Summer 2022 Reader Survey Results
Hello!
Thank you so much to all of the readers who took the time to participate in our bi-annual reader survey last month. Far more than e-mail open rates and web page visit numbers, the information shared by you in our surveys helps us keep The Bali Beat a relevant, useful tool for the community.
Before we get into the numbers, here’s a quick appeal: Our goal is to make this newsletter a sustainable resource and we need your help to make this a reality. If you value what we do, please consider supporting us with a US$5.00/month voluntary subscription here, or make a one-off donation — of any amount — here. If you have an event that you’d like to promote, help us help you by adding it to our Event Listings section for as little as US$5.00 — click here for more information. Any and all help is greatly appreciated!
Now, on to the results...
117 readers shared their thoughts during the one-week survey, which represented 6.1% of The Bali Beat subscribers at the time.
Among those who answered, 53% are male and 46% are female; 92% are over 34, and 33% are over 65. Among those who mentioned their nationality, the top three were Australian (35%), American (21%), and British (9%).
Of those who replied, 67% are currently in Bali. Among those who aren’t on the island, 43% say they intend to return, and only 1% have no intention of returning. Among those in Bali, 34% said that they have been here for 1-3 years; 21% said for 4-8 years; 21% for 8-15; and 24% have been here for more than 15 years.
In terms of how readers feel about the newsletter, 93% appreciate the breadth of coverage, while the same number, 93% say it keeps them well-informed; and we were very happy to learn that 66% have shared the newsletter. 94% like the Covid-19 infographic in the morning news edition, and among the major topics that we keep an eye on, news on Bali’s reopening is, by far, seen as the most important. Next comes health regulations, economy & infrastructure news, vaccination updates, and education.
You can scroll down to see these — and additional — numbers in greater detail below.
All-in-all, the message we received was that we’re doing a great job, but there are ways that we can improve. We take all of your feedback seriously, and we’ve already started working on some changes that will incorporate several suggestions. One of these, the new summary at the top of the newsletter, launched last week, while others will come in the weeks and months ahead.
While we don’t have the space to list all of he comments that we received, we’re including a few representative ones below. If you have any ideas or suggestions for how we can be a better and more vital resource in your inbox each morning, please let us know at TheBaliBeat@outlanders.global.
Here is a sample of some of the feedback we received:
Often, news is disheveled and lost in translation - so I particularly enjoy reading clarification in your "Context" additions.
I would like to see more about culture and events.
It's just the right length and provides decent options to get deeper into stories through the links. Thank you.
Thank you! I read every day as I'm very keen to return to Bali ASAP.
Thanks for a super-informative newsletter. If I don't see it in my email I always see it in Facebook.
You're doing a great job which is not so easy. Keep your format simple; I like to read the headlines then decide if I want to read more about it, thank you.
Re the use of raw language - more often than not it's just the whole article copied out using google translate. This is still relevant (although the whole article isn't needed) and there is value to doing it that way as it is not cluttered with people's interpretations and opinions (although they are also starting to creep into your commentary). However you have been doing this format for two years now, and there are many nuances in the Indonesian language that google translate simply doesn't pick up. Is it not time to consider having a specialist translation? Just an idea and not sure if you have any budget to work with to even do that. Google Translate often doesn't cut it too well and misses things.
I'm 84 and handicapped; unable to return to Bali, and your Bali Beat allows me to keep track of a people dear to me. I lived there for 20 years in family compounds throughout the island. I get limited personal updates from my Balinese friends and sometimes share what you say with those who may not know what's happening officially.
Thank you to all of you who shared your thoughts with us. We’re excited about sharing more news about the future of The Bali Beat soon!
Here is the raw data:
Audience
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