Today, we would like to explain in more depth why the survey service is a good deal for both our readers and our publication.
Last week, we introduced you to Google Consumer Surveys, a service that will be hosted on thepostathens.com beginning next month.
Today, we would like to explain in more depth why the survey service is a good deal for both our readers and our publication.
But first, here’s a reminder of what Google Consumer Surveys is and what you can expect when the service is live on thepostathens.com in early April:
- A short survey consisting of a seemingly random question or questions the first time you access thepostathens.com each day.
- Each question you answer grants you 24 hours of access to thepostathens.com.
- You can skip the surveys at any time.
- Survey questions are quirky and often fun. We may ask about what brand of vehicle you prefer or when you last went to the cinema. You never know what you’re going to get.
We won’t try to spin this into something it’s not: The surveys probably aren’t some new, cool thing that you’re going to love. But they allow The Post to finance the kind of ambitious digital journalism you are beginning to expect from us. Furthermore, other publications that use the survey service report few reader complaints about the surveys.
This is a good thing for you because it will enable you to continue to read all of The Post’s best content online, for free.
This is a good thing for us because it will enable us to continue to increase our digital profits, enabling us to create better news products.
This is a good thing for Google because the company also makes money off the surveys, splitting the 10 cent revenues with us for each question answered.
In short, this is an opportunity for us to maintain our relationship with readers, make money and do so in a sustainable, minimally intrusive fashion.
We’re excited about this change, and we will continue to write you each week to keep you abreast of everything that’s on the way. We don’t want to confuse you by asking what kind of Greek yogurt you prefer, for example, next time you try to read one of our online news stories.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the survey service or anything else that’s on your mind.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post's executive editors: editor-in-chief Jim Ryan, managing editor Sara Jerde, opinion editor Xander Zellner and projects editor Allan Smith. Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage.
