Market research recruiting is one of the most important facets of research studies. If you’re not including the right people in your study, it doesn’t matter how good your questions are. The United States is a diverse country with ethnic populations increasing and diversifying, and yet many market research studies often aren’t reflective or inclusive of the many ethnic and cultural communities that make up North America. To get a comprehensive picture of the North American market, it’s important that companies recruit a diverse sampling of study participants.
Below are four tips for ensuring you’re recruiting the right participants for your market research study.
Know your Audience
Before your can begin recruiting, you need to first identify who you want to hear from. Your target audience will vary according to the objective of your study. For instance, are you seeking insights from all possible customers, or do you need feedback from a very specific market segment? The more clarity you can share with the recruiting team about your target audience, the better your sample will be.
Be Specific
Segmenting your audience is crucial for gaining meaningful insights. There are endless ways to segment your audience, anything from languages spoken to number of generations living in the same home. The more detail you can give recruiters about who should be included in a study, the more accurate your study outcomes will be.
Language and Cultural Competency
If your study includes people who are ESL learners, you first want to ensure that there are no barriers to clear communication. You may need to conduct a focus group or in-depth interview in the language the participant is most fluent and comfortable speaking. Keep in mind that language and translation only go so far. Your research study needs to be culturally sensitive. It’s not enough to write a discussion guide in one language and simply translate it into other languages. You’d miss a lot of cultural nuance. Ideally, you should collaborate with someone from the community you’re targeting to help write a culturally competent discussion guide.
Partner with an Experienced Recruiting Firm with a Proven Track Record
Knowing your audience is one thing, connecting with them and getting them to participate in a study is another. Partnering with a market research firm that is experienced in recruiting diverse participants is your best bet in getting a representative sample for your study.
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