How to Run A Successful Focus Group for Your Small Business

How to run a successful focus group for your small business

Learn how to set up a focus group that gives you useful insights into your audience.

If you want to gather information from your audience about your business, setting up a focus group may be the right move for you.

A focus group brings together a small group of strangers to gather their opinions and attitudes about a particular concept or product. In this way, companies can gather information and data to refine their strategies for improvement in the future. In 2017, companies worldwide spent a whopping $ 2.2 billion on focus groups.

In the marketing world, focus groups can serve more than one purpose. They give insight into the thoughts of your target audience, so you know how they feel about your products and services. Many companies use these groups to test new products and features before they become available to the public. That way, they have a good idea of ​​how it works when it's available to everyone.

In this article, we'll take a closer look at how to create a successful focus group using the following six tips:

Set clear goals from the beginning

Address the right people

Compilation and completion of your questions

Recruitment of participants

Run the focus group

Analyze and consolidate data

1. Set goals.

Knowing what you want to find makes it easier to select questions and discussions for your focus group. It's important to set clear, actionable goals right from the start so you can think clearly about what you want to achieve. The more you concentrate, the better.

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What are you trying to find out? What do you want to know about the group? Who are you aiming for? Would you like to receive feedback on a product or service?

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Write down a list of your most urgent questions to reach your goals. If you limit them to a few, you're ready for the next step.

2. Know your target group.

You can not manage a successful focus group without addressing the right audience. Therefore, it is important that you know who you want to have in your group and what purpose they have for your market research. Think about what types of people are helping you achieve your goals.

For example, if you are a dental company and you are trying to find out what the customers think about the new dental floss product that you will be launching next year, you only want to use dental floss. Adding non-floats to the group will not help you because they do not use your product or give you exact feedback.

You can create shopper personas to narrow down the types of people you search for so you can respond more easily to applicants. The information is right in front of you, making it easier for you to make a well-balanced and informed decision about who joins the focus group.

3. Compile questions for the participants.

Once you know which goals you want to achieve and which audience you are targeting, it's time to gather your questions and discussion requests. What you ask your audience determines your results and how well you achieve your goals. Therefore, it is essential to choose the right ones.

Avoid asking "yes" or "no" questions that will not give you any further insight, unless they serve a specific purpose. The last thing you want to do is ask questions that will lead you to a dead end. Follow open questions that encourage discussion and make it easier for participants to continue to work on the topic.

It's important to keep the discussion going once it's started, as any delay can keep participants from speaking out. For this reason, it is important to clarify your questions before the group meets so you know how, when, and where you can direct the conversation.

4. Recruit participants.

The most important part of your focus group is the people who participate in it. Your feedback and your settings on your topic determine the result. If you do not target the right audience, your results are incorrect.

It is crucial to conduct an appropriate review process to ensure that respondents qualify for the group if you choose them. You do not want more than 15 people in your focus group so you can look after each person and gain clearer insights.

Unfortunately, few people are willing to participate in a focus group if there is no compensation. You need to travel to your location and take the time to give you data and feedback. It is a polite gesture to stimulate the process and show your appreciation. You can offer the participants:

Discounts

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gift Cards

Gifts

The best way to find participants for your focus group is to encourage the opportunity to participate in any place you can participate. Use social media to add relevant hashtags and keywords to your posts. Advertise on different social platforms to target a specific audience. Use email marketing to reach existing customers. Consider local advertising with flyers, local ads, billboard advertising and much more.

Since you've already created a website for your business, you can create a separate webpage where you can accept applications. Use an optimized survey form to collect candidate information and store data in one place. It's best to limit your questions so you know which ones are right for your target audience. Ask for information about demographics and other criteria that you can use to select suitable candidates.

5. Execute the focus group.

Before you start the focus group, make sure you have enough people registered to participate. If there are not enough participants, you will not get enough data and the group will not fulfill its full purpose.

Use an event registration form to keep track of all participants in the focus group. Get a picture of the date, time, and location so everyone on the same page knows where they need to be. As a rule, there are a few no-shows in each focus group. So expect that a few people will not show up.

Focus groups usually have more than one person in charge, including a moderator and a wizard. How you lead your group is entirely up to you. Distribute an agreement form so that everyone can sign for legal purposes.

Start the discussion by explaining why everyone is present and what you want to accomplish with the process. If there are rules, now is the time to announce them. Ask each participant your questions and moderate the discussion as your assistant records the session and takes notes.

When the meeting is over, give the participants their incentive and thank them for their time.

6. Analyze your data.

Once you have the information you need, it's time to organize it and summarize research that you can use to improve your small business. Once you have recorded the meeting, which most companies do, you can convert the audio into transcripts and analyze them further. You can expect to cut out unnecessary information, forays and other non-essential parts of the discussion.

Note the similarities and inconsistencies in feedback from participants. You may see a common theme that leads you to a newly discovered discovery. Review your notes and compare them with the transcriptions to make more connections.

When you have everything you need, put it together in a report that summarizes the goals and outcomes of the focus group. Check it as needed when it's time to refine your strategy and improve your business.

Over to you.

If you own a small business, establishing a focus group is a great way to get customer information, collect feedback, and improve your brand. You get valuable information that helps you grow your business and be successful. How will you lead your next focus group?