Understanding How Believers Use LLC Publications

Last year, the LLC Periodicals Survey was conducted to better understand how believers in North America use LLC periodicals and publications, to gain insight into the types of content believers especially value, and to identify areas of opportunity for improving LLC publications. The survey results were analyzed and presented to the LLC Print Publications Committee last spring.

The survey responses generally indicate that believers find meaningful content for their walk of faith in LLC publications, and most express strong support for LLC publications. Respondents especially appreciate personal stories about the experiences of individual believers. They also value faith-based articles and devotional content, and pieces about interesting historical events and people.

Survey responses indicated areas of opportunity as well. These include resolving technical issues with the Hearken app; improving LLC website navigation; alleviating the perception of political bias around certain issues; continuing to emphasize print publications while rolling out a more varied array of digital experiences and content; and increasing the amount of content centered around personal stories and experiences of believers.

The free-form text responses from the survey were also analyzed. Respondents express gratitude and appreciation towards the people who work on producing and editing periodicals, and thank LLC staff for their hard work and dedication in putting them together. 

Some respondents provide constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement. For example, one respondent mentioned that they would like to see more articles on mental health, marriage issues, and raising kids, and how these tie into being a believer. Another suggested that there should be more focus on youth and that articles should be easier to comprehend. Yet another expressed appreciation for the variety of periodicals and the different ways they can access the materials. Overall, respondents seem to value the work put into the periodicals and appreciate the efforts of the people who produce and edit them.

Many suggestions were also received, which include: fix glitches in the Hearken app to improve user experience; provide more personal stories and experiences of believers; avoid political or controversial topics; provide more content for youth, especially articles written by young believers.

The LLC Communications Department has already acted on many of the suggestions and insights gathered from the survey. For example, in recent months much work has been done in cooperation with the Hearken app developer to make usability improvements, particularly in the audio player function on Android devices. We have also incorporated more content about believers’ experiences in both print and audio format. Last year we had a fiction writing contest with a call for long fiction for young adults; the books that will result from the manuscript selected from those submitted are just one of the types of content intended for youth.

We welcome your feedback on all LLC publications. Be in touch! Meanwhile, we continue to do the work set before us with the prayer that God will give the increase.  

LLC Print Publications Committee

LLC Board representatives: Sam Roiko (chairman), Petri Hotari, Steve Laiho, Lauri Nevala, Marv Wittenberg

Committee members: Keith Kariniemi, Kevin Moll, Mary Ann Wikman, Aaron Wuollet, 

LLC Staff: Ruth DeLacey, Annette Johnson, Matthew Keranen, Shanna Pirness, Sandra Pylvainen

A Note on Survey Methodology

KPI (Key Performance Indicator): A metric used to evaluate success. In this survey, the KPI is based on the NPS.

NPS (Net Promoter Score): A Customer Experience industry standard metric that measures a respondent’s likelihood to recommend a product or service to others. It is statistically tied to organizational effectiveness and performance across industries and time.

The overall LLC Periodicals NPS score is 50, which appears to be equivalent to ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’ for this population. However, more data gathered across a broader time frame is required to understand any trends for this score.

The survey included driver questions, which are designed to uncover the main factors influencing the KPI. Correlation analysis indicates that the factor most closely correlated to overall NPS is satisfaction with publications content, with a correlation coefficient of about 0.65, indicating a positive relationship. The survey also asked about the ease of accessing publications, satisfaction with the design and layout of publications, and the usefulness of publications. However, these factors are not correlated to the KPI.

The LLC Periodicals Survey employed a variety of questions using a 9-point scale (0–8), with an open-ended text box accompanying nearly every question. Invitations were open to all and allowed for the same individual to submit multiple responses, which complicates the data’s representativeness. The response volume suggests the data is sufficient to offer valuable insights that are directionally sound. However, the inherent bias of self-selection, where individuals with strong opinions—particularly negative ones—are more likely to respond, must be carefully considered.

Despite the survey’s limitations, its results are considered a valuable “temperature check” of consumer sentiment. These results should not be viewed as a definitive assessment of all publications. Nonetheless, the data provides important insights into how individuals interact with LLC publications and what respondents prioritize. This information will continue to inform the development of LLC publications.