20/20 Online Marketing
Often times we find ourselves on autopilot. Building, developing and marketing an advertising campaign based on what we already know about our target audience. The truth is - our customers' tastes change. Experiences make us who we are and many times change our outlook on what products or services we want or need.
Many experts specialize in conducting focus groups that help them better understand a particular consumer. Focus groups can inform us and give us insight. They allow us to ask tough questions that are sometimes hard to hear. Focus groups are usually held in an interactive group setting where participants are free to talk with other group members. You can even find focus groups online, where customers can give their feedback through interactive forms. One benefit of online focus groups is that they can often be accomplished faster than traditional groups because respondents are recruited from online panel members who are often pre-qualified to match research criteria.
Focus groups start by the researcher asking about the consumer's attitude towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging. This helps develop stronger, more focused marketing initiatives that speak directly to the average consumer, without relying on industry trends.
How do you conduct an online focus group?
- Select participants to represent the types of users you want as customers.
- Decide what you want to learn.
- Write a "script" or series of questions for the users to answer.
- Develop a series of forms to facilitate the participation of your user, while keeping it simple and straightforward so the group stays on track.
- Keep your questions short and sweet. This encourages completion of the survey.
- Documentation of the results and taking good notes are critical to making sense of what the data means to your business.
