Researchers no longer have to rely solely on structured surveys or qualitative research in controlled settings to understand customer thoughts and behaviors. Today, companies create market research online communities to unite customers and engage them in meaningful conversations. A market research online community, or MROC, can answer questions we might not even think to ask.
What are Online Communities?
Online Communities are a research solution that can be centered on a brand, a shared interest or a shared experience. Members talk to each other and exchange ideas in a natural online setting that allows us to watch how members interact, see discussions unfold in real-time and understand the language members use.
Why should I use Online Communities?
- To gain a deep understanding of customer needs through lively, natural dialog
- To have members ready to discuss quick questions and test ideas
- To gather ideas and co-create for product or marketing program development
- To test creative concepts and messages before formal research
How do Online Communities work?
Market Strategies International can build private online research communities or embed a private community within an existing online group. We attract members using a variety of sources including customer lists and web intercepts. Typically, communities built for market research last between one and three months and range in size from dozens to hundreds of members. Longer-term, or semi-permanent, communities that involve several hundred members are also common.
Our online platform includes all of the features expected in today’s social media experience such as:
- A compelling home page
- Group and private discussions
- Moderator/member interactions
- Multimedia posting
- Profiles and avatars
- Private online groups
- Polls and surveys
- Document sharing
Why do Online Communities work?
Successful online research communities take on a life of their own because members want to participate. Researcher and client involvement is crucial to the success of the community, but a lively community will generate insights from direct participant interaction.
This approach has proven to be a game-changing strategy that has profound implications for turning market insight into action. Companies that tap into Online Communities build solid relationships with their customers, strengthen their brands and gain competitive intelligence.
What are the results?
The typical project-based mentality of “do the research, then analyze” doesn’t work with Online Communities. Communities live and breathe, and we engage and analyze them in a continual, iterative process.
With that said, a small, short-term MROC resembles a focus group in analysis because it relies on both member interactions and the expertise of the moderator to form conclusions. A large, longer-term community resembles a social media monitoring project because the content is extensive and diverse enough to use text analytic tools to summarize and form conclusions. In a very large and diverse community, quantitative analysis of survey-type questions is possible.
For more information, contact: msimmersion@marketstrategies.com