As marketers, we all know that the only way to know if your marketing efforts are having an impact is by collecting data and measuring it. This can be done through surveys and other methods, with the ultimate goal being to measure how well you’re satisfying customer needs.
Way to find vetted survey respondents
One challenge market researchers face finding vetted survey respondents. Whether you’re working with a research team or conducting your own customer surveys, you need to source quality responses to your questions.
One way to do this is by using a global panel provider (GPP). A GPP provides access to a large pool of respondents from around the world who have been verified and pre-screened for their suitability for taking online surveys. The benefits include:-
- Access to local respondents in countries where it might be difficult or expensive for marketers to conduct interviews or hire market research firms;
- Upfront payment for participation;
- Accessible tools that make it easy for anyone with basic computer skills, including non-traditional research professionals, to design and deploy surveys; and
- An established reputation in the industry as a trusted partner who can help companies meet project requirements on time and on budget.
Critical factors for vetting survey respondents
Two factors are critical as you vet potential respondents: the diversity of their target audience and the accuracy of the demographic information they provide.
It’s important that your respondent pool is as diverse as possible, so you can better ensure that your data will have wide applicability and represent a wider range of people. If it turns out that all your respondents are college-educated men between 25–35 years old living in New York City, then there might be some problems with generalizing those findings to the rest of America. That’s why it’s good practice to use multiple sources for this kind of research data. This is so you can get several different perspectives on how various demographics react to certain stimuli or situations.
Consider whether or not the sample audience for your survey is both diverse and international
The next factor to consider is whether or not the sample audience for your survey is both diverse and international. For example, if your company has operations outside the U.S., it’s important that your sample includes current or potential customers from those markets.
Next, categorize vetted survey respondents
Once you have your audience identified, it’s time to get specific about demographics. Demographic information is important for marketing because it helps you target ads and understands customer needs. Demographics are also used to determine the size of an audience (often called “reach” or “frequency”) and the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
Your survey should ask respondents how they self-identify by age, gender, and other characteristics like income level and education level. This information can be used in conjunction with other data points to segment customers into smaller groups based on their shared characteristics. For example, females aged 21-30 who earn less than $50K per year might represent a target market for your product or service.
Ask about data integrity measures
Some respondent authentication companies can verify that information given by survey participants is accurate and complete. This information can then be used to ensure accurate targeting at every stage of your marketing process, from vetting survey responses to evaluating ad performance.
When considering a survey respondent authentication company, ask about data integrity measures. Some companies can verify that information given by survey participants is accurate and complete.
Data integrity measures can be used in various ways:
- To verify the accuracy of the demographic information provided by respondents who have opted in to receive marketing communications based on their stated preferences
- To determine whether respondents are eligible customers (i.e., they’ve purchased a product within a specified time frame) or prospects (i.e., they haven’t purchased yet but have expressed interest in doing so)
Look for a diverse, global audience and accuracy in their demographic profile data
When vetting survey respondents, look for a diverse, global audience and accuracy in their demographic profile data
When hiring a survey panel for B2B market research, it’s essential to notice the following:
- Diversity of target audience. A survey panel with a diverse set of respondents is more likely to have members who match your target audience, which will help you get accurate results. For example, suppose you want to test the effectiveness of an online ad campaign for men ages 20-30. In that case, a survey panel that has members from across the United States and around the world will give you a better idea of what this type of person thinks about your product or service than one made up mostly of people from California or New York City.
- Accuracy in demographic information. The more accurate the demographic information provided by respondents on these panels is, the better your research will turn out (assuming it matches other sources). This includes age range and gender but also geography and ethnic background when applicable.
Conclusion
This is one of the most important steps in the process of marketing your company, product, or service. If you don’t have a way to source quality survey respondents, then your results will be skewed and you won’t be able to make informed decisions about which marketing strategies work best for your business.
