fitting social media research into qualitative projects
TRANSCRIPT
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
QRCA SMR SIG Presentation:
Where Social Media Research Fits; Projects, Clients and Proposal AdviceKatrina Noelle & Holly BlanksteinAugust 2015
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
Learn practices from our fellow practitioners on how to:
1. Educate clients on the use of social media research within or in conjunction with a qualitative project
2. Include social media research in qualitative project proposals
3. Use social media research to support qualitative projects
Our Objectives
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
Our MethodologyFive one-on-one telephone interviews with professionals in our network
Participants Represented:o 3 countrieso 5 companieso Roles/titles: Research Director, President, VP and Consultantso In terms of SMR experience, some had only using the techniques for
a couple years and some experts had been integrating the technique for 10 years
o 2-12 projects a year include a SMR component
Interestingly, finding participants was more difficult than anticipated
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
In-person
Synchronous / Real-Time Online Discussions
Asynchronous Online Discussions
Mobile Research
Leveraging Social Media Research
Where SMR fits in:Today’s Qualitative Menu
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
Methods
o Social Media
Listening/Monitoring
o Social Media platforms as
research platforms
o Recruiting
•Leverage SMR in Qualitative
Research to
o Analyze existing data
o Immerse “observationally”
o Explore language, related
issues/topics
o Follow a target audience—get to
know them as a group or
individually
Benefits and Methods
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
Making a Place for SMR
Before they could successfully integrate and sell SMR, the
practitioners we spoke to had to fully understand how it would fit into
their practice
o What did it add to their offering?o What sorts of projects would it be best for?o Which sorts of clients should they approach with it?
But many found it worth while to find out because…
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
Reasons to Try
Participants under the age of 25 are getting less and less comfortable
with in person research
Competitive intelligence – getting up to speed on new
clients and categories
I saw people were commenting on sites like Yelp and noticed that would have an impact on our customers. Looked for a way to capture that and incorporate it
into findings for our clients
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
Add to the Offering
Our participants all clarified that the best way to offer
SMR is as part of a qualitative project1. Project prologue; learn about what people said about the
brand before research2. Language; base attribute lists on the most common words to
describe the brand online, know which words to use in discussion guides
3. Pre-fieldwork; get to know participants before meeting them in field, often via FB, Instagram, CC or texting
Always listen on a larger level - social media listening cannot stand alone. Always do it in conjunction with offline or more traditional experiences - otherwise you only get one
side of the story
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
Impress Clients Show clients their researcher is thinking about their topic
and combining resources like blogs and social media to represent not only what her participants are saying, but what the conversation in general is about
Enhance client relationship to "impress" them with category knowledge
Make it easier to establish rapport with participants
Help answer questions you’d otherwise not know to ask; better prepares for research
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
Some Clients Appreciate SMR
A couple of participants have clients who love added
depth that SMR brings to projects, especially those
focused on their brand image in SM• They see it as and efficient and authentic way to hear
the voice of the customerThey appreciate the added
value and added depth to the reports. Also, it’s viewed as efficient since it's difficult to
get enough time with respondents. Additionally, it
is a bit more "authentic"
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
But…Sometimes it’s Invisible
A number of participants said that SRM is not very
sellable; clients feel it’s a nice-to-have but not for an extra
expense• That’s no reason not to do it however! Participants feel
confident that it gives them background knowledge they need to succeed in projects
I can't imagine a way to "sell" it on it's own. It's usually not even
a line item on my invoices. I uses it mostly for my own knowledge
and to add color and background to the topic or results
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
What Next?
Bringing SMR to your team and your clients
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
Tips
Start by Remember that• Find a project with
enough social chatter online
• Join the discussion!• Find a software platform
that works for you to track your findings
• Use it to write screeners and guides
• It’s time consuming• There is a steep learning
curve• There is a lot of data to
manage
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
Platforms
DIY Methods Software Services• “By hand” via smart
Google searches• A younger
colleague/employee• Find a software platform
that works for you to track your findings
• Use it to write screeners and guides
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
Cautions Data; Not all brands or topics are discussed enough
online; do your homework before presenting a SMR to your client
Ethics; Treat all of this data as you do data from any other type of research
Time; Make sure you have the time to get immersed in the online discussion and are willing to open your own SM accounts to interact with the discussion in that space
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015 16
SMR SIG Presentation – August 2015
QRCA is a vibrant global network of qualitative researchers immersed in the most exciting work being done in the field.
Need insights? One organization. One click. 1,000+ qualitative experts.www.QRCA.org 888.ORG.QRCA
Thank you!
Katrina NoelleT: +1 415.450.7084E: [email protected]
Holly BlanksteinT: +1 773.294.1443