Recruiting Baby Boomers For Online Qual
The past year has had both significant challenges and improvements in market research! Almost every industry has increased their emphasis on technology, including qualitative research! Days of filling out paper screeners, numbering them, and erasing to reuse if needed, are a methodology of the past. According to DMS Insights, 100% of Millennials use the internet, while 91% of Gen Xers and 85% of Baby Boomers are also highly engaged on the internet. While this is great news for our increasingly digital society, it’s still worth knowing that just because our Baby Boomers are online, doesn’t mean that they are as savvy as the generations that follow them. So what are the challenges of recruiting technology-savvy respondents? Team Focus Forward explains!
#1. Identifying the Market
While more and more of our Baby Boomer generation is online, they still might not be as active or as comfortable as Millennials. Our first step is always identifying where they are, and how to attract them to your research.
For example, we know that social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat are common places for our 35 and younger crowd, but less so for the 50+ age group there. Better avenues might be Facebook and LinkedIn, and also Instagram, to attract this population segment.
#2. Engage the right people for your project.
One objective we strive for at Focus Forward is to be well-integrated into your qualitative research plan. When we work together, we’re able to secure successful outcomes for you by finding the respondents you need.
Part of that process includes knowing all the components of the study. From the format to time frame, the more information we have at the ready, the better suited your respondents will be.
This includes:
- Creating screening requirements regarding technology
- Executing technology checks with respondents so any features that are critical during the interview or group are tested in advance
- Creating a list of requirements that can be shared during the initial search, such as webcams and screen sharing, to ensure respondents will be comfortable in that setting
#3. Be a resource throughout the process.
While our team will be there to find your respondents, the qualitative research platform can also be a great resource when the project is in process.
Encouragement, support, and guidance will help the not-so-tech-savvy respondents be confident! A tone of encouragement and care goes a long way to show that success is happening, and people open up more. It is vital that your communication is clear and straightforward. This will help your respondents feel more relaxed. For example:
- Offer an information sheet with all the info they’ll need about your online qualitative research
- Create how-to videos or demonstrations
- Set up a forum with useful information
When we work to create inclusive online qualitative research, we not only are able to find the respondents you need but, in turn, create a larger pool of potential respondents in the future.
Having a challenge with finding tech-savvy respondents? Team Focus Forward can help!
Since 2003, Focus Forward has been your team for respondent recruitment and all services to support your marketing research efforts–including online focus groups. Recruiting participants, handling transcripts, incentive processing, online panels, survey programming, open-end coding – we do it all! How can we help? If you have a project where you feel like our team can add value, we would be excited to talk!
