or organization wants to speak to their target demographic through their advertising or brand messaging, they need to understand that demographic better.
Demographic data in surveys can give them information on common interests, what content they should write about on their social media or blog, which devices different groups of people mainly use, and more. It can also be used to see how people respond to existing messaging, like in our advert reviews to gather insights on whether they appealed to the right people.
Why do surveys repeat certain questions?
Speaking specifically about our surveys, each one needs you to confirm certain details about yourself. The surveys themselves can come from different organizations, so the potential answers can vary ever so slightly – even if yours don’t.
Although you’ll have filled out your details when you joined Opinion Outpost, those same questions will need to be answered for each survey you complete. The initial questions when completing your profile are there to help match you with relevant surveys, while those questions in the surveys themselves are there to confirm your answers.
Is my personal data safe?
When we ask you for your demographic information, whether that’s to complete your profile or respond to a survey, all your details are safe – and will remain 100% private and confidential.
We only provide businesses and organizations that create surveys with us the information they need to know. We follow the codes of conduct from market research governing bodies (ESOMAR, MMR, MRA) to the letter.
Will you make it easier to complete surveys in future?
We are always looking for ways in which we can improve the survey experience for our users. Time is money, after all – and it’s one of the many reasons our users decide to spend time filling in our paid online surveys. Removing duplicate questions is something we’re looking into, so you can invest more efforts into sharing your opinion with those who want to hear it.
How can I get started with surveys?
When joining Opinion Outpost, you’ll be asked to fill in some key information to complete your profile. Doing that gives us everything we need in order to recommend surveys that are relevant to you, and organizations have expressed an interest in hearing your views.
If you don’t already have an Opinion Outpost profile, then you can make one right now to get started – create an account with us and we’ll get to work finding surveys so you can earn a variety of rewards.
