How to write questions people want to answer out loud

A video question is not a form question read aloud. On a form, people can skim, tick and move on. On camera, they have to think of something to say, and the question decides whether they do.

Good video questions share three things. They are open, they are specific, and they ask about something the person actually did or felt.

Ask about a moment, not an opinion

“What do you think of our service?” invites a verdict: “It’s good.” “Tell us about the last time you contacted us. What happened?” invites a story, and the story holds what you need: what they tried, where it went wrong, and how they felt about it.

One question, one idea

If a question has an “and” in it, it is usually two questions, and people answer the half they remember. Split it, or keep the half that matters more.

Short enough to hold in your head

People read the question once and then look at the camera. If they need to scroll back to remember it, it is too long. One sentence is usually enough.

Openers that work

• “Tell us about the last time you…”
• “What did you expect before…, and what actually happened?”
• “If you could change one thing about…, what would it be, and why?”
• “Who would you recommend this to, and what would you tell them?”

How many questions?

Fewer than you think. Each answer can run to three minutes, so a handful of questions is already a lot to say. Three to five keeps a survey focused.

Ask in their language

Write the question in the language your respondents use. They can answer in any of 23 languages, and each answer is transcribed in the language it was spoken.