Gina Woodall and Charles Colby of Rockbridge spoke at the 2010 AMA Market Research Conference with a presentation entitled:
The Results Are In: Social Media Techniques vs. Focus Groups for Qualitative Research
Social media research techniques offer an innovative way to conduct market research that follows communications trends in society. More and more consumers and professionals are using sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to interact with each other, share ideas, and vent their complaints. Market researchers can take advantage of these trends by using research tools that incorporate the elements of social media to gain insights.
Research tools can be designed to mirror the functionality of social media sites, offering a graphic intensive environment that allows participants to become part of a community and interact with researchers and other community members. This is in contrast to the focus group methodology which consists of a facilitated discussion between a professional moderator and a panel of respondents (typically, 8 to 10).
Our presentation addressed the following:
- Why the evolution of social media is important to market researchers
- How researchers are taking advantage of social media and its elements to engage respondents
- When social media research tools should be used and when traditional methods are more appropriate
The issues were addressed based on research we have conducted for our clients using OpinionPond™, an online research application that incorporates the elements of social media. We also showed examples from a case study conducted with faculty at Brigham Young University.
To get a copy of our presentation, contact Gina Woodall, President at 703-757-5213 ext. 11 or gwoodall@rockresearch.com, or Charles Colby, Chief Methodologist and Founder, at 703.757.5213 ext. 12 or ccolby@rockresearch.com.