How to Use Facebook Polls for Fun and Profit

Typically when we think about market research surveys, we think of questionnaires that have 20, 30, or even more questions. Getting qualified people to complete these questionnaires has become a serious challenge. One alternative is the single-question poll. After all, you’re much more likely to get high response and low dropout rates if you can simply say, “Hi, we have a single question we’d like your opinion on”, rather than requesting a novel’s worth of responses.

Facebook is making polling insanely easy these days…

Market Research Policies

Do you cringe when you hear the word “policies”? Most people do. After all, policies often mean bureaucracy. But in the case of market research, clear policies will minimize the risk of data quality headaches, customer over-surveying, ethical breaches and more.

POST MORTEMS: THE ANATOMY OF MARKET RESEARCH PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

Did you learn everything you possibly could from your last project—not just from the final results, but by examining the process itself? Conducting a detailed review, a post mortem so to speak, can help pinpoint exactly what worked—and what needs work.

Market Research Creativity: 4 Ways to Do More with Market Research

You have built up your in-house market research resources. Maybe standardized on a new survey platform. Perhaps hired some more market research staff. That’s great. Now that you have those skills and tools in place, let’s look at a few applications you may not have considered that will hone your competitive edge.

Market Research Training: Twitterversity News

MRXU, the free Market Research Twitterversity, will begin Tuesday January 11th, at 6 am! In addition to the 117+ lessons that will be released by topic (see agenda below), our visiting professors have all agreed to offer virtual office hours. That means that during the hours below, they will be monitoring #MRXU for any questions. So don’t be shy! All times are US, Eastern Standard Time.

Free Market Research Training, Via Twitter

The first ever market research Twitterversity will be held January 11th, 2011. Indeed, this may be the first Twitterversity ever. While some companies have held events to teach people how to use Twitter, I can find no examples of anyone actually using Twitter itself as the instructional medium for a day of learning.

Computer-Based Training for Market Research Excellence

Computer-based training (CBT), also known as eLearning, is a time-efficient, cost-effective training option for busy professionals.

Market Research Decentralization: Power to the People

A decentralization approach has the potential to boost research credibility AND also address the issue of rogue, unsanctioned, DIY research. We all know there are plenty of bad questionnaires going out these days (though many come from “professionals,” too). Clearly, more non-researchers WANT to do research. They want fresh insights. They want involvement in the process. So let them! With some intelligent policies, access to resources, and training, we can have the best of both worlds: quality research and greater research ROI.

YouTube Preview of Online Market Research Training

Have you been waiting to take a Research Rockstar class, but just not yet gotten around to it?

Maybe it would help if you could see what an online class looks like. So here’s a video:

Avoiding Mediocrity in Market Research

In your organization, what happens when someone proposes a market research study?

* Do people roll their eyes?
* Do people perceive it as a decision making delay tactic?
* Do people readily volunteer to be involved in designing the project?
* Do any executive-level folks readily endorse the idea?