Targeted Marketing with Online Focus Groups
The human race has always loved offering advice and opinion, ever since Early Woman gave feedback to Early Man about the wheel. These days, many companies organize focus groups in order to receive specific feedback. A group of people who have an interest in the company’s product or service are gathered together, and are asked specific questions on topics including the direction of the company, what new products should be offered, and possible changes.
Focus groups, when done right, are valuable to companies and provide necessary feedback. However, they can be expensive, as the company needs to hire a third-party coordinator to run the group in addition to offering a small compensation to participants. They are also difficult to organize, as anyone who has ever tried to get a group of people in the same room at the same time knows well.
Enter social media, with its available audience eager to talk, for free. Businesses are realizing the value in this “sitting target” and using social networking sites as a way to conduct informal focus groups. Tweet to your followers on Twitter, ask a question on your Facebook status, and watch as the answers and advice roll in. It’s in our nature.
Part of the Conversation
One of the biggest differences between traditional focus groups and online focus groups is that online, your focus group is simply part of the larger conversation, rather than a one-time deal. Customers want to be engaged with the products they love, and want to feel valued. Social media offers many opportunities for a company to interact on a personal level with its customers, and focus groups are simply another venue for the client and the company to have authentic dialogue. In a traditional focus group, the participants are brought in for the duration of the group, perhaps involved in some follow-up questions afterward…and that’s it. The customer may never hear from the company again. Online, your group is always there, available to answer questions or offer advice. Another advantage of the online focus group is that it provides customers with a certain anonymity that isn’t present when they’re enclosed in a room with others. They feel they can be totally honest, and in addition, there’s no fear that one loud, opinionated person will dominate the conversation.
Wait! Don’t Leave Yet!
Remember, though, that you don’t want your participants to get bored and leave. Unlike in a traditional focus group, where the members have agreed ahead of time to participate for the duration of the group – and are being compensated for it – your members can leave at any time. So give them a reason to stay! Offer sneak peeks at new products, coupons, or special deals. While your clients are truly interested in helping improve your company, they are also busy people and would appreciate an incentive to stick around.
Do Your Homework!
The difference between a “focus group” and a general “community forum” is that you are more, well, focused in a focus group. You are generally looking for advice on a specific topic, whether it’s deciding on a new product, feedback on an existing one, or opinions about your company’s customer service. Ask specific, targeted questions which will help you get the feedback you need. H&M, the clothing store, used their MySpace group page to ask members to vote on a new t-shirt design. Within a few weeks, the votes were cast and there was a clear winner. H&M designed the shirt, and when it hit stores, it was sold out immediately. Facebook has also elicited customer feedback before changing the design of their site.
An example of a company that did not do their homework – and paid the price – was Johnson & Johnson. A few months ago there was a social media outcry about J&J’s Motrin ad on YouTube. The ad was targeting mothers who wear their babies in slings and as a result, suffer from back and neck pain. The video quickly went viral. It was intended to be humorous and empathetic, but moms everywhere felt it was condescending and inappropriate.
Mom bloggers blasted the ad and the company with a multitude of YouTube video responses and blog posts. Motrin responded by yanking the ad and issuing apologies. Many wondered – if J&J was so proficient at using social media, why didn’t they utilize it before they produced the ad? Invite a group of moms to an online focus group, present the ad, and receive feedback. They would have quickly found that the snarky humor was not the way to go, and saved themselves needless bad press. Do your homework – your niche audience knows what they want from you! Focus on Conduit
Wondering how to gather a great group of dedicated, interested customers? It doesn’t get any easier to form a group than by using your Conduit community toolbar. Catch your audience’s attention by offering an incentive to the first number of customers who join the focus group. You can do this by adding a link on your toolbar or a new item in your news ticker. Whenever you add a new link or item to your toolbar, your customers’ toolbar is automatically updated as well. Invite your customers to share the toolbar with friends they think will also have an interest in providing feedback, leading to more downloads of your toolbar. In no time at all, you’ve got your focus group – and some more customers.
The key to a successful focus group is finding motivated, eager customers, keeping it short and targeted, and offering some sort of incentive or freebie for participation. Thanks to social media and your ongoing connection with your clients, it isn’t a difficult process to receive this valuable feedback. Your clients are invested in you and your product – engage them, and let them do the talking!