1.0BuzzStreamhttps://www.buzzstream.comVince Nerohttps://www.buzzstream.com/blog/author/vincenero/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="1qaCM2G5bS"><a href="https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/talker-survey-podcast/">What Makes a Compelling Survey Idea? with Talker Research’s Rick Maughan</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/talker-survey-podcast/embed/#?secret=1qaCM2G5bS" width="600" height="338" title="“What Makes a Compelling Survey Idea? with Talker Research’s Rick Maughan” — BuzzStream" data-secret="1qaCM2G5bS" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> https://www.buzzstream.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/rick-maughan.png1280720Strong survey ideas spark real conversation and emotional reactions—talkability is key to virality. Blend evergreen and timely topics for data stories with both lasting impact and media appeal. Use diverse question types and audience splits (e.g., generational, behavioral) to uncover multiple story angles. Avoid overly product-centric surveys—tell broader human stories to earn media coverage. Survey credibility hinges on transparency: sample size, methodology, and respondent access matter. Collaboration with editorial minds and media feedback helps shape surveys that resonate in press and AI search. What makes a compelling survey idea? It might just be as simple as getting people talking. While researching this topic, I came across Talker Research’s study on The Perfect Movie Length. It has gathered over 133 referring domains since 2024. I dug a little deeper and realized that Talker Research (in conjunction with its sister agency, We Are Talker) has created tons of great surveys for its customers and its brand. As their website states, they create “data-driven insights to inspire ideas, create content & spark conversations.” So, I reached out to their Head of Content, Rick Maughan, to discuss survey ideas: how they come up with them, what makes a good one, and how teams can replicate Talker’s success. Our conversation was a fascinating one, filled with actionable takeaways that anyone looking to use a survey as part of their content and/or PR mix. What does Talker Research do? Yeah, great. Thank you for that very kind introduction. Yeah, Talker Research is, as it sounds, a research agency at its core. So everything we do is foundational with data, primarily online and survey-based. That’s our kind of bread and butter. And we, at our heart, deliver survey-led news, from an idea all the way through to hopefully getting coverage and getting the story talked about. And that’s […]