Focus Groups- the Guide
Focus groups. We hear of them around the traps; particularly on survey message boards or survey- promoting websites. They are the creation of market research companies interested in our opinions, can be conducted offline or online, and pay well; one reason why so many of us might sign up as potential recruits to take part in them.
And taking part is fun, too. I recently attended a two hour focus group, for ithink. In between looking at websites that were zapped to us in a way I still can't quite figure, we laughed and laughed...
And we all made twenty five American dollars.
To become eligible to take part in research such as that described above, you just need to register your interest at the survey sites that conduct them. Although you might find the odd focus-group only site, most of the bigger survey companies don't limit themselves to one strategy over another; they offer as many data gathering methods as they see fit, and offer online surveys as well.
Although many research companies, including MBS Internet, Research Connections and newer players such as BuzzBack conduct online focus groups, and reward us for participating in them, some of the best known companies that do this (internationally) are:
*Greenfield Online Also known for running message board research.
*Brand Institute
*ithink
Vroom/Opinionator were also very active, prior to this year. You'll notice now that the Opinionator site now has error and under construction pages here and there. It's sad, really. If you are hopeful they will become active again, you can sign up here.
Then what?
Your next task is to wait until you are contacted by the company. Don't expect this to happen every day. I have been invited to five in the last year..but oh they are worth waiting for. You are likely to be sent a "screener" first, to see if you meet the company's requirements for a particular chat. (Another reason why it's worth taking surveys that "just" have prize draws..if those same surveys are screeners for discussions, they can be well worth taking!) If you are lucky, you might be invited to attend a group anyway, based on the profile you gave when you signed up.
And if you are invited- respond. And quickly. Focus groups are fun- pay well- and fill up fast.
The Day of the Focus Group:
It pays to arrive around ten minutes prior to the commencement time of your focus group, just to settle in and get a feel for the technology. It also allows you time to deal with disasters logging in (has been known to happen- horrible feeling it is, too!) and similar unexpected occurrences. Trying to get into a focus group after it has started will leave you unpaid and unable to participate.
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