Help Up Help You: Using Focus Groups for Marketing
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The document discusses using focus groups to help a university libraries marketing task force improve outreach to undergraduate students. It provides background on the task force's goals and charge, and details how to plan, conduct, and analyze focus group sessions to gather student perspectives and ideas. The focus groups revealed that students primarily use the libraries for studying, computers, and tutoring services, and prefer low-cost communication like email and word-of-mouth for event promotion.
Help Up Help You: Using Focus Groups for Marketing
- 1. Help Us Help You Using Focus Groups for Marketing Emily Gainer, Special Collections Librarian, Center for the History of Psychology Stephanie Dawson, Administrative Assistant, University Libraries Dean’s Office Joe Salem, Head of Research and Learning, University Libraries May 18, 2012
- 2. Background – Why Marketing? • University Libraries Strategic Plan, 2010-2014 • University Libraries = Bierce Library, Science & Technology Library, Archival Services 2
- 3. Background – University Libraries 3
- 4. Background – University Libraries 4
- 5. Background – University Libraries 5
- 6. Marketing Task Force The Challenge: Improve outreach to a diverse undergraduate population and begin to engage more students earlier in their academic careers 6
- 7. Marketing Task Force The Charge: Market to undergraduate students, with the overall goal of raising awareness & increasing use: – Improve understanding – Evaluate various outreach approaches – Identify effective messaging – Develop an action plan 7
- 8. Carrying Out the Charge • Review on-campus department marketing plans • Work with a marketing course through the CBA • Survey University Libraries department heads • Conduct focus groups 8
- 9. Why Use Focus Groups? • Group dialogue tends to generate rich information. • Provides information directly from individuals who are invested in the issue or hold expert knowledge. • Provides a representation of diverse opinions and ideas. • Provides a relatively low cost and efficient way to generate a great deal of information. 9
- 10. Anatomy of a Focus Group • A small group of 6-10 people • Led by a facilitator • 45-90 minutes • Structured around a set of no more than 10 questions • Free-flowing • Multi-sessional: in a series of 3-4 sessions 10
- 11. ABCs of Focus Groups There are four basic steps to conducting successful focus groups: A. Planning B. Recruiting C. Facilitating D. Analysis and Reporting 11
- 12. Planning Step by Step • Select your team – Facilitator – Notetaker – Recruiters • Identify your participants • Decide on the time and location • Develop your questions 12
- 13. Focus Group Costs to Plan For: • Site • Facilitator • Recruitment fees • Participant stipends and other participant costs • Translation • Transcription 13
- 14. A Good Facilitator Can: • Encourage people to speak. • Control overly dominant people or people making inappropriate comments without disrupting the group. • Be able to ask all of the predetermined questions and follow-up on comments made by respondents that need clarification. • Make a group of diverse participants feel comfortable and safe. 14
- 15. Developing the Questions Twelve is the maximum number of questions for any one group. Ten is better, and eight is ideal. Keep it simple – Avoid jargon – Short and to the point – Focused on one dimension each – Open-ended or sentence completion types – Non-threatening or embarrassing 15
- 16. Developing the Questions Engagement questions: introduce participants to and make them comfortable with the topic of discussion. Exploration questions: get to the meat of the discussion. Exit question: check to see if anything was missed in the discussion. 16
- 17. Recruiting Participants • Develop screening criteria • Be visible • Over-invite • Offer incentives • Reduce barriers • Follow-up • Hit the streets 17
- 18. Types of Recruitment • Nomination • Random Selection • All members of the same group • Same role/job title • Volunteers 18
- 19. Tips for Conducting Focus Groups • Obtain verbal and written consent • Establish rapport • Follow your plan • Revise questions • Encourage participation • Record the discussion 19
- 20. Getting Consent At a minimum, all participants should complete a consent form. If the focus group study involves a university partner or is part of a larger research study you may also be required to secure approval from a Human Subjects Committee or Internal Review Board. 20
- 21. What Did They Say? • How are students • “In general I usually come here in between classes. It’s using the library? definitely the best place on – time in between classes campus to work on different papers and its quiet and just – studying /getting work the atmosphere makes it done easy to get your work done. – computer access I’ve also used the tutoring downstairs like the writing – tutoring / help lab. Other than that it’s a – collections / resources good place to get on the computers and stuff. And some reports I’ve done I’ve had to check out books and stuff and this is definitely the easiest place to go to do that.” 21
- 22. What Else Did They Say? • Top Services • Best Ways to Reach – Tutoring Students – Computers – E-mail – Study rooms / spaces – Word of mouth – Research / research (primarily from other support students and – Technical support secondarily from professors) 22
- 23. Branding University Libraries • What did they think of when they thought of the libraries? – “Books. I usually think of books.” – “But I don’t like reading so that makes me not want to go to the library.” – “Doing homework after class” – “Work in progress that grows with students. Added technology and features as it advances or as students need it.” – “Unlimited access to information.” – “Anything that would have to do with study. That would include the unlimited access, the tutoring, everything.” – “Staff is very genuine and friendly. They are patient and professional.” – “Studying” – “Computers” 23
- 24. Meeting Expectations • “This is what I expected and more. I didn’t expect being able to be able to get everything I could here. It looked nice and was bigger than I expected. “ • “My expectation is that I can get what I want as far as resources. I think it is perfect. Everyone is really helpful.” • “Before I came to Akron my experience with libraries was mostly public libraries and they are really basic. There is so much more here.” • “I think you have done a great job. Everything meets my expectations.” 24
- 25. Social Media & University Libraries • Facebook & Twitter were the social media of choice. The responses among the social media users regarding interacting with the library were mixed. – “Facebook. If you would get a facebook page, I probably wouldn’t jump to follow you but I think for people interested in what’s going on in the library it’s a good marketing strategy.” – “I’m on facebook all the time so I would definitely friend you guys on facebook.” – “I don’t really see myself friending the library on facebook. I think it would clutter my news feed more than it already is.” – “I have facebook to keep up with family and friends from out of state. I would not follow friending the library because I don’t use it to keep up with propaganda or news.” – “I have facebook and twitter and I already follow several student organizations so I would probably follow/friend the library on both. I think besides word of mouth social media is the main reason people hear of events.” 25
- 26. What Do They Want to Hear from Us? • What news or updates • “Spotlighting would you want to employees (faculty, hear from University staff, students) with Libraries? their specialties so students know who to – events go to for certain – services things.” – hours • “Events and services. – student jobs New services being – meetings and classes in offered. Photos from UL facilities events after they occur to draw interest for the next event.” 26
- 27. What We Learned • The Good • The Bad – Libraries have much to – Struggled to recruit market and positive participants, so getting messages to build on the word out for library – Undergraduate students events and marketing seem to prefer low-cost may be difficult communication options – It was difficult to talk (e-mail, posters) with non-users and – University Libraries is students who use meeting most Archives and the Science expectations & Technology Library – Diversity of uses and associations with University Libraries make a single branding option difficult to develop 27
- 28. Questions?